Blush Episode Four: Evil twins and Vegas showgirls

Max Challenge: The Transformational Power of Makeup
This week’s episode of Blush opened with what seemed like an unusually simple Max Challenge: Create an angelic, innocent makeup look for the girl next door.

With only five makeup artists left, however, it was no surprise when mentor Charlie Green showed up half-way through the challenge to throw the contestants for a curve. Accompanying Charlie were the identical twins of the models whom the contestants were already working on.

Twins get a makeover on this week’s episode of Blush. PHOTO: Hannah Ross / Lifetime

In addition to their “good girl” look, the artists had to create a second, “evil twin” makeup look to complete the challenge. The contestants were to be judged on how different their assigned twins would look and how clearly they could represent the ideas of “naughty” and “nice.”

As with all of the past Max Challenges, creativity paid off. While most of the contestants were criticized for playing it too safe, Maxi clinched his second Max Challenge win by creating an ethereally lovely good girl look paired with a stylized, red-lipsticked-smeared bad girl look.

Maxi described his look as belonging to a bad girl after a crazy party. PHOTO: Hannah Ross / Lifetime

Elimination Challenge: A trip to Vegas
This week’s elimination challenge was the most difficult one yet: Create a new twist on the iconic makeup worn by the showgirls in Jubilee!, a classic Las Vegas production.

Jubilee’s Assistant Company Manager and guest judge Diane Palm described the classic showgirl look as having “big eyes, big lips and a gorgeous face.” The most challenging part? The contestants had only thirty minutes to complete the makeup looks before their showgirls took to the stage in their feathers and rhinestones.

The Winner
Clinching his first elimination round win, Nolan emerged victorious by applying what seems to be his trademark graphic black and white eye to his showgirl and combining it with flawless skin and glittery lips.

Though none of the judges liked Todd’s red and gold lip, Todd’s heavily glittered green eye kept him safe from elimination.

Who went home?
Blush is at the point where the remaining contestants are all so talented that it’s sad to see any one of them go home.

The two remaining women in the competition (and, incidentally, the show’s two Las Vegas residents) found themselves in the bottom two this week.

Both Mo and Farah took a risk by adding over-the-top false lashes to their showgirl looks. According to the judges, however, both of the makeup artists failed because the heavy lashes prevented the artists’ models from having the necessary “wide-eyed” look.

Almost certainly taking Farah’s previous wins into account, the judges’ final decision was to send Mo home, saying that she just “hadn’t made her mark.”

Next Week: The remaining contestants vie for their chance at being in the “final four” with challenges that put their communication skills to the test and give them a “brush with fame.”

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