I am excited to feature guest blogger, Allure by Andi, a incredibly talented makeup artist with a passion for empowering women to feel confident and beautiful. In this post, Andi will share her expert tips on how to prepare for your boudoir session to ensure you look and feel your best. Whether it’s your first time in front of the camera or you’re a seasoned pro, these tips will help you get ready for your photoshoot and capture stunning images that you’ll treasure for a lifetime. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn from the best!
Let’s get started!
1. Bring Inspiration Photos
While your artist should be fully equipped to look at you and know what colors would look best; it’s nice to get a guideline of what you like. More so, if you’re wanting something specific. It’s also ok to bring multiple pictures where you like the eyes of one picture, but the foundation application of another.
(Brianna here! I assign all my client homework to create a pinterest board with inspiration and add me; it’s a great idea to add makeup inspiration to this as well!)
2. Drink Plenty of Water
This should come to no surprise, but water is a key component in excellent skin and excellent skin means a solid makeup application. When you drink larger amounts of water you are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles and soft lines as compared to those who drink smaller amounts….so drink up!
3. Exfoliate Your Skin
Misconception is that exfoliation is bad for you, however, it’s further from the truth. Exfoliation is what helps get the dry, flaky layer of skin off allowing for a smooth makeup application. While you don’t want to overdo it, it certainly is something that can be beneficial when done correctly. There are many scrubs, masks and cleansers that are extremely gentle out there that can get the job done. You’d want to do this weekly until you’re comfortable with where your skin is at, then go to an as needed basis, following it up with the night before your shoot!
4. Maintain Your Eyebrows
Often a missed step, but whether you do them normally or if it’s your first time, go to a trusted salon and get them shaped and cleaned up. This ensures we have the perfect face framing the day of and while you won’t see the hairs far away, up close the makeup does draw attention, so this takes care of that!
5. Come With No Makeup, Mascara, or Liner
This may seem obvious, but coming with a clean face allows your stylist not only a clean canvas to work with, but in the event, there are marathon days where clients are back-to-back, speed of service is key. Plus, we should be taking our makeup off nightly as not doing so is what causes bacteria, breakouts and of course aging! No one wants that!
6. Trust The Process
Often times your stylist won’t allow you to look in mirrors until the end as it can be an overwhelming process, especially if it’s the first time you’re getting professional, camera-ready makeup done. Heavy on the term “Camera Ready.” For Boudoir, we have to go bolder than your every-day makeup, which to the naked eye can sometimes make a client feel a bit out of body, which is why we take before and after pictures. This shows you how much the camera takes out of a photo in terms of color and why we have to put so much in for it to appear normalized to show up! I promise, you’ll be a knockout!! Also, keeping in mind, your stylist is highlighting and accenting areas of your face most likely much different than you do on-a-daily basis. This is YOU, amplified, but if anything doesn’t sit well, it’s always ok to say something!
7. Exfoliate Your Lips
We all get chapped, cracked lips and the last place we want to see it is in a photo. While your artist will most likely have products in their kit to combat some of it, depending on the severity, there are things we can do to prepare. If you’re one that likes to lick your lips or constantly apply Chapstick, sometimes those can have an opposite effect. There are lip scrubs, lip masks, sugar scrubs you can make at home or even using your toothbrush to get the dead skin off for a smooth lipstick application. There’s so many options depending on your needs that are effective for the luscious lip look!!
8. Don’t Skip the Lashes
Lashes can truly make the look! Regardless of how long your natural lashes are, they won’t get the justice they deserve in photos, that’s where lashes come in! Your makeup artist should have a variety of lash options based on your eye shape that would best suit you and the look you’re going for. In person, you may feel it be a bit over the top, especially if you’re not used to it, but in pictures it seals the deal! It’s normal to initially see them, feel them and for them to feel a bit on the heavy side, but that shouldn’t last more than 15 or so minutes! Once you get them for the first time, you’ll wonder how you ever went without them!
9. Go Bold
Don’t be afraid to go bold! It translates stunningly in photos! Whether it be a bold lip or a bold eye, try something outside the box. It could even be something as dramatic as a cat eye and red lip…the sky is the limit!
10.Don’t Skip the Sunscreen
Sunscreen is vital in protecting your skin from not only the aging process, but also the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma! You should be wearing it daily, with or without makeup no less than 30SPF…whether it’s cloudy, raining, even if you’re going to the mailbox, if you’re a frequent flyer…it’s essential…don’t skip it!!
xoxo
-Andi – Allure by Andi
You can follow Andi on Facebook HERE and on Instagram HERE.
