Help! Need advice on make-up for photo shoot...

[Zara_dancer]

I'm going for my first photo shoot soon, and I need some make-up tips! I'm used to applying make up for performance, but not sure about what to do under studio lights! I'm not sure how to adjust my make up for the lighting, whether to use a lighter hand than I would for performance etc etc...

My first thought was to go straight to MAC and have them do my make-up for the shoot, but I'm having trouble getting an appointment (my shoot is on a Saturday ) So I'm thinking I'd better start practicing, just in case...

It's super expensive to get these photos done, and since I'm a grad student who's just blown a whole lotta money on new costumes I won't be having another shoot for a while!! So these photos HAVE to work out

So Bhuzzards, please lay the knowledge on me...?!

[Safiyah]

I have my first photo shoot coming up next weekend so I'll be on the lookout for good tips too! I would personally be afraid to go to MAC since I've had pretty crappy department store makeovers in general. I think I can do a better job. Maybe I've just had bad luck though, who knows.

I suggest wearing matte foundation and wearing powder. You don't want any shine. Keep the shimmery products to a minimum and don't wear glitter. I will keep my face neutral since I'm changing costumes a lot. I plan on doing my usual stage makeup face (cake foundation, powder, bronzer, blush, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow and liner, mascara, individual false lashes) unless I get better advice on here. *anxiously awaits responses*

[beafarhana]

Does the photographer have any make-up artist contacts? When I had my photos done with photo/traceylove that was part of the whole package. And it was fantastic!

[Azhia]

Here's a splattering of things I normally do for clients...

Lay it on the same thickness as you would for stage. If you use false eyelashes, continue to use them.

Be careful, though, and it's hard to guage, about reflectiveness in your cosmetics. Sometimes concealer under the eyes that is too reflective ends up looking like racoon eyes. A lot of mineral-based makeup is too reflective for camera work. I don't know if MAC has silicone-based foundation but I find it to be the most flawless, next to Camera Ready Cosmetics.

Stay as matte as possible with your shadows and do not use glitter. Glitter does not show up in photographs the same as it does onstage. It creates "hot spots" and often look like white spots or like parts of your face are missing.

If you have to use shimmery shades, do so only for highlighting (just under the brow bone or high on the cheekbones). Otherwise, for contouring and everything else, stay with matte finishes.

In the same vein, if you wear lip gloss, do not fill the entire lip with lip gloss, just dot a bit on the center of your lips to create a nice pout.

If your foundation is a different shade than the rest of your body, you're going to want to match the face with the body so that your face is not a different colour. MAC has a good all over body foundation, or since it's for a short time, you can use airbrush legs by Sally Hansen.

If you sweat easily, prime your skin with Milk of Magnesia (available at any drugstore). It's also good for oiliness.

Grab a packet of blotter sheets so you can blot between shots w/o removing your makeup or having to cake on more.

Do your nails (hands and feet).

Don't neglect your eyebrows (fill 'em in with makeup or have them tweezed/waxed/trimmed if they are unruly). ;0)

Take care of fly away hair. A nice effect that photographers often employ is backlighting but it also shows up fly away hair very easily.

Also pray that the photog has good Photo Shop skills. That's always a plus (not that you need it). ;0)

There are a lot of other experienced makeup artists and dancers here so I look forward to hearing what they have to say, too! :0)

Have a great time! Get lots of sleep before!

[Azhia]

P.S. Let me know if you have "flaws" you'd like to correct or features you'd like to emphasize or de-emphasize, there are lots of easy tricks ...

[Zara_dancer]

Aaagh! The quote function isn't working for me!!! I'll have to thank you individually girls!

Azhia, I was hoping you'd give me your tuppence worth - you are a gem, girl!! Thank you!!

I'd like to go for really dramatic eyes - my eyes are green, but when I use black eyeliner I look like I've been punched in the eye - it's a very harsh look on me. I tend to go for brown, purple or navy eyeliner when performing, what would be your advice for photos?

Bea, having the makeup done as part of the deal sounds like a dream - unfortunately, I have to look after myself...

Safiyah, so you're in the same boat as me? I'm so excited to get some proper photos done at last I've had my makeup done at MAC before though, for bridesmaid duty n stuff, and they were great! They seem to know what they are doing - also I think MAC insists that all staff are fully trained artists. They gave me a lot of great tips, I'm a dedicated fan now. Good luck with your shoot!

[ruta21030]

i knew azhia would be the 'woman'!

when'll u be in MD/DC again? i missed you last time, i was working :(

[ruta21030]

Originally Posted by Zara_dancer

Aaagh! The quote function isn't working for me!!! I'll have to thank you individually girls!

Azhia, I was hoping you'd give me your tuppence worth - you are a gem, girl!! Thank you!!

I'd live to go for really dramatic eyes - my eyes are green, but when I use black eyeliner I look like I've been punched in the eye - it's a very harsh look on me. I tend to go for brown, purple or navy eyeliner when performing, what would be your advice for photos?

Bea, having the makeup done as part of the deal sounds like a dream - unfortunately, I have to look after myself...

Safiyah, so you're in the same boat as me? I'm so excited to get some proper photos done at last I've had my makeup done at MAC before though, for bridesmaid duty n stuff, and they were great! They seem to know what they are doing - also I think MAC insists that all staff are fully trained artists. They gave me a lot of great tips, I'm a dedicated fan now. Good luck with your shoot!

i've found the MAC folks in my area to be too conservative, even when i tell them 'glam it up!, think hollywood', but then, it just may be that location

hey zara_dancer, will you post the pics when done? we'd LOVE to see!

[Zara_dancer]

I certainly will Ruta! I'm really excited, can't wait to see how they look!! Last time I went to MAC it was in Vancouver, Canada and I was having bridesmaid make up done - they gave me the wildest cranberry eyes you have ever seen - but it looked amazing! Conservative it was not, but I guess that's the west coast for ya, eh?

[Azhia]

Originally Posted by ruta21030

i knew azhia would be the 'woman'!

when'll u be in MD/DC again? i missed you last time, i was working :(

You're gonna have to bug MiaNaja about that. I've been trying to pin her down for a date in April! I still have 4 women who were signed up for last time on the list waiting for the next scheduled date. I'll let you know!!

[Azhia]

Originally Posted by Zara_dancer

Azhia, I was hoping you'd give me your tuppence worth - you are a gem, girl!! Thank you!!

I'd live to go for really dramatic eyes - my eyes are green, but when I use black eyeliner I look like I've been punched in the eye - it's a very harsh look on me. I tend to go for brown, purple or navy eyeliner when performing, what would be your advice for photos?

Plaisir!

Girl, you have beautiful features! I wish I could be there for you at the shoot, you'd make a great pin up or "screen star" look!

Green eyes look amazing with dark around them. Since you'll be doing more close up work with the photographer, however, and are not trying to be seen from "back of the house", try less on the bottom rim, using a lighter brown, very well blended, and mascara, just to give definition to the bottom of the eye. On the top, go all out, cat eye, thick line, concentrate on the outer corners and accentuate with the falsies if you feel comfortable with them. If not, cut them into sections and just apply them on the outer top rim, slanted upwards so as not to drag the eye downward.

I'm producing a stage/camera makeup DVD for dancers. I think I need to work on it!!!

Show us your pics, pleeeeeaaaassee!!!!

[bintbeled]

Originally Posted by Azhia

I'm producing a stage/camera makeup DVD for dancers. I think I need to work on it!!!

Ooh, I want one of these!!!

[ejaghana]

I have a photo shoot coming up too! (In Feb.)
I haven't read through these so please forgive me if this has already been addressed!

Originally Posted by Azhia

P.S. Let me know if you have "flaws" you'd like to correct or features you'd like to emphasize or de-emphasize, there are lots of easy tricks ...

Ohhh! I have one! My nose...Very big and very wide. I don't have nice bone structure so I'd like to look like I have some cheekbones!

[Zara_dancer]

Originally Posted by Azhia

Plaisir!

Girl, you have beautiful features! I wish I could be there for you at the shoot, you'd make a great pin up or "screen star" look!

Thank you Azhia, what a lovely thing to say

Thanks sooo much for all your tips - you know, I think I'll have a go at my own make up.

And you should DEFINITELY make that dvd, it would sell shedloads. There is a massive market for something like that - I'd love to get my hands on it now

[jetgirl]

Azhia, you rock. And I want your DVD.

May I suggest my tip that took me years to figure out? I am pale with bright green/blue eyes and almost black hair (now, it used to be red). I found that I cannot wear true black eyeliner -- it really ages me. I usually "tight line" (push into the lash line) my eyes in VERY dark navy blue or purple and then add the cat eye stuff with charcol (or sometimes the same purple/blue). It still gives the dark eye and people stop me in clubs and comment how my eyes are so intense now.

[Azhia]

Originally Posted by ejaghana

Ohhh! I have one! My nose...Very big and very wide. I don't have nice bone structure so I'd like to look like I have some cheekbones!

You have gorgeous lips and a great smile!

For contouring (it's like playing with shadows) you need basically 2 colours (it could be matte eye shadow or face powder or cream-based product): 1) colour that is a shade darker than your natural skin tone, it could even be a blush colour and 2) a highlighter colour, with which you have a little more flexibility whether it be shimmery eye shadow or face powder or also a blush colour, as long as it's lighter than natural skin tone.

Nose: take the darker colour and run that down from the inner corners of your eyes to the tips of the nose, so you'll have parallel lines of shading. Take the highlighter colour and run that straight down the center of your nose to the tip. Sometimes you need not bother with the 2 parallel lines of dark colour; I will often take a shimmery gold and run a straight line of that down the nose, even onto the lips and tip of the chin and that does the trick.

Cheekbones: take the darker colour and blend into the hollows of your cheeks. Highlight the cheek bones with the lighter colour. Again, you can opt to just use a gold or some shimmery colour to highlight the cheekbones themselves, depending on how intense you want the application to look.

If you want to invest in only 1 product, I would invest in the highlighter colour. I find highlighting easier than contouring. Go with whatever tone your skin is (gold-ish if you have yellow undertone or coral/peach-ish if you have pink undertone). Then you can also take that highlighter colour and dust your shoulder caps, and along the collar bone to create more definition, if you need/want it. I like drama so I'm all about highlighting and creating striking lines.

[Azhia]

Originally Posted by jetgirl

Azhia, you rock. And I want your DVD.

May I suggest my tip that took me years to figure out? I am pale with bright green/blue eyes and almost black hair (now, it used to be red). I found that I cannot wear true black eyeliner -- it really ages me. I usually "tight line" (push into the lash line) my eyes in VERY dark navy blue or purple and then add the cat eye stuff with charcol (or sometimes the same purple/blue). It still gives the dark eye and people stop me in clubs and comment how my eyes are so intense now.

Great tip! Charcoal is a great colour and you can go super intense or more subtle.

Another thing I like to do with clients with light eyes is a "colour wash", basically 1 colour all over the lid with a complementary colour (violet for green eyes, peach for blue eyes), do a "tight line" of a more intense shade of that colour, and complement with full set of false eye lashes. This works well for really large eyes, too. Sometimes you don't need to rim the entire eye or apply 3 different colours to get an eye-popping effect, and subtle wash of colour adds the right amount of oompf.

[bella237]

I just had my first pro shoot a few weeks ago and with my pale skin and green eyes, black eyeliner didn't work for me either. What did was dark brown (MACs Dipdown fluidliner to be exact). Looked smoky and dramatic, but not overdone.

Samira