Miss Ball's Make up

[mikidiki]

Everyone should google lace wigs - there are heaps you can get and it will show you exactly what they look like - it will make things clearer and explain how they work - they are probably the most realistic wigs you can get but in all honesty, I've seen some shocking lace wig applications and Lucy would have to have the best lace wigs I have ever seen! The way Irma applied them was an art form! A masterpiece! Very realistic and there are only very few photos I have seen where you can see the glue coming off - this normally happens when they have been on for a while and your skin becomes oily or under hot lights.

[mikidiki]

I watched "Lucy Buys A Sheep" just then - can someone confirm for me that Lucy wears her own hair in this episode APART from the two scenes where Lucy and Ethel are in the kitchen looking at Clementine eating grass outside and then it starts snowing and right at the end when Sherman carries in the basket of wool? I'm pretty sure that these two scenes were filmed at the same time.

[yendor1152]

Well, certainly Lucy wasn't wearing a wig in "Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower," since Vivian actually pulls Lucy up out of the water by her hair!

 

I read the Desilu book, and apparently the wig thing entered the picture when Lucy started having her face "taped." Odd, but looking at her in the early Lucy show episodes, I never once got the impression she had her face taped. She seemed perfectly natural, with nothing "tightened." But I also noticed that she looked much younger in the first season than she did in the last few Lucy/Desi comedy hours. She looks especially aged in the Paul Douglas weathergirl episode.

[mikidiki]

Well, certainly Lucy wasn't wearing a wig in "Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower," since Vivian actually pulls Lucy up out of the water by her hair!

 

I read the Desilu book, and apparently the wig thing entered the picture when Lucy started having her face "taped." Odd, but looking at her in the early Lucy show episodes, I never once got the impression she had her face taped. She seemed perfectly natural, with nothing "tightened." But I also noticed that she looked much younger in the first season than she did in the last few Lucy/Desi comedy hours. She looks especially aged in the Paul Douglas weathergirl episode.

 

She wore her wig infrequently during the first half of the first season of The Lucy Show. She never wore a wig in "Lucy Wants A Career". Any episode what required more physical comedy of some sort she would not wear a wig.

[Annaleigh]

You can actually get different types of adhesive that can last from 1-6 weeks, but the normal everyday adhesive just lasts one day and considering Lucy was under hot lights I can almost guarantee you that once filming stopped and Lucy went home the wig would have been removed. There is no way she would have slept in her wigs. Yes, I have also read that she had some of her hair showing at the front - I guess that just means that the wig was pulled up higher so the front of her hair was showing OR she just wore half a wig - I really couldn't tell you for certain but she had many different wig styles to suit many different occasions and they were all done really well so it was very hard to tell.

 

From recollection she would wear a wig cap and it would be pulled very tight and the lace wig would be put on but part of her normal hair would show at the front and her normal hair would also be pulled through the wig cap liner with the lace wig so it all blended in together (think of it as when you get tips and wear that cap and they pull your hair through those holes. Something like that. But in her later years she definitely wore full lace wigs.

I've seen some lace wigs where you can see where the wig hairline starts on some celebrities.

 

But thanks for some more info on her hair history!

[mikidiki]

I've seen some lace wigs where you can see where the wig hairline starts on some celebrities.

 

But thanks for some more info on her hair history!

 

Yes, that's very true and if you look at The Lucy Show episodes you can see where the wig hairlines starts on Lucy - it's actually about 3/4 up the forehead - you can clearly see the line of the thin material.

[C L A U D E]

Yes, that's very true and if you look at The Lucy Show episodes you can see where the wig hairlines starts on Lucy - it's actually about 3/4 up the forehead - you can clearly see the line of the thin material.

Damn that High Resolution TV, you get to see EVERYTHING!

[Annaleigh]

Yes, that's very true and if you look at The Lucy Show episodes you can see where the wig hairlines starts on Lucy - it's actually about 3/4 up the forehead - you can clearly see the line of the thin material.

Damn I need to look more closely! Haha.

[Mmadluv7]

Make-up can do wonders, and I think Lucy looked her best during the first two seasons of "The Lucy Show." It wasn't just the artfully applied eye make-up (on Viv, too), but her base was several shades lighter than her neck, which gave the appearance of less lines. I also liked her eyebrows, which never drew attention to themselves. It wasn't until Here's Lucy where I began seeing distinct changes in Lucy's make-up, and I didn't like them. For one, the top lip became even more pronounced. For another, the color of her wig was too orangey. By the time Life with Lucy came along, she wore more make-up than an embalmed corpse, and I HATED her eyebrows! Whoever had the bright idea of putting them in the middle of her forehead did her a great disservice. Lucille Ball was a gorgeous woman, and with the right make-up, she could've looked lovely right into old age. She looked great in Mame, too, even with the filters. Once the eyebrows shot up to the middle of her forehead, things went downhill. I can't even call it a "surprised" look, more like a miscalculation by a make-up artist who couldn't see too well. Was it Hal King?

 

Rod

 

I agree to a certain degree Rod. A lot of those make up tricks were to make her look better though.

Unfortunately, as she aged, and hadnt gotten any surgery to her face, her face looked really aged, and to hide it, she put on make up.

Unlike the earlier years, where make up was an accessory. Apart of her look, but not all of her look. By the 80s, if she had NO make up on, shed look even worse.

The brow line was constantly in this frown position, so she always looked bothered, mean, upset. So to fix this, Claude Thompson thought to do what helped other

actresses, and gave Lucy higher brows, as her natural eye brows line had probably raised due to age any way. Unfortunately they mustve thought, the higher, the younger looking. It did achieve a look, as Lucy looked at attention with the high brows, rather than constantly frowning. You can probably notice she also raises her brows a lot when talking, so that helped.

 

I think, the lip got lighter in HL, towards the end of the run, they got darker and fuller, to compensate for Lucys lips, which were finally beginning to get a little thinner.

 

The wigs, I ADORED. They were VERY HOT Im told, but she looked amazing. They frame her face

[Mmadluv7]

 

 

Damn I need to look more closely! Haha.

she was wearing them way in the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour Days. Heres a shot during the Red Skelton Episode.
In the uranium episode, it nearly shifts completely off when Ethel throws the blanket at her while their driving!lolol



In the later years, You'd have to go very close to see the netting.
This was also not some cheap usual lace front. The netting was usually dyed to the color
of that particular wig color. So that the netting would look like little hairs from fair away. A BRILLIANT trick on the eyes.



From what I understand, The wigs were also placed on Lucys hair line depending on the size. For the more shorter wigs, they seem to start the wig, on top of or after the hair line going into the scalp-on larger longer wigs, the net would iften come to the edge of her brow, to compensate for the smaller curls that fit around Lucys face to hide the netting,and frame Lucys face.



Many times, especially in interviews, you see Lucy pressing the sides of her face, while she thinks. What shes actually doing is, pressing the netting closer to her face to hide it. She was VERY cautious of her look.
In the new Merv Griffin interview posted, Mr Griffin kisses Lucys hand. Later, as Lucy talks, she playfully observes her hand to make sure none of the make up has smeared. I think Merv knew too lol

[Luvsbway]

I find all this fascinating. Thanks for all the pics and info. Mmadluv, did you do a post on the old board about her lips? The wig thing is interesting and with the new DVD's picture quality I have often played wig, or real hair. Anyone know how often wigs were used in real life and maybe for what reason.

[Annaleigh]

she was wearing them way in the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour Days. Heres a shot during the Red Skelton Episode.

In the uranium episode, it nearly shifts completely off when Ethel throws the blanket at her while their driving!lolol

 

 

In the later years, You'd have to go very close to see the netting.

This was also not some cheap usual lace front. The netting was usually dyed to the color

of that particular wig color. So that the netting would look like little hairs from fair away. A BRILLIANT trick on the eyes.

 

 

From what I understand, The wigs were also placed on Lucys hair line depending on the size. For the more shorter wigs, they seem to start the wig, on top of or after the hair line going into the scalp-on larger longer wigs, the net would iften come to the edge of her brow, to compensate for the smaller curls that fit around Lucys face to hide the netting,and frame Lucys face.

 

 

Many times, especially in interviews, you see Lucy pressing the sides of her face, while she thinks. What shes actually doing is, pressing the netting closer to her face to hide it. She was VERY cautious of her look.

In the new Merv Griffin interview posted, Mr Griffin kisses Lucys hand. Later, as Lucy talks, she playfully observes her hand to make sure none of the make up has smeared. I think Merv knew too lol

OMG. I was waiting for you to do something like this! You have the best quality photos!! I adored when you did it on the old board!

 

See I never pay attention much to her wigs honestly. I look at the styles and everything but never the wig hair line!! I also knew she started once she switched from the poodle cut. But thank you for posting this!

 

Could you do the progress of Lucy's brows and make up? I see she did have some hairs in the 60s and 70s also! I know the make up aspect but let the other fans in on it!! I would if I had the quality photos you do!

[yendor1152]

Wow, those are amazing shots! Outside of the hair, I was drawn to her eyebrows, which looked very natural. I'd swear they were real and didn't look penciled in at all.

 

I wonder why Lucy wore the wigs--was it to hide whatever was put over her head to pull the facial skin tighter? I mean, she wasn't losing her hair, that much is obvious. She always had a head full of it. And I'm sure the wigs must've been very hot under those lights.

 

Here's a tidbit: I remember in 1963 or so, my little sister was given the Lucy and her Family paper doll set. I played with it, too, and I always thought--really, for the longest time--that Lucy was much MUCH younger than Vivian, even on the Lucy Show. She always had a very youthful way about her, and that helped preserve the impression of youth.

 

When were those wig shots taken? Anybody know?

 

Rod

[Taylor]

Probably because wearing wigs was quicker than having her hair done for every show, more time to do the other things she had to do. That, and the contraption she wore to pull her face up when she was getting older.

[mikidiki]

Thanks for posting darling mmadluv7:-) Now everyone know what lace wigs look like LOL!

[Annaleigh]

Thanks for posting darling mmadluv7:-) Now everyone know what lace wigs look like LOL!

I'm just glad she didn't have the wig half way down her forehead like some celebrities! Haha.

[Irene Kampen Tripp]

I love LOVE her makeup.. she looks amazing.. Hollywood tricks.. and thank goodness she had those "tricks".. because they allowed her to look oh so marvelous..

I saw the blackgamon pic on a site.. and I gotta say.. I don't think she looked that bad..I mean.. I thought she looked okay.. Yeah the Lee idea with blacking out her teeth would have been hilarious.. but that sophisticated look works on her.. so I don't know what all the fuss was about in Lee's book (of course I am biased)... I just loved Lucille's makeup and I am glad she went the way she went with it.. it really suited her.

[Annaleigh]

I love LOVE her makeup.. she looks amazing.. Hollywood tricks.. and thank goodness she had those "tricks".. because they allowed her to look oh so marvelous..

I saw the blackgamon pic on a site.. and I gotta say.. I don't think she looked that bad..I mean.. I thought she looked okay.. Yeah the Lee idea with blacking out her teeth would have been hilarious.. but that sophisticated look works on her.. so I don't know what all the fuss was about in Lee's book (of course I am biased)... I just loved Lucille's makeup and I am glad she went the way she went with it.. it really suited her.

She looked fabulous for her age no matter what!

 

They made it work for her, they gave her always that ever lasting comedic Lucy beauty! With those popping blue eyes to those red bow lips!! AND HER HAIR, even if a wig. It was still Lucy. Some of my favorite photos was in the 80s, especially that last public appearance. I hold those pictures of her so dear to my heart. She was gorgeous til the day she died and still is in our eyes and hearts!

[C L A U D E]

I love LOVE her makeup.. she looks amazing.. Hollywood tricks.. and thank goodness she had those "tricks".. because they allowed her to look oh so marvelous..

I saw the blackgamon pic on a site.. and I gotta say.. I don't think she looked that bad..I mean.. I thought she looked okay.. Yeah the Lee idea with blacking out her teeth would have been hilarious.. but that sophisticated look works on her.. so I don't know what all the fuss was about in Lee's book (of course I am biased)... I just loved Lucille's makeup and I am glad she went the way she went with it.. it really suited her.

Although i agree with you on everything you just said, the whole idea of the Blackglama ad is that you recognize these LEGENDS even without their names appearing in the ads and Lucy was almost unrecognizable there.

[Irene Kampen Tripp]

Although i agree with you on everything you just said, the whole idea of the Blackglama ad is that you recognize these LEGENDS even without their names appearing in the ads and Lucy was almost unrecognizable there.

True... they should have done 2 shots... one glamour and one silly/blacked out teeth... WHY OH WHY did she ever listen to GARY???

[C L A U D E]

True... they should have done 2 shots... one glamour and one silly/blacked out teeth... WHY OH WHY did she ever listen to GARY???

Why did she ever say I DO to him is a better question. LOL! I think it was Lee Tannen that got her signed up for this thing in the first place and all their adverts were ONE SHOT, she would have been the first to get two.

[Annaleigh]

Why did she ever say I DO to him is a better question. LOL! I think it was Lee Tannen that got her signed up for this thing in the first place and all their adverts were ONE SHOT, she would have been the first to get two.

I just died seeing the first statement.

[Annaleigh]

Did she ever use her own hair after few episodes in the first season of TLS? Like Marineland?

[mikidiki]

Did she ever use her own hair after few episodes in the first season of TLS? Like Marineland?

 

I'm 99% sure that she didn't - I can't recall her using her own hair in Here's Lucy!

[leenorman]

Although i agree with you on everything you just said, the whole idea of the Blackglama ad is that you recognize these LEGENDS even without their names appearing in the ads and Lucy was almost unrecognizable there.

 

Don't think I've ever seen this Blackglama ad...anyone? Thanks if you can post it.