Maui Wedding Photographer

Cosmetic Foundations, Foundation Powders, and Other Face Make Up to consider for you photo shoot.

Cosmetic foundations such as powders and liquid foundation are used to create a
clear, smooth skin tone – the illusion of seemingly flawless skin texture that will last as long as you desire.

Foundations provide the perfect base for the application of the rest of your make up products.

Face make up is meant to provide light to medium skin coverage and comes in a wide variety of colors and different types.

You may want to use the lightest covering during the summer and the heavier one during the winter. Make-up application for photo shoots you’ll want your foundation to be a little heavier than normal daily wear.

Pick a Color that Matches Your Skin Tone…

It is also important to choose cosmetic foundations that looks natural (closely matches your coloring) and fits the desired effect you are seeking. You may require a separate concealer for skin blemishes, blotches, under eye dark rings and other discolorations.

Foundation should be applied to the skin first, before any other make up product, since other products may not blend as well to the naked skin and may even make blemishes and flaws look more pronounce.

Cosmetic foundations may be water-based, oil-based or oil-free, with varied consistencies and coverage, and are available in liquid, cream or powder form.
Loose Powder Cosmetic Foundations…

Cosmetic Foundations

Powder adds the finishing touch to your foundation and keeps you looking fresh throughout the day. Powder can be used on its own to look natural. Be careful not to use too much powder, especially around the eyes where the excess powder can settle into the fine lines.

Powder based cosmetic foundations have the function of combining both foundation and powder in one product. It ‘sets’ your foundation to make it last, it adds a matte finish to the skin that looks fresh, makes the skin seem finer by making the pores seem smaller. You will only need concealer in addition to this rather that setting the foundation with powder.

Generally, moist products are applied first and other powders follow. But when you use powder foundation, you apply the concealer first. Then, using a latex sponge, spread the foundation across the whole face including eyelids, but not the lips.
Loose Powder Colors

Pressed Powder Foundations…

Cosmetic Foundations

Pressed cosmetic foundations give a smooth, matte finish to the skin that helps control shine. It can be applied with either a damp or dry sponge. At first, it takes practice to use the right amount of powder.

This type of foundation works for all skin types and is easy to carry around since it’s not as messy as loose powder. This makes it quick and handy for touch ups. It is available in more shades than loose powder.

When choosing a shade, get one as close to your foundation color as you can and use lightly since it tends to accumulate on your skin during touch ups.
Pressed Powder Colors

Concealer

Concealer provides extra cover to specific areas of the face that require more cover than that provided by cosmetic foundations alone such as dark circles under the eyes,
a pimple, tiny veins, or redness at the sides of the nose. Concealer also offers a good base for eye shadow when applied to the eyelids.

Concealers generally come in stick, liquid, or cream form. For blemishes, a thick dry stick concealer is good; liquid concealers are thin and runny; cream works for almost everything and everyone.

Concealer should be one or two shades lighter than your cosmetic foundations and have the same undertone (go two shades lighter for very dark circles). Concealer comes in a limited number of shades.
Concealer Colors

Liquid Foundations…
Cosmetic Foundations

These usually offer light to medium coverage, can be applied using a sponge and are available in a wide range of colors that can be mixed to obtain in-between shades to match your skin tone (only mix cosmetic foundations of the same brand). Because liquid foundation is a more lightweight finish than compact it tends to be easier to use on dry skin. It is also best applied using cosmetic sponges.

To avoid a streaky finish place a very small amount of foundation on sponges and always brush over with powder. The powder helps the cosmetic foundations last longer.

Make sure you get the right cosmetic foundations for your skin type – choose an oil-based foundation for dry skin, water-based foundation for normal skin, and “oil-free” foundation for for oily skin. You can apply moisturizer 5 to 10 minutes before beginning your face powders application.
Liquid Foundation Colors

Cream Foundation…

Cosmetic Foundations

When using a cream-based cosmetic foundations, concealer may be applied either before or after the foundation. Use a wedge-shaped latex sponge and light strokes to apply the foundation across the face.

You can tell how a cream formula will cover by how it feels to the touch. The thicker and heavier it feels, the more it covers. So if it feels slightly dry it offers light to medium cover. Very rich cream pigments are used for stage.

Try not to cover too thick with cream foundation or it may look artificial and draw attention to itself.
Cream Foundation Colors

A Few Top Quality Foundation Products…
LORAC Wet/Dry Powdericon
Apply dry for full coverage; wet for sheer. Oil-free, good for all skin types.

Velvet Mineral Powdericon
Silk-like, ultra fine mineral coverage provides magic, beautiful velvet finish.

Sponge-on Cream Finishicon
Provides custom-controlled long-lasting coverage & satin finish.

Mousse Flawless Finishicon
Blends easily and gives perfect coverage. Softens tiny expression lines.

Clear Makeupicon
Invisible silicone hides imperfections creating a flawless-looking skin.

Regardless of the portrait style you desire, there are several basic clothing and accessory choices that can result in improved portrait results. Likewise there are several choices of clothing and accessories that can detract from the quality of a portrait.

Clothing tops (shirts, sweaters, jackets, blouses, etc.) should be either quite dark or quite light in color. This allows the top to readily stand out against a contrasting background. Intermediate colors don’t produce this same rich contrast and should be avoided if possible. Also consider wearing a top that has an interesting collar and/or sleeves. These help frame the hands and face and provide a distinctive appearance to your portraits. A top that has interesting textures (e.g. a sweater) can also add depth and richness to an image. Avoid tops that have busy colors, stripes, and noisy patterns as these often do not reproduce well on film and can distract from the real area of interest – you. If you will have more than one change of clothing for your session then consider bringing a variety of necklines, textures, colors, and undergarments to achieve a wide variety of looks.

A couple of other pointers regarding colors. Darker colors have a somewhat slimming effect in a photograph. Lighter colors can have the opposite effect. You probably want to avoid clothes that will cast a reflective color on your skin tone. The camera will readily pick up this reflected color cast and render you somewhat off color. Bright reds, yellows, and oranges are common colors that can produce a color cast. Think in terms of soft or pastel colors and you should be OK.

If your portrait session will involve images beyond just head and shoulder images, then all that is generally required for the bottom is a pair of blue jeans, dark slacks, or similar clean clothing (depending on the style of the portraits you desire). A nice pair of dark shoes also reproduce well on film if your portrait session will include the feet. Please bring shoes that are appropriate for the clothing you will be wearing. Tennis shoes with a suit may be a fashion statement, but it will probably look pretty dated in just a few years. If you plan to have more than one change of clothing, please ensure that you bring shoes (and socks or stockings!) that go with each planned change of clothing so that we are able to do full length pictures of each outfit.

Avoid clothing containing logos, slogans, or other distractions. Years from now you may regret an image that prominently displays the logo of a company that has long been out of business or that has gone through a major scandal.

If you wear jewelry to the portrait session try to keep it simple and elegant. Too much jewelry or jewelry with overwhelming proportions draws attention away from the subject of the photograph. Simple and elegant are generally the watch words when selecting jewelry for a portrait. The same applies for any other accessories that you wish to have included in your portrait.

Glasses represent a particular challenge in portraits. The lenses tend to distort the face, producing a less than pleasing effect. Consider bringing a pair of frames without lenses or be prepared to remove the lenses from your existing glasses. You might also consider a portrait without glasses. In general we know that you will not be pleased with portraits taken through the lenses of your existing glasses, so please be prepared to have your portraits taken either without glasses or without lenses in your frames.

The above discussions offer some general guidelines regarding what to wear and what you might avoid. In truth, you will look the best in your portraits if you wear something comfortable and in keeping with your sense of style. So, bearing in mind the above guidelines, wear what makes you feel the best, the most comfortable, and most like yourself.