Boudoir makeup is a key element in the quest for beautiful and timeless photos. Today we are interviewing Dallas Makeup artist Jazzy Baptiste on some of the key elements of boudoir makeup women need to keep in mind when planning for their session.
About Jazzy Baptiste
Jazzy is a published makeup artist that has some worked with Elle magazine and Blitz Weekly. You may have seen him on Good Morning Dallas showing off his skill. He was born in the Port of Spain, the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He moved to the states at the age of 5 with his mother. Jazzy fell in love with makeup after leading the production side of theater back in High School. Some of his favorite brands include Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Ardell lashes, Two Face, and Anastasia eyebrows.
Basic Principles of Makeup
People confuse makeup with hiding when it should be about letting your true beauty shine through. “I’m not changing your look. I’m enhancing what you already have.”
Holy Grail Makeup Items
Jazzy believes in the ceiling to the floor method. He states that, “Good skin care goes hand in hand with a good makeup application.” After great facial care then you should make sure you have a good foundation and primer. After that a great powder or tinted moisturizer should set your face. If you only have 15 minutes to get ready then a good face is better than a bare face and lavish eye makeup. “If your skin looks great. Your moisturizer looks great. Your skin will look pretty.”
Elements of Boudoir Makeup
When picking a makeup look… or a series of looks… it’s best to choose a look that best represents you. The best way to ensure the best face on this important day is to hire a professional makeup artist. Hiring a professional makeup artist is ideal because they are going to know the best color, shade, and range for your boudoir session.
Makeup Trends or Nah?
This really depends on the woman in question. Women more mature in years often opt to have a more classic look while younger women choose to be more trendy when it comes to boudoir. However, you can rock classic looks with a modern influence. Jazzy does an amazing job of working both sides of this line for a unique makeup application that will work best for you.
How to Find the Perfect Makeup Artist?
Finding the perfect makeup artist can seem like a very daunting task, but it will be well worth it. If you are looking for a makeup artist you can use Google, but a better way is to get on Instagram and #(YourCityName)MakeupArtist or #(YourCity)MUA. For example, if you live in Austin, Texas then you would search Instagram’s hashtags using the following: #AustinMakeupArtist, #ATXMakeupArtist, #AustinMUA, or #ATXMUA.
1.) Review their social media accounts and not only look for style look for quality of work. Search for women who have the same skin type and complexion as you. Also see if they have any professional photos on their page, not just selfies and before and after pictures. You need to be able to see if their makeup will translate well in professional photos.
2.) Check a makeup artist references. While they may have impeccable work some makeup artist are NOTORIOUS for being no shows or the photographer having to fix a lot of their work in post. Message the girls in their photos or send a message to the photographer if they are tagged in any professional work. Don’t be embarrassed to do so. It’s called doing your due diligence because boudoir is an investment and you want to be able to love your photos forever and not be disappointed in the end result.
3.) Pay for a Makeup Trial Run. Paying for a makeup trial run isn’t just for wedding photography it’s for boudoir as well. If you are not going with a makeup artist that is recommended by the actual boudoir photographer then you REALLY need to make sure the artist you personally choose will be able to get the makeup look that you want for your photos. This will allow you to speak about any changes that you need without anything being a surprise on your actually boudoir date.
Can’t I just do my own makeup?
Unless you are an artist yourself or a makeup enthusiast then your everyday makeup look will not work for boudoir photography. High quality and photocentric makeup is what is needed for your big day. This type of makeup has been specially formulated for professional shoots. These makeup applications need to be placed on in a professional manner as well.
With everything that you have to prepare for when it comes to a boudoir session hair and makeup should not be one of them. This is your time before your session to just relax and let the hair and makeup team pamper you before your session. “Make it easy on yourself. You just want to be memorable. You want to make it an experience so don’t put so much stress on yourself” states Jazzy.
How should a woman prepare of a professional makeup session?
- Be Well Rested
- Don’t Drink the Night Before Your Shoot
- Get a Facial (optional)
- Get your Eyebrows Professional Done (at least 3 days before your session)
- Don’t come to your session with Makeup On
Favorite Makeup YouTubers
Jazzy has a long list of his favorite makeup YouTubers. Make sure you watch the video or listen to the podcast to get the full list, but some of the most notable is Beauty by JJ, Jackie Aina, Lyric Rochester, Makeup Doll, and Sonjdra Deluxe.
Favorite Celebrity Makeup Artist
The Pat McGrath and Sam Fine. These two are living makeup legends. Honestly, any makeup artist who really appreciates the craft should be well aware of who these two people are. Even your photographer should know the work of these two artist. If your makeup artist has not idea who Pat McGrath is then i wholeheartedly suggest that you keep looking for another makeup artist for your wedding our boudoir day.
Contact Jazzy Baptiste
Wasn’t Jazzy great? I hope you guys learned a lot from Jazzy about the basic principles of makeup and how to find the perfect makeup artist for your boudoir session. Below are several methods of contacting Jazzy!
- Blog: BeingJazzyBaptiste
- IG: @SweetKingJazzyBaptiste
- YT: SweetKingJazzyBaptiste
- FB: Jazzy R. Baptiste
- Twitter: @SweetKingJazzyBaptiste
- e: JazzyBaptiste@Gmail.com
All of the work featured are session that Jazzy and I have worked on together. If you’re interested in your own session please contact Wonderland Boudoir. Check out our investment page and current specials!
