Makeup. Do I apply darker Makeup? More Makeup? Less Makeup? How Do I Know?

The question of make-up comes up often before a photography session. Will the lighting wash me out? Will the lighting make my makeup look bad? How do I know how much to apply?

The best tip I have regarding makeup and photography is to have a professional make-up artist do your make-up, rather than yourself or a friend who dabbles in make-up for fun. The reason is that light and the camera can either enhance a subject’s make-up or can actually make the make-up look worse than intended.

Less is actually more. We’re not dealing with stage lights on a Broadway stage where you need to apply make-up a few shades darker than what you’d normally wear so your features can be seen by those in the back or balcony.

Eyeliner – lining both top and bottom of your lids can actually make your eyes appear smaller. If you like the look of eyeliner, keep it to the top lid only.

Foundation and Highlighter – Blend! And ensure you have a nice and even light layer. Anything more can make your face look cakey.

Blemishes – If you’re trying to hide a blemish that has popped up, we can always photo shop that out post-production so don’t worry about caking on the make-up to hide any skin blemishes.

Lipstick – Unless you’re going for a certain look, the purpose of your makeup should be to accentuate your face, rather than distract. So, use a natural shade of lipstick rather than a big, bold red.

Make-up is meant to highlight your natural features and the same can be said for make-up before your photoshoot. It’s best to have a professional apply your make-up as they have experience in knowing how it will look behind a camera.

For corporate headshots in the Boston area, call Photography by Nikki Cole. She’s a trusted name in corporate and event photography in the Boston area.