One of the most mesmerizing VMA moments came courtesy of Beyoncé, obviously, and it was when she performed "Drunk in Love" with nine glittery butts behind her. How did those butts get so glittery?
Queen Bey's makeup artist Francesca Tolot explained that it just involved laying a bunch of dancers on the floor and dumping glitter all over them, basically.
Beyoncè in a behind-the-scenes image for the VMAs.
Tolot did the behind-the-scenes shoot with Beyoncé two days before the VMAs. "We decided that when glitter is on a moving body, it's mesmerizing," Tolot said. "We wanted that part of the performance to have a sexy, naked-looking, magical effect, so that's why we covered the backup dancers in it."
Work from makeup artist Francesca Tolot's new book One Woman 100 Faces.
Tolot used the glitter effect from the VMAs in her book One Woman 100 Faces, and for the book, Beyoncé's shoot, and the backup dancers, Tolot used a special kind of very fine glitter. For Beyoncè, Tolot used purple, blue, and black to create a translucent mask that would still allow her expressions to shine through for a strong, dark, and edgy vibe. To apply it, Tolot created a glue-like substance with moisturizing properties (since it was going on Bey's face, after all) that the glitter would stick to. Next, she dipped her hands in the glitter and gently applied it to Beyoncè's face. To create the intricate detailing, she used a stencil and a small brush for precise application. For the eye area, she told Bey close her eyes tightly and used a brush to pat on the glitter.
Beyoncè with full glitter on her face for a behind-the-scenes image for the VMAs.
Bey's VMA backup dancers' glitter application was a little more involved. For the VMA performance, her nine backup dancers for "Drunk in Love" had to be done long before they danced (since the team then turns their focus to Beyoncé — think of it like bridesmaids getting ready before the bride), meaning the makeup artists had to use a much stronger, glue-like substance than what they used on Beyoncè's face. After the makeup artists mixed the substance backstage, they either sprayed or sponged it onto the dancers' bodies while they were wearing the black bras and thongs they performed in. Next, they had the dancers lie on a fabric sheet on the floor, and then took the glitter in their hands and sprinkled it over the dancers' entire bodies. To ensure full coverage, they also spread the glitter on their bodies like you would lotion, packing it in with their hands, Tolot said. This process took about 15 to 20 minutes per dancer, or a total of three hours for all nine.
Beyoncè and her backup dancers during the 2014 VMAs.
As for the dancers' faces, Tolot wanted them to still look like themselves, so she just added a fine layer of translucent glitter over them. When asked how one removes pounds of glitter (since getting one fleck off your face seems like it takes an eternity), Tolot said, "You just take a shower, and use a lot of soap and warm water — it just dissolves. The only problem is you might clog the shower."
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