4 Tips for Hair and Makeup

Professional headshots are an excellent way to present your professional brand to the public. Your headshots could be used on your business cards, company website, social media profiles, and article bios, among other places. As a result, because this photo will receive a lot of attention, it's crucial to devote some time and thought to hair and makeup. Hair and makeup are essential elements for creating the desired appearance in your headshots for weman. Before arriving for the photoshoot, both men and women should consider their face and hair. In fact, it's best to start planning several days ahead of time. Follow these five tips to achieve a neat, professional, and camera-friendly look for headshots that showcase you at your best. 

Tip 1: Do not alter your appearance

It's extreamly easy to get carried away with your headshots. While you can certainly use these photos as an excuse to spend an afternoon with your hairstylist, resist the urge to drastically alter your appearance. Your headshots will not reflect reality if you straighten your normally curly hair or apply a new spray tan that is several shades darker than your natural skin tone. Your headshot should look like you and not be hard for people familiar with you to recognize it is you. It can be misleading or even off-putting if your headshot portrays a look that you can't maintain in your day-to-day work environment. Maintain a look that is natural as possible. 

Tip 2: Prepare Ahead

Start planning your headshots a few days ahead of time. Schedule a facial, shape your brows, or have your hair trimmed or color touched up, depending on the look you want to present. None of these steps are required or even strongly recommended, but you should schedule them ahead of time if it is important to you.

Don't do any major grooming the day before or the day of your photo shoot. You don't want to come straight to the studio after getting your brows or lips waxed because you might end up with visible redness. In the days leading up to your shoot, make sure you drink plenty of water. Chapped lips and flaky skin are signs of dehydration. If you have chapped lips, start using lip balm a few days ahead of time to help them heal. It's especially beneficial to use a healing lip balm before going to bed. Apply sunscreen liberally in the week leading up to your shoot so you don't end up with a sunburn or peeling skin as a result of overexposure. 

Tip 3: Keep your makeup Simple

While you should aim to match your makeup to your everyday look as closely as possible, there are a few exceptions to be aware of. Even if they look good in person, certain types of makeup application are particularly unflattering in headshots.

The following are some important considerations:

On camera, wearing a lot of under-eye liner can make you look older. If you're going to use eyeliner under your eyes, keep it light. Powder looks flat and caky when applied all over, especially when used in an all-over application. A hint of natural dewiness on the cheeks and bridge of the nose gives the appearance of youth. For professional headshots, neutral eyeshadows are best. If you want to try a smoky eye or colored shadow for some of your shots, do so in the middle of your shoot so you can experiment with different looks. It's easier to add color than it is to remove it. SPF makeup is usually too reflective for studio lighting. For your shoot, stay away from sun protection products. Shimmery makeup can make you look unflattering when photographed. Any bronzer, blush, eye shadow, or lipstick with a glittery or shimmery finish should be avoided. Lip gloss should be avoided because it is too shiny. It's ideal if you can hire a professional to do your makeup before the shoot. If you're having your headshot taken indoors, make sure to tell your makeup artist that you'll need a studio-friendly application. We don't recommend makeup for male-presenting customers unless they have severe acne and/or a skin condition they'd like to hide. Minor acne is best treated during the editing stage.

Tip 4: Style Your Hair Professionally

You should go for a look that is similar to how you would present yourself at work. Consider how you'd style your hair for a job interview, a big meeting, or a presentation at work. These are the kinds of looks you should try. Consider how you'd style your hair for an audition if you're getting headshots for an acting career. A gentle blowout with some soft volume is often best for longer hair. For most jobs, a severe bun looks too harsh, and a ponytail or messy bun looks too casual. Take the time to comb and style your short hair, and use products as needed to keep it in place. Hair gel and other products that create a glossy look that appears wet or slick in studio lighting should be avoided.