The Do’s and Dont’s of makeup for a Professional headshot
Okay, this is going to be a blog post that may be a little out of my wheelhouse. When it comes to headshots, the goal is clear: to capture your true personality and your unique character. Makeup plays a crucial role in this process, but it should be used subtly to enhance, not overpower. In this blog post, I’ll explore the do's and don'ts of makeup for a professional headshot, focusing on ensuring your face and expression remain the central focus.
We’ll start with the do’s for headshot makeup.
Start with skin care.
Start your normal makeup routine with good skin care. Cleanser, then use a good moisturizer as a base to apply your makeup.
Choose a lightweight foundation. Choose a lightweight, sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer that matches your natural skin tone. You’ll want to avoid heavy, full-coverage foundations that can mask your natural features.
Use a good concealer and use it with care. You’ll want to use a concealer to cover any blemishes, redness, or dark under-eye circles. Make sure that it blends well with your foundation and looks natural.
Use natural eye makeup. Enhance your eyes with a neutral eyeshadow shade that complements your natural skin tone. Mascara and eyeliner should be applied sparingly to define your eyes without overpowering them.
Soft Colors for your lips. Choose lip colors that are close to your natural lip shade. Soft pinks, peaches, or nude tones work well to create a natural look. If you don’t use lipstick, bring gloss along with you to keep them looking good.
Set with translucent powder. To control shine, especially in front of strobes, use a minimal amount of translucent powder, focusing on the T-zone. Avoid using a heavy powder that can appear cakey in photos.
Okay, time to look at the dont’s
Avoid heavy contouring. Heavy contouring can change the natural shadows and highlights of your face. It's best to keep contouring minimal for a more natural look.
Stay away from shimmers and glitters. Glitter and shimmer reflect light in photographs and will distract from your expression. Stick to more matte or satin finishes.
Don’t overdo the lip liner. Overlined lips will appear unnatural in headshots. Stick to your natural lip shape and avoid using exaggerated outlines.
Go easy on the smoke! While smokey eyes can be captivating in high fashion photos, they will overpower your headshot. Keep eye makeup soft and natural.
Opt for subtle lipstick colors. Bold, dark lip colors will take the attention away from your eyes and expression. Go for subtler lip shades that enhance, not dominate.
Go easy on the glow. While we want to have a healthy glow, excessive highlighting can create unflattering shine in your photos. Use highlighter sparingly.
Remember, in photography, less is more, these cameras pick up everything!
With your headshots, the goal is to show off your authenticity and your personality. Makeup should enhance your natural features and bring out your confidence. It’s not about covering up, It's about revealing. By following these do's and don'ts, you can ensure that your headshots will capture your unique beauty and your true expression.
About John Armato
John Armato is a professional headshot photographer based in Clarksburg, MD, and serving headshot clients throughout the Rockville, Bethesda, and Washington D.C. areas. John specializes in professional business and corporate headshots, acting headshots, realtor headshots, physician and healthcare headshots, branding headshots, and more.
No matter if you are looking for on-location or in-studio headshots, reach out to John today!