After seven years spent organizing hundreds of fashion photo shoots, I can safely say I've learned a few things.

I know what styles of jeans to steer clear of for myself (No pockets? Straight legs? Next!). I've learned to resist hair stylists who urge me to make my hair "funkier." I've even gleaned a tip or two on posing for photos (angle your body slightly, put one foot in front of the other and tilt your head down a bit to avoid the double chin).

But, no matter how many times I study a makeup artist's techniques, when it comes to applying the stuff I still feel like an amateur.

Which is why I was happy to meet Kit Chatham - a percussionist, a guy's guy and - drum roll, please - a whiz with makeup.

In Denver with the Cirque du Soleil touring production of Corteo, the show's drummer let me watch as he transformed himself backstage from fresh-faced to full-on clown.

"I've done close to 800 shows, so I've got it down by now," he says as he sponges white foundation all over his face. "I've had to wear a little base and eyeliner for performances before, but that took me two minutes to do, as opposed to 40. It did take me a while to learn."

It was hard to stay focused the entire time, what with all the action going on in the crammed backstage area. Envision jugglers and ring tossers, weight lifters, folks flying through the air on trampolines, the wardrobe crew steaming racks of angel dresses, guys trying to sleep, a giant performer hanging out in the corner, tiny performers popping in and a Univision crew from Los Angeles trying to capture it all on film.

But despite the distractions, I came to realize repetition is the key to getting this makeup thing down. Just ask Chatham: Do anything enough and you're bound to get the hang of it.

"I never thought I'd be spending so much time around lipstick and powder," he says. "It's funny because when I'm watching TV and see makeup commercials, now I can say, 'I know how it feels have that problem.' "

Before joining Cirque in 2005, Chatham, 30, was a percussionist and percussion manager for the instrumental theatrical show Cyberjam, performing in London's West End. Before that, he was the featured snare drum/percussion soloist with the Tony- and Emmy-winning Broadway show Blast!, touring North America, Europe and Japan.

Little makeup was needed for those shows, quite a contrast to the routine he runs through with Corteo.

"He should give me tips," his wife, Ashley, quips. An elementary music teacher in Atlanta, she's on tour with her husband during the summer. "He'll say, 'I have to get off the phone. I have to go do my makeup now.' "

"It's kinda scary," he replies. "Sometimes I sit and think, 'Oh, my God, I'm getting pretty good at makeup.' At least it makes Halloween a treat."

Cirque makeup designer Nathalie Gagné heads up intensive application workshops to teach the Cirque performers how to apply their own makeup before each show.

"It's always hard because most of the actors come from athletic backgrounds, so they have never touched makeup before," she says. "We find many of the artists and cast members from around the world. Sometimes artists come from very far away and have never touched brushes in their lives."

To serve as a guide, Gagné and her team create a step-by-step process, complete with photos, descriptions and a kit full of products and brushes.

"It could take two weeks or two months, but finally, they are able to do the makeup in 40 minutes," she says.

So, if I'm a little late to the party or you catch me whipping out my mascara wand in an inappropriate place, please forgive me. I think I may have finally learned the ultimate makeup lesson:

Practice makes perfect.

Everyday Woman

Makeup Tip No. 1

• Red lips: For red lips that stay put, MAC senior artist Jenn Karsten says to start by lining the lips with a lip pencil, following the natural lip shape, and then filling them in. Next, use a small lip brush to fade the edges of the line and set it with invisible powder. "Really pat it on because the red creaminess of the pencil can transfer," she says.

Brush the excess powder away with a soft brush, then apply lipstick with a lip brush so you can get into the corners and blend it in to the edges. To finish, either set the lips again with a little more powder or use a pigment or eye shadow to slightly highlight the center of the lip. "Doing that can add a little more dimension and give the feel of a gloss, but because it's powder, it won't move around on you," Karsten says. "You can also add gloss, but know that any time you add gloss to something, it won't wear as long."

If you need to tidy things up, Karsten says to put a little bit of concealer on a small brush and apply it underneath the mouth to clean the edges. "You also can add a bit on top of the cupid's bow," she says. "It gives you a nice expression."

Everyday Woman Tip No. 2

• Eyeliner: Cirque makeup artist Nathalie Gagné says MAC's Fluidline gel eyeliner in Blacktrack is the one product her cast can't live without. "Every actor uses it," she says. "It's very easy to use around the eye and it doesn't move around."

To get started, MAC's Karsten recommends using a small angle brush that allows you to dot-dash your way across the lashes. "That technique is easier for some people who are afraid to draw a straight line across," she says.

Dip the brush into the pot, pick up a little bit of the product, and, on the back of your hand, tap it down, taking some of the excess off and making sure the bristles are coated on both sides. "I like to start in the center of the eye above the iris and pull out to the edges," she says. "It takes a little bit of practice, so keep a couple of Q-tips handy."

Karsten says it can be used for a natural look, but that heavy black eyeliner "is definitely really in right now. Amy Winehouse is really cool, so if you want to try it out, go for it."

Everyday Woman Tip No. 3

• Mascara: "Many times for Cirque, they're changing the shape of the eye and will add a black line lower than the lid, and only apply mascara to the upper lashes. From a distance, the eye will appear to be very big," Karsten says. "For the everyday woman, it's a similar type of effect."

Kartsten says if you're going for a natural, or flirty pinup girl kind of look, just brush mascara on the top lashes and leave the bottom lashes blank. Another trick is to use black on top and a soft brown on the bottom. "That's a trick used by a lot of TV and movie stars," she says. "It gives you some definition without being too heavy and it opens the eye up. Plus, it's youthful."

Clowning around with makeup

We asked Kit Chatham, percussionist for Cirque du Soleil's Corteo, to walk us through his makeup routine for the show.

"Even though I'm a musician, I've always liked the theater aspects of musical theater," he says. "My main passion is music, but it's nice to be able to be on stage."

Check out Corteo and you'll see that Chatham spends a lot of time in the limelight. Unlike in most shows, the makeup in Corteo is lighter on the acrobats, singers and actors and heavier on the musicians.

Last year, MAC Cosmetics became the official makeup sponsor for Cirque du Soleil. And, while Chatham makes himself up to look like a clown, practical makeup advice that everyday women can appreciate can be gleaned from his routine.

To give us some insight, we turned to Jenn Karsten, senior artist for the MAC pro team. Based in Las Vegas, she has worked with Cirque and says theatrical tips can transfer to real life.

1. White foundation: Chatham covers his face with MAC foundation in white. "It stays on really well," he says. "Sometimes between shows I'll go run on the treadmill and it hardly moves."

2. Shading: Chatham uses MAC cream color base in nude to add dimension, drawing a triangle under one eye and lines on his nose.

3. Eyebrows: Next, Chatham draws in eyebrows with a MAC eye kohl in Smolder. He fills them in with the black pencil and goes back over them with a brush.

4. Powder: "This is when it gets messy," Chatham says, powdering his entire face with Ben Nye Neutral Set colorless face powder. "I'm notorious for getting this stuff all over me." He then uses a brush to dust off the excess.

5. More shading: Eye shadows from a shadow palate (blue around eyes, pink over lines and black under the eyes) give more definition. Then he traces the black lines he drew on with a black powder to really set the makeup.

6. Defining the eyes: Using MAC Fluidline liner in Blacktrack, he goes over the black layers again and adds MAC Blacksplash mascara on the upper lashes only. "It's kind of the Oreo effect with the white, black, white," Chatham says.

7. Lips: Since Chatham covered his natural lip lines with foundation and powder, he draws in a big, fat bottom lip with MAC lip pencil in Brick, followed with Ruby Woo lipstick. "The more I mess up, the bigger the lip gets," he says. He powders the lip, brushes off the excess and then layers Ben Nye powder cheek rouge on top.

"Before the show, I'll probably go over these again, but it doesn't come off that much when you eat," he says. "The worst is when you're just chillin' out and wipe your face. You look at your hand, and go, 'Well, there goes my nose.' "

Corteo

• When & where: various times through Aug. 5 in the Pepsi Center parking lot

• Cost: $40.50 to $80; children ages 2 to 12,$31.50 to $56

• Information: 800-678-5440 or cirquedusoleil.com

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