SPF Makeup – Avoid Looking Like Casper in Photos

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Many of us have fallen victims to this.  Especially in the summer time when we’re told to slather on the SPF products for protection from the sun.  Little did you know, that once a photograph is taken (especially at night), the flash would reflect off of the SPF, and poof! you’re casper the friendly ghost!  This has happened to me before, and a few friends of mine (no names mentioned).  I figured it out after my cousin told me it was the SPF, and after that I did research.

Alpha Mom explains this in her blog post Ghost Face Killer: Your Guide to Photofriendly Cosmetics (click link for full article).  “The majority of point-and-shoot cameras have the flash mounted on the front of the camera. When the picture is taken, the light essentially punches the subject directly in the face. If you think about it, we are usually lit from above by sunlight or ceiling lights, or from the side by a window or lamp light. A bright, pre-set camera flash is an unnatural light source hitting you at an unnatural angle, so naturally you’re going to look, um, unnatural in the photograph.” 

Also, if you tend to look pale or washed out in a photo, using the wrong shade of foundation, or using too much powder is the cause of it.  Make sure you purchase the correct shade for your skintone.  Check this post here to see how. If you’re still unsure, bring a friend with you when you go to the makeup counter. A second or third “eye” (person) can always see what you don’t.

When I know I am going somewhere where a lot of photos will be taken, I straight up avoid SPF, especially if the event is at night (there’s no sun at night so there’s no need to use SPF). If you love your SPF, here are some other options.

Use Mattes – Opt for matte, rather than shimmery finishes for eye and cheek makeup. Shimmery eyeshadows and powders can give skin a greasy look under flash.

Apply makeup in natural light – Apply your makeup next to the window with the brightest natural light. I’ve applied makeup in both bathroom and natural lighting, and I think I look my best in pictures when I apply makeup in the latter.

Choose a powder with a yellow tint – Don’t use translucent powder, to set your makeup. Transparent powders tend to leave a white cast when the flash goes off.  I use Ben Nye’s Banana Powder or MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder in NC45.

Practice your look and takes pics with a digital camera before your event–  This allows you to evaluate your work beforehand. You’ll be able to see and correct your mistakes.

Blend, Blend, Blend! –  Remove any harsh lines. Even if you feel like you’ve blended out all the edges, blend some more; otherwise, you risk your makeup (concealer) looking too obvious.

For more tips, you can checkout Wedding Style Suite. They have an article on Wedding Makeup Tips

New York City makeup artist, beauty and mom blogger . I immensely enjoy helping myself and others feel beautiful inside and out, which is why I started this blog and my YouTube channel. If you have a beauty or makeup related question, contact me. Your question could be featured on the site! I also accept guest post submissions, check the guidelines. ***Brands and PR firms sometime provide press samples of products for review consideration. These brands are not guaranteed a review on Makeup by Kim Porter Blog, nor do we accept payment of any kind for our reviews. For more on our disclosure policies, please see my terms .