Photography Ready Makeup Starter Guide
Your Glow-Proof Routine for Atlanta Maternity, Family & Newborn Sessions
When you’re preparing for your maternity, family, or newborn photography session in Atlanta, Georgia, your makeup matters just as much as your wardrobe and location. As a professional makeup artist and photographer with years of hands-on experience in film, editorial beauty, and camera-ready skin prep, I know exactly what products perform beautifully under studio lighting, outdoor sun, and everything in between.
This Photography Ready Makeup Starter Guide is designed to help you create a soft, polished, timeless look—whether you’re prepping for your session with me or simply looking for everyday makeup that enhances your natural radiance.
Why Makeup Prep Matters for Photography
Cameras capture everything—texture, uneven tones, dryness, and shine. Proper skin prep and product selection ensure your makeup lasts, blends seamlessly, and enhances your features without looking heavy.
My clients routinely tell me their skin looks the best it ever has during sessions, and that’s because I approach makeup with a blend of artistry + technical knowledge. This guide helps you recreate a simplified version of that experience when doing your own makeup.
Step 1: Skin Prep – Your Base for the Glow
These products consistently rank highest for smooth, hydrated, camera-ready skin:
1. Hydrating Cleanser
2. Lightweight Hydrating Moisturizer
- Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
(A longtime makeup artist favorite—creates a smooth, plump base.)
3. Gripping or Smoothing Primer
- Milk Hydro Grip Primer (for normal/dry)
- Tatcha The Silk Canvas (for combination/oily)
These ensure your makeup doesn’t slide, crease, or fade—especially important in warm Georgia weather.
*PRO TIP: If you’re dry and flakey like me, hello perimenopause! Do a quick exfoliation to prep skin for the smoothest results – drink a big glass of water while doing your makeup as well! Trust me!
Step 2: Foundations That Photograph Beautifully
These are reliable, top-ranking formulas that create a flawless finish without flashback:
1. NARS Light Reflecting Foundation
Natural, breathable, and luminous—perfect for maternity and newborn sessions where softness is key.
2. Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer
A lighter, long-wear version of the original classic.
3. Armani Luminous Silk
A top choice for family photography because it perfects the skin without looking like makeup.
*PRO TIP: Use fingers to apply and after you have spread all over, use a tapping motion with fingers to even out. Don’t wash fingers until you’re happy with the texture.
Step 3: Concealers That Brighten Without Creasing
- Haus Labs Concealer – my personal favorite
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
- Hourglass Vanish Concealer
These highlight your natural features and keep the face looking lifted on camera.
*PRO TIP: Dot these on inner corner of eyes, above cheek bones, next to nostrils and corners of mouth. Tap to blend.
Step 4: Blush, Bronze & Glow
Photography can wash out color—adding soft dimension ensures you look healthy and vibrant.
Top Picks
- Patrick Ta Major Headlines Blush Duo
- Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
(Soft-focus finish that photographs beautifully.)
*PRO TIP: Avoid trends like wearing blush up high on cheeks bones next to eyes. These trends will not serve these photos you want to take with your family after the year. We want timeless beauty. Keep blush in an “egg shape” right on your cheek.
Step 5: Eyes That Stand Out Softly
Your goal: definition without heaviness.
Lashes & Liners
- Merit Clean Lash Tubing Mascara – personal fav and easiest to remove
- Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner (Brown or Black)
Doesn’t smudge—key during newborn snuggles or outdoor humidity.
Brows
- Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil
- Anastasia Brow Freeze for groomed, lifted brows.
*PRO TIP: Drugstore mascaras are raved about and widely used with pro makeup artists, so get whatever one you like most. We always build volume with faux lashes during makeup sessions. Don’t sleep on brows, they sometimes make the most powerful change to a face in the best way possible.
Step 6: Lips for a Soft, Timeless Look
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk (all variations)
- MAC Velvet Teddy – no joke, this color has been a staple for pros for over 20 years.
- Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm for hydrating shine. – Top trending product for christmas wish list 2025!
*PRO TIP: Don’t sleep on lip liners, they elevate your lips from a distance when shooting outside with family.
Bonus: The Toolkit for Touch-Ups
Keep these in your bag before your Atlanta photography session:
- Blotting Papers
- Mini powder puff
- Lip balm + lipstick
- Travel-size setting spray (Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray by Charlotte Tilbury is unmatched)
Ready for More Pro-Level Makeup Tips?
If you loved this Photography Ready Makeup Starter Guide, you’ll love the monthly beauty + session prep tips I send exclusively to my email list.
✨ Click here to join the community and never miss insider makeup tricks, behind-the-scenes photography tips, and studio updates that will help you feel confident, glowing, and fully prepared for your next session.
Why Listen to Me?
Before becoming an Atlanta photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, and family imagery, I spent years as a professional makeup artist educating clients and perfecting skin prep that performs flawlessly on camera. I bring that same expertise into every session—lighting, angles, and makeup knowledge combined to create art you’ll treasure forever.
And now, with this guide, you get a piece of that professional prep for yourself.
Want to see about my sessions? Inquire here!
