Lipstick and other Makeup Tips

Makeup for your Photo Session

I love before and after photographs! What I mean by that are those photographs that are taken when we, as women, don’t wear makeup and then have it done.

My daughter is an athlete and a softball player. So being mom, and a photographer, I would be the one asked to take their pictures for the web site at the beginning of the season. Now, these are teenage girls who have youthful glowing skin. Most of them don’t like to wear lipstick. Do you know what happens when a woman doesn’t have lipstick on? Their lips disappear! Yep, they blend in so much that you can barely see them. So what did I do?  I took a picture of my daughter without lipstick and then had her apply her favorite color. I showed the girls the back of my camera, the before and after lipstick – they were scrambling to find their lipstick!

Here’s another little known fact – I have taught makeup application to over 1,000 women! For over eighteen years, I’ve been a Mary Kay Beauty consultant. One of the things I would do – before and after portfolios. So I have seen lots of skin. My Mary Kay Page

What are some simple things should women (and I would even recommend light makeup for men!) before a photo session?

Light your makeup application. We do it every day – put out makeup on in the bathroom. Here’s my secret. I have daylight bulbs in my bathroom and it’s bright. Why do I this? It helps with even application because I can see and when I’m outside, my makeup looks natural.

Love your skin! Pamper your skin everyday for beautiful skin. Think of your skin as the canvas of your daily portraits.

Primer and Foundation. This is essential. Why? Primer? Primer does just that – it primes the skin for foundation. It helps smooth out any imperfections and pores. What does a foundation do? Foundation serves to even out skin tones. One of my favorite items is Mary Kay’s Under Eye Corrector. I love this simple little product that comes in a tube with a sponge tip applicator. The Under Eye Corrector helps even out the skin tones under the eyes and helps lighten up under the eyes. I use this under my foundation. Now for those of us who are a little more advanced in years (I include myself in this category), I use foundation sparingly around the eyes. This helps with those pesky little lines. Oh yes – use a matte foundation. This will help prevent shiny spots. Use the tools – a foundation brush  and blender will help you paint on your skin canvas for even coverage.

Blush. Yes! But go lightly. Digital cameras pick up every little detail. Don’t reach for the blush that is iridescent or sparkly. This will cause hot spots on your face. Think reflecting. The sparkle or iridescent will be picked up by the lights. One thing to remember – use a large fluffy brush and blend on your checks.

Eyebrows. Eyebrows help define the eyes. With all the tools and products out there today, it is easy to create a beautiful looking brow. If you’re not sure how to do it, I can help you. As we age, our brows tend to thin out or lighten. Applying a simple eyebrow pencil will help define the eye.

Eyeshadow and Eyeliners. Think about what compliments your eye color. Golden browns make almost all eyes pop. Do you want to go glamour, smokey, or simple? Leave the glitter shadow and trendy shadows at home since they can date your photos. Again, they reflect where you sometimes don’t want it to. Then there is eyeliner – go light. Use a brown or black, being careful to not line the inner rim too heavily as this can make your eyes appear smaller. Apply just along the last line.

Mascara. Oh Yes! Have to have mascara or if you want – false lashes. There are so many products on the market. Use two coats on your lashes.

Lipstick. Have I already mentioned this? It’s a must have. One thing to help have a perfect lip is a neutral lip liner. Here’s the trick – line your lips and also fill them in completely. This provides a base for your lipstick. Think natural and neutral, but then again, from our consultation, we might want to go with a more dramatic lip.

The last two steps – a final dusting of translucent powder to set everything and a finishing spray to set your makeup for hours.

And if you’re not sure that you can do this, I do have professional makeup artist that I work with to help you for your photo session. And I’ve been known to step in a time or two and help with makeup application.

I don’t want to leave the men out of this. My recommendations for men. I know what you’re thinking, “Really?? Wouldn’t be caught dead with makeup on!!”

Light foundation or powder to reduce shine and even out skin tones. Even the under eye coverup is a good choice alone to help with any dark colors under the eye.

Make sure you shave!!! If your session is in the afternoon, and you have a heavy beard, shave in the afternoon before your session. A five o’clock shadow will show up.

I hope you found this interesting!