S11.E02: The Devil Is in the Details

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Angel and devil characters are created in the first elimination challenge of this all-star season.

Sneak peek:

[Primetimer]

Devils are also represented at the same time, to varying effect.

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[Frozendiva]

Both top looks deserved to be there - excellent sculpts and paint jobs. Both the bottom ones could have gone home. Maybe the idea was better than the execution. Still no 'wow' this season - granted, it's been two eps.

Found it odd that McKenzie didn't accompany her dad on his walkthough/mentoring session. Maybe it's changed this season.

[sourpickles]

I knew I was going to be sad no matter who went home...and I was.  But Jasmine/Stella really fell down on this one.  The angel/devil idea just didn't mesh well, and a lot of the details were Face Off 101, and done poorly.  I'm over the horns in general.  LOVED this challenge subject.  Reviewing the notes here......I swear they let a bunch of people redye the hair, very strong colors coming up this week.  McKenzie looked just gorgeous, that dress was perfection on her.  Ve also looked great.  Ben/Evan managed to make their half/half idea work very well, very distinct.  I did not care for Cig/George, that stained glass halo was too much, looked very elementary school craft.  I liked how everyone gave Tyler a nice birthday.  You don't see that on other shows.  Tyler/Emily.  Great makeup, but very ocean corrosion to me, I think it was the color.  It didn't scream angel/devil, but it was great overall.  I'd watch out for them.  Logan/Adam.  Awful.  TOO distinct b/w a/d.  In fact, the front wasn't enough formed and we didn't see comments on the back, which I thought was well done.  It was a gladiator with a disease.  Keighlan/Melissa was too alien for me.  Gage/Racheal were straying into horror.  My favs of the day, and the totally deserving winners, were Niko/Cat.  What an incredible piece!!!  Amazing.  Loved everything about it, not enough good things to say.  Clear concept loyalty/jealousy.  Watch out for them, too.  And something else, his attentiveness to her was the best...just the way they interact is so sweet.  Still love Glen, think I'll put him on my list.  GREAT episode.  I might be sad, but I'm not mad, so yay!

[sourpickles]

Does anyone have a Twitter or something where they could ask McKenzie why she's not going on rounds with her Dad?  It's been noticed over the new season, and maybe she could tell...........

[annewithaneee]

I'm a fresh convert to this show, checked it out after reading last week's recap -- Gage is responsible for my favorite "Paint Me Bitch" on Willam's (RuPaul's Drag Race queen) youtube channel, and when I saw he was on this season I decided I finally wanted to check this out.

Loving it so far, though I think I may need to revisit at least a couple episodes of the first season (or if there's a better season to watch as a primer, please let me know!) to better understand who the judges and hostess are, and the show's vibe more generally. I really like that this seems to be more Great British Baking Show than something like ANTM or Ink Master, shows that are much less about the actual craft and more about people yelling at each other. Even Skin Wars has far too much of that for me, so I think this is my bag.

I'm rooting for Gage/Racheal so far (probably because Gage is the only one whose work and personality I have any previous frame of reference for), and although their work tonight was stunning, something about Niko/Cat grates me just a little. Maybe it's the bitter single lady in me, but there's something bordering on cloying there for me. Still, the actually important thing, their finished product, was the clear winner and easily trumps the personalities of the artists (for now, anyway).

Edited February 1, 2017 by annewithaneee

[sourpickles]

Ink Master didn't used to be so bad.  Till S6 and Emily, really.  As for Face Off, everyone has their favorite seasons, but if you are able to check out the ones the current contestants were on that should give you a good base.  I THINK everyone is from 7 on, except for Gage, who was from 1.  I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention this here or what, if I'm not then I'll get dinged again, but I'm checking out DVD season offerings from iOffer right now, waiting for my SIL to tell me if they are legit or what, because F/O isn't on DVD yet.  And I have a terrible memory.  So.  If you get a chance to stream, you can get a lot of background.  Plus, there are good recaps here, too. 

[Maelstrom]

This challenge struck me initially as one of those abstract ideas that sounds great on paper while being hard to pull off in a concrete makeup, but Cat and Niko pulled it off brilliantly. That had to be one of the most striking and effective makeups I think I've ever seen on this show. Wow! It was a perfect balance of the angel and devil, I  appreciated that they got the darker look across without being gross or painted too dark, as so many tend to do. And the wings were truly impressive - usually wings on this show look rather slapdash and rushed (understandable given their time frame, but still) but these looked pretty damn good to me. I liked the one wing had dark tones to it to mesh with the devilish side. A well-deserving win!

Emily and Tyler's makeup was also stunningly beautiful, and I'd expect no less from Emily, who had some truly beautiful makeups in her first stint. But, as much as I like it, it didn't get the whole angel/devil concept across as clearly as Cat and Niko's. Still, looking forward to more from them. And how cool was the impromptu birthday party for Tyler? That's why I love this show. They're all such cool, friendly people.

I'm sorry to see Stella go, as I remember liking her work in her first season, but after two weeks of very unsuccessful makeups I can't blame the judges for letting her go.

Mackenzie's dress on the reveal stage was very pretty, though it looked like she got some extensions sometime between the introduction at the church and the reveal. Sourpickles' comment about everyone re-dying their hair makes me chuckle picturing the line outside the bathroom as everyone waits their turn at the sink. I bet the bathroom looked like a rainbow exploded after everyone was finished.

I also had to laugh at Neville's profusive praise of Niko's hair. I remember it as being gravity-defying in his first season, but it's clearly reached new heights here. Also, I think Glenn was jealous that his hair was overshadowed by Niko's, lol.

[sourpickles]

Beats the pants off of watching everyone's roots grow out, as on some shows, which is fascinating and distracting at the same time LOL.

And I wouldn't want to be around that bathroom tub, just saying!

[Hampton]

They absolutely go to lunch together after rounds. It's official headcanon. Maybe they're vying for control of Denver-Carrington and had a falling out.

[PhoneCop]

1 hour ago, sourpickles said:

Ink Master didn't used to be so bad.  Till S6 and Emily, really.  As for Face Off, everyone has their favorite seasons, but if you are able to check out the ones the current contestants were on that should give you a good base.  I THINK everyone is from 7 on, except for Gage, who was from 1.  I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention this here or what, if I'm not then I'll get dinged again, but I'm checking out DVD season offerings from iOffer right now, waiting for my SIL to tell me if they are legit or what, because F/O isn't on DVD yet.  And I have a terrible memory.  So.  If you get a chance to stream, you can get a lot of background.  Plus, there are good recaps here, too. 

Tyler, Cat, and Niko are from Season 6.

Seems like everybody could've benefited from an extra day, since the concept was tricky to pull off. Logan/Adam and Stella/Jasmine's creations were never gonna shine—especially the latter team's bastard minotaur—but even some of the better ones could've used more polish. Cat and Niko's evil half looked more zombie than devil to me, but I'm glad they got the win since theirs was the only one that looked both completed and self-explanatory (Tyler and Emily had a lovely paint job but I don't know that I would've gotten angel/devil from it out of context).

[Quilt Fairy]

This challenge didn't do it for me.  I would have been like Jazmine and Stella: "You want us to do what?????"  I was expecting them to have to do some kind of special makeup overlay where the figure looks like a angel in one light and a devil in a different light, a variation or extension of the green screen challenge from last week.

[GaT]

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

This challenge struck me initially as one of those abstract ideas that sounds great on paper while being hard to pull off in a concrete makeup

I agree, I don't think it was a great idea for a challenge, doing a half/half thing was obvious. McKenzie also said the whole "never before on Face Off" thing, just like last week, so I wonder if we're going to be hearing that every week.

2 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Both top looks deserved to be there - excellent sculpts and paint jobs. Both the bottom ones could have gone home. Maybe the idea was better than the execution. Still no 'wow' this season - granted, it's been two eps.

Found it odd that McKenzie didn't accompany her dad on his walkthough/mentoring session. Maybe it's changed this season.

 

1 hour ago, sourpickles said:

Does anyone have a Twitter or something where they could ask McKenzie why she's not going on rounds with her Dad?  It's been noticed over the new season, and maybe she could tell...........

I mentioned this last week, it seems like they knocked her part back a lot, we only see her at the beginning & the end which is strange.

[Quilt Fairy]

2 hours ago, sourpickles said:

Does anyone have a Twitter or something where they could ask McKenzie why she's not going on rounds with her Dad?  It's been noticed over the new season, and maybe she could tell...........

Something else they're doing is I'm pretty sure they're only showing his comments to the teams that end up on the top and the bottom. It's kind of a give-away.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awww, it was so sweet of everyone to celebrate Tyler's birthday! It's obvious that they don't have access to a lot of stuff outside the house, but a handmade card and cupcakes is better than nothing!

I was just glad that Jasmine and Stella had anything to show after their rocky start this week. The raised fleur de lis design on the chest was an interesting idea but it wasn't executed well. I guess at least their bickering led to their stubborn as a bull inspiration. I also thought that the color gradation were too harsh.

Ben and Evan's devil face coming out of the model's face was really well done. It looked so cool! I also liked the shimmery gold they used on the angel's face.

Cig and George's details were nice. I appreciated the gargoyle and the stained glass headpiece.

Tyler and Emily's was beautifully blended on the face. I liked the way the blue crept over onto the other side of the face too. I loved the shape on the top of the head that looked like a ornate tiara. Loved that their model was totally working it even during the judges' comments.

I liked Logan and Adam's idea to use a cast of another model's face on the chest, but as Michael pointed out during his critique, she shouldn't have had a calm look on her face. Because they didn't listen, it looked like she was taking a nap on the guy's chest. I really didn't like the hand next to the face either. On top of that, the thumb was on the side of the hand farthest away from the face. How would that be physically possible unless there were three entities? If the devil was really climbing out of the archangel's body as they described, the devil's thumb would be closest to the face. Was that another hand on the model's chin too?

I liked all the eyes on the dark torso that Keaghlan and Melissa did. I wish that the horns/antlers/antennae were angled to match the ridge on the forehead.

Gage and Rachael took a risk by putting the devil aspect on the back of their model's head and I don't know if it worked for me.

The beauty makeup Cat did on the angel side of the face was very simple but pretty. The veining from the other side creeping over was a nice touch.The wings felt a bit extraneous, but without them the model would have looked like a half dead bride.

Of all the Manic Panic/semi-permanent fashion colors, blue and purple shades wash out the fastest. But when you use the same color repeatedly, it acts almost like a wood stain in that the color gets darker with each application so you don't have to recolor it as often. I've had galaxy streaks in my hair for just over a year and the first time I had to recolor it after six weeks but since then, I've been able to wait longer and longer in between (eight weeks then twelve weeks, and most recently sixteen weeks). Red and hot pink last the longest so Adam's hair will be fine for the rest of the season! For what it's worth, everyone's hair looked the same level of brightness as last week.

And McKenzie didn't get extensions between the beginning of this episode and judging. Her hair was long last week. She just had it pulled into a faux bob in the church so it looked shoulder length.

[starri]

I really didn't see what so enamored the judges in Ben and Evan's makeup.  I guess it was because they pulled themselves out of the tailspin from last week?

I also didn't think Cig and George did that great either.

Still, can't quibble to much with the winner or loser.

We're going to see a challenge where the teams have to work on two characters and one partner can't do anything to help the other, aren't we?

[diebartdie]

I was just gobsmaked when Stella (one of my all time favorites) said "I have no fight left in me"....I was like, REALLY?!?!? Its only the SECOND CHALLENGE!!!! Oh well, on to the next thing!

[Monty9]

To start off: Emily and Tyler's model was working the shit out of that makeup ( copper statue turning colors).  

 I really am seeing the advantage of the teams this season. I didn't see how being a team necessarily added anything in past seasons other than testing your ability to work with people but I think doing twice as much work is really showing in the top looks this week which were really excellent..

[Eliza422]

It will be interesting to see what the judges do when one of the two bottom teams from one week both redeem themselves in the elimination week. The blondes team made it easy for them this week.

[Richness]

Agree with the top and bottom looks, except for Ben and Evan. It wasn't that good, though it was an improvement over last week. That's probably more of why they were showcased than anything else. The make-up and painting of the other two were absolutely gorgeous! I also agree with the winners and losers.

That said, I'm not loving the Niko and Cat cuteness. The blue hair is starting to annoy me too, though mainly due to the blue eyebrows. Also, Emily's big hair makes me think I'm watching an 80s show. Speaking of Emily, was she the one that had a cake decorating background and did so well on her first season?

I was really worried about Tyler being voted off due to the birthday curse. Thankfully though, that seems isolated to Top Chef. They've celebrated birthdays on there as well, though maybe not with as large of a pseudo-party they threw for Tyler. Unfortunately, it always ends badly on Top Chef with the birthday person being eliminated. Glad it didn't happen here.

[starri]

1 hour ago, Richness said:

Speaking of Emily, was she the one that had a cake decorating background and did so well on her first season?

That was Dina who won the season Cig and George (and I think also Stella) were on.

Emily was the very, very young one who had a real talent with hair and wigs.

[hincandenza]

I have to say this first and foremost, before I forget: there's an incredible moment just after Stella and Jasmine finish getting the judge's critiques and leave the stage.  You see their model turn around and walk back as well, and it becomes immediately apparent that- with their backs against the wall and their costume already going off the rails- Stella and Jasmine thought it necessary to spend precious lab time fashioning a set of giant fake butt cheeks!  It's so... arbitrary, like they chose to represent the devil as a Kardashian.  I feel kind of bad since they went home first and it was plainly obvious for most of the episode and probably to everyone there at the time.  Still, I finished the episode 20 minutes ago and couldn't stop giggling about this, so I figured out how to make my first streamable video, and now I'm sharing it with you.  I hope it brings you as much joy as it has brought me. :)

http://streamable.com/kexf9

 

On 1/31/2017 at 8:36 PM, Maelstrom said:

This challenge struck me initially as one of those abstract ideas that sounds great on paper while being hard to pull off in a concrete makeup, but Cat and Niko pulled it off brilliantly. That had to be one of the most striking and effective makeups I think I've ever seen on this show. Wow! It was a perfect balance of the angel and devil, I  appreciated that they got the darker look across without being gross or painted too dark, as so many tend to do. And the wings were truly impressive - usually wings on this show look rather slapdash and rushed (understandable given their time frame, but still) but these looked pretty damn good to me. I liked the one wing had dark tones to it to mesh with the devilish side. A well-deserving win!

Emily and Tyler's makeup was also stunningly beautiful, and I'd expect no less from Emily, who had some truly beautiful makeups in her first stint. But, as much as I like it, it didn't get the whole angel/devil concept across as clearly as Cat and Niko's. Still, looking forward to more from them. And how cool was the impromptu birthday party for Tyler? That's why I love this show. They're all such cool, friendly people.

I totally agree on the top looks, and the winner; Emily and Tyler were very strong again and I loved their piece: the execution, the skill and painting, those perfectly corroded edges (and I agree with the poster who said it looked like water corrosion, but that's almost cooler to me, like those pictures of underwater statues I've seen), the overall balance of beauty and decay especially with how it was being acted out gorgeously by their model.  Still, it also didn't hit the challenge parameters as well as Niko and Cat, because angel/demon was just screaming out of that piece.  Plus, those wings might be one of the best fabrications I've ever seen on this show in terms of screen-ready and convincing: the proportions were terrific, they didn't sag or look wilted, they looked light yet strong, and kept swaying (intentionally or not) slightly in the air while she stood there.  Basically the opposite of most of the wings made on this show.  I much preferred the makeup of Emily/Tyler, but overall this piece, like last week, seems to be the best winner in terms of "a competent, skilled makeup that best meets the challenge parameters".

 

On 1/31/2017 at 10:18 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

This challenge didn't do it for me.  I would have been like Jazmine and Stella: "You want us to do what?????"  I was expecting them to have to do some kind of special makeup overlay where the figure looks like a angel in one light and a devil in a different light, a variation or extension of the green screen challenge from last week.

I love your idea of the different lighting/angles thing. I can see it being something like a foundation challenge, where they have a set up using the demonic flashlight-under-the-chin trick as well as overhead angelic lighting, and you have two hours to do makeup and minor appliances that try to make the underneath lighting look angelic and vice versa.  It would be a really interesting exploration of light and shadow, although I wonder if it would be too challenging for most first-time contestants.  But it's the kind of challenge that would really show off the subtle mastery that you'd want in a professional, in this case understanding how lighting interacts with makeup.  Your idea reminds me of this video playing with how color and light can dramatically alter appearance and shape.

 

19 hours ago, Monty9 said:

To start off: Emily and Tyler's model was working the shit out of that makeup ( copper statue turning colors).  

 I really am seeing the advantage of the teams this season. I didn't see how being a team necessarily added anything in past seasons other than testing your ability to work with people but I think doing twice as much work is really showing in the top looks this week which were really excellent..

I agree.  I am curious how the teams will work out because in watching Stella and Jasmine tonight it was clear they were not meshing well together either creatively or personally.  It made me wonder how they were selected/paired when it wasn't obvious like Niko and Cat, and if there was an attempt to balance skills and personalities.  Everyone who didn't reach the finale of their season- and even some who did- had something they could improve or that was holding them back.  In theory, these people should have grown and progressed since then, and if the teams were well made they could balance each other out: the good painter and sculptor are paired, or the creative whirlwind idea person with the time-management savant, or the burst of inspiration wizard who also panics with the uninspired but calm, steadying worker, etc.  

I guess if that happened, in the ideal case you'd find most weeks were one great makeup after another, and you'd have to judge the best looks by how well they met the challenge criteria... which so far is what they seem to be doing. S&J were really bad this week, and last week had some stinkers, so hopefully the rust is off and we'll have some great competitions this season.

 

57 minutes ago, Richness said:

That said, I'm not loving the Niko and Cat cuteness. The blue hair is starting to annoy me too, though mainly due to the blue eyebrows. Also, Emily's big hair makes me think I'm watching an 80s show. Speaking of Emily, was she the one that had a cake decorating background and did so well on her first season?

Yeah, to each their own but the blue eyebrows remind me of that meme where people would put fake eyebrows on their cats.  It's freakin' hilarious on cats, but just weird on makeup artists.  Emily's big hair is very 80's, but she's a big girl with wide.... well, everything, so it kind of fits her.  She was the young contestant with the great hair work and beauty makeup.  The cake decorator was Dina, who handily won season 7 (and apparently trained with season 4 winner Anthony before appearing on the show herself) because she would come up with amazing sculpts with fine details using lots of neat tricks for rapidly making patterns/textures/shapes.

[Red Bridey]

The thing I delighted in the most was the handmade birthday card...a piece of paper folded in half and a greeting done in magic markers!  With all those talented artistic people, I would have expected an elaborate birthday card colored with gorgeous designs.  I could have done a better card, and I am as artistic as a block of wood! I did like, "Happy birthday, Buttface...off!"  That was cute!

[Canada]

Really not impressed so far this season, especially considering it's supposed to be an All-stars season.  Team Blondie definitely deserved to go home; not surprising, as I don't remember either of them being much good in their original season either. 

Agree with a poster above that Ben & his partner's look didn't deserve to be in the top, especially with the big line across the forehead which wasn't blended well at all.  And it just wasn't a good look.

I really hope this season improves because this used to be one of my favourite shows. 

[enoughcats]

About Ben and his partner's look with the face twisted off to the side:

Does anyone remember specifics about a show (probably last two or three years) where some one did a very similar face -contorted and facing out over a shoulder that was conveying the action of being twisted around.  Somehow I think a tornado was involved and I'm not sure if it was Face Off or Jim Henson's all too brief competition show for a place in his studio. 

My memories are too vague to use as guides for searching, but most of all I'm wondering if it was done by one of these team members?

[Maverick]

 Emily seemed pissy during judging...even when they were raving over their make up.  What was up with that.

[sourpickles]

7 hours ago, enoughcats said:

Does anyone remember specifics about a show (probably last two or three years) where some one did a very similar face -contorted and facing out over a shoulder that was conveying the action of being twisted around.  Somehow I think a tornado was involved and I'm not sure if it was Face Off or Jim Henson's all too brief competition show for a place in his studio. 

The only thing that comes to mind immediately (and only because I just saw it) was when Yvonne did the guy who got his face caught in a drill or something for the strange obits episode a few seasons back.  I'm sure there have been others, but at this point seasons blend together pretty well. As a matter of fact, I've been trying to recall if there has ever been another angel/devil challenge and I feel like maybe there has been.

[starri]

I could swear Emily did a tornado makeup with one of her signature big wigs, but I don't see it on the SyFy site.

[sourpickles]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 7:47 AM, hincandenza said:

 Emily's big hair is very 80's,

I said on her first season she gave me a very Phoebe Cates vibe, and I loved it.   I love the 80s!

[Betelnut]

One thing that I was disappointed in was that almost everyone (if not all) had the concept of "evil overtaking good."  Well, how about good kicking evil's ass?  I guess that wouldn't be dramatic enough?  Light over darkness, etc.? Maybe it is easier to think about corrosion rather than beauty but it just seems rather clichéd.

As usual, a very entertaining episode despite the lack of imagination put into the concepts.

[hincandenza]

16 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Emily seemed pissy during judging...even when they were raving over their make up.  What was up with that.

It looked to me less pissy and more nervous; if you watch, she looks like she's expecting a negative review from the judges until they start praising it instead.  She's always been inexplicably (and I'll admit, kind of annoyingly) hard on herself.  In her original season she was 18 and mostly would pull herself together so it wasn't a big deal, but it's a little disappointing to see she's still doing that.  I mean, she was a finalist in her season and nearly won, and has presumably some more real world experience under her belt, so the "shrinking violet" thing is a little old.  

That said, I'm still rooting for her as one of my favorites, because when she's on, she turns out some gorgeous pieces- like we saw this week.

 

9 hours ago, starri said:

I could swear Emily did a tornado makeup with one of her signature big wigs, but I don't see it on the SyFy site.

I don't recall that, unless you're thinking of the giant haired "Marge Simpson of the forest" she did later in the season, when they had to dress themselves as superheros.  It was a pretty makeup (and comic book-y in other ways, ahem) but totally inappropriate for that week's theme and she got rightly chewed out by Ve for phoning it in with another big-hair creation.

[Chyromaniac]

8 hours ago, Betelnut said:

One thing that I was disappointed in was that almost everyone (if not all) had the concept of "evil overtaking good."  Well, how about good kicking evil's ass?  I guess that wouldn't be dramatic enough?  Light over darkness, etc.? Maybe it is easier to think about corrosion rather than beauty but it just seems rather clichéd.

I don't often play the "here's what I would've done" game (because I usually have no ideas) - but I think it would've been neat to do a face sculpt of a ripped/shredded demon face, with an angel face showing underneath.  The model could've walked out covering their face with their hands - then make it look like they were "clawing" the evil away.

[Mabinogia]

I, too, was hoping for more of a good triumphing over evil concept. Maybe the angel inside of the demon. The demon melting away and the model is angelic underneath. I just find the whole devil tempting the angel thing tired. Is that what the losing pair (I don't know names yet, I only started watching full time last season so I don't know most of them from before), the one with the badly filigreed heart on the chest? I think they mentioned the angel busting out of the devil but it was just really poorly realized.

[Corporal Agarn]

Adam is probably my favorite Face Off contestant ever. Please don't scare me like that again, dearest.

[aradia22]

Hmn... I'm not sure I'm into the season yet. I like that they brought back some of my favorite artists. But weirdly I feel like I have even less of a grasp on their personalities now. Maybe it's just what always happens at the beginning of any reality competition. There are too many people to allow you to really focus on the individuals. There's been some nice work so far but nothing that blew me away. I don't know if it's me or me being affected by the judges but I'm starting to prefer beauty makeups to everything else. Last week the greenscreen was a cool idea but most people seemed to just knock out the legs and make floating characters. This week we got some interesting interpretations of a rather vague prompt. I think some more specificity would help.