More Makeup Tips
Most women know how to apply makeup for everyday use but there are a few differences in applying makeup for photos; especially glamour. If you follow the tips below, you will be on your way to better pictures.
The key is to simply fix your face as if you were going out for the evening, wearing more than for daytime use, extra contrast and especially more powder. Did I mention More Powder?
To achieve that natural look in your portrait, apply a little more than you would in your daily activities and even more than you would if you were going out for the evening. You will probably think you that you are wearing too much but remember that the lights take away from whatever amount of makeup you have on so don’t worry. How do you achieve this look? Follow the simple steps listed here and, with a little practice, you should be able to get the results you’re after.
The first step is to wash, exfoliate, tone and moisturize your face thoroughly and then begin with concealer. The concealer you use for photos should be 2 or 3 shades lighter than your skin tone. Concealer is used to hide blemishes, lighten your eyes and used if there is any discoloration around the lip area.
Next, use a solid foundation evenly applied over the face. This part is very simple but is misunderstood by even some makeup artists. Match the foundation to your chin and neckline. You don’t want a sudden change of color from your face to the neck or upper chest. I’ve heard of some makeup artists applying makeup to the neck and shoulders! There is no need to do this if you follow the rule of matching from the face to the neck.
After your foundation is finished, just apply the rest of your makeup as you normally do but in heavier amounts for the camera.
Powder! Powder! Powder! Be sure not to forget the powder! If you’ve ever seen makeup applied for TV or the movies, the makeup artist is almost always patting the face with the powder applicator. Ever wonder why? Because powder, and lots of it, is absolutely essential to gaining that beautiful matte finish which is always present in a great portrait. Even if you’ve never used powder in your life, even if you wear no other makeup, please use it for just this once during your portrait session. Powder makes the difference between a beautiful portrait and a picture.
Now that I’ve driven home the importance of powder, apply makeup below your cheekbone and under chin to create an oval look to the face. Be sure to blend in and not create distinct lines. Apply this makeup sparingly.
Makeup helps models look their best. Since a photograph becomes a permanent record of a moment in time, models captured at that moment must look their best. “Looking their best” can mean many things, depending upon the objective of the image. The objective may demand them to be most attractive, most intelligent looking, most dignified, most thoughtful, or that they look the part of whatever character they are meant to personify.
Professional models and the photographers who take their pictures know that the most important enhancement of an individual’s face is not only achieved by the application of make up, but also by a healthy appearance. Maintaining good health ensures that a model’s eyes and skin looks best. In this case, any amount or style of make up will do. Getting lots of sleep and drinking plenty of water are keys to great looking skin.
Many different things come into play in creating a photograph that fulfils the objectives, including a model’s expression, carriage, body language, state of mind, actions, physical attributes, clothing and so on. If someone truly feels that they look the way they want to, then it is often easier for them to actually portray the image they wish to convey, adopting the body language, expression and so on that suit the role. “Looking the part” is where makeup for photography comes in.
Why Use Makeup?
There are two objectives in using makeup, appearance enhancement and character change.
ENHANCEMENT
The common goal is to enhance a model’s skin and features in order to make them appear as attractive as he or she can be. Makeup can be used to correct certain shortcomings and problems, such as skin imperfections and short eyelashes, and can even alter the appearance of a person’s facial structure.
CHARACTER CHANGE
The goal of makeup is what we readily associate with the entertainment industry, and that is the creation of a much altered or completely different Looking character, for example, a haute couture or space alien. However, character change need not be so extreme. It also happens in the modelling industry, where the look of the model is altered to suit a particular role or character he or she is meant to portray while shooting for the advertising of a product. What would the theatre be without the skilled hands of a character makeup specialist?
Makeup For Photography
The model that learns basic makeup techniques at the initial stage has a head start over others. Professional photographers employ makeup artists for the shoot of professional models, and occasionally for portraits of ordinary people. Most often, however, portraits are made of people who apply their own makeup, or who do not use makeup at all, and it is not uncommon for models to be expected to take care of their own makeup needs. Thus, a model that has a good understanding of the theory and personal application of makeup has a definite edge over the model that does not. Similarly, a portrait of a person with proper makeup will be far better than a portrait of a person who has not applied any makeup at all.
The complexity of photography is that it tends to capture not only good attributes but also the flaws of the person being photographed. Some say a photograph will even exaggerate the less desirable attributes. For example, one will often hears that the camera adds weight to a person, tends to make skin look rougher, makes blemishes stand out or causes features to be more defined.
Once your makeup is properly applied, it leads to greater confidence while posing in front of the camera. Photography can do all of these things, but it does not have to. The skills of the photographer, the image stylist, the hairdresser and the makeup artist can do exactly the opposite, ie., make a person look less heavy, make their skin look smoother, remove many blemishes and skin flaws, and downplay facial features. A big part of their ability to do so comes in identifying and defining the flaws in the first place, so they can come up with a game plan to deal with them. At the same time, they must recognize the more flattering features of their subject. Properly applied makeup enhances attractive features, it does not create them.
Eyes… Highlight eyebrow bones using light shadow to create lively eyes. Avoid eye shadow that is too frosty or shimmery because it will appear shiny. Apply eyeliner with precision. Use waterproof mascara. Overall application needs to be more than normal makeup.
Lips… Use lipstick and liner of same colour, in a shade darker than natural lip colour
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