I’ve been wanting to do this post since I jumped full on into boudoir photography, so I figured it’s about time I sat down and got to it.
Boudoir (to me) is about looking and feeling your best, having a great experience, going outside of your comfort zone and getting some sexy images of yourself. That being said, there are many important elements involved in that ‘perfect’ boudoir image. The lighting, posing and a relaxed environment are on the top of the list for great results and flawless images, but I want to talk about one of the key elements that often gets over-looked: Make-up — it is important for photography in general, but for boudoir – it’s essential.
I always urge all of my boudoir babes to invest in a professional make-up application for their session. This post is all about the dos and don’ts and more importantly – the why.
Make-up for photography is completely different than everyday make-up — there’s a lot more of it, for one, and it needs to be precisely placed since studio lights and post-processing techniques soften the make-up and tone down the intensity. Professional make-up artists are experts in the art of highlighting and contouring, colour and skin tone. If the contouring is not done properly certain features like cheek bones and chins can ‘disappear’ in the final image or it could look like you’re ready for a football game with un-blended lines on your face. If it’s not done at all, you can look washed out and in some cases, you can look like you’re twelve. It’s true, I’ve seen it.
This example is from my own photo session, you can see that the ‘before’ image is me — sans make-up, the second image is with my make-up all done and the third is the fully edited professional image (By Lauren Winter Photography). You can see in the second image that my make-up looks quite intense and in the final image it looks natural. Its magic.
When it comes to boudoir, make-up has a distinct purpose: To make you look and feel sexy, while making all your features pop and stand out for the camera.
The example below shows a play up on the eyes, which is a common look for boudoir make-up. I think the eyes are the most important feature to highlight, so I prefer a look that has nice bold eyes and soft lips. False eyelashes are a must in my book, they add more dimension to the eyes and make them look bigger and more alive.
This next example shows exactly what professionally applied make-up should do for your features. Her cheek bones are highlighted perfectly, the foundation matches her skin, the lashes add extra depth and her lips have an effortless shimmer. It so important to have flawless looking skin, and I have found that foundation is best applied by airbrush; this way it is evenly distributed and completely covers any blemishes. These days it is easy to remove blemishes in Photoshop and airbrush the skin so it looks smooth and soft, but when the wrong color foundation is applied or if the contours are not blended properly it is simply just not flattering. . .
. . . however, Photoshop has its limitations. It cannot add something that isn’t there, like a nice glossy lip or a perfectly groomed eyebrow. These next examples show exactly that. They are before and afters with all the exact same techniques applied to show the difference that professional make-up has on a final image. Each of the following before & afters were shot with the same lighting, retouched and air-brushed one without make-up and one with professional make-up.
Being the person behind the camera and the one who greets all my boudoir babes at the door, I get to see the effect that make-up has on each individual person. 98% of all my boudoir babes are nervous before their shoot, not sure what to expect or just nervous about the vulnerable situation. It may seem superficial, but the truth is that when I meet my girls for the first time I can see the difference that having their make-up done professionally can do. The make-up itself gives a more mature look and the gals radiate with confidence and seem to be more relaxed than those who do their make-up themselves. This is why I tell all of my girls to pamper themselves; having your hair and make-up done for you takes one more thing off your mind and allows you to get into the groove with me a little easier and faster.
Whether you hire a professional or do your make-up yourself, these are some tips for boudoir that you must know!
Foundation:
Make sure it’s the right colour! Nothing is worse than when your face is a different color than the rest of your skin. Test your foundation in natural light, if it blends effortlessly into your jaw line then you have the right colour. I mentioned earlier that I love the flawless look of airbrushed foundation, I also love it because it is nice and handy for blending tan lines as well as perfect coverage. If you have oily skin, be sure to bring blotting papers and translucent powder, those lights can get quite warm and you don’t want your skin to get shiny.
Use a matte bronzer or darker foundation (2 shades darker) to define the cheekbones, temples and any other features you want to appear smaller. Use a highlighter or a foundation two tones lighter than your skin on your cheekbones. This gives them a nice glimmer and really makes them stand out in the final image! Add a pop of color to the apples of your cheeks and blend well so you can’t see where it starts or where it ends. A neat trick to find the perfect spot for that color is to SMILE!
Eyes:
Unless you’re going for a really bold lip colour, the eyes should be dark and defined for boudoir, the ‘smokey eye’ is definitely the most popular look. False lashes are a must, but make sure they’re on real good.. you don’t want them popping up in the corners half way through your shoot; you also want to make sure they fit properly. Most lashes are made for the biggest eye, so you may need to trim them. Apply a small amount of glue to the base of the lashes and wait until the glue is tacky then look down and push them into the base of your lash line. Give them a good tug after the glue has dried to make sure they’re going to stay put. Go over any glue that may not have dried clear with your eyeliner and apply mascara to bind the falsies to your natural ones.
Always line the inner rim of your eye (the waterline) with a brown or black pencil and remember to bring your eyeliner with you as this is usually the first to fade away.
Lips:
I like the look of a bold eye and neutral lip, but if you’re going to go with a bold lip, then play down the eyes you don’t want to focus on both. Not a lot of women I know like to wear lip gloss or lipstick, but if you don’t do your lips, your look will not be complete. You can’t go wrong with a soft petal pink for lighter skin tones and something a little darker and warmer for darker skin tones. If you go with something too light it can wash out your skin tone. Another good reason to have a professional do your make-up, they can evaluate whether you have a warm or cool skin tone and pick the best color for your skin tone.
When preparing for your boudoir shoot, keep in mind that it is truly an investment and treat yourself by getting pampered before your shoot! At our studio we give all of our boudoir babes the option to have their hair and make-up done in house. Not only is it a great way to get settled into the environment and gear up for your session, but it also makes you feel good. Every session is different, but one thing I know is that boudoir is not just about a few images in a book, it’s a whole experience, that every woman should have at least once in her life! In my personal opinion, the experience is not complete without a little pampering!
Special thanks to Lisa Hallam of Make Up In Motion for the beauty tips and make-up expertise on most of the images used in this post. Thanks also goes to Jenilee Cardinal-Shultz who has also done make-up for some of these images.
If you found this post helpful, have comments or something to add, please use the comment section below! If you’d like to book you own boudoir experience, head over to my boudoir website: www.joiphoto.com/boudoir
by Crystal
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Tee - Great information Crystal!