Episode Recap: Eye Candy

McKenzie brings the contestants to the Federal Bar to tell them about their Foundation Challenge for this week. When she introduces the guest judge, John Myatt, as winner of the World Beard and Mustache Championship, they know they're going to be "laying hair," or making a fake beard, but when they see that their models are all women, the competition takes a different turn. Eric Z. wins the Bearded Lady challenge, and hence immunity in the Spotlight Challenge, with special mention going to Alex for her beard's color and curls.

In the lab, McKenzie stands before bright mounds of colorful candy and tells the artists that their challenge is to create a character that incorporates the delicious sweets behind her. Kris goes for the candy corn, House starts sculpting a gruesome, giant mouth, but Autumn is totally bummed by the assignment. She's thrilled when Michael Westmore drops by and gives her some advice on how to make her gummy bear character look more like a bear and less like a "cat-pig," in her words.

Jenna is really slowed down by her hand, which is numb for most of the three-day challenge, but she won't let it stop her: When the mannequin in her mold breaks, she finds herself another mannequin and keeps on going. House is in great shape on day two, and even has some time to do some pre-painting, and Alex is trying a new material and hoping it works out.

On elimination day, the artists reflect on the Foundation Challenge, with Alex wishing she had won and Eric Z. using his immunity to really take his time with applications. Everyone is grossed out by Eric F.'s grotesque, blob-like creation, and House is in love with the design of his incarnation of gluttony. Meanwhile, Jenna continues to struggle, unable to airbrush properly thanks to the lack of feeling in her hand.

At last, it's time for the evaluation, and the contestants meet guest judge Will Cotton, a painter whose design work wowed viewers of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" video. Alam is particularly excited because the plastic-like look of her candy girl is very Katy Perry-esque, and her optimism proves well-founded when the judges place her in the top looks. Also praised are Kris's candy-infused goblin and House's creature, the mouth-bearing stomach of which is hailed all around as a showstopper. Ultimately, Kris's attention to detail pays off, and he's thrilled to break Anthony's streak and get a win.

Unfortunately, things aren't so great for Autumn, Alex, and Jenna, who all end up in the bottom looks. In the end, the judges send Alex home, citing the lack of makeup work she did relative to the other contestants, and some sloppy execution in laying her edges. Alex isn't ready to go home just yet, but walks out of the makeup room, kit in tow and ready to face the future.