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STAGE APPEARANCE
Begin preparing your skin now! You should consistently be paying attention to your skin in terms of exfoliating and moisturizing. YES, THIS MEANS MEN TOO!!!! Exfoliating is a process to remove dead skin cells. You may use a loufa sponge in the shower, or various cleansing scrubs (example: Freeman Apricot Scrub). This will enhance the smoothness of your skin, which will become important when you are ready to apply a tanning product for the show. Always use a moisturizer on you skin! This will combat the dryness which occurs from tanning, and also help for the eventual tanning product application. Be especially conscious of drier areas such as elbows, knees, and heels, so that these problem areas will accept the tan product as well as possible. HAIR REMOVAL You should be completely shaven 6 to 8 weeks out. This will allow your skin to get used to shaving, and for you to determine the best hair removal technique. Waxing: You can have any part of your body waxed at local salons. This process is not all that painful, and will save a lot of time. Waxing typically lasts for 4 weeks, and your final sessions is recommended for 7-10 days prior to the contest. Be aware that you must allow for a weeks worth of growth (apprx. ¼ inch long hair), and you should not tan the day before, or the day after waxing. Suggested salons:
Electric Razor: Some men prefer this method, needs to be done daily. Regular razor: Use in the shower with moisturizing soap. Nair: Experiment with different brands on small portions of skin. Some products may irritate you skin, and/or not remove hair efficiently. Epilady or other laser treatments: No experience really, but some say they don't work well, and may be painful. TANNING Have a very solid base tan. Either sunlight or tanning beds, whatever is convenient. Try to find unlimited tanning for a monthly fee at local salons. This will be most cost effective. Most people should tan (unless you have medical/skin conditions), including very dark skinned people of color. Some say that the tanning process tightens skin. Tanning does help even your skin tone. Remember how small the posing suit is, so tan completely naked if possible. Make sure that you are evenly tanned - no shirt or sock lines. When lying in a tanning bed, be sure to move around. Watch out for creases that are not being tanned such as the armpits, elbows, and glutes. You may use an accelerator product, but be careful as many are very expensive. Don’t get too carried away with tanning as ultraviolet light is harmful!! Some self tanning products also work well (ie. Banana Boat) The effectiveness and safety of oral tanning substances is unknown, & not recommended. Always moisturize after tanning! TANNING PRODUCTS & APPLICATION There are several brands of tanning products in various textures and colors. *** Try these out well before the show to best match your skin tone!!!
In terms of applying products, have rubber gloves handy, and several old towels. Lay an old sheet down over your carpet or flooring. Make sure you have someone to help you with your back-side, and to look closely for unevenness. Be very well shaven, exfoliated, and moisturized prior to the first application. Make sure to apply the first coat lightly, and then let it set for 4-6 hours. This will allow you to see what parts of your skin may be more difficult to adhere to (traps, bikini area, scars). You will be able to even things out with latter coats, so don’t "mess" with the first one too much. The color will definitely darken over 4-6 hours. Avoid areas such as elbows, knees and heels as they will naturally become darker due to skin texture. Also avoid armpits too much, as you will likely sweat, and the product will run or change color. Put a very light coat on these areas at first, and then less applications overall. Be prepared to get 3-6 coats on total. We've never seen anyone too dark (even dark skinned African Americans are encouraged to apply tanning product)! To achieve this number of coats, you'll need to start applying your first coat Thursday evening. You may not shower with tanning products on, but you can rinse off Friday morning before applying your next coat. Wash your hair in the sink the days you don't shower, and do not rinse off Saturday morning before pre-judging. You'll surely loose most of your color!! Throughout this 3 day process, some of your color is bound to come off. Be aware of wearing clothes that can be stained, sleep on old sheets, and sit on a towel in your living room and car. Do not coat your hands or face until the day of the show. Also apply to these areas very sparingly and carefully. For women, apply a light coat to your entire face, and then put on make-up. * For your face and neck, use several coats of a self-tanning cream such as “Banana Boat Sunless Tan”. Apply several coats on Thursday and Friday. This way you will use less of the darker stuff, and it doesn’t adhere to blemishes and hair as badly. Mistakes: If product beads up due to dry skin, or you appear too dark in certain areas use some oil to even out the problem areas & reapply very lightly. OIL There are also many kinds of oil available.
You will not apply oil until getting ready for the pump-up area. There will be designated areas backstage for oil application, and expeditors there to help you with your back, and evenness. Don’t be afraid to ask other competitors to help with your back as well. The rule for oil: Sheen, not shine! Put oil on everywhere, and don’t attempt to rub it
in. Apply a little less to areas that may sweat due to hot
stage lights (armpits, back). You don’t really need to put oil on your face.
Some may be absorbed into your skin. Dab off excess if necessary, and again even out
coloring after pumping up. Purchase Pre Contest Products Here! HAIR, MAKE-UP, & JEWELRY If you have long hair, make sure it is securely bound up and does not obscure your shoulders, and trapezius. Avoid "big" hair-styles, or bright, shiny clips. You want the judges looking at your body, not your hair!!You should definitely look well groomed, but remember its not a beauty contest. Women should use slightly more and darker make-up than normal to match the tan. Don’t go overboard with a heavy theatrical look. INBF rules require no jewelry, except wedding bands for prejudging. Earrings, and other jewelry can be worn during evening presentations, but be very careful with this as sparkly items are very distracting. Again, you want people looking at your body, not the jewelry. If you have non-removable items such as belly-rings, you will not be scored down specifically for this, but remember the distraction factor. Judges don’t like to see these. POSING SUITS The posing suit is very important in terms of presentation. The suit can be used to adjust the proportions of the body. Lower cut suits will make the legs appear shorter. Higher cut suits will make legs appear longer (this is especially helpful for those with longer torsos). Make sure the suit fits very snug. Loose suits will make the athlete appear fatter. For example, a suit that modestly covers the glutes may seem comfortable for the beach, but will make the buttocks appear larger (fatter) on stage. Remember, you’re not going to the beach. Keep this kind of fit in mind as you order your suit several weeks before the contest, as you will be smaller/leaner at the contest than you are now! For women, be sure your breasts are covered, but be able to clearly see the definition of you pecs. You may need to experiment with different cuts of tops to see what looks the best. You will be able to tie the suit snuggly, and don’t worry about "falling out". Generally, lighter colors cause you to look bigger (especially in the hips). The darker the color, the smaller the hips will look. Pick a color you like, but pay attention to how that color matches your skin tone. If you’re not sure, always order Black! If you’re still concerned about losing your suit, try Bikini Bite which is basically superglue for your skin. It really doesn’t work that well, but some people feel it can help to keep your suit in place. There are several vendors of suits.
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