WCH Women by Claudia Hung
Make-up by Rhia Amio

I'll be working with my friend triple threat Tina (that's a lot of T's!) tomorrow doing her make-up for a photoshoot. The photoshoot is for headshots for promotional use and for Tina's website. In preparation for tomorrow's shoot, we've been chatting back and forth on what the look should be. In that sense, make-up for headshots is very similar to bridal make-up - you want a natural and classic look, that still looks like you, but essentially your best-you. If a casting director decides to call you in, he/she will expect you to look as your headshot portrays you.

Here are some make-up tips to help get you picture perfect for that headshot (or even just as an easy everyday look!):

1. Groomed brows.
The power of a good brow should never be underestimated! A well-defined and well-kept brow frames the face, makes it look slimmer and also means you don't have to wear as much eyeliner! Eyebrows that are too thin can make you look aged, while brows that are too thick can be distracting from your best features. Finding that happy medium? See this post for some brow-know-how.

2. Even out skin tone with foundation and concealer.
A photograph can tend to highlight and saturate any uneven tones in the skin (i.e. undereye circles, redness, etc.). For undereye circles, use a peach or a pink based concealer to lift the dark tone and then top it off with your skin tone matching concealer to blend it with the skin.

3. Set with powder and touch-up.
Set your foundation and concealer with powder to help keep it in place. Be prepared to powder the T-zone in case it gets shiny under hot studio lights.

4. Contour the cheekbones with a darker shaded powder and apply a peachy-pink blush for a healthy glow.
Use a contouring powder (or a shade of matte powder that's 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone) and apply it just under the cheekbone to define the face. Blend well. Finish the cheeks off with some blush: a little blush adds contrast and helps to make sure you don't look washed out in the finished photo. With blush, avoid shimmer textures and also blend well (blending...that's key!).

5. Avoid heavy eyeliner and eyeshadow.
Heavy eye make-up can look dated, but ultimately it draws attention away from the overall picture and what should be the focus of the shot (you!). With heavy eye make-up, suddenly your photo can become 'look at this nice make-up' rather than 'look at this pretty face'. To avoid being overpowered by eyeliner, keep any eyeliner thin and tight to the eye. You can even skip lining altogether, and instead simply push the eyeliner into the base of the lashes to define the lashline and make the lashes appear fuller. Use eyeshadow colours that closely match your skin tone and definitely avoid shimmery/frosty textures. Curl your eyelashes and apply two coats of mascara.

6. Keep the lips neutral and avoid colours that are too 'unnatural' looking.
A safe shade is always no more than 2 shades darker than your own colour. Apply your lip colour and add a hint of lip gloss to add dimension and a healthy shine to the lips.

Now, all you have to do is smile...because that's always gorgeous! :)

I first came across CoverFx BritePrep while doing wedding make-up for the mom of a bride-to-be. The mom had beautiful skin for a mature (50 years old+) lady, but also had slight hyperpigmentation that was of concern to her, especially since she felt it had recently become darker and more noticeable. She asked me to use CoverFX Brite Prep that she had in her own make-up bag, as she said it was the "only" thing she's tried over the years that has helped to brighten the hyperpigmentation.

BritePrep Fx has a serum-like consistency that quickly absorbs into the skin, without being greasy or oily. What I love about the primer is its shimmer appeal - it leaves the skin with a radiant glow that isn't too sparkly. I love using it for clients that need a pick-up from dull, sallow skin (and whose skin doesn't need a little pick-up during the cold winter?) The shimmer finish also works well to brighten dark circles under the eyes - just apply BritePrep Fx first and then finish with your usual undereye concealer.

BritePrep Fx also does the usual helping foundation to glide on and look better, but it doesn't extend the wear of my foundation any longer than other quality primers I've tried. (I typically still have to powder at my 4-hr check-in to look 'fresh' and non-shiny again). The primer boasts advanced anti-aging properties plus an SPF 50. From my own experience, the high SPF does not reflect white with flash photography (making the skin tone appear lighter on the face) as many foundations with SPF do. Mind you, I have yet to try the primer on darker skin tones than on my own (...and just to be safe, I would ask for a sample before fully investing in the product!)

Speaking of price, here we come to the product's main downfall for me -a 30 mL tube of BritePrep Fx retails for approximately $40! In all honesty, the hefty price would likely prevent me from purchasing it again for the personal vs. client kit. Yet given the testimonial of my client and how it worked for her hyperpigmentation along with it's multiple uses (priming, anti-aging and SPF!), BritePrep Fx may prove worth it for some.

With the dry and cold winter upon us, lately my mane seems to have a mind of its own! The extreme dryness in the air often leads to the odd morning where my hair mimics that of a kid at the Science Centre, discovering first-hand the wonders of static electricity. Cool back then, but definitely not pretty when you have 30 minutes to tame the hair (and still get the rest of the body ready) for work, right?

I know, I know - my dehydrated locks can partially be blamed on my inner blow-out hairdrying enthusiast, and I'll admit I am rather heat styling dependent! But usually there's not enough time to let my hair air or towel dry! grrr.

Enter my beloved Moroccan Oil.

I first heard of Moroccan Oil through my pal and talented hairstylist Fabio (who is responsible for a bulk of the gorgeous hairstyling you see in my portfolio). They sell Moroccan Oil at the salon where Fabio works, and he has been an adamant supporter of the product from the day I met him ...and with good reason!

I use a generous drop (somewhere between the size of a dime and a quarter) and I smooth in into the hair before just before the usual morning blow-out. I keep the application towards the mid-shaft and downwards, as I don't want the roots to get too greasy and weighed down later in the day (once those natural oils kick in).

What I love about Morrocan oil is how it brings life back to my overly heat processed hair. It leaves an instant shine and soft texture, without being greasy nor looking like a kid at the Science Centre. Frizz be gone! Apparently, Moroccan oil also reduces hair drying time (...but I'll have to pay more attention to that during the morning-get-ready-frenzy!)

The main ingredient in Moroccan Oil is argan oil, which comes from the fruit of argan trees that grow almost exclusively in southwest Morrocco. Other ingredients in the product are silicones that help to restore that smooth and silky feel to the hair...again, all without feeling greasy!

Moroccan Oil retails for approximately $40 for a 100 mL bottle...but really can you put a price on a product that makes dry, damaged hair look like salon hair?! This one's a definite essential for both the personal and client kits!

Image courtesy of Moroccan Oil

Congrats to Claudia for being featured on weddingbells.com (the official site for WeddingBells mag!) as one of Canada's Top 25 Inspiring Wedding Photogs! That's maaajor and truly well-deserved!

Can't wait to start the e-shoots up again with Claud! (In fact, can't wait for the warmer weather that accompanies it!!!) The main pic of Claud's above is one of our e-shoots from summer 2009 with Flora + Daniel, where I did the make-up for the engagement shoot from the trunk of a car! True story :)

If you haven't checked out Claudia's site, what are you waiting for?! Click here or on the logo at right.

NOTE:
For any brides-to-be that are in the midst of planning right now, read up on more details of the ongoing artistrhi make-up x claudia hung collaboration and how to get a complimentary mini make-up session, courtesy of yours truly!! Be sure to book early with Claudia...if you haven't already!! :)

Aside from the usual resolutions that have resurfaced (i.e. losing 15 lbs with all the holiday over-eating - no joke!), this New Year I vow to:

Be less brand snobby.
Can you really blame a girl for sticking with what works? I’ve learned from the various samples I’ve received and from different bloggers’ reviews that there are a wealth of quality products out there. Time to expand my beauty horizons! In all honestly, it’s a good back-up plan – when that daily go-to product gets discontinued, at least I’ll have a plan b. Niice!

Wash my face thoroughly before I go to sleep.
I’ll admit this is one area where I should practice more what I preach. I have no excuse as my medicine cabinet is armed with an artillery of cleansers and make-up removers. One thing that I recently started using regularly on myself (although they’ve been around forever) is Shiseido Facial Cotton. The cotton pads feel like a dream (which is always welcome - especially on super-delicate areas like the eyes), but leave no cotton residue behind. Essentially, anything that facilitates the make-up removal process is a winner with me!

Stop picking my zits! I know, what am I...13?!
I tell myself each time I pick a budding zit (and make it 10x worse), but I never learn! It never fails, after poking and prodding a minor (but stubborn) spot of acne, it soon erupts into a full-blown acne vortex. Mind you, the only good thing about picking zits is that it has forced me to learn how to cover them (plus any resulting scars) up properly!

Get more sleep!
In the past, I've been known to sacrifice sleep in the name of waking up for my usual beauty routine. (My friends always make fun of the times I would wake up bright and early to do make-up, even while we were camping! Unfortunately, I kid you not!). Lately, with late nights of blogging/admin and early 5AM mornings of getting ready for work, there's only so much make-up can do. I don't know if it's an age thing, but I find even the best concealer can't compensate for a good night's rest!

It's the New Year...what are your resolutions? Maybe you're contemplating a new look? Check out this post to prep yourself for change: ARTIST TIP | New Year, New Look.