Guest Post: Glamour on the Road

 by Rachael Sage

©Laura Crosta

As a full-time touring musician, it's my job not only to entertain, but to connect with people both on and offstage, in a meaningful way. I'm meeting strangers every day who, I hope, will be part of my creative community by the end of our interactions...and I think of my voice, my musicianship, my personal style and even the makeup on my face as part of my expressive palette. At the end of the day, I want people to see me either on stage or off and say to themselves, "wow, that woman is really an artist – from the lyrics in her songs to the way she does her costuming and makeup." I want them to look at me, talk to me, and easily get a sense of who I am and what I'm all about: self-expression and creativity!

©Bill Bernstein

When I'm on the road, I don't like to travel with too many things because even though at home I have way too much stuff, on tour it just gets cumbersome. I have a small suitcase with only as many gig-outfits as I need for the trip (some will be worn 2-3 times depending on the length of the tour), and I'm a masterful suitcase-packer. All my stage-dresses are very diaphanous and it's my shoes that take up the most room! As far as makeup, I definitely have a handful of items I just can't live without, and others that I'll bring with me only if it's a longer trip or if I'm playing large festivals where everything needs to be a bit more intense. 

©Kevin Abosch

Usually during the day we're travelling; we're in the mini-van, shlepping from the last gig to the next destination. America can look pretty similar from highway to highway and one rest-stop to another, but I personally never want to blend in! I make more friends just being myself, wherever I am: colorful, sparkly and a little eccentric. Basically, my "day look" consists of a light amount of foundation (L'Oreal or Revlon), a little blush (Maybelline or Smashbox), bright red lipstick (Revlon or Wet and Wild), translucent powder (Cover Girl or Smashbox) and black eyeliner (Mattése). 

©Amy Chase

Once I'm at a venue and preparing for my live shows, I either start completely fresh, or if I'm in more of a rush, just add more makeup, keeping in mind that bright lights on stage tend to wash you out. I always wear mascara on stage, and I usually wear a sparkly green, dark blue or purple shade of eyeshadow at the bottom and in the crease of my lid, depending upon my outfit; favorite eyeshadows I happen to have in my makeup bag these days are Cover Girl, Sephora and Mattése. I also really like to add a sparkly silver eyeshadow as a highlighter below my brow, and even a little of it in the inner corners of my eye. For my lips, I add glitter in a complimentary shade (purple, gold and pink are most common), on top of my existing red lipstick. Those three added elements – mascara, eyeshadow and glitter – really help me go from "casual daytime" to "stage-glam" very quickly and easily! I've often had to make this transition in a moving vehicle, which can be a challenge, but it definitely impresses my band-mates when I emerge from the van, transformed!

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