If I had a penny for every time a picture was taken of me during a night out at Uni where I resembled a moomin-esuqe character when flash came into the frame then I’d own those Acne Pistol Boots I’ve always wanted. It wasn’t until recently I finally made myself familiar with the rules of photo-ready makeup after many, many ‘Is that Anna, or a Ghost?’ fails. I thought it was time to share so you’ll be prepared with the correct layers of slap when the camera gets brought out…
An SPF-free zone. Long story short – SPF in foundation, or any base product, is the primary cause of ghostly flashback face. Save those formulas for daytime use and whack out the SPF-free ones in the evening. For a guide to my favourites whatever your coverage preference, have a read here; but 99.9% of the time I reach for the good ol’ Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk.
Bye, bye, red eye. For reasons I can only attribute to long nights spent tossing and turning instead of snoozing I’m currently suffering with a bout of the red vampire-like eyes; hence why in all my recent videos I look like I’ve been blubbering right up until the point of pressing record. Flash likes to amplify these rouge tones – I’ve got the photo from Christmas ’96 where I was suffering from Conjunctivitis to prove it (though thankfully I did wear sunglasses inside for most of the day – D.I.V.A) – so treat those peepers to an eye drop or two before you turn your makeup brush to them.
Powder, powder, powder. You know how I feel about powder on a day to day basis; it’s a no-go, give me a dewy finish any day. Flash however has other plans and instead likes to transform a fresh looking complexion into a greasy looking one on film. Boo. Evenings out are therefore the only time I ever dip my brush into powder, luckily formulas have upped their game and no longer leave things dry and cakey. Look into textures by By Terry, Hourglass and Revlon for compacts that keep it natural and apply with a small brush to ensure application is on the lighter side of blending.
It’s all in the eyes. The amount of times that I’ve trundled out just with a lick of mascara on my lashes and nothing else, then along flash comes and makes me look like a big ol’ moonface with just two tiny sets of lashes for definition. So attractive. I’m never going to be the most flamboyant wearer of makeup in the eye department, but a thin, smudged-out sweep of kohl liner and touch of shadow to the lids never hurt anyone and gives a subtle nod of colour that helps to bring the focus back to your gaze.
Line those lips. Good ol’ flash likes to highlight any makeup mishaps and nothing more so than a wonky lipstick application – one of my oft-made mistakes. Miranda Sings-stylée. Take the time to line your lips; it may seem like a time-consuming and slightly-dated step, but aside from the advantages of holding your lippie in place for longer and reducing bleeding it also helps to keep things clean and tidy and add some extra definition to your face when the camera comes out. Say cheese.
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