Makeup for Headshots
Some photographers make it mandatory to hire a professional make-up artist for their headshot sessions. I don't. But I do strongly encourage it, particularly for women (I know…. It’s not fair…). Whether we’re shooting with studio lights or out in daylight, most people need the skillful application of make-up that only a professional can provide.
I pride myself on the team of make-up artists I’ve built over the years. They are not only some of the kindest people you will ever meet, they’re specialists at doing makeup that looks natural — and they understand how to work with all skin tones. (Believe me, I’ve heard the horror stories. Doing beautiful work on people of color is really important to me.) My artists will collaborate with you to create a look that feels like you at your best. The benefit of having a make-up artist during the shoot is we can test how the make-up photographs and then fix any problems on the spot. It’s really worth the investment. However, if it's not in your financial reality to use one of my make-up artists, let’s talk about alternatives so you can still look your best.
Please note make-up artists will touch up your hair but are not always able to do full-on hair styling. If you need a blow-out or full styling, please go to a salon before your shoot.
The Headshot Make-Up Checklist
If you're using my make-up artist, you don't need to bring any make-up with you to the shoot. But if you're doing your own or getting it done elsewhere, please bring the following items to your session so we can touch up during the shoot:
Transparent matte face powder (if you are super pale, a shade darker will help you photograph better). NO shimmer please.
Undereye concealer. Can't emphasize this enough. Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and NARS all have excellent undereye concealers. This should be a shade lighter than the rest of your face to brighten up dark circles.
Matte blush in a rosy or natural pink hue. Again, stay away from shimmer because it tends to make skin look oily on camera. Choose a matte blush that looks like your natural color when you’re flushed from working out or blushing.
Eye pencil or shadow in dark brown or black.
Mascara. It makes a huge difference in opening up the eyes. Ideally, if you really want to get the most out of your headshots, you should have individual lashes applied to the outside corners of your eyes.
Pink or nude lipstick (or whatever “nude” is for you). Most likely you won't want to go with a dark lip color. It tends to look severe and can age you.
Smoothing serum, hair spray, or styling gel for touching up your hair.
Blow dryer, flat iron, curler, brush, comb, or any other tool you might need to touch up your hair.
If You’re a Dude
Men, your needs are a lot simpler! Bring some Chapstick or lip balm to keep your lips from appearing dry or cracked, and any product that you might need to touch up your hair (i.e. comb, gel). If you’re super oily or have dark undereye circles, it wouldn’t hurt to bring some blotting papers (or transparent powder) and undereye concealer. I can apply them for you once you get here but stop by a Sephora or department store to get help matching your skintone.
Also, you may want to show up to your session unshaven for a few shots and then shave halfway through for some more “universal” clean-shaven shots. According to industry insiders, the clean-shaven shots are going to get you more auditions but it can be nice to also get some shots with stubble or a beard for those “bad guy” roles. Make sure it only takes a few minutes to shave though so it doesn't cut into your shoot time.
How You Should Wear Your Hair for Headshots
Hair also needs to look its best for your headshot session or it will be distracting. Hair retouching in Photoshop is actually really hard and time consuming so we want your hair to look its best during the shoot, not try to fix it later. If you have straight or wavy hair, I strongly recommend that you get a blowout at a salon before coming to your session. If you're using my make-up artist, she will do light touch-up on hair but not full styling. Bring all your favorite hair products and tools for touching up your hair.
Fortunately, for curly-haired people, your natural hair is increasingly becoming more popular for commercial work — yay! However, for your legit shot, you still may want to get both a straight-hair shot and a curly-hair shot. According to my sources, the industry still regards a straight-hair look as more “universal” and one that will open more doors for you. It sucks but it seems to be the current reality of the business (though things are beginning to change).
For men, it bears repeating that you may want to consider coming to your shoot unshaven for an edgy look and then shaving halfway through the session for a clean-shaven look. The clean-shaven shots are going to be more "universal" and will get you more auditions, but it's also nice to get some shots with stubble or a beard for “bad guy” parts. Just make sure it only takes a few minutes to shave though so it doesn't cut into your shoot time.