Music City Wedding Makeup Guide

Engagement Session Wardrobe & Makeup Guide

1. Wardrobe Guide

Based on experience, we always have specific recommendations on many aspects that will affect your photos depending on your choice of location. We want you to look splendid in clothing that enhances your personality. This is all about styling and planning for outstanding photographs. You have to invest time and careful consideration in choosing the clothes for your photo shoot so that you will be pleased with the results. When you leave these details at the last minute, it will stress you out and take the fun out of the activity. Do not hesitate to call us for a consultation on your options for the right colors and accessories.

A. Dress. As a general rule, you should wear solid colors and avoid stripes and patterns that will draw attention away from your face. You should also avoid turtlenecks and loose large clothing; so that your neck will not vanish beneath your clothes. Voluminous and loose clothing makes the body seem wider that it actually is while shorts and capris make legs shorter.

B. Colors. You should choose solid monochromatic colors because they are easy to coordinate. Primary and complementary colors will look great in photographs and provide the illusion of energy. Wearing darker colors will make the subject appear thinner while wearing lighter colors will make the subject appear larger. Dark jeans and pants combined with dark shoes will give texture to a photo and will anchor a portrait visually. You should not only consider what will make you look good when choosing color schemes but also the colors that will look best in wall portraits and which will complement the color of your walls where your portrait will be hanged later.

C. Accessories. You should keep accessories to a minimum because it will distract people viewing your photos. Avoid hats, sparkling costume jewelry, hair ornaments, unless they are special gifts and you want to showcase them.

D. Footwear. You should avoid wearing running shoes, heavy footwear and white socks. Consider wearing sandals, fashionable boots, or bare feet if you want casual photos.

E. Props. Consider props that will help showcase your personality. Props you could use are musical instruments you play or sports equipments if you are a health buff.

Generally, you should bring at least two or more different outfits to the shoot to choose from. We can help you decide the outfit combinations that will be more flattering for you and will look great in the final photographs.

2. Makeup Guide

You do not require a professional makeup artist to look good on camera; but professional makeup tips will help enhance your complexion and beauty. You might prefer a natural look, but it is the tendency of cameras to exaggerate flaws and give you artificial ones. The following camera-friendly makeup tips are specifically for a camera lens that will enhance your looks.

Camera makeup tips are an array of corrective and dramatic enhancement methods for improving your natural appearance. You have to remember that images are two-dimensional, so areas should be highlighted, shadows emphasized, and some areas should be de-emphasized for the best overall effect.

A. Skin, The Canvass: Before applying makeup, smoothen, tone and moisturize your skin. If possible, you should get a facial or scrub treatment to minimize uneven or makeup application that is uneven and looks artificial. A healthy glowing skin looks best for photo sessions.

B. Minimize Shadows: Photos are two-dimensional and the camera causes aging to the subjects by showing fine lines and wrinkles and enhancing dark spots. You should apply concealer makeup to darker areas in a lighter shade, usually around the eyes and in small crevices and expression lines. A light layer of foundation makeup should then be applied using upward strokes all over the face including the lips. Use a foundation shade that matches the natural color of the skin, except when you need corrective work. Blend makeup properly.

C. Bronze or Blush: There are various make up effects that can be achieved with the use of a blusher. Make up powder in bronze is very successful in producing a lightly sculpted look, naturally depending on its application.

D. Cheeks: Apply the blush lightly to the cheekbones upwards to the temple up to the outer corners of the eyes.
***Additional makeup tip: Bronze makeup can minimize the width of the nose. A darker share of blush produces more definition if it is applied under the cheekbones.

E. Eyes and Lines: Avoid harsh lines or the raccoon look because it makes the eyes deeper set and look smaller, unless you naturally have those eyes. Try using smoky-colored pencil eyeliner and smudge the line a bit. When using a liquid eyeliner, it looks better if the eyeliner is dotted next to the eyelash instead of drawing a solid line. You can achieve a different look by limiting eyeliner application to the top eyelid. A highlighted brow area enhances the smoky eyes effect.
***Additional makeup tip: Applying light pink blush with a powder make up brush over the lid and brow area will soften lines.

F. Lips: Defined lips look infinitely better even when lipstick is not used. A lip pencil that is a shade or two darker than your usual lip color will work best. Smudge the line a bit before applying lipstick or lip gloss.
***Additional makeup tip: A lighter lip gloss or lip color than the lipstick shade applied to the center of the lower lip will give you a pouty look.

G. Powder: A shiny face will not look good in photographs. A light dusting of translucent powder applied over the face will avoid shine and help set makeup. Concentrate on the T-zone and apply where necessary but sparingly to lined or very dry areas.

H. Eyebrows: The eyebrows define the face and affect facial expressions, so they should be properly arched and shaped before applying makeup. A pencil aligned vertically from the edge of the nose and to the end of the eyes will show where the eyebrows should start and end. To determine the eyebrow arch, align the pencil with the outer edge of the iris and the edge of the nostril. Brows outside these areas should be tweezed. An eyebrow pencil will help define the arch.

I. Red Eyes: A lining of light blue eye pencil in the inner lower lid will minimize redness and help brighten the whites of the eyes.