When it comes to putting your best face forward for the camera, there are a few tricks you should know. Choosing the right foundation is one of them.
published in Harper's BAZAAR
My best friend Jennifer and I are not speaking. That’s because we are laughing too hard. We have her photo album open and are pointing at old pictures of each other and howling. There’s me, squeezed into beige corduroy jeans and – ha, ha, ha – a striped boob tube. On the next page, she’s pouting between two gold hoop earrings, one shoulder exposed Flashdance-style, while I’m sitting, wraparound skirt akimbo, hibiscus behind my ear. That particular photo session might have led to an international fashion career if we hadn’t chosen as our background her outdoor laundry – if you look closely, there’s her father lurking behind the door.
Mistake Number One: keep the background simple if you don’t want to be upstaged, especially by a balding man.
“When taking portraits or family shots, a background with texture is better,” says fashion and celebrity photographer Carlotta Moye. “But don’t make it too distracting. The focus should be kept on the subject matter.” In this case, Jennifer and I and our smouldering eyes and frosted lips and contoured cheeks.
This, apparently, is Mistake Number Two, highlighting too many facial features at once. “Define your most expressive feature, but don’t overdo it,” warns Moye who has hidden from camera the flaws of such stars as Shannen Doherty – “she has a crooked face, but big eyes that she plays up” – and Linda Evangelista, who masks her tiny mouth by opening it slightly. “And (to avoid Mistake Number Three) tilt your head so you don’t see a double chin.”
“Let’s face it, we all want to look luminous on film,” says makeup artist Lucy Baldock. And if you don’t have clear skin, you can fake it with one of a new generation of light-reflecting foundations. Rather than camouflaging or improving skin, these disperse light to create the illusion of flawless skin from 20 paces.
When it comes to happy snaps, it seems there are as many helpful tips as there are pitfalls. Stand up straight and remember to breathe. Don’t leave arms hanging awkwardly; avoid harsh overhead light; use your hips to kick shape into your form; interact with others in the photo. Be sneaky: in a group shot, put one foot before the other, and one hip behind the person next to you to appear slim. Find your best angle. Facing the camera head-on is least flattering. Try tilting your head or turn your face slightly away from the camera. “I try not to grin like a hyena, and I also suck up to the photo retoucher,” confesses Elizabeth Hurley.
Photo booths are especially tough. “I know a few tricks,” says Moye. “Use a curtain to create a textured background. Lift yourself a little higher than the red light so that you are looking down. Also, the colour is always flat so go for black-and-white booths. There are no unflattering shadows that way.”
But all the right poses won’t make up for a blotchy face. It’s products like Lancome’s Photogenic, Becca’s Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation and Laura Mercier’s Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation that are called for. Others include Photochrome by Prescriptives, a new cream foundation that is light-adjusting, using photochromatic pigments to reflect light and minimise the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pores, and Estee Lauder Lucidity Light-Diffusing Makeup. “This is smart makeup,” says Anne Carullo, Vice President Product Development World Wide for Prescriptives and Estee Lauder. “It adjusts to different light environments like some eyeglasses that transform into sunglasses.”
But I’m worried – and we all know that frowning is catastrophic for wrinkles. Is there such a thing as too much makeup? “Actually, I think a little extra makeup looks better,” says Baldock. “I even put on makeup for my passport and driver’s licence photos.” She highlights eyes by putting a little shimmer on the high point of the brow or a little on the eyelid, then lashings of mascara and a stain for lips and also, if needed, the cheeks. Then she covers the odd spot with concealer and translucent powder. “But don’t use any light-reflecting products if you are sunburnt or have an outbreak,” warns Baldock. When it comes to the face, unlike hair, it seems there is such a thing as too much shine.
“It’s not a matter of how much makeup, but what kind of makeup a woman uses,” explains Bobbi Brown. “Don’t be afraid to use lots of powder – the finish on your face should be matte, otherwise it will look shiny in the pictures. It is also important to define your brows with a brow groomer. Only use a matte shadow on eyelids because shimmer shades will make your face look grease.”
Unlike Baldock, Brown is not a fan of translucent powder when it comes to photo shoots. “I believe that it is the number-one reason women look bad in photos – it drains the colour from the face and looks like a mask in pictures. This is why it is best to use yellow-toned products.” For cheeks and lips, use colours that are slightly brighter than your everyday makeup – colours that are too soft can make the face look washed out. Brown is, however, adamant about concealer. “Dark circles disappear and it makes you look as if you had eight hours’ sleep when you’ve only had five,” she says. Apply two coats of concealer (use one slightly lighter than your normal concealer shade) to the inner, most recessed corners of each eye.
And, if you still look a fright, do what designer Cynthia Rowley does and close your eyes. That way, your picture probably won’t make the cut.