Women’s Makeup for Headshot Photography
Posted under: The general consensus for women’s makeup in their headshots is that it should be kept “natural”. There seems to be some confusion about this in regards to the application of the makeup…, I am often asked “does natural mean little to no makeup”? It depends… if you have a really nice skin complexion perhaps very little makeup is the way to go however “no” makeup tends to be rare unless you are a child or teenager or even an adult with flawless skin…or going for a very specific look… When makeup is applied by a professional… it might seem like a lot at the time of the application but the outcome should look fresh and natural… A natural look generally would be considered for an athletic look, youthful or for example a young Mom or anyone seeking a more fresh, clean look…
If you are seeking to portray more of a glamourous, sexy, edgy or theatrical look then perhaps a little more eye liner, eye shadow, etc.. would be appropriate as long as the outcome still looks like you… just a different/specific type…
Ultimately it is a matter of taste and preference, although your headshots are for the commercial and theatrical industry in Los Angeles/Hollywood, I am a believer that you should be pleased with the makeup in your headshots and be careful not to fall into the trap of trying to make everybody else happy…
Until a child becomes a teenager, I would advocate no makeup… or very very little applied by a parent to cover under the eyes, blemishes, etc…
Makeup for teens should be “bare minimum”… (mostly evening out skin tones and cover blemishes, generally they like to cast actors to play their age or younger so we always have to be mindful not to add age to an actor.
“Should I always book a makeup artist for my photo shoots”?
It depends how skilled you are in applying your own makeup… I have worked quite often with actresses who have done their own makeup and the outcome was fantastic… did they need to book a makeup artist? No. There are women who are not confident applying their own makeup and feel they have to have a professional makeup artist on the “shoot”… the right choice is the one you are comfortable with. When women book a makeup artist through me for our “shoot”… I reassure them and encourage them to voice their preferences to the makeup artist when they first arrive… everyone has different taste and preferences… they can consult of course with the makeup artist but ultimately the outcome should be to the actress’s taste.
Another common question is, “I don’t have the budget to book a makeup artist, do you think I can get away with doing my own… I’m ok doing my day to day makeup”?
Yes… I instruct my client to bring her makeup, I have been doing headshots in Los Angeles and elsewhere for a long time… although I cannot apply your makeup… I can guide you with the application, the subtleties and the details as I know what the outcome will be photography wise and it always works out well.