How To Do Your Makeup for TV or Photography

***Disclaimer: If you love makeup, you probably could teach me a few things about this subject. I'm not a makeup artist. I'm not an expert. Heck, I don't usually even wear much makeup. I'm just a crazy lady who went on local TV. This is what I learned about doing my makeup for TV, but don't take it as gospel. Get it? Got it? Good.

A couple weeks ago I did my first TV appearance for my business, Whimsy and Lark. I consider myself a girly girl, but I've never really been a huge makeup wearer. Day-to-day, I normally go for chapstick and mascara. Maybe a little blush. If I'm going out of the house, I'll put on a little more makeup, but in general I like to keep things simple.

So I had to figure out a few things about makeup when I went on TV. I didn't want to look like a ghost, but I didn't want to look like a clown, either. I wanted to represent my business well and look professional on screen. The makeup look I finally came up with, I think, strikes a happy medium. (See the previous post for a photo of me on set). I plan on doing this makeup on myself for our upcoming family pictures, too.

What I did:

1. Made a list of makeup I'd need. It makes it so much easier when you go shopping and you're staring down a huge aisle of a million different products.

2. Go shopping. I bought several things. I probably spent about $75 on makeup not counting what I already had. Here's a list for you non-makeup obsessed girls of what you might consider buying for your appearance or photo shoot:

• Mascara. Get black, for Pete's sake. My favorite is Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara. It is probably about the best drugstore mascara I've tried. But if you have a favorite, just use that.

• Blush. If you have lighter skin like me, don't get a dark color. Go for a rosy or peachy pink blush. If you have tan or dark skin (lucky) you can get a fun red or pink.

• Foundation. If you have a hard time picking out a foundation, I HIGHLY recommend reading this post. I have really oily skin. After about 2 hours, my foundation usually slides right off. So I got Revlon ColorStay Makeup for oily skin and it has been GREAT. The coverage is a little heavier which is perfect for TV.

• Primer. At $18, this was my most expensive item. And TOTALLY worth it. I got the Ulta brand. 

• Lipstick or Stain. I really prefer lip stains. I think they look more natural than lipstick. You don't have to worry about it getting on your teeth. But if you have a favorite lipstick you love, go with that. My favorite one is Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Victorian. A note about this brand--the balm they provide with the stain is not great. You need a good lip balm because stain can be really drying on your lips. I usually just apply the stain and then put my favorite lip balm on instead. 

• Brow Filler. I'll elaborate on this later, but just know YOU NEED THIS. I don't care who you are. You could have Groucho Marx eyebrows and you would still need this. You could be the Snow Queen and have white eyebrows and YOU WOULD STILL NEED THIS. I got Revlon (can you see a theme here? I like Revlon) Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde. 

• Pressed Powder. I got this one.

• Bronzer. You need this, too. Trust me. I got Cover Girl Clean Glow Bronzer in Spices.

• Eyeshadow. This is one where I'd say, if you can afford to splurge and get Urban Decay or Stila, go for it. I didn't want to spend $50+ for eyeshadow, so I got NYX Adorable Adorable Shadow Palette and it was fine. The biggest thing to remember about eyeshadow is to avoid the glittery or "frosty" looking shadows since they can reflect light and look bad on camera.

• Highlighter. I used the one that came in my eyeshadow palette, but you could use pretty much any highlighter as long as it is matte.

• Brushes. Real makeup brushes. Not those little swab things they provide in the case. I would say you should get AT LEAST an eyeshadow brush, a blush brush, and a powder brush. There are a ton of different makeup brushes out there. Some are super cheap and some are very expensive. I'd say don't get the cheapest of the cheap but somewhere in the middle of the road will work. I spent about $5-$12 on my brushes.

3. Do a practice run. Apply your full face at least once so that you know for sure that everything you got will work with your skin tone, hair, and outfit.

4. Then you're ready for the real deal. Apply everything you just got:

First, remember that you are not trying to "hide" your face under a disgusting layer of pancake makeup. I for one love it when you can see someone's actual skin, freckles, etc. That being said, you do need to get good coverage with your makeup. Au natural often just doesn't look great on TV. The goal with makeup is to enhance your features enough that the bright lighting of TV or a camera doesn't wash you out and make you look unlike your beautiful self.

• Start with a clean face. I shower in the morning, so I did my makeup after my shower. If you need to moisturize, do that too.

• Apply your primer. Just smooth it all over your face and eyelids. I used my fingers. This step might be one that you skip in your daily routine, but do it for on-camera. Like, for reals. I applied my makeup and then had a 2 hour drive to get to the TV studio so I NEEDED my makeup to last. Primer is very important. It will help your makeup stay on longer, help your makeup not settle into creases, and make your foundation go on smoother.

• Do foundation next. I blotted mine on with a makeup sponge (but you can use a beauty blender or your fingers). I made sure to get a good layer on my entire face, and blended it down to my neck, but I didn't overdo it. I struggle with large pores, so I made extra sure to get good coverage on my trouble spots.

• Contouring. Do not be scared of this! It seems intimidating but it's actually pretty easy. A little bit of practice and you'll be a pro. This is where your bronzer, highlighter, and also a little of your eyebrow pencil, comes in. I recommend this video if you are unsure of how to highlight/contour. I just remember the basics--Using a brush, apply bronzer in a "3" shape on your hairline, temples, below your cheekbones, and below your chin. And blend blend blend.

• Blush. On the apples of your cheeks. Don't overdo but don't be shy, either. Blush is important because those studio lights can really wash you out.

• Eyebrows. This is so important. I used to think that the eyebrows weren't that important but it can seriously make ALL the difference to the way your face looks. You need to have freshly tweezed/waxed brows. I tweeze mine. I also use a tiny pair of scissors to trim the extra hairs so everything is short and tight and stays where it is supposed to. Then I apply the brow filler. My favorite, Revlon Brow Fantasy, has 2 ends, a pencil and a gel. I use the pencil first to fill in my brows. Use short strokes. The goal is to fill in the natural shape of your brow, not to try to draw a new one. In my experience if you get the right brow pencil, it's hard to go too dark with the brows. Next, I use the gel end to set my brows. I just brush it on with the little wand. That way the brows stay set and none of the hairs move or shift around.

• Then I do all the "finishing" stuff-- Apply eyeshadow first, then your pressed powder, mascara, and lip stain. Finishing with powder is important. I've found that the camera can really magnify any type of shine on your skin, which can happen fast if you're not wearing powder.

That's it! It's really not as intimidating as it seems. I've only done TV once so I know I have a lot to learn, but for me, knowing that I looked nice and my makeup looked good was a huge confidence booster. Once I got in front of the cameras I was able to forget my nervousness a little and just focus on my demo and my message, knowing that my makeup situation was under control. If you can forget your worries and be confident, everything else takes care of itself.

I would say, just try not to overdo (or underdo). If you think you look like a pioneer lady just emerging from the plains, you're probably not wearing enough. If you feel like a clown, it's probably too much and will likely show up on camera, too. 

And finally another evidence to my theory that there is an "Office" clip for every situation in life:

Good luck with your upcoming time in front of a camera! I hope these tips help you with your makeup so that you can feel beautiful and confident in your appearance.