Are you wondering whether or not to get professional makeup for your senior session? I highly recommend getting it done for a couple of reasons. First, makeup, if done professionally and well, will refresh, brighten your face, and will prepare your skin for the camera. Second, it will help you feel more confident during your session.
A lot of girls are into makeup and may want to do it on their own. While YouTube videos are a good learning resource for everyday makeup application, you need a professional makeup artist who is trained to do it for the camera. There are a lot of “professionals” in our area, so choose wisely.
What to look for when planning a photo session with the makeup artist? Make sure to check out their work on social media or their website. Do you like their style? Some girls don’t wear much makeup and prefer a natural look. Does it seem like the makeup artist will be able to create this kind of look for you or does most of their work look pretty dramatic? While there’s nothing wrong with dramatic makeup for certain looks, sometimes it can easily add 10-15 years. Does your mom want to see her baby girl transformed into a 30-year-old woman during the senior session? One more thing to look for is the foundation. Does it look caked on in the images that the artist posts? Do the faces look like they have a mask on? Will you be able to see your favorite freckles through the layers of the foundation?
Being a professional photographer for a few years, I’ve seen it all and, in my opinion, the airbrush makeup by far is the best choice for the camera. It’s applied as a spray in the form of tiny dots and that’s how the camera reads your face (using pixels). It’s a much finer and thinner product than a traditional foundation, so your true skin tone will show through. It gives you a lightweight invisible look with full coverage. You will feel like you are not wearing much makeup. Airbrush makeup is long lasting, it won’t smear and is usually great for sensitive skin. You may want to check with the makeup artist, if the products that they use are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested/ recommended, especially if you have a sensitive skin.
The goal of the makeup artist should be to show your natural beauty and never to showcase their own work. Who wants to have a portrait where the first thing you notice is a makeup and not your beautiful face?
It’s always a plus if the makeup artist can come out to the session with you to do on-location touchups and changes. You may want to start with a natural look and add a brighter lipstick and more dramatic eye shadow later on during your session. Most of our senior girls bring a variety of outfits and having a makeup artist during the session helps create different looks.
