I always tell all my clients that they need to tell their make up artists that the make up should be put on for photography and filming purposes. Despite this I get some brides putting make up on that is shiny that ends up highlighting the cheek bones. This may look fine but the photographs would show them having golf balls growing out of their faces. You have to remember we as photographers are working with additional lighting and that means using reflected and fill in lighting, which involves using flashguns. Photography is all about reflected light, what is reflected of the person is captured by the camera. Therefore all those features highlighted by makeup in a photograph will look very unglamorous if the make up is not done properly.
There is a common tendency for asian brides to go to their hair and makeup artist with the latest asian bridal magazine, telling them their beautician that they want to replicate the makeup in the magazine. This is where things go wrong, they don’t realise that the models in those magazines are mostly non south asians and therefore do not have similar skin tone and complexion to south asian brides. In addition to this the photographs have been heavily edited and smoothed out. Therefore to replicate this make up would make the bride look like a walking pastry! Believe me, I have seen this and it is not pretty!
The following are some tips which I have picked up from the Cosmopolitan Magazine which I think you will find to be useful.
Face
The key is to have a flawless, natural looking glowing complexion, build your make up in very thin layers, blotting lightly with a tissue to remove moisture.
It’s tempting to try and get the coverage in one go, however it always looks more natural and lasts longer when you work with smaller amounts of product and blend really well.
For a photogenic finish, apply an illuminator across the cheekbones and temples, and use a light reflecting concealer under the eyes for a lift.
Use a translucent powder to lightly (and sparingly) matti fi the t-zone flash photography will make the centre part look shiny.
Eyes
Shape your eyeliner into a beautiful Audrey Hepburn flick which you feel comfortable with, to enhance the shape of your eyes.
Define the brows, so the features don’t start to get lost, threading helps.
Lips
Looking washed out – the secret is to make sure you wear some colour on the lips with a glossy finish to make you look fresh.
To get longevity try finishing it with a tiny bit of Chanel Glossimer lip gloss in Sonate. Layering and compressing the colour will keep it in place. Also try to dust translucent powder around the lips to prevent feathering.
Hair
Make sure that your hair holds for the whole day and that it does not fall apart. You should try styles with your hair person and really test them out to see how they hold.