Make-up is very important in the fashion industry. A model’s natural beauty needs to be highlighted and this is an art in and of itself. Whether you are a professional cosmetician or do your own work, there are some things you have to consider, like, for example, the occasion. This is why we drafted this article on the difference between beauty shots and runway make-up.
Tips to prepare yourself and apply make-up before a beauty shot
Prepare your face and skin
Models should remove all facial hair and it’s better to do it one week before the shoot. Thus, you avoid redness and unpleasant skin reactions. If you are a professional make-up artist, make sure to bring a pair of tweezers and eyebrow razors to every photo shoot.
Do your make-up under natural light
Try to find a large, bright window and put your face towards it. In the same way that light is essential during the photo shoot, it’s also important during make-up. Thanks to natural light you’ll be able to see your whole face and spot where the make-up needs blending, or you need to apply more foundation.
If you don’t have natural light available, you should find the next best choice. Read this article for tips on how to find the best make-up lighting.
Apply primer
Primer is essential to prepare your skin. It will make your make-up last longer, cover pores, and even up your skin tone. If you want to give your look a smooth finish, make sure not to skip this step.
Use foundation
There are different types of foundations to choose from:
- Sheer coverage
- Medium coverage
- Full coverage
- Buildable coverage
When it comes to choosing the right one, it’s important to remember one thing: don’t use the same foundation that you use for your daily life. Make-up rarely looks the same in real life as it does in photos, hence, you’ll need a full-coverage foundation for your photo shoot. This is the best way to ensure that your skin looks even and smooth in the pictures.
Why is makeup different for runways and beauty shots?
A beauty shot is a close-up image to highlight somebody’s beauty. In other words, the viewer’s focus must be on the model’s features rather than her make-up. This is why it’s better to use soft colours and avoid products with shimmer. Especially if done in the daylight, the shimmer will reflect the light back to the camera and generate the opposite effect.
For runways, on the other hand, shimmering make-up is a big friend. Take a look at the following video from Paris Fashion Week 2017-2018.
As you can see, make-up artists are not afraid to highlight the eyes with dark colours and shimmer to give the models a special look. Let’s not forget that runways are more focused on the collection and the model’s attitude, rather than their facial features. This is why runway make-up experts can afford to go a little wilder.
Tips and advice to look stunning on the runway with your makeup
Go bold with sparkles and metallics
With that said, we can see why metallic colours and sparkles go well on the runway. These events are a feast of creativity and style, and artists can create dazzling make-ups.
Apply loud colours
Finding out the colour palette of the collection in advance is a good idea. Thus, you can choose to blend in or pick shades that will stand out. The colours you choose will have a direct effect on the audience conveying calmness, excitement, humour, or sadness. All in all, your make-up is an essential part of the artistic concept that the designer wants to convey.
Use dramatic details and thick lines
You can choose to highlight or conceal certain features with the use of cosmetic accents. These can be applied to the lips, lashes, and liner. At this point, you can use different techniques such as dynamic colour blending, sharp lines, detailed designs, and bold shadings.
Many artists complement their work with accessories which can vary from feathers to jewels and other similar ornaments.
To end this section, we add that runways are excellent environments for make-up artists to show their creativity and skills. However, make sure not to overdo it and always keep the brand in mind.
Conclusion
Modelling is an art, and undoubtedly, so is make-up application. Make-up can be a model’s best friend, but it needs to be applied accordingly. If you are a model or a cosmetician, always keep in mind the occasion and the environment where you’ll exhibit your work.