Modeling 101: Arrive "Beauty-Ready"

It may go without saying but personal hygiene is ALWAYS a big deal where modeling is concerned, after all you are hired to represent a brand or publication and no matter what your level of success you have been selected and are being paid to represent at the highest level.  How you arrive on set or backstage counts, and it doesn’t go unnoticed if your personal care beforehand is a little haphazard.  Finding yourself nearly naked and without hair and makeup is laying it all out there for the makeup artist, hair stylist and wardrobe stylist to see, and yes they notice that less than discreet tattoo, the nasty hair extensions, unwashed hair, body-piercings, unshaven legs, nicks, bruises, bad hair-dye job, un-manicured fingernails and toes, zits, and tan lines – ALL OF IT! And it matters!  If you care so little about your own personal image how can you expect a client to think you care about their brand image?

It’s not enough to expect the hair and makeup people to cover all these nasty problems, or to “fix” your hair issues, give you a mani-pedi, or simply expect that the photographer’s retoucher is going to just quickly fix these issues in post-production.  One of the quickest ways to get off on a bad footing on a job is give these problems over to the team as if it were their problem.  It’s not their responsibility, but yours.  And they will hesitate to book you again, or possibly report this to your agency. More than anything it is disrespectful to the team and the client and reflects badly on you. 

I have spoken to photographers and makeup artists about these issues and if a model arrives with any of these problems without the agency or model warning ahead of time that “’so-and-so model fell down the stairs and has bruises on her shins”, or “so-and-so model has had a breakout on her face from frequent traveling this past week”, then it’s not acceptable, and most likely a call will be made to the booker.  Makeup artists are completely grossed out by dirty hair, badly done hair extensions that haven’t been removed and washed in weeks and create bumps around the head, chewed off nails, and bad body shaving. 

You are hired to arrive as a blank canvas, ready to be made up into the representation of the brand. It is your brand collaborating with theirs and the responsibility for a great outcome is as much your responsibility as theirs. 

A profession model knows to:

Hair:  arrive with clean hair, properly cut, and with hair extensions removed and cleaned.

Face: fuzz-free, eyebrows tidy, clean face, and facial skin maintained so as to be free of pimples and redness – avoid any dermatological treatments within a few days of a booking in case there is a reaction.

Body:  remove all piercings, wax, or use your chosen hair-removal method; wear sunscreen on exposed skin daily to avoid any tan lines and discoloration, arms and décolletage included.  If you have bruises, apply arnica regularly to expedite the healing process, and use over-the-counter creams and gels on cuts and scars to heal and reduce their appearance.

Nails:  either learn how to give yourself a clean, simple, clear-colored manicure and pedicure, or book an appointment.  Long or fake nails are out.  Clear or nude shades are best since the makeup artist might need to use a particular color for the project. 

Tattoos:  lots of models have them and most of them know that a tattoo needs to be small and discreetly situated.  Have your own tattoo-covering body makeup in a color that matches your skin tone ready, but don't apply it beforehand as it might come off on the clothes you have to wear for the photos or the show.  Offer it to the makeup artist so they can cover your tattoo in a way it won't soil the styling.

We are all human, models included, and our skin does break out, we get bruises, and we sometimes have forgotten to wear sunscreen, but if you keep yourself generally photo-ready and maintain your hair, nails and complexion, then when something does go awry, an honest comment to the agency to give a potential client a heads-up before a booking can go a long way and shows you are committed to the job and professional.  

Remember it is your job to arrive ready to go and it is not just your personal beauty day to have a free mani-pedi, or free hair trim, or free facial.  More than anything it is just a matter of personal hygiene that is maintained.  It is never okay to expect that any of these issues will be fixed by the beauty team or by the retoucher.  It is not their job.  It’s yours. 

                                                             XOXO  Shelley

#modeling 101 #how to be a professional model #modeling tips #getting into modeling #beauty tips for modeling #modeling: what not to do #professional model beauty tips #facethis.blogspot.com  #Shelley Goodstein

Turkey Neck - How to Banish a Double Chin in your Photos

If there is one comment I hear most from women about taking photos, it is regarding the dreaded, double chin. Just in time for Thanksgiving and holiday picture taking, the turkey neck is a subject that I can offer you some advice about!

Before giving you the on-camera tips, keep in mind that the biggest cause of double chins is excess body fat and some people just carry fat on their chin more easily than anywhere else. In this case losing weight is your solution. Our muscles can weaken as we age and the skin becomes looser there, but sometimes you're just born with a little more fat around the chin. It's possible you also have a genetic tendency to retain too much water in this area so check out my post about how to de-bloat. 

A previously non-existent double chin can show up on anyone at some time or another in a photo. But if you are breaking out into a sweat, dreading being asked to take a photo because you can't seem to crack the curse, then we need to break it down and look at why this is happening in your photos but not in real life. Caught off guard like this woman on the left, when someone points a camera lens at them, people seemingly drop their heads back into their necks. Self consciously trying to hide extra rolls, this only worsens the effect,  leaving her looking like a turtle. Standing up straight with her shoulders 

back like mom said to, would have been the quick fix for this girl's double!

There are many techniques that will work to make you stop mutating into a ninja turtle if you can just remember to take a breath and put them into play:

• Make sure the camera is above you, not below eye level. Any photo taken below you will automatically increase a double chin effect as seen here ------------->
• Lean in a bit forward and look up if you're sitting.
• Lift your tongue, resting it behind your front teeth. This action will bring your chin up and naturally tighten the muscles of the neck a bit. 
• Extend your neck out and then bring it down ever so slightly. Your image is to think "swan princess".
• Hide a real double chin by resting your hands underneath your jaw, or by wearing high collars.
• Putting your hair up or wearing it short will make your neck look thinner and longer, especially if you play up your eyes.
• Trick the camera with makeup. Use a darker shade of powder, foundation or bronzer along your jawline and under your chin to make it appear to recede in a photo. Then use a highlighter on the center or tip of your chin to make it pop forward.

Kim K's camera phone twitter pic has another hint hidden in her pose that you can take a lesson from, which is angling her head while jutting her chin forward. Don't forget when you are using a camera phone that you want to make sure you hold it at a slightly higher level than your eyes so you have to raise your head up.

Remember, taking consistently great photos doesn't happen by accident ... they take some practice! 

If you want to learn more about the secrets to taking prettier pictures check out my new book FACE THIS, almost 200 pages full of tips and advice from models, photographers and makeup artists on how to become Picture Perfect! Available on Amazon, Nook, Kindle and iTunes for iPod, iPhone and iPad users.