saw the show over the weekend, and it seems its all because after 30 odd years they have changed the makeup quite a bit.
Even from what is in the souvenir program.
Personally I think it was a change for the worse, before it looked more convincing as a natural birth defect, now it looks more like a birth defect combined with a serious injury as it looks much more bloody with a bone sticking out his cheek. also the piece on the forehead although designed similarly to before, it is far too symmetrical (with the gashes) to come off as naturalistic.
so to sum it up, personally, it looks really fake now, like some halloween store item. (and this has nothing to do with the talented people who apply it night after night, after all they can only work with what they have) the design of it is where I have an issue.
Why change it if it was fine for the past 31 years?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre