Behind the masks

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Makeup artist Sarah Gurevich (left) gets to work on model Sigourney Burrell at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory

▼ Angela Fey

This is one stage mom that any kid would love to have.

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Jessica Lusk (left) had her makeup done by Chris Hadley (right) of Post Mortem Productions. (MIKE.DEAL@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

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Makeup artist Angela Fey works on Bert Valentin. (MIKE.DEAL@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

"Our basement looks like the backstage of a theatre," Angela Fey chuckles of the costumes, make-up and wacky props that are stockpiled in the home she shares with husband Jerome Marchildon and kids Henri, 2, and Charlotte, one year. "Needless to say, our kids’ favourite activity is playing dress-up."

Though Fey shies from calling herself a "make-up artist," preferring to call her passion a humble "hobby," she’s nonetheless made a name for herself via high-profile gigs. (Besides doing our 3D Nosferatu, of course!)

Among her greatest hits: doing make-up for the Manitoba Opera, serving as head costumer for the University of Winnipeg’s new production of As You Like It, and turning folks into monsters and zombies for the Manitoba Museum’s Hallowe’en Funkadelic party. So, what’s in her bag that makes all that work possible? "I would die without angled brushes," she says. "They don’t have to be expensive... I buy them at the dollar store and use them until they fray."

Chris Hadley

Chris Hadley was just a kid when he got bitten by the Halloween bug; as 12 years old, his first foray into the make-up world was a ghoulish zombie.

Over 20 years later, Hadley is still doing zombies. Only now, he’s gone pro: about a decade ago Hadley, 35, launched Postmortem Productions to make make-up, masks and props for movies, plays and... well, anything else you’d need make-up, masks and props for. "Everything is integral to what I do. It’s all over the place," Hadley says, while carrying a pair of big ol’ Grim Reapers into the Gas Station Theatre for the weekend performance of Fringe horror hit Macabre Tales of Horror and Macabreness.

And to think, just 10 years ago, Hadley wasn’t a make-up artist. He was a mechanic. How’s that for a change in career direction? "It was my obsession with Halloween (that got me into it)," Hadley says. "I’m huge into horror movies, and I always loved seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff. Finally my mom said... ‘why don’t you do this for a living?’"

Even with 10 years of pro experience, Hadley is still learning new things. The zombie look he made for the Free Press is the first time he’s tried making teeth show through decaying lips. "It actually turned out pretty good," he beams.

▼ Sarah Gurevich

Catwalks, wedding celebrations, and now an incredible Halloween crane: when it comes to make-up, Sarah Gurevich is a true Renaissance woman.

"I always wanted a career involving something arts oriented," says Gurevitch, who earned her make-up degree from Vancouver’s Blance McDonald college and earned a bachelor’s in theatre design from the University of Winnipeg. "I’ve always kept it pretty diverse... I enjoy the fashion work I’ve been able to do in Winnipeg, and being a part of the little fashion scene that we have here."

Creativity is the name of the game for the Winnipeg-raised Gurevich, who also runs an on-line jewelry and home decor business with her twin sister, Rubyandpearl.ca. For her Free Press look, she was inspired by Asian culture’s focus on elegant cranes. "Because I’m a fashion make-up artist, I tried to go with that," she says. "It’s beauty make-up, but embellished."

So, what’s Gurevich’s best trick for building the perfect look? Start with the eyes, she says. That way, you can get a flawless finish on the skin, without any of that pesky eyeshadow debris. "That always gives a nice fresh, clean make-up look no matter what happens," she says.

 
▼ Chris Hadley
Chris Hadley was just a kid when he got bitten by the Halloween bug; as 12 years old, his first foray into the make-up world was a ghoulish zombie.
Over 20 years later, Hadley is still doing zombies. Only now, he’s gone pro: about a decade ago Hadley, 35, launched Postmortem Productions to make make-up, masks and props for movies, plays and... well, anything else you’d need make-up, masks and props for. "Everything is integral to what I do. It’s all over the place," Hadley says, while carrying a pair of big ol’ Grim Reapers into the Gas Station Theatre for the weekend performance of Fringe horror hit Macabre Tales of Horror and Macabreness.
And to think, just 10 years ago, Hadley wasn’t a make-up artist. He was a mechanic. How’s that for a change in career direction? "It was my obsession with Halloween (that got me into it)," Hadley says. "I’m huge into horror movies, and I always loved seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff. Finally my mom said... ‘why don’t you do this for a living?’"
Even with 10 years of pro experience, Hadley is still learning new things. The zombie look he made for the Free Press is the first time he’s tried making teeth show through decaying lips. "It actually turned out pretty good," he beams.