Fake a lipstick treatment

February 3, 2013 4:20 PM

We're doing a show that requires a character to write on a laminate surface every night with what is supposed to be lipstick and are looking for some work-arounds to deal with expense and time.

The actual lipstick has starting breaking every night and it's no longer a tenable solution. We were using oil pastels for a while, but those were proving too costly in terms of time to clean off and beginning to remove the aging on the set piece. Does anyone have thoughts on how to remove and oil pastel mark from a laminate surface or thoughts on an alternate substitute for either lipstick or an oil pastel. Soft pastels seem to break easily as well, would they be any easier to clean?

posted by edbles to media & arts (14 answers total)

Would a dry erase marker leave a mark acceptable from the front row? Alternately, what about a clear plastic overlay on the laminate that you can remove for washing (by hand or in a dishwasher) or replace nightly?
posted by zippy at 4:23 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]

You know, I just bought Crayola dry erase crayons for the first time, today, and i love them. I think you could shape them easily into the right shape, and they are sturdy, and clean off with a cloth or with a little water.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:24 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]

Factors to consider:

It's a very small house 70 seats and the closest audience member is 6' away from the laminate being affected by the prop. The art material has to be able to sit in a lipstick tube or look like one. I'll look into the dry erase crayons!
posted by edbles at 4:34 PM on February 3

I can't think of a brand name or exact product name right now, but there's also roll-on window paint meant to be used on glass --- look for it in craft stores; it's washable and comes in a variety of colors. (Lots of highschoolers use it on their car windows to write things like "Go team!" or "We're number one!" or whathaveyou.)
posted by easily confused at 4:44 PM on February 3

What about a china marker? They look a lot like lipstick (and in fact could even be hidden in a lipstick applicator if you cut one down) and are removable with mineral spirits.
posted by Sara C. at 4:45 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]

I like the idea of putting cling film over the laminate so it can be whipped off after the show. I also wonder about continuing to use the pastels but only putting a small piece in the lipstick holder for each night. That way it won't break and you just replace the piece before the next show. It seems to be working for you in terms of look and texture etc, not sure that anything would really be similar in that way.
posted by Youremyworld at 4:54 PM on February 3 [3 favorites]

We have these Crayola Window Crayons (note: Window markers are a different product, not suitable) and they'd be perfect. The marking substance is a waxy stick inside the plastic housing, which you advance with a twisting mechanism. You could twist it all the way out and move it into a lipstick container. It looks very much like lipstick, and washes off very easily with a bit of water.
posted by odinsdream at 5:14 PM on February 3

Dry erase crayons or glass crayons. Crayola makes great ones, pretty cheap, and they wipe right off.
posted by phunniemee at 5:19 PM on February 3

Store the lipstick in the fridge (or freezer?) to make it harder & less likely to break.
posted by mollymayhem at 5:56 PM on February 3 [3 favorites]

A paper towel soaked in mineral spirits will clean off oil pastels pretty easily.
posted by fancyoats at 6:31 PM on February 3

Can you just buy super cheap lipstick in bulk from a dollar store or something?
posted by judith at 9:47 PM on February 3

Crayola bathtub crayons. The colours are really bright, but they rinse off easily with soap and water.
posted by embrangled at 1:38 AM on February 4

While I think cling film might be too visible/reflective, changing the surface might be easier than the media. I wonder if you might be able to buy sheets of removable (dry-erase or similar gloss) material--if cheap enough, you could remove and re-apply between shows. I'm picturing something like contact paper or shelf liner. On the other hand, sounds like the set is up and done, so maybe it's late for that. In NYC, you could try walking into Pearl Paint or similar and throwing yourself at their mercy.
posted by Mngo at 7:08 AM on February 4

All of the dry erase crayons etc. would have been excellent on a lighter surface for anyone reading this in the future. We ended up working an alternate cleaning method out involving scrubbing with a scouring pad and stepping up to Denatured alcohol. It's getting us through but not ideal.
posted by edbles at 12:24 PM on February 20