In a world where first impressions are made in mere seconds, your headshot is the game changer for your career. With 75% of hiring managers admitting to checking candidates' social media profiles before making a decision and 90% of information transmitted to the brain being visual, everyone wants to look good in their headshot. But if you’re not a model, it can be hard to know what to do. Should you wear a lot of makeup, or should you show up without any and hope the lights make you look great? Today, we will share top tips for having great makeup for headshots that will help you face the world with a newfound sense of confidence.
What Makes a Good Headshot Makeup?
When it comes to makeup for headshots, you need to keep it simple and natural. Do you know why? Well, it's pretty simple. The goal is to look like the best version of yourself, not someone completely different. A clean, polished look works best since the makeup should subtly enhance your features without drawing too much attention. For headshots and self-tapes, it’s better to avoid anything too bold or dramatic because you’re not aiming for a glam look. Instead, focus on neutral tones. We'll talk more about the foundation, blushes, eyeliners, face toners, and all the girly stuff to make your face pop in the next section.
How to Do Makeup for Headshots
If you want to do your makeup for headshots, then these guidelines are a sure bet.
1. Face
Good coverage evens out skin tone and provides a strong foundation for the rest of your look. So, how can you achieve that?
Your Face and Neck Color should Match:
It’s important that your foundation matches your neck, so your face and neck look the same. This is something many people forget, but it makes a big difference. Most of the time, our face is darker than our neck because it gets more sun. If your foundation doesn’t match perfectly, you can fix it by adding a little bronzer to your neck to even things out.
When you’re testing foundation, try swiping some on the side of your face near your cheek and blend it down toward your neck. This helps you see if the color blends well with both your face and neck. Also, use the right foundation for your skin type. If you have oily skin, a powder foundation is going to put you in the best light. However, if your skin is dry, try a liquid or stick foundation.
Apply Blush:
You need to apply blush a bit more than you usually would. But, blend it well to keep the look natural. While plum-colored blush may look beautiful in person, cooler tones don’t always translate well on camera. Instead, try a warm peachy blush. This color adds a healthy, natural glow to your face and looks great in photos, giving you a fresh and vibrant appearance without being too bold.
Contour Appropriately:
When doing makeup for headshots, contouring helps shape your face naturally. Use a darker color on areas you want to push back, like under your cheekbones or along your jawline, and a lighter color on areas you want to highlight, such as your cheekbones or the bridge of your nose.
Glow up, but not too much:
While dewy blushes, highlighters, and foundations may seem fantastic on Instagram, they might make you appear sweaty or shiny in high-end pictures and videos. Instead, use matte cosmetics to maintain a natural, smooth skin. For an added layer of shine control, lightly powder your face before facing the camera. In this manner, it's your personality, not your cosmetics, that shines.
2. Eyebrows
They should complement your face and enhance your look, not steal the spotlight. How can that be done?
Clean Up in Advance:
To get your brows ready for your headshot, shape them about a week before so your skin has time to heal from any redness or irritation caused by tweezing or waxing. Go for a natural look by using a pencil, powder, or gel that matches your brow color or is just one shade darker. Follow your natural brow shape, starting from the inner part and moving outward to the tail. If figuring out your brow shape feels tricky, eyebrow stencils can be super helpful. Neat, well-shaped brows will frame your face nicely and pull your whole makeup look together.
Avoid Harsh Lines:
After filling in any gaps or sparse areas in your brows, use a clean spoolie brush to blend everything out. This softens any harsh lines and makes your brows look more natural. Blending also helps your brows match the rest of your makeup, giving you a neat look that’s perfect for headshots.
3. Eyes
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then they’re definitely the VIP pass to landing gigs. Shimmer is not suitable for eyeshadow.
Stick with matte, neutral colors that complement your natural eye color. Even if you don't regularly wear mascara, we recommend giving it a try when you get your headshots taken.
Mascara can add emphasis to the eyes slightly, increasing people's engagement with your headshot.
4. Lips
Lip makeup should focus on your smile, not the makeup. Keep it simple by using a neutral lip color and skipping the gloss.
A lip tint or balm works well because it looks natural. This way, your smile will be the main focus without making your lips look too made-up.
Furthermore, the camera flash can reflect off glittery lipsticks. If you want to highlight your lips, we recommend using a tinted lip balm.
What Happens to Your Hair?
The best hairstyle for a headshot is one you can easily do yourself every day. You want to look like yourself in the picture, so don’t try a style you’re not used to.
It might make you unhappy with how the photos turn out. If you have long hair, a simple blowout can make it look fuller and lively. Just don’t go overboard with the volume, a little bit is enough to add some bounce. Remember, if the weather is humid or rainy, your hair might go flat quickly. On those days, it’s better to have your pictures taken indoors. If you can, ask the photographer if you can fix your hair a bit before the shoot starts.
One last thing, bring a brush, comb, or hairspray with you. Your hair might get messy while you’re traveling or during the shoot, and some studios don’t have tools like combs. If your photos are outdoors, hairspray can help keep your hair in place, especially if it’s windy. Adding a little gel or spray before the shoot will also help keep your hairstyle neat as you move around.
Choosing the Right Makeup Products for Your Headshot
Not all makeup is suitable for the camera, even if it works perfectly for everyday wear. This is why choosing the products that enhance your features and complement both studio and natural lighting without looking overdone is very important. Here’s a simple guide to picking the right makeup for your headshot.
Foundation and Concealer
First, let’s talk about foundation and concealer. These two products are important if you want to get a smooth, even skin tone for your headshot. However, the trick is knowing how to combine the right shade and formula. When picking foundation, make sure it exactly matches your skin tone. You don’t want it to be too light or too dark. The goal is to make your skin look even without it standing out in the photo.
Also, you should pick a foundation with light to medium coverage. This is because heavy foundations can look cakey under bright studio lights. Instead, choose a formula that evens out your skin but still lets your natural skin show through. If you have any blemishes or dark circles, use concealer to touch those up. Just make sure to blend it well so it doesn’t look too obvious.
Choosing Between Powder and Cream Products
Another thing to consider is powder and cream. Both are great, but the one you pick depends on your skin and the look you’re going for. If your skin gets oily or shiny during the day, powder makeup might be your best friend. It helps keep your face looking smooth and matte, especially on areas like your nose or forehead. Just don’t use too much, or it can make your face look dry or cakey. On the other hand, if your skin is dry or you love a glowing look, cream products can work wonders. They make your skin look fresh and healthy, and they blend really easily. It shouldn't be too much though, or it might smudge.
Here’s a tip: you don’t always have to choose one. You can use cream for that natural glow and add a little powder to keep things in place.
Setting Spray
After you’ve applied your foundation, concealer, and any powder or cream products, you want to make sure everything stays in place. This is where setting spray comes in. Setting spray helps lock your makeup in, so it lasts all day (or all through your photoshoot). Just spray a little over your face after you finish your makeup, and it will help everything stay fresh without smudging.
How to Stay Comfortable During the Shoot
When you're doing a headshot session, you might get a little hot or nervous from the lights or just being in front of the camera. To keep sweat off your face, bring oil blotting sheets with you. A light powder can also help, but be careful not to get it on your clothes when applying. Also, if you're changing outfits during the shoot, make sure your makeup for headshots is neutral and works with all the clothes. Makeup that looks great with a bold, vintage style won’t match a more professional look with a shirt and blazer.
And don’t be shy about asking the photographer for a break to check your face or do a quick touch-up. A good headshot photographer will want you to feel comfortable and will give you the space to fix anything. So, if you need to, just take a few minutes to adjust yourself or your makeup. Remember, it’s your session, and it’s all about making you look and feel your best.
What should I do a day before the shoot?
It’s a great time to start drinking more water. When your skin is hydrated, it looks smooth and healthy. Drinking water can even help make small wrinkles less noticeable in pictures. Plus, staying hydrated makes your eyes look bright and clear. So, keep your water bottle close and drink up. While water is good, things like facials and waxing are not a good idea right before picture day. These can irritate your skin, especially for close-up photos. Stick to your regular face cream instead. This will help avoid redness or pimples before your photoshoot.
Conclusion
If you don’t usually wear a lot of makeup, that’s okay. You don’t need to change how you look just for your headshots. The goal of makeup for headshots is to highlight your features in a simple way, not to hide them. You want to look natural and professional so that people recognize you when they meet you. But, if you're not feeling up to it, you can use HeadshotPhoto.io, an AI image generator to transform your headshot with subtle makeup. That way, you don't worry about the type of foundation, blushes, and eyeliners. Why not sign up today and start enjoying all our amazing offers?
FAQ
Should I get my makeup done for headshots?
Yes, it’s a good idea for anyone, whether you’re a man or a woman, to have professional makeup done for photos. A headshot should look like you, but the best version of you, with just a bit of extra polish to bring out your features.
Can I style my hair up for a headshot?
Yes, you can try different styles, like wearing your hair up or down, so you have more options. Your photographer should let you experiment with what looks best. A low bun with a few loose strands around your face can be a nice choice because it frames your face beautifully.
What color lipstick for headshots?
Choose a color that’s a little darker than what you normally wear. Light colors can look pale in photos, but a slightly darker shade will make your lips stand out and look more natural, just like they do in real life.
