THE HEADSHOT JOURNAL · DALLAS–FORT WORTH
Makeup for Professional Headshots:
A Practical Preparation Guide
A familiar look, thoughtful preparation, and room to review the details together.
If you wear makeup, start with a look you recognize and feel comfortable using in your professional life. Your headshot should still feel like you when it appears on LinkedIn, your company website, or a conference introduction.
At Godoy Shots, live image review gives us an opportunity to look at the details together. You can see how your preparation appears in the photographs and discuss small adjustments while we work.
Begin with your usual professional look
You do not need to adopt a different style for the camera. If you normally wear light makeup, that is a useful place to begin. If a stronger lip color or more defined eyes are part of your professional appearance, bring those preferences into the conversation.
Apply products carefully and check the finish around your hairline, jaw, and neck. The aim is an appearance that feels considered and familiar to you.
Think about finish before adding more coverage
Shine and reflective products can appear differently under studio lighting. Bring a product you already use for touch-ups. We have blotting papers available at the studio. We can review what the camera is recording before you make changes.
There is no universal rule that everyone needs heavier foundation, a completely matte finish, or a darker lipstick. Your preferences and the actual photographs give us a better basis for those decisions.
Leave room for your own features
Bring the lip color and other products you may want to refresh. Check that any lashes or liner feel comfortable and familiar to you. If you wear glasses, bring the pair you intend to use in your photographs.
Reviewing the photographs together helps us consider your styling alongside expression and framing. You can explain what feels familiar and what you would like to adjust.
Use our studio’s hair and makeup station
Our Farmers Branch studio has a hair and makeup station with a flat iron and a heated styling brush. Blotting papers are also available for touch-ups. You are welcome to bring your own makeup artist or use the station yourself.
Bring the products and personal tools you prefer to use. We can also refer you to professional hair and makeup artists. Contact us before your session if you would like a referral or plan to bring your own artist, so we can coordinate the visit. Share your usual professional look and the intended uses of your photographs with your artist.
Bring a small touch-up kit
- Your usual face powder and the brush or puff you use to apply it.
- Two or three lip colors you already like, so you can compare options and refresh them between photographs.
- Your own comb or brush, hair clips, and any styling products you use.
- A small mirror and your glasses, if you plan to wear them.
Questions before your session
Do I have to wear makeup?
No. Tell us how you normally present yourself and what you want from your photographs. Makeup is a personal choice.
Should I try a new look just for the session?
If you are considering a change, try it beforehand so you can decide whether you like it. A familiar routine can make preparation easier.
Can retouching replace preparation?
Each purchased image includes professional retouching, with your preferences discussed during the session. Bring any concerns into that conversation so we can agree on the finish you want.
Clothing also affects the overall result. Read what to wear for business headshots, then explore how expression coaching supports your session.
About Nabor Godoy
Nabor Godoy is a professional headshot and portrait photographer at Godoy Shots Photography in Farmers Branch, serving Dallas–Fort Worth. A Headshot Crew Associate Photographer, he guides clients through expression coaching, live image review, and collaborative image selection.
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