About Face

Engagement shoot makeup after running around for 4 hours and sweating like a pig.
Photo by Matt Miller

One thing that I started researching pretty early on was camera-friendly makeup and skincare. I don’t think it’s any secret that I love photography, and I wanted us to have bananas shots of ourselves. Some of my favorite inspiration photos were super-close-up shots of couples, and if those shots were going to happen for us, I needed to shape my skin up first, as well as figure out what worked the best for me makeup-wise.

My skin isn’t terrible, but it isn’t the greatest either. I have fairly combination/oily t-zone skin with large-ish pores. I tend to get stress and hormonal breakouts, and also some recurring cyst-like buggers on my jawline. It doesn’t help that I absentmindedly touch my face. A lot. I do it in my sleep, when I’m stressed, when I’m not paying attention. I’m just a picker and toucher. I also get really cold-sweat-forehead-face-misty-nasty when I’m nervous. I needed stuff to get rid of or minimize all of those issues, for the sake of our photos as well as my sanity.

Well, after an excessive amount of research, I think I’ve got some pretty good stuff, and now it’s time to share it!

1. Cleanser: Liquid Facial Soap, Clinique, $15 from Sephora
2. Toner: Clarifying Lotion 2, Clinique, $20 from Sephora
3. Moisturizer: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, Clinique, $24 from Sephora

Pre-research, I never used moisturizer or toner on my face. Ever. I quickly found out that that was bad news bears. I also failed at washing my face on a regular twice-a-day basis. So, pre-shoot, for a good month, I religiously washed, toner-ed, and moisturized my skin twice a day.

To use…

• - First, wash your face with the cleanser, a washcloth, and fairly hot water.
• - Then, after drying your face, apply toner all over with a cotton ball. The toner is awesome– it helps tighten pores, get gunk out, and feels really good.
• - After the toner dries, moisturize with what I assume is magic in the form of a moisturizing gel. It feels so light, not greasy or gross, and just does wonders for skin tone and texture. Three cheers.

1. Primer: Photo Finish Foundation Primer in light, Smashbox, $36 from Sephora
2. Magic: Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector in invisible light, Clinique, $17.50 from Sephora
3. Eye Primer: Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Urban Decay, $17 from Sephora

Now, let’s assume we want to put makeup on now. In order to do that, your face needs some serious prepping magic. These three preps are pretty much makeup crack.

• - First, apply one pump of primer all over your face. This locks in the moisturizer goodness, and helps provide an even surface for the makeup. I use the light version, but if you have drier skin, I’d recommend the original. The original tended to get a little oily by the end of the day for my skin type. The feeling of the primer is almost like a silicone-based lubricant. (Gross reference, I know, but it’s true).
• - Now comes some serious magic. If you suffer from the sweats like I do, have giant pores, or just want to make sure your face stays dry all day, use the Clinique Pore Minimizer. This stuff has to be made with some sort of black magic, because it totally stops my face from sweating. Apply it to your forehead, cheeks, and a little above your lips. (Basically anywhere the nervous sweats happen). This totally stops the sweating. Your head could be soaking wet from grossness, and face? Still dry. I promise.
• - After that, apply the Primer Potion from lash-line up to your brow bone. This stuff keeps your eye makeup on like crazy. You could be sweating your butt off, covered in water, and attacked by wolverines and still keep your eye makeup in perfect condition.

1. Foundation: HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 110, Make Up For Ever, $40 from Sephora
2. Concealer: Estompe de Chanel Corrective Concealer in light, Chanel, $34 from Neiman Marcus
3. Powder: Poudre Douce Soft Pressed Powder in soft rose, Chanel, $50 from Neiman Marcus

One thing that is SUPER important for having photos taken is not to have any SPF in your makeup (or moisturizer!) whatsoever. Its job is to reflect light, and that’s what causes a lot of those overly-whited-out face shots that are so common on Facebook and Myspace. (C’mon, you all know it’s true!)

• - The MUFE foundation is supposedly formulated for photography/HD, which may or may not be complete hooey. All I know is that it keeps my skin matte, blends well, has buildable coverage, and there’s no SPF. Win. Apply all over your face with fingertips, then sort of blend/smudge with a dampened makeup sponge.
• - Next, use the Chanel concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes, dotting lightly with your fingertips to blend.
• - Apply the Chanel powder in a VERY light coat, just to cover and even things out.

1. Eyeshadows: Eye Shadow in navajo, taupe, and smoke, Bobbi Brown, $20 each from Neiman Marcus
2. Eyeshadow (used on brow bone): Eye Shadow in fathom, Nars, $22 from Neiman Marcus
3. Eyeliner: Powderliner in coal 01, ???, $20 from Patchouli’s, personal photo

Eye makeup is something that I’m strangely particular about, and it’s one of the main reasons I’ll be doing my own makeup on the wedding day. I’ve pretty much done the same thing for a good 10 years, but it works great.

• - For eyeshadow, apply the lightest shade from lash-line up to the brow. Then, the apply the medium color on the lid, and the darkest color in the crease. Nothing revolutionary about that.
• - Then, highlight your browbone and tear-duct area with the Nars shadow.
• - Onward comes the most fantastic eyeliner on the planet, which is near-to-impossible to track down. It’s called Powderliner, and it’s made by a small company in Germany. I’ve been using it for the past 10 years, and only have been able to find it at a little boutique near my parents’ beach house. Well, that’s a lie– once, I found some on the internet. I know nothing about the company after YEARS of searching. It’s the perfect eyeliner- highly pigmented like a powder, but doesn’t fall apart. It’s also not waxy at all, so it doesn’t transfer to the upper lid area. To use it, I just tug the eyelid to the side (even though that’s apparently not good to do wrinkle-wise!), and draw a thick cat-eye swoop on the top, and line the bottom waterline halfway.

1. Blush: Blush in peony, Bobbi Brown, $22 from Neiman Marcus
2. Setting Powder: HD Microfinish Powder, Make Up For Ever, $30 from Sephora

If you’re wondering why I didn’t include mascara with the shadows, it’s because of these next steps.

• – After shadow and liner, apply this delightful (hot pink) blush to the apples of your cheeks. I like it for photos because it is sans shimmer, and sometimes too much cheek shimmer ends up making one look like a deranged figure skater.
• - Next, brush-buff your face (and everything!) lightly with the MUFE HD powder. It’s transparent, matte, and sets your makeup beautifully. Use it pre-mascara and eyebrows so that you don’t get the white powder in clumps on the sticky surfaces.

1. Brow Powder: Essential Brow Color in dark blonde/medium brown, Bare Escentuals, $11 from Sephora
2. Brow Gel: Brow Gel, Amazing Cosmetics, $14 from Sephora
3. Mascara: DiorShow Mascara in black, Dior, $24 from Sephora
4. Gloss: Long Last Glosswear in clearly pink, Clinique, $14 from Sephora

Home stretch! We only have finishing touches left!

• - Now it is time to use brow powder and gel. Make sure to double check AGAINST YOUR EYEBROWS any brow powder/filler that you buy. They are not necessarily the same color as your hair…even if it’s your natural haircolor. For instance, even though I have dark hair, my body hair is very fair, and that’s why I use a medium brown for my brows. Anything darker and I look like a hooker. Use a teeny teeny bit of powder on a brow brush, gently fill in, then swipe the clear gel over to tame brows. It’s amazing what a little bit of brow attention will do for your face.
• - Apply the mascara. DiorShow is my favorite, and it ends up looking quite glam, but not spidery. I need to invest in some waterproof DiorShow for the wedding day!
• - Use the gloss as needed, and make sure to bring it along with you! One major mistake I made for our photos was not re-applying gloss. This gloss is not as sticky or gross as most, and does last longer, but it does wear off eventually.

Whew! And so ends my makeup recommendations for photos… and, well, just makeup in general! I use all of this stuff on a daily basis, and it’s easy to bump up the intensity for different events. Also, remember for photos, you might want to go a little heavier on the blush and eye makeup, because it tends to not show up as well in photos.

Who else did crazy makeup and skin research prior to photos? What did you find, and were you happy with the results? Any other fans out there of any of the stuff I’ve listed?