Show me the real makeup.

Filters scare me. They are over used and in many cases unnecessary. Seeing fake images is the new normal. They are plastered all over social media. 

Filters prevent me from enjoying and appreciating the beauty of an image. I love photography, and I understand that the art of editing is a skill and when used well its benefits are incredible. The type of filter I’m talking about is the one you see on makeup and beauty photos- where the skin looks plastic and the iris of the eyes are edited so highly they aren’t the natural colour. 

Within the industry we are bombarded by inspirational pictures shown to us by clients that are unattainable and unrealistic. The expectation and pressure from clients to recreate these edited images is shocking. A makeup artist cannot re-create a replica of an edited image.

Also this is important. Don’t forget that there’s a whole team behind the lens of a highly edited image. And it takes hours of skill and talent to not only photoshop but to produce, shoot and master.

I understand the basics of filters/lighting and they are really useful for small adjustments.

I love that you can crop images, and slightly adjust undertones when the camera+lighting gets misconstrued and comes out looking different. Filters used in a minimal way are amazing to enhance the work that’s been done. But when the filter creates a completely different image, face and finish I find it really disappointing.  

I’ve lost count of the amount of clients that have said, “You’ll need Polyfilla for my face!?”. This makes me sad. Usually followed by that is an uncomfortable giggle. But babe, I don’t want to use “Polyfilla”. Anyway, I don’t carry it in my kit. 

I’ll tell you what a makeup artist sees when we look at you- Your eyes- the colour, the shape and the sparkle. The structure of your bones- high cheekbones, fuller lips, beautifully shaped eyebrows, lovely arches, the perfect shaped forehead. Give me a face and I can pull their best features. I don't see the flaws you see. I’m trained to enhance your best features.

It worries me that a younger more easily influenced audience could compare themselves to the unrealistic images we see. It worries me because I do it in my 30’s- and I know what being a young teenager feels like. Let’s face it, being a teenager is rough enough isn’t it! The scary thing is that the clever marketing techniques on social media make filters seem normal and natural- and attainable! 

I want you to know that my job is to help you look your best. I cannot put a filter on your skin, and I don’t want to. Everyone has texture, everyone has pores and everyone has scars/pimples… the list goes on. Sometimes I panic when texture shows on photos but then I remind myself that we are humans not plastic dolls. 

I love to show the inner beauty of clients. Clients who smile with a confidence that comes from within. When they smile their face lights up and the little lines around their eyes crease- I WANT to see that. Show me the wrinkled eyes and the puckered skin. It is beautiful in my eyes. 

So the next time you sit in a makeup artist’s chair tell them the feature you love. They’ll love you for that.

From the thoughts of a Makeup Artist x