Portraits of two sisters Sunset Cliffs San Diego Beach Family Photographer | © Kristine Marie Photography

Most women have a tried and true, daily make-up routine and it typically includes more of a casual look: a couple of waves of the mascara wand, some eyeliner, and a little bit of lip gloss. Then, it’s off to work we go! Applying make-up for a photo session will differ slightly from the everyday routine. For photo sessions, “everyday make-up” will not picture well, may not even show up at all, and can make faces appear drab and pale.

Hiring a professional make-up artist is HIGHLY recommended for that flawless look. If you decide to do your own make-up, read on for some great tips! I’ve listed 5 make-up tips to help you rock the camera:

1.) Apply make-up in natural light

You should always try to apply make-up by a window under natural light even if you aren’t preparing for a photo session. I also suggest taking a few practice shots with your camera phone before heading out to the photography session. Taking a self-portrait with your full make-up on is a great way to check your overall appearance. You want to make sure that your make-up looks just as good in the self-portrait as it does in person.

2.) Apply with a heavier hand, but remember to blend, blend, and blend!

When glamming up for a photo session, you are at liberty to look more dramatic so feel free to fill in your eyebrows to better frame your face, and wave the mascara wand over your eyelashes a few more times than you normally would. When applying concealer and foundation, remember to blend extremely well.

3.) Play up your eyes

If you normally use brown mascara and brown eyeliner, switch it up and use black. It makes dark eyes smolder, and lighter features “pop”—either way, the most important features in a portrait which is your eyes, will stand out and make you look stunning in photos. Consider wearing false eyelashes for the photoshoot. They may feel and look too dramatic, but false lashes appear “natural” in photos, so don’t be afraid to play up your eyes.

4.) Don’t skip the lipstick

Don’t forget to wear lipstick! A bare mouth tends to blend with a person’s face in photographs because there’s not enough contrast. Make your smile stand out with your favorite lipstick.

5.) Brush on the blush!

Blush creates contrast and defines your cheekbones. It also gives a beautiful and youthful appearance. Going without blush in pictures can make you look washed out, especially if you have fair skin, or if the photo session is outdoors in bright light. Apply color softly on the apples of your cheeks and right below your cheekbones with a full, angled brush. Remember to blend well to avoid streaks.

 

When applied well, make-up can do wonders, but hydration and a full day’s rest before the photo session goes a long way, so remember to get your beauty sleep, too.

Cheers,

Kristine

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