Imagine. You just woke up. You have so much to do, especially today because you accidentally overslept, so instead of taking the time to do all of your regular getting ready routine, you jump out of the shower, hurry to blow dry your hair and make it look presentable as possible from at least the front view, slap on some foundation, powder and blush, put on as much mascara as your pretty little eyelashes can hold with a quick swipe of some neutral eye shadow, slop on a generous amount of lip gloss, and get your nice pastel colored shirt and maybe layer it with a pretty scarf, a cute cardigan, and your favorite necklace and earrings. You don’t have time to pick out the perfect pants to go with your adorable shirt, so you throw some pajama pants on. They have Christmas trees on them, but you don’t care because your next meeting is on Zoom, so you will just make sure to keep the camera stays focused on your face and not your pants. (Don’t get up during the meeting, you think. Don’t even think about it.) Besides right after that meeting you’re going to do an Instagram story and just figure…hey girl..makeup filters work wonders! Those are definitely pretty forgiving moments when it comes to having a professional appearance. If you’re anything like me, especially in the past few weeks of trying to maintain a healthy work and life routine while a pandemic is going on around you, you may have experienced the scenario above. Business up top and party (or a hot mess in my case at times) on the bottom.
As comical as this may sound, I know that in normal, real life business interactions in which you are either seeking employment, attending a business meeting in a live / tech free setting, maintaining a professional appearance or brand, or attending a special event such as a first date, or your wedding… you would likely approach that a little differently. You probably wouldn’t wear flannel Christmas tree covered pajama pants with the rest of your outfit, and you likely would take the time to properly do your hair and makeup. Why? Being fully put together with your hair styled and makeup applied in a flattering way makes you feel better about yourself whether you are going to a job related appointment or your wedding. Makeup accentuates our features and covers our flaws. Even though I don’t subscribe to the belief that your makeup makes you “more valuable or beautiful”, it does give you a polished look for those moments you spend in a professional setting. In some ways you could compare having your make up and hair done to dressing professionally for a job interview.
When it comes to wedding photography or portrait photography, I always recommend utilizing a professional make up artist for engagement sessions, weddings, Senior sessions, or branding headshot sessions. A skilled professional makeup artist has mad skills. They know what products to use and how to use them to ensure you look good in your pictures. The products that they use are not typically what is found in your makeup bag. They pair professional grade products with their skills to help you to have a flawless look that will last throughout your entire wedding day or portrait session while still looking and feeling incredibly natural, whether you opt for the natural look or a more glamorous look. Even if you don’t wear makeup, a skilled makeup artist can achieve a natural look so that your beautiful features will be accentuated in your photos.
Last fall, I had my own headshots done. Being a photographer, I knew that having my makeup done professionally would help to magnify my features and smooth my skin tone in my images. I have freckles, which I am proud of. However, a few years ago I was diagnosed with a mild case of melasma. It usually is more prominent in the summer months when I’ve spent a lot of time in the sun, even though I do use sunscreen on my face. It is not a big deal and is benign, but it causes uneven skin tone and patchiness. I’m not insecure about it but I just didn’t want it to show up in my branding imagery.
I hired Sara Cannon (Makeup By SAC, LLC) to do my makeup for my headshot session (Luke & Ashley Photography). She communicated well, was punctual and was so much fun to work with! She asked me questions about my skin and the type of coverage I wanted before she began working. I opted for a natural glam look with lashes and it was worth every penny. She worked very carefully, choosing colors that both worked with my skin tone and made my eyes pop. I have hazel green eyes, so her artistry really brought them out, which was very apparent in my images. I felt confident about my appearance and to be completely honest, it was really fun to get all glammed up! If you are looking for a makeup artist for your wedding or portrait session, I highly recommend Sara at Makeup By SAC, LLC.