Hair & Make-Up: Key pieces to the headshot puzzle
Hair and make-up are an important and integral part of the over all design concept of your shoot and a talented hair & makeup artist can be invaluable when it comes to headshots.
Some people are talented at applying their own make-up and/or doing their hair and because they are, or they know someone who is, they might feel that a pro is not needed. Men usually try to stay away from make-up because they are nervous that the make-up will show and not look natural. Because of these common concerns and viewpoints a lot of people think twice before springing for a hair & makeup artist.
I believe a hair & make-up artist will not only make you look great, but he or she will make sure you look great throughout the shoot. Touch ups are just one important part of their job during a session. It’s also good to have a hair & make-up artist at your shoot to make adjustments as we go along (to enhance a change in wardrobe or lighting for example) and/or even to change a look completely. You might want to start with a natural healthy glow and finish with a more sophisticated or glamorous look (for soaps, modeling, etc).
Is the blush uneven? Is there a sharp line in the eye shadow? Has the hair lost its bounce? These are just some of the questions you won’t have to worry about in the hands of a talented hair & make-up artist.
Some men with flawless skin can get away without a make-up artist, but any discoloration in the skin will need to be touched up in all of your photos. Any shine will need touching up. If your lips drain out of color, that will need to be corrected later on digitally.
Naturally men don’t want to look like they are wearing make-up. But not having make-up for the shoot generally means you will need touch ups later.
Here are a couple of suggestions for men that choose not to hire a makeup artist:
- Apply a light moisturizer on dry areas of the skin (a light moisturizer usually seeps through the skin and does not look shiny on the face). For oily areas apply toner with a cotton swab to minimize oil production and appearance on your face. If you have oily skin overall, use toner. If you have dry skin overall, use a lightweight moisturizer all over the face.
- Exfoliate your lips the night before the headshot session by very softly using your toothbrush on the lips. This will help remove the dead skin. To moisturize the lips apply some Vaseline over night.
- Most importantly, get cherry chapstick! Yup, that’s right. But not the glossy kind. The good old-fashioned cherry chapstick. This will keep your lips looking soft and naturally pink and you won’t look like your wearing lipstick.
Light tends to pick up on oily facial surfaces. For most people this is in the T zone on the face. To minimize shine, invisible powder throughout will help a great deal.
A talented hair & make-up artist will make you look your best, and having another pair of eyes and hands at the shoot will free your mind and relax you. All that will be left for you to do is enjoy the shoot.