Have you ever looked in the mirror and loved your makeup, then seen a photo and thought, wait, why does my makeup look different?
You're not imagining it.
The way makeup looks in person and the way it appears in a photograph aren't always the same. Lighting, flash, the camera and even the colour of your clothes can all change how makeup comes across.
Makeup Needs to Work Beyond the Mirror
When I'm doing makeup for an event, I'm not only thinking about how it looks while you're sitting in my chair.
I'm thinking about where you'll be, what the lighting might be like, what you're wearing, how your hair will be styled and, of course, the photos.
Sometimes that means adding a little more definition than you would normally wear. A blush that looks quite noticeable in the mirror may be exactly what your face needs in a photograph. The same goes for eyes, brows and lip colour.
It doesn't mean wearing more makeup for the sake of it.. It's about getting the balance right.
Lighting Makes a Big Difference
Natural daylight, warm indoor lighting and flash can all change the way colours and definition appear.
Makeup that looks perfect in soft natural light can look quite different under bright overhead lights or in photographs taken at night.
This is one reason I don't like following a makeup formula.
I want to see how everything works together and make adjustments as we go.
And This Is Where Experience Matters
After more than 20 years as a makeup artist, I've learned that sometimes what looks like too much when you're sitting close to the mirror is exactly what makes the makeup look right when you step back, go outside and start taking photos.
The goal isn't to make your makeup look heavy.
It's to make sure you still see you, with beautiful skin, definition and colour that work both in person and in photographs.
So next time you look at a makeup photo and wonder why yours doesn't look exactly the same, remember: the makeup isn't the only thing you're seeing.
The light, the camera and the whole look are part of it too.