Makeup for a professional Photograph

1. Do not use products with SPF on your face. The flash would make it look lighter. How many times have you read this? Ten thousand three hundred and fifty nine? Unfortunately, all my foundations and powders had SPF in them and I was not going to buy something for a one time use only. Then it hit me that the flash has to hit you in the face directly for the whitish cast. In a studio, there is sufficient lighting to take a flash less pic. If your photographer does not do it, you can request that. Mine did not use the flash and I do not think I looked like I was trying to celebrate Halloween in the middle of summer.
2. Carry a comb and compact for last minute touch up. I second this. Totally. Specially when you have to wait in the studio and are sweating buckets. A compact and comb will help.
3. Use Matt makeup! I picked this from Michelle Phan. Don’t know who that is? Google her! You don’t want any glitter or shimmer for a professional pic now. Do you?
4. Keep it Au Naturale. I always find red lipstick or overdone blush distracting in an official environment. Even if you can carry it off brilliantly, your application form is not the place for it. You need to look groomed. Not made up.
5. Pay attention to your brows. If it is just your face being photographed, brows will enjoy a prominent position. They can just make or break your look. They need to be well groomed and not overly filled. Strong brows may be in now, but do you need to sport them here? Think about that.
6. Dress for a white background. Now this is my own observation. A lot of official pics for i-cards, visa etc will demand a white background. It make sense to get them clicked and use everywhere instead of getting different ones. Btw, White and Blue are the most commonly mandated background colours. You could get them both clicked and printed at the same time and use whenever needed. So, coming back to the outfit colour. Very light and pastel shades will wash out when you pose in front of a white background. Chances are the photographer will edit and change the colour to ‘Super White’ (sounds like a detergent tagline) So, your outfit needs to be able to hold its own. Black, Navy, Blue are good options for White. If you are going for a double colour background, Maroon can be worn. Alternatively, you can carry a grey blazer and wear over balck / blue shirt when switching from white to blue. It does not have to match your trousers. Who is gonna see them?

And finally, after all that gyaan, here is what I looked like after my pic was taken…