10 Tips to Looking Your Best Series: #7 - Camera-Ready Hair & Makeup Tips
In addition to every-day tips, there are photo-specific makeup and hair tips that might change your regular morning routine before a portrait session. From when to schedule your root-touch-ups and trims, to what makeup techniques make you look younger, pick and choose what you do to look your very best.
At the end, we'll also hear from the salon experts at Elements of Style Salon & Day Spa located in Eldersburg, MD.
Hair TIPS from a Photographer
DYE: Touch up your roots about a week before your photo session, giving your freshened color time to settle in.
TRIM: A quick trim can freshen your hair as well - I'm amazed how much frizz a few snips can take away. And for our gentlemen, don't forget to arrive with a fresh shave, unless you are going for the 5-o'clock shadow look.
VOLUME: If you need more volume, they make products for that... but at your photo shoot you can throw your head upside down and gently tousle your hair for added volume, giving your hair life and movement as well (note that this volume will die down pretty quick, so you may need to do it more than once).
HOLD IT: Bring your favorite hairspray along. Don't use too much hairspray - it's tendency to make your hair stay in one place means we don't have creative flexibility to change things up. You can bring a hair product with you to help with flyaways... whether it's a hair spray or hair oil, use sparingly.
SHINE: Shiny hair looks healthy, matte hair looks dull. There are products for this, but you can DIY it too... sometimes it's as simple as finding the right brush, or the temp of your shower water!
Makeup TIPS from a Photographer
The better base we have to work with, the the better the result! That means we need to take care of our skin and our hair... and our bodies in general! Exfoliate a day or two before... moisturize if your skin is dry... now you have a fresh canvas to work whatever magic you wish. (Don't have anything to exfoliate with? You can make your own with ingredients in your kitchen: 2 tbsp Sugar + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil = DONE)
Who doesn't love tips to LOOK YOUNGER?
Fountain-Of-Youth Makeup Tips:
EYES: Brighten the inner corners of your eyes. Put a light dusting of a white or pastel color - it will brighten your entire face which will make you appear fresh and well-rested.
PRIMER / FOUNDATION: Keep the foundation, if any, light (not light in color, light in application). Avoid varieties with built-in sunscreen, they do not work well with flash photography.
POWDER: Use powder sparingly, if at all (it can gunk up and make your skin look dry).
BRONZER: Flash photography can wash out your skin, so contouring is a great way to define your features by dusting on a little bronzer (under cheek bone / temples / under chin).
HIGHLIGHT: Highlighting (cheekbones and brow-line) adds a youthful luminosity.
BLUSH: A bit of color on the cheeks gives you a healthy flush. For blush, use a peachy (for fair to medium skin tones) or coral (for medium to dark skin tones) color. Avoid sparkly/shimmer products.
EYEBROWS: If your eyebrows are light or too thin, experiment with filling them in - they make brow mascara just for this. And if your eyebrow hairs are just a bit unorderly, there are eyebrow wax products to control them (and for the gents, moustache / beard wax for your other facial hairs).
EYE LASHES: Full, long lashes can be a better and more youthful focus than dark eye-shadow. Curl your lashes, and don't be afraid to apply multiple layers of mascara. Add some liquid eyeliner to your upper lid to make your lashes appear thicker... and you can extend the outer edge of the lash line to make your eyes look bigger.
LIPS: Lip colors that are bright and soft, such as berry shades, are best to make your lips look plump, while dark and matte colors can make your lips appear thinner. You can use your finger to soften the lines of your lipstick application to soften. (You can also overdraw your lip line JUST A TINY BIT, but this hinges on dangerous territory!)
MATTE, NOT SHIMMER: Stick with matte products instead of shimmery/glittery finishes, which can make the skin look shiny and greasy on camera.
Hair & makeup are not my strengths... so I've sought out the experts at Elements of Style "EOS" Salon & Day Spa of Eldersburg, Maryland, for a few finishing tips to round out today's article. EOS was recently named one of the Top 200 Best Salons in the nation by the 20th Annual Salon Today - WHOA, CONGRATS!!!
Meet Hair & Makeup Expert, Jake Kissel
STYLIST at Elements of Style
The shape of your face is most important. Envision a 💎 DIAMOND 💎 as your face-shape guideline (everyone loves diamonds). This means you want to show off your cheekbones and your sparkling eyes. When contouring, you can also use different tones of foundation, using the darker shade under your cheekbone and lighter shade under your eye and top of cheekbone.
Stay away from glittery powders - especially with flash photography. When the flash goes off, the glittery/shimmery elements reflect the light, making your face into a beam of light. Instead, stick with more matte powders and natural colors.
At EOS, we love the Mirabella line of makeup products! And finish off your fresh look with Bulletproof Matte Setting spray to ensure your makeup last all day. This prevents oils from making your face look oily.
For your beautiful locks of hair, a great foundation in your blowout helps create the shape you want and also keeps your style lasting longer. This means to blow dry with mouse or a thickening powder from roots to tip, tapering down to the ends. This will achieve more stability and keep curls lasting longer. Your hair may look a bit exaggerated, but in photos it will look amazing! We recommend products such as Redken Guts & Redken Thickening Lotion andPureology Levitation Mist & Pureology Rootlift.
All the products mentioned here can be purchased at EOS! Stop by the salon at 1115 Liberty Road, Eldersburg, MD, or give us a call to ask if your favorite products are in stock: (410) 795-9465.
Below you can get a peak of their magnificent work (photographed by yours truly, with their incredible team's help with hair, makeup, and styling).
Do you have unique tips for your hair or makeup?
Have any DIY tips or recipes to share?
Please post your tips in the comments below!
