How to Do Makeup for Flash Photography (Holiday Party Edition)
Take a flash photo of your finished makeup before you leave. Use a base you've already seen in flash, since mineral sunscreens and some white setting powders can look ghostly. Powder only your T-zone, add slightly more blush, brow and lash definition than usual, blend foundation down your neck, and line your lips.
“Flash is a liar in two directions: it erases the color you put on and spotlights everything you didn't blend. So you go a touch stronger on blush, brows and lips, and a touch more careful on powder. Then you check it with your own camera before anyone else does.”Her take
Do the flash test before you leave
Turn on your phone's flash and take a photo of your face in a normal room, at arm's length, once your makeup is done. Flash is harsher than any mirror. It shows white patches, missing blush, and where foundation stops at the jaw.
Fix what you see in the photo, then take another. Two minutes here saves an evening of photos you don't love.
Avoid the ghostly white cast
The white cast is called flashback. The usual causes are mineral sunscreen filters, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which scatter light, and some bright white setting powders, especially heavy layers of them. Shimmer and glitter on the face can add to it. Not every product with these ingredients flashes, which is why the flash test matters more than the label.
For a night event, use a foundation and powder you've already seen in flash photos. Press powder in lightly instead of baking it, and buff away any excess, paying attention to under the eyes and around the nose, where flashback shows first. Keep wearing sunscreen in daylight; this is about choosing what goes on top for the evening.
Control shine without going flat
Flash turns natural shine into a white spot. Powder the center of the forehead, the sides of the nose and the chin, and leave the cheekbones with a little glow. Carry blotting papers; they lift oil without adding more product.
Skip chunky glitter and strong highlighter on the nose and forehead. A soft highlight on the top of the cheekbones photographs well; a lot of it reads as sweat.
Go slightly stronger on color and definition
Flash flattens features and washes out soft color, so add a little more than your daytime amount. One extra layer of blush, a soft contour under the cheekbones, brows filled a shade fuller and an extra coat of mascara usually does it.
Line your lips and fill them in. A defined lip, especially a classic red, holds its shape in photos where a sheer balm disappears.
- Blush: one more layer than usual, blended up toward the temples.
- Brows: fill in sparse areas and set with brow gel.
- Eyes: tightline the upper lash line and add an extra coat of mascara.
- Lips: liner all over, then lipstick, then blot.
Match your face to your neck and chest
Flash shows any difference between face and neck. Blend foundation down past the jaw and onto the neck, and match the shade to your neck and chest rather than to the inside of your wrist.
If you're wearing a low neckline, a little bronzer swept over the collarbones and chest keeps everything the same tone in pictures.
Pack a small touch-up kit
Keep it to things that fix the problems flash shows.
- Blotting papers for shine.
- Your lipstick and liner.
- A small powder compact for the T-zone only.
- A cotton swab for smudges under the eyes.
Questions people ask
What is flashback in makeup?
It's the pale, white cast some products show in flash photos. It most often comes from mineral sunscreen ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, or from heavy layers of white setting powder, and it doesn't show in the mirror.
Should I wear dewy or matte makeup for photos?
Something in between. Keep the T-zone matte so flash doesn't create shiny spots, and leave a soft glow on the cheekbones.
Why does my makeup look lighter in photos?
Flash flattens color and shadow. Add a little more blush and definition than you'd wear in daylight.
Does red lipstick photograph well?
Yes, especially lined and blotted. A defined red holds its shape in flash photos where softer colors fade.
The takeaway
Test with your own flash, use a base you've seen in photos, powder only where you shine, and go one step stronger on blush, brows and lips.
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