Advice from the pros: hair & makeup for your boudoir session
My boudoir clients love that professional hair and makeup is included in my boudoir sessions. For many women, this is the first time they've had their hair and makeup professionally styled, so it feels extra special and fancy (which is awesome!) A lot of women also have questions about what to expect from their hair/makeup styling, and how they need to prepare for it.
To answer this, I arranged a Q & A session with Kelsey, the hair/makeup artist that I work with for these sessions. She is amazing and has great advice!
“I am Kelsey Schwartz! I have been a hair stylist and makeup artist at Salon Sartor in Maple Grove for 3 years and have been doing freelance hair and makeup for 4 years! It is my absolute passion in life to make my friends feel beautiful. I believe that everyone deserves to feel confident, beautiful and fresh! I have a high standard of care for myself and my guests- ensuring that we take care of our bodies from the inside out.”
How did you initially get interested in becoming a hair and makeup artist?
Having a theater background really sparked my love for hair and makeup. It is where I learned how to create characters and convey personality and emotion through hair and makeup styling. I love having the power to enhance someone's natural features to make them feel unstoppable!
Should a woman bring along inspiration/pictures for her hair and makeup styling?
I love seeing ideas!! The clients' shoot is never about the hair and makeup artist. I have the brains and skills to create any style desired! Coming prepared with visuals gives me a great idea from the start of the end goal. Since I probably haven't seen how you look on a daily basis, I want to ensure that you are 100% comfortable with the look I create for you!
What kind of makeup styles do you recommend to showcase my personality in my portraits?
For boudoir, hair and makeup should compliment the personality of the woman. The spirit and energy should be reflected with the look not overpowered. I love creating a comfortable "bed head" look; a very natural, "I woke up like this" vibe, but cleaner and polished!
Each face is completely different, so playing with light and shadows to create depth and enhance features can be fun to play with! I also love using individual eyelashes to open up the eye and create a soft but dramatic look. I would gravitate toward a more neutral lip if we are focusing on enhancing the eyes. If lips are your thing, let's do a bright, bold lip and soft eye makeup!
What kind of hairstyles do you recommend to compliment my personality in my portraits?
Bed head is perfect for a soft, romantic boudoir shoot. Loose waves, tousled texture and lots of volume! Whatever you're comfortable with, let's make it polished and fun for your shoot!
How should I prep for hair & makeup styling at my boudoir shoot?
The best way to prep yourself for hair and makeup on site is to wash and dry your hair how you normally like to wear it (If the goal is to have a natural shoot). Clean skin is key to a great makeup application. Exfoliate and moisturize to have a perfect canvas for me to work on. If something specific and different than your daily look is desired, let us know ahead of time so I can come prepared with all of the proper products and tools.
Come with clean, dry hair and a clean face, a great attitude, and the mindset for beauty and fun!!! If you don't normally wear a lot of makeup, remember not to lick your lips or rub your eyes during your session!
What's your philosophy/mission/goal for each woman you work with?
My ideal client knows what they love about themselves. I want to enhance their favorite features so they stand out even more when photographed! I want each client to look at their photographs and see themselves, not their makeup.
I wish for everyone to feel like a polished version of themselves. I don't like to use so many tools and products that they can't see they're personality through them. Feeling beautiful in your own skin is an amazing feeling! My goal for each client I work with is for them to feel so good, they can't help but smile. It's much easier to take a great photograph when you feel gorgeous!
Looking for more hair and makeup guidance? Kelsey runs her own salon, The Hair Badassery. Check her out on facebook or on instagram @thehairbadassery.
Want more inspiration for your boudoir session? Check out the advice from local lingerie shop Room No. 3 on what to wear for your boudoir session!