HDTV: It's time for the close-up, ready or not

Professional makeup artists have been scrambling to adapt, especially with Friday's formal, government-mandated switch from analog television to digital.

"I've been in television almost 15 years, and HD has become a makeup artist's nightmare," says Unique London, star of BET network's reality segments "Hair & Makeup." "There was a time when the light was forgiving. Once you go digital and high-def, it's great for football games and National Geographic, but not for faces. You can see flaws you didn't even know you had."

Even though it's not their mug on the screen, makeup artists know they'll be judged based on how their clients look, so they've made friends with lighting directors, told stars to stay out of the sun and get their rest, and they're experimenting with new cosmetic products intended for HDTV.

Their tips and the HD-friendly makeup isn't just for insiders, though. Everyone could benefit from a little better blending and brands such as MAC, Cargo and Make Up For Ever are selling their new, camera-friendly formulas to consumers too. Why not? Most women aren't going to quibble with things that promise them a more flawless appearance.

Also, adds Emmy award-winning artist Marie DelPrete, the public largely develops the standards of beauty based on its celebrities. "Consumers get their ideas from how things look on TV, in films and magazines. ... TV and film is very much a dictator of how we view vanity."

Eventually, she says, Hollywood will master HD, and therefore set the bar higher for everyone else, but in the meantime expect shadows, wrinkles, dark spots and redness.

"Actors who golf, for example, have to be on high alert. The high-definition camera is going to gravitate to the redness they pick up in the sun," DelPrete says. "I was watching a home-improvement show and this guy looked like his nose was on fire! In person, it might have only been a little red."

The new cameras capture a picture three to four times sharper than standard video film, says Nick Gavrelis, vice president of global development at MAC. The focus of the makeup must be on the texture of the skin - you need the perfect canvas, he explains.

"You want makeup to be moisturizing, sheer and in thin layers," Gavrelis advises, singling out MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish/Natural baked face powder. It's smooth and spreadable with a matte finish, he explains, but also uses micronized mica, silicone and wheatgerm oil to give dimension the skin and not leave it flat looking the way heavy powder or old-school pancake makeup would.

Anything that shines - be it frost or shimmer makeup - will appear wet and accentuate wrinkles, warns DelPrete. But anything too matte will appear very dry and flaky.