Bergen County Professional Photographer | Makeup Tips for Photography Sessions
I spent a couple hours prepping for my photo shoot. Hair in place, eyebrows tamed, lipstick applied, and outfit on point! I’m ready to go! These are going to be the best photos yet… Or so I thought.
When the pictures arrived, I was less than pleased with my makeup application. What was I thinking picking candy apple red lipstick?! Why do I look like I haven’t slept in days? Where did my cheekbones go? I thought the gold glitter eyeshadow was on point, guess not!
When it comes to photography, sometimes the most popular makeup trends don’t capture as well as you’d like. The camera flash can have interesting effects with certain products or colors. So, when you hear makeup artists describe “photo/camera ready” application, it’s not just another way to say “look perfect,” it means that they’re using techniques that truly photograph well.
Nine Top Tips from a Professional Makeup Artist
This week, I asked professional makeup artist Brian Boublis to write a guest post to help you achieve photo-ready perfection for your session! Whether you’re applying makeup yourself or having an artist do your makeup, here are some tips for the perfect photographs.
“The ultimate goal is to have a balanced face with reoccurring theme, meaning none of your features are over powering the other.”
- PRIME your skin with makeup primer, and skip the SPF (especially with flash photography).
- MATCH your foundation to the blind spot under your chin to ensure color on the neck and face.
- CONCEAL dark circles (sometimes emphasized through the lens) with a product that isn’t too light.
- CONTOUR & HIGHLIGHT your face—this will emphasize your features. Add a little extra blush as the flash can remove some of the color from your face.
- SET everything with a powder, and blend together matte products.
- EMPHASIZE your eyes, and use the same color eyeliner on both the top and bottom. False eyelashes come in different sizes—depending on the look, they really make your eyes stand out.
- AVOID eyeshadow or makeup that is too shiny/metallic (the flash may overemphasize it).
- FILL IN your eyebrows 1-2 shades lighter than your hair color.
- CHOOSE a lipstick color that is slightly lighter than the color you would like to see in the photograph as it may photograph much brighter.
For more tips and tutorials, follow Brian on Instagram @brianbmuphair!
