Gilbert, AZ | Family Photography and Makeup

08/30/2021

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Editing takes time!! Photoshop and other programs help to alter photos in a myriad of ways and while we photographers love these capabilities, I often hear, "Oh, You can just edit that!" And most of the time I can or someone else can, however, we can't rely on that to make a session "better." It doesn't excuse clients' from prepping before a photoshoot. Photographers like to get as much as they can right the first time straight out of camera (SOOC). Editing takes time that the general photography clientele does not see. Here are some tips on makeup, hair, skin, eyes, and lips to help the process.

Makeup:

· Wax your eyebrows (if you regularly do it) 3-4 days before coming in, so the redness is totally gone.

· Apply your makeup in natural light (Think Window light instead of Fluorescent)

· Use matte makeup and avoid shimmer!

· If you just HAVE to have the shimmers, pick one make-up product to contain shimmer… eyes, lips or cheeks. But don’t do all 3!

· If your skin tends to be oily, don’t feel weird about bringing Oil blotting cloths. You’ll be glad you did (especially if we’re going outdoors)

· Apply your makeup & take a Selfie! Make sure you like what you see!🙂

Hair:

• Stay true to you! Don’t try a hairstyle, cut or color that you’ve never worn!
• If you aren’t into styling your hair, at least make sure it is dry and brushed for your photos. Knotted, tangled hair does not photograph well!
• Feel free to bring your hairspray with you to touch your hair up in-between outfits. *This doesn’t include the drier, or irons, please have your hair styled before you arrive*
• If you come with clips, barrettes, or headbands in your hair, please know that we cannot retouch those out!
• If you’re blonde and using bobby pins, get the blonde ones! If you have darker hair, use the brown pins.

We cannot stress this enough: If you color your hair make sure to have that done at least a week before your session, this will give your color time to settle in.

I wouldn’t recommend making any drastic changes right before your photos. Just in case you hate it! We’ve all been there….

Products, products, products. Don’t even get me started on the importance of good hair products; I could go on for hours! I have seen the power of good products!

Skin:

t all starts here – your skin is your canvas. By now you should know if you have dry or oily skin, so make sure to use make up that will work with your skin type.

If you don’t know your skin type, take this quiz: it will also suggest products for you!

Start pampering your skin 1-2 weeks before your session. You don’t want to just wash your face, you also need to exfoliate and moisturize!
Just know that the “Day-Of-Breakout” is very common, but do not panic. Your photographer should be able to take care of it in post-production. I include touch-ups free of charge with my Senior and Headshot Collections. Other portrait packages come with a few zit touch-ups free of charge, but if it's anything more than that I suggest speaking with your photographer beforehand on what to expect.

Tanning:

The only type of tanning we recommend prior to your senior portrait session is natural light tanning at the beach or a pool.

We’ve found that other methods (spray, tanning bed, etc) can be blotchy, and noticeably unnatural.

I know it sounds like the same topic, but now we are going to move on to talking about the makeup you’re putting on the skin you have been pampering!

Foundation:

This is the base of everything! So we want to make sure it is done correctly! The best foundations for photography DO NOT HAVE ANY SPF, Shimmer, Reflection, or Added oil for dry skin. If possible, use a matte foundation. If you don’t have that, do not worry, use a matte powder to set everything at the end.

Concealer:

This is super helpful to cover any darkness under your eyes, or hide any blemishes. This can be tricky to get the color right though. Make sure to apply it and then take a picture to make sure you can't see any color difference in your final look. The best technique for application is to apply the concealer like a triangle under your eye, with the point closer to your nose (Like this!) Then use your fingers, or a sponge to blend the lines. You can also apply this to the bridge of your nose, and in a small arc above your eyebrows if you want!

POWDER

This is usually where makeup can go wrong. Either you don’t use powder on top of liquid or cream foundation, or you use the wrong kind! Make sure to use a color that perfectly matches your skin! Ask friends and family a week or so before coming to check your makeup and make sure it matches! (Especially if you are being photographed during the summer! Your fall foundation and summer skin won’t photograph well together!) Make sure your powder does not have shimmer in it! The best powder for photography is matted.

Bronzer:

This can be used to warm your look up a little bit, just don’t overuse it! The easiest tip I ever got was to suck your cheeks in then apply bronzer in the shadow! Go from the top of your ear down to just above the lips. You can always rub it off if you need to! You can also apply it right in front of your hairline on your forehead, and on your nose. (Again, try to stay away from too much shimmer, but some are ok for bronzer)

Blush:

This goes right above the bronzer. Smile really big and apply to the apples of your cheeks! So cute 😉 (Again, try to stay away from shimmer, but some are ok in blush)

Eyes:

Everyone does eyes differently, and we love that. Make-up is supposed to be an expression of you!

Eyebrows:

No, I am not about to tell you to draw your brows in with dark brown and make them look unnatural. But I do suggest using a powder (I just use eye shadow) that is 1 shade darker than your brow color. Take a thin brush and just lightly fill in the color. You don’t have to draw outside the lines, stay within your eyebrow hair! This will just define them on your face and help your eyes stand out!

Eyeshadow:

There are so many different colors available. Pick something that will accent your eye color. Bringing out the color in your eye will make your photos 100x better! Here is one of the MANY charts to show you some ideas for your eye color I personally love to have a light base color on the entire eye, a medium color on the lid, and the darker color in the crease and bottom lash line. It frames my eyes well and gives dimension! Another pretty look is to do just the darker color on the lid and bottom lashes, and something light under your brow. Try a few different styles out before coming! Take a selfie, and see if you like it!

Eyeliner:

This is just as important as your eye shadow. Again, there are Tons of different ways to apply liner. Again, try some eyeliner combinations with your eye shadow and take selfies to see which one you like best! Avoid eyeliners that have glitter in them! Make sure to fill in the whole space between your liner and your lashes!

Mascara, Falsies, and Eyelash Extensions:

I LOVE MASCARA. You have to get the right one though! Try avoiding anything that will clump your lashes together, or separate them too much! Look for a mascara to lengthen your lashes, and even if you don’t usually, wear dark black mascara. It will make a difference, I promise!

Falsies are fun to play with and will help your eyes to stand out and pop. I suggest trying them out a few days before your shoot. Eyelash extensions are very common and popular too.

If you love bold colors as I do, then bring it on! Anything that helps your personality stand out is what we want!

Lip liner:

I know that the words “lip liner” make you think of an old lady, but…its really important! Lip liner keeps the lipstick from bleeding into the small cracks around your lips (which is never a good look!) So, for lip liners look for a color the exact shade or one shade darker than the full lip color you want to use. Or, you can use a clear liner.

Lip gloss vs Lipstick 

It is up to you if you want lip-gloss or lipstick. But, I recommend that you use SOMETHING. Nothing is worse than loving your photo then noticing your lips look dry. So if you’re not the lipstick/lip-gloss girl, then wear some chapstick!

And, make sure whatever you use will last your entire session.

For smooth lips.....

For the week before your session, use your toothbrush to brush your lips vigorously. Then apply chapstick to your lips and sleep in it. This will make your lips smooth and ready for lipstick. Chapped lips don’t photograph well.