Makeup Dos and Don'ts for Your Headshot

Your headshot should represent you, the very best version of you. A glowing, healthy face is the best canvas for makeup. This applies even to men, who normally will not wear makeup for their headshot session. So before we get into the actual makeup dos and don'ts, let's talk about how to create the best foundation possible.

Start With Healthy, Glowing Skin

The best strategies for healthy, glowing skin are good nutrition and good sleep. Various skin treatments, such as skin peels, can certainly benefit the skin too by improving its texture and health. But they don't take the place of the basics of good nutrition and sleep.

Good nutrition will take some planning ahead. A good night's sleep will take a little planning as well, though not quite as much. It is especially important to get a good night's sleep the night before your headshot.

Skin Treatments: Plan Ahead

If you do choose to get a skin treatment in preparation for your headshot, be sure to schedule it at least a week in advance of your session date. This time between the treatment and the session ensures any redness from the treatment will wear off. Along the same lines, be careful not to have excessive sun exposure before your treatment. Photoshop can mitigate some redness, but there are limits.

The Day of Your Session: Moisturize

Now your skin is prepped and at its best, and you're ready for makeup the day of your session. A good foundation is important here. The camera does not love a dull, powdery look to the skin. It does love well-moisturized, dewy skin.

A dull, powdery look absorbs light, making the skin look dull and lifeless, and that is not what we want. So make sure your skin is well moisturized before applying makeup. This applies to men as well, even though in most cases they will not be wearing makeup.

Foundation

As mentioned above, dewy skin photographs much better than flat, pancakey skin. So it follows that your foundation should be liquid based, not powder based. Apply foundation to your neck as well, to minimize color differences between your face and neck. Extend it down onto your chest if needed.

Blush

Transitions between the areas with and without blush should be smooth and gradual. The color of the blush should harmonize with your skin tone, eye makeup, and clothing. If your session includes dramatically different looks or outfit changes, you'll probably need to reapply different makeup for the different looks. For example, you may want a business look for professional marketing and a more glamorous look for dating websites.

Eye Makeup

Do not use a heavy eyeliner. Opt for a softer one instead. The camera has a tendency to make a heavy, bold eyeliner appear even heavier and harsher in photos. Similar to blush, your eyeshadow should be well blended into the areas without eyeshadow. Watch out for mascara that tends to clump the eyelashes. And I do not recommend false eyelashes unless they are part of your everyday makeup routine and are well applied.

A Quick Word About Teeth

That covers makeup, but here's a quick word about teeth. Teeth can be whitened in retouching. Still, if you have a teeth whitening procedure planned at some point, why not have it done before your headshot session? It will add to your confidence in your appearance, and that confidence shows.

And if nerves are part of the picture for you, my post on feeling confident in your headshot walks through how to relax and look like yourself in front of the camera.