One question I get asked often is how should I do my makeup for photos? While I always suggest you stay true to your everyday style, I know you want to put your best foot forward. Plus the camera can exaggerate areas in our skin.
With that, I reached out to a friend, client and makeup expert, Jessica Smolinsky.
She often does videos on Facebook demonstrating how to use different types of makeup and brushes. (I have personally learned so much, like don’t “pump” your mascara wand in and out because that can create bacteria!). Here are her 5 Tips for Photo Ready Make Up!
Prep-Prime-Conceal
Prep your skin by spritzing Rose Water all over your face to decrease any redness or irritation (it can even help brighten around those tired eyes us moms find ourselves stuck with so much of the time). Rose Water is wonderful because it works as a toner, evening out your natural skin tone.
Next, prime your skin so you have a smooth surface for all of your face products to go over top of. You prime your walls before you paint, right? Face primer has the same effect on your skin, and you will find that your makeup goes on much smoother (primer also prevents makeup from seeping into pores and fine lines).
Primer Tip: Let primer sit and dry for 2-3 minutes before applying foundation and concealer.
The last thing you want to do to get your skin looking bright and photo-ready is to conceal. Use concealer in a v-shape under your eyes (no half-moons, ladies – as this actually highlights those bags.). If there are any other blemishes or imperfections in your skin that need concealing, cover away!
Distract and draw attention away from under eye circles by applying concealer in a V-shape.
Perfect your skin with a good foundation
Foundations come in all forms: liquid, cream, and powder. For a full-coverage look, I like to use a mineral (and water-based) liquid foundation and top it off with some of my pressed powder foundation to mattify my skin and really seal it all in. A good foundation perfects in such a way that there’s really no need for photoshop!
For family photos, use a full coverage foundation and there’s no need for photoshop!
Don’t Forget About Your Brows
Our eye brows frame our face, and can make all the difference. Honestly, this tip would have seemed so silly to me a few years ago. Please believe that filling in your brows with a good pencil and/or palette (nothing that makes them look fake or drawn on) will liven up your entire face & make the rest of your beautiful features come out in photos!
Fill in your brows to provide that extra pop in the framing of your face.
Don’t Be Afraid of Color
When choosing your eye shadow, eye liner, and lip products, don’t be afraid to throw in a pop of color. The key to this is to use that pop of color in one spot! You can either play up your eyes or your lips. If you downplay your eyes, then go to town with a bold, vibrant lipstick. It’s all about balance.
You want to use neutral or complimentary colors on your eyes. Using the color wheel, locate your eye color and go directly across to see what colors will compliment your eyes best.
To make your eyes pop, use the color wheel to find colors that compliment your eye color.
Bonus Tip: Set for long lasting wear
Use a setting spray or powder (I am obsessed with this setting spray) to keep everything looking pretty and in place all day long. I kid you not, I’ve gone an entire day that included a high-intensity workout, and my makeup did not budge. By setting your makeup you can kiss on the kids, and get in on all the fun activities during your family photos without worry. The days of runny, smudgy makeup are gone, thanks to the power of good setting products.
A setting spray holds makeup in place so you don’t have to worry about runny, smudgy makeup.
And now you’re ready and can feel a little extra beautiful and confident as you love on your children during your family photo session. To show how using these tips helped Jessica look put together, not overdone, we did a few photos with her sweet little girl.
If you would like to learn more make up tips and tricks, I highly recommend following Jessica. She has helped me with how to use products, matching the right products to my skin tone and eye color, along with finding the right products for my needs. While you can use these tips with any brand of makeup, I love the products she uses, which can be found here*. (Please note that I in no way make anything from this post, yet I truly love and stand behind Jessica and these products. You will find them in my own makeup bag and what I would use for my own family photos).
Ready to book your family photo session? Contact me to chat about your family session.
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