My agency, MOT Models, put me in touch with London photographer, Tomila Katsman, earlier this month to do a beauty shoot for my portfolio, which is also called a “test”. It’s a very common thing, and the equivalent of refreshing your CV in the modelling world.
I’ve done it numerous times in the past, and I really like the exercise. The pictures are meant to show who you are at a glance, and help potential clients visualise you in their next advertising campaign. They also aim to show you as you are now, in case you’ve gone through physical changes like a new haircut for example.
A buildable natural makeup look
For this particular shoot, the general idea was to keep the skin looking fresh and overall makeup as minimal as possible. It’s a “no makeup-makeup” if you will. Although I’m usually pimped up by makeup artists, and that would generally be the case in the context of a commercial shoot, here both skin prep and makeup were done by me.
My hair was done at a beauty salon (if you’re wondering), but I was in charge of creating two makeups. One very light and almost invisible, and another one slightly darker. Ideally, I wouldn’t remove makeup 1 to apply makeup 2, but “build” makeup 2 on top of makeup 1.
I applied beauty products I would normally use in my daily routine or when I’m attending a casting. It was all about enhancing features lightly, rather than caking it all up under several layers of creamy foundation. In fact, I am not wearing foundation at all in these pictures.
As we were shooting several outfits, I needed to start with a neutral base and then upgrade progressively in order to create another look. I’m not usually super adventurous with makeup, and wear it occasionally in my daily life, so I kept things simple as I normally would.
I powdered by cheekbones with blush, applied light pink eye shadow, a sheer lip balm, mascara and highlighter for the first sets of pictures. To build it up, I added a layer of darker blush, purple eye shadow and red lipstick for the second set. This is what you see in these pictures. I also added another layer of the blackest black mascara known to (wo)man for good measure.
As you know, this blog is all about taking things slow, meaning looking for conscious and toxic-free alternatives to mass produced products. However, when it comes to makeup for professional photo shoots, I still haven’t nailed down a 100% clean beauty cosmetic routine that does the job.
Behind the scenes
Clean beauty essentials for a beauty shoot
Here, I’ve used some new clean beauty products I discovered recently alongside my favourite repeat buys, and products I’ve used since I was a teen. I’ve also invested in specific products professional makeup artists have recommended on different occasions. These are particularly well suited for close-up pics. You’ll find the full list below.
✺ Blush palette Le Lab Végétal, Arcancil. I applied the lighter blush first, and then a mix of both light and darker shade for the second look.
✺ Eye-shadow palette Honest Beauty: I used the lightest pink first and added a layer of the darkest shade, which is a very deep purple.
✺ Lavender and honey lip balm Burts Bees
✺ Zao Classic Lipstick: I dabbed shade 465 to make my lips look slightly more red but still quite natural.
A great mascara and double dose of highlighter
Other cosmetics that aren’t part of the clean beauty family but that I can confidently recommend.
✺ Mascara: For photoshoots and super close-up beauty pictures I like Maybelline Lash Sensational, which makes lashes look almost fake (it’s a good thing in this context). I added a layer of Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black for the second look. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a shoot where a makeup artist hasn’t used the latter mascara on me.
✺ Highlighter: I used Glossier Haloscope on the cheeks and eyebrows. This is a repeat buy, and I use it often to create a dewy look. I also used High Brow Glow by Benefit on top of my upper lip, which is a good makeup trick I also learn on beauty shoots.
Photos: Tomila Katsman, @tomilakatsman / Agency: MOT Models, @motmodels
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