Episode Recap: Make It Reign

A fresh band of recruits enters the Face Off competition to see who has the stuff to win $100,000 and the title of champion. One by one, the artists meet each other in an opulent banquet hall aboard the Queen Mary to learn about their first ever Foundation Challenge. But before McKenzie gives them the details, she introduces them to her father, special effects makeup legend Michael Westmore, who will not only be the guest judge for the Foundation Challenge, but will also mentor the artists all season long.

The contestants are pumped as they race for the crowns that will inspire their creations in the challenge of creating an original queen character. Michael loves the work of Eric F., who created an out-of-the-box Queen of Lost Souls, but gives the award to Anthony, who earned immunity by creating an elegant and original look.

The contestants are later paired in their first Spotlight Challenge: To create a goblin king that syncs up with the geographic region it hails from. Alex and her partner Wayne are both from Florida, so they build an alligator goblin, and work really well together. Eric Z. is having a bumpier time with his partner, Autumn, who undercuts his abilities, but their makeup ultimately works well. And when Anthony drops the life cast of the model he and his partner are using, the whole lab falls under a hush. Anthony works quickly to resculpt the broken pieces and get him and his partner, Meagan, back on track.

The judges are wild about what Anthony and Meagan created - a mountainous goblin with rocks morphing from a humanoid face- and name their makeup the winner. Anthony sweeps the awards this week and receives the top prize overall. Also in top looks are Eric Z. and Autumn, whose incredible detailing of musculature/wood arms in their jungle goblin impressed guest judge John Rhys-Davies immensely, and Eric F. and Jenna's desert goblin, whose dessicated flesh featured a cow skull and a hieroglyph, and was unified with gleaming gold details.

In the bottom were Troy and Michael, whose volcanic cone hat and lumpy cloak covered what was unimpressive makeup. Of those two, Troy was the one to go home, and though he longed for a fuller experience, he was grateful for the one he had.