Hair & Makeup for Professional Headshots
Do You Need Professional Hair & Makeup for Your Headshots?
The truth — it depends.
Professional hair and makeup for corporate headshots generally serves three different purposes.
Technical
It's the reason news anchors wear makeup on camera - men and women alike.
Professional cameras and bright studio lighting capture far more detail than we notice in everyday life. Makeup artists who specialize in photography understand how to compensate for that—without the effect of looking like they're covered in makeup. Instead, their skill is in creating the natural appearance you want to see, under conditions most people are never seen in.
Style
As professional makeup artists, they know exactly how to style makeup for a gala, makeup for dinner, and makeup for a corporate headshot.
Some people are fully capable of creating “their look” on a day-to-day basis, but might not see that when reviewing images - due to the reasons mentioned above. This can disrupt the energy, confidence, or general faith in the session itself, so it’s important to know what you’re seeing and why. Others don’t do well with makeup, or simply prefer having someone else handle it.
Neither approach is right or wrong, and no matter what you choose, the photographs will still be professionally retouched. Professional hair and makeup simply helps many people begin the session looking much closer to the finished result.
Experience
There's one more benefit that's easy to undervalue.
For many, the reason to book a professional has nothing to do with whether they’re capable of doing their own makeup. They book it because they don't want to spend the session working on those details. Rather than fumble back and forth through their purse, it’s nice to just stay put while the makeup artist comes to you.
Rather than focus on flyaways, shine, or whether their makeup looks right under the lights, they can focus on enjoying the session, which tends to show in the photographs.
Is It Worth It?
For some people, absolutely.
Others are perfectly comfortable doing their own hair and makeup and achieve excellent results.
With good lighting, and good retouching, the question is not whether professional hair and makeup is "required."
The decision usually comes down to how much value you place on convenience, confidence, and seeing a more polished version of yourself throughout the session.
In some ways, it’s an assurance that the shoot itself is enjoyable, and that during the shoot, you can get the truest preview of how the final images will look.
If you choose to handle your own hair and makeup, you will receive a prep guide covering wardrobe, skincare, hair, and makeup considerations before your session.
To book professional hair and makeup with your session, simply select a session containing Hair & Makeup when choosing your appointment.
