Why Your Makeup Doesn’t Look Like Beauty Gurus’ | The Ultimate Guide to Camera Makeup
Have you ever followed a beauty guru’s makeup tutorial, looked in the mirror, and realized your makeup looked horrendous in real life? We have all been there! If you’re wondering how beauty gurus make their makeup look amazing on camera, then this post is for you. This blog post is all about camera makeup.
– Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that I may earn a small commission from. This is at no extra cost to you –
There is a really big difference between everyday wearable makeup and camera makeup. As a beauty creator I always try to create makeup tutorials that focus on wearable everyday makeup.
Sometimes your favorite beauty guru’s want to be creative and create looks that look good on camera, but are too heavy to wear in real life.
This isn’t always a bad thing! Think about when you need to take your next I.D. or passport picture or for photoshoots!
After reading this post you’ll know all about camera makeup and how the type of makeup you apply appears differently on camera and in real life.
This post is about camera makeup.
What is Camera Makeup?
Camera makeup is makeup that looks good on camera. This makeup is applied with the intention of being on camera and not for everyday wear.
Why does makeup look different on camera?
Makeup looks different on camera because of the lighting. If you’re wondering why your favorite beauty guru’s makeup looks terrible on you, one of the reasons may be that they’re doing camera makeup and not everyday wear makeup, so it’s a lot heavier!
Usually beauty guru’s are doing their makeup with large studio lights and those lights can wash out and distort the color of the makeup. Because of this, many people will do their makeup differently for filming than they would for in person events.
The main difference between camera makeup and every day makeup are the different techniques, products, and amount of product used to create a camera ready makeup look.
What type of makeup should I wear on camera?
This is a really tricky question. You can do camera makeup that is applied for the sole purpose of being on camera or you can do makeup that looks good in person and on camera.
It all depends on what you have planned and how you want to look! There’s no right or wrong way to wear makeup, it’s all about preference.
Are there products created for camera makeup?
I wouldn’t say that there are very many products specifically created to be worn on camera, but there are definitely a few that perform well on camera.
A really good way to tell if the product will look good on camera is if the product has HD in the title. HD makeup is supposed to be formulated to perform well for a longer period of time and is able to withstand heat and light more than regular products. This is really important because studio lights can be very warm, so you need makeup products that can withstand it.
Popular HD Concealers:
Popular HD Powders:
- NYX HD Finishing Powder Pressed Setting Powder
- NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder Translucent Setting Powder
- ELF Perfect Finish HD Powder
[Related Post: 5 INCREDIBLE ELF MAKEUP PRODUCTS YOU MUST TRY IN 2023]
How do I make my makeup look good on camera?
There are a few different factors that go into making sure your makeup looks good on camera.
1. Good Skincare
The saying “your makeup is only as good as your skincare” is 100% true. Now, that doesn’t mean that if you have acne, acne scars, rosacea, or any skin condition, that you can’t wear makeup that looks good!
What it does mean, is that you should make sure you’re keeping up with good skincare regimen, and that your face is washed and properly moisturized before makeup application.
My favorite face cleansers are the PanOxyl 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Wash and the La Roche Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser.
I also love to use the Up & Up Oil Free Moisturizer which is a dupe for the Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer.
2. primer
Primers are extremely important in every makeup routine, but especially when you’re going to be wearing makeup for a long time.
Makeup primers are used to address skin concerns that you have to make makeup application better and to create a barrier between your skin and the makeup.
Since I have oily and acne-prone skin, I choose primers that are mattifying and/or pore minimizing. My favorite primer is the MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base.
An honorable mention is The Smashbox Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Oil-Free Primer. I have not personally tried this primer, but it is a very popular primer.
3. Setting Powder
Setting Powder is quite literally the egg in your batter (or apple sauce if you’re vegan/plant based)! This is the part that can make or break how your makeup appears on camera.
If you choose a setting powder that has flashback, you’ll have a white shadow where you applied it that looks terrible on camera. If you choose a setting powder that’s too drying, your skin can look really dry and that will show on camera. Or if you choose to opt out of using setting powder, you’ll have a runny mess.
My all time favorite setting powders is the AOA Studio Perfect Setting Powder in Translucent, it’s literally $1, but it’s always sold out. So, an alternative is the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder.
How can I make sure I don’t look bad if i follow A tutorial?
This might not be your favorite answer, but it’s a very honest answer. Makeup Tutorials are intended to be helpful guides for your makeup, but every makeup tutorial isn’t going to work for you.
Every beauty creator doesn’t have the same skin type as you or use the same brushes. Ultimately you know your skin type and the products that you have, so you’ll have to learn how to take the information you get from beauty creators and tailor it to you.
The best way to learn how to tweak tutorials to make them work for you is by practicing and learning more about makeup techniques!
This post was about camera makeup.
other posts you may like:
2023 makeup predictions every it girl should know
