Makeup Products to Avoid on Your Wedding Day
While some of these makeup types might be great for everyday life, they don’t necessarily mesh well with wedding photography. Whether it’s because of coloring, texture, or shininess, make sure you avoid the following products:
- Products with SPF. Two active ingredients in SPF products, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide, cause what one makeup artist calls “moon face“. When the flash hits a foundation with SPF ingredients, it causes a flashback that makes your face look pale and plain. To avoid this, stay far away from foundation with any SPF claims.
- Transparent powders. Although transparent powders are great for keeping your skin matte in everyday life, they don’t look quite as fantastic under the flash of a camera. When the flash goes off, this powdery layer will leave a white cast over your face and make you look paler than you actually are, much like SPF products.
- Shimmery finishes. Whether it’s foundation, eyeshadow, or under-eye concealer, avoid shimmery finish products at all costs. If you stray from matte products under the flash of a camera, your face will come across as greasy in photos. That’s definitely not how you want to remember your wedding day.
Strategies for Keeping Your Makeup Fresh
Once you’ve selected the right makeup and avoided products with SPF, transparent powders, or shimmery finishes, it’s time to apply the makeup in a way that makes it last all day. Your wedding is bound to be a long, exhausting event, but you don’t want your pictures to show that fatigue! Follow these rules if you want to keep your makeup looking fresh:
- Apply under a natural light source. As a photographer, I try to make everything look as natural as possible. That being said, ladies often apply their makeup under unnatural lighting like a bathroom vanity! When you do your makeup in that setting, it will appear to look worse throughout the day as you move into more natural places like the outdoors or the soft lighting of a church. Instead, have your makeup artist work using the light from a window or skylight.
- Invest in quality makeup. Weddings are expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can let makeup fall by the wayside. Instead of breaking out your everyday concealer and mascara, purchase some higher-end products for the special day. Or, even better, hire a professional makeup artist to do it for you. High-quality makeup is more durable and will enhance your photos even at the end of the day.
- Use primer. Most makeup artists will do this step for you, but if you’re doing your own makeup, make sure to use primer. This essential product helps the makeup stick to your skin better, making it less prone to wearing off (even when you break a sweat on the dance floor).
Once you have these makeup tips down, it’s time to get the right photographer! If you’re looking for a wedding or portrait photographer in the Tacoma area, try working with me at Amanda Howse Photography. Visit my website for more information about what I have to offer.
