Why you need professional makeup for your personal branding photography session?

Why you need professional makeup for your personal branding photography session?

I have interviewed my friend, Megan Oliveri, who is a professional hair and makeup artist here in Charlotte, NC. She has graduated from Makeup Designory in NYC. I have met her in a community meeting we are both part of (Tuesdays Together CLT). From the beginning, I fell in love on how much she enjoys and is great at what she does. So, I set up an interview with her asking her to share some of her insights on the importance of needing a professional makeup for personal branding photography session.

1) Megan, as a professional why do you think it is important to get professional makeup/hair for a personal branding photography? 

“When taking photos for your brand you want to look your absolute best! Sometimes this means taking a little extra special care to our appearance. While you might be able to do your makeup and hair great for day to day wear, getting professional photos done is a whole other ball game. Sometimes the lighting and colors in the photo can affect the way you look drastically! You want to have a professional there that understands how photography and lighting affect your look. They will be able to make adjustments for the setting and ensure that you look your best! 

2) What’s the key for nailing the perfect makeup look?

“Everyone’s faces are so different! For branding photos, you really want to make sure that you get makeup done that still makes you look like yourself, just the best version of you. You want to be able to proudly show off these photos and if you have too much makeup or not enough makeup you will see the difference in the photos. If you never wear makeup, you should still get it done for photos to look fresh-faced and ready! But you should be sure to pick an artist that understands this and makes you look like you. 

When thinking about creating the perfect makeup look, you also want to think about what features you want to play up the most rather than hiding the things you don’t like. If your favorite feature is your eyes, make sure to let your artist know that you absolutely love your eyes and you want them to pop!”

3) What can you say to people who are afraid that after getting their professional makeup done, they won’t look true to themselves?

“Getting your makeup done can be scary and I totally get that! For a lot of people, they may only get their makeup done a few times in their entire life. But this shouldn’t deter you from going through with it! Getting your makeup done can feel amazing and often times even put you to sleep because it is so dang relaxing! 

The best way to make sure that you look like yourself is to start slow and remember that balance is key. You never want your features on your face to be over powering one another. If you’re not a makeup wearer, just because someone on the internet says for you to put x, y, and z on your face doesn’t mean that you need to follow this exactly. Do what makes you feel comfortable! Next time you do your makeup ask someone, you trust to tell you the truth, to tell you what the first they notice on your face is! If you really love your smile then maybe going with a brighter lipstick shade will help highlight those pearly whites and make that the first thing that people notice!”

4) Do you think that professional makeup contributes to someone’s self-confidence in front of the lens? If yes, why?

“I always say that my favorite part about my job is finishing up a look and handing the client the mirror. There is nothing quite like seeing your client be over-joyed with how absolutely beautiful they look! You can physically see them brighten up and hold their head a bit higher. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that feeling!

I think a lot of the confidence comes from a place of needing some self-care. We all know how good it feels to be pampered and just do something for ourselves for once. Getting your makeup done will remind you just how beautiful you really are and this helps immensely with getting professional photos taken! Getting in front of a camera by yourself can feel weird and awkward at first. When you look good and feel beautiful, you will want to show it off and take some pictures!”

5) Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

“Try it out and take your time finding an artist you vibe well with! Search around and always make sure to look at professional portfolios. You will definitely want to see what their work looks like behind a professional camera! Make sure to speak with your artist on the phone before your appointment and let them know exactly what you’re looking for. 

And most of all, be honest!!! If you look in the mirror at the end and you feel uncomfortable with how dark your eyebrows are or how much blush you have on then speak up! Our main concern is making sure that you feel happy and beautiful when you stand up from our chairs and we will always make adjustments to make you feel more comfortable”.

6) Megan, How can people find you on Social Media? Website?

You can visit my website: https://www.moliveri.com/ or on IG: @moliveriartistry. 

Megan, thank you so much for sharing all these valuable information with us. This is definitely a post I will be coming back to years to come as I educate the importance of brand photography to my audience.

Read on how to use the personal brand photos here on my blog.

With Love,

Ellie

PS. You can be part of my free FB group learning and applying everything I know about Personal Branding.