I think most women are skilled enough at putting on their own makeup and styling their hair for everyday life. It’s something they’ve been doing for years, it’s daily routine now. They have their favorite products, and they might occasionally watch a tutorial to stay up with current trends. They may even think their skills are good enough for the camera. So why would they want to have someone else do their hair and makeup for their photo shoot?

Here are six reasons and a bonus reason not to skip the hair and makeup artist on your next photo shoot.

1.       This is your chance to get pampered. Don’t miss it! How often do you get to sit down, breathe, and let someone else take care of you? If you’re like most women, I already know the answer. (It’s almost never.) Take this opportunity before your photoshoot to relax and prepare mentally as someone else cares for you for a change. You’ll go into your shoot feeling and looking like a million bucks!

2.       That brings us to my second reason not the skip out on the hair and makeup artist. They know how to make you feel confident and even more beautiful. Many people feel a little nervous going into a session. And why wouldn’t they? They’re in an unfamiliar setting with a photographer they likely don’t know who’s telling them to look normal while doing not-so-normal things. Others are feeling anxious because they have issues with their body image and therefore never like how they look in pictures. Some are simply uncomfortable in front of the camera. Whatever the reason, HMUAs are great at bringing out your confidence and accentuating your best features! This boost shines straight through the camera.

3.       Many people don’t know that makeup needs a certain application to be camera ready. But makeup artists do. They understand lighting and what it takes to look good in it. They know makeup needs to be heavier and/or darker to show up on camera. They have learned how to accentuate the eyes so it’s the first thing people see when they look at a picture. Knowing how to do that AND help you look the best version of yourself? That deserves a round of applause.

4.       HMUAs also know how to get your hair camera ready! They understand that volume is good, but frizzy hair on top and fly aways are not. Messy hair might look cute in person, but it doesn’t translate well on camera. They’ll be sure to smooth out that top layer of hair so you look fabulous in person AND on camera.

5.       Another fantastic benefit of have hair and makeup artistry is that their work will outlast the photoshoot! There’s nothing worse than getting three-quarters of the way through the shot and realizing that the makeup you did two hours ago at home is no longer…fresh. Your forehead is getting shiny, you’re starting to look like a raccoon from the smudgy eyeliner, and there’s no evidence that you had ever worn lipstick. All that effort undone, but the shoot isn’t over yet. That’s not an issue with a HMUA’s work! And should something need touching up two hours into the shoot, they can expertly touch it up in a jiff.

6.       All of these reasons accumulate into this last one- having a HMUA elevates your images. You will have beautiful hair and makeup for the duration of your shoot which makes you feel gorgeous and confident, all of which gives you the end result of images that you LOVE. Plus a little magic from your photographer 😉 Let’s not forget to mention that your HMAU will be able to help with different makeup styles and what would look best for your type of session. Like a really great smoky eye for your boudoir shoot!

7.       BONUS! Here’s a little extra tip. Having your hair and makeup professionally done means there is less editing to do post shoot. Not only does this benefit your photographer, but there’s three reasons why its good for you too. First, when your hair and makeup is great, you won’t need to pay for extra editing that’s beyond what your photographer typically offers. Second, less editing post shoot mean a faster turnaround time! And who doesn’t want their images sooner? And finally, you’ll enjoy your portraits knowing that the person in the image is really you- not a photoshopped version of you! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I personally believe the less Photoshop, the better.