Hello friends! We are starting a new series over here at Colleen Sanders Photography on makeup! Wake up to makeup! If you didn’t know, I’m a makeup junkie. I love playing with makeup and creating new looks. After trying tons of different brands, I have fallen head over heals in love with Younique – it’s a natural, mineral based makeup and skin care line that feels great and is great for your skin.  And today we are talking all about getting the perfect grey smokey eye.

I’m a teacher at heart

Part of who I am is a teacher. I love to share what I’ve learned with others.  I’ve been teaching for as long as I can remember – I tried to teach my little brother long division when he was 3. So I can’t help it!  Since I’ve learned so much about makeup,  I cant wait to share makeup tips with all of you.

I also see that a lot of seniors have questions about what kind of makeup will look good for their senior session.  After looking at tons of faces, I can shed some light on what looks will also photograph well.

Makeup for Pictures

Makeup for pictures is different than every day makeup.  Makeup shows up about three shades lighter in camera than it does in person. So while you may feel “done up” for pictures, it may not photograph that way.  Also, my general rule for makeup for pictures is matte everything! Matte eye shadow, matte face makeup, matte lips.  The reason is light can be reflected in ways you wouldn’t expect from shimmery makeup, and when you look at portraits you want to see your beautiful face, not just the makeup.  Makeup should accentuate your beauty and make your features stand out.

Grey smokey eye

First up is one of my favorite looks – a grey smokey eye with a soft lip. I find it’s best to balance bold eye with a soft lip. If you want a bold lip, then do a neutral eye. It gives your face a more cohesive look. If everything is bold, it can come across as you wearing a lot of makeup.

This grey smokey eye features Younique’s Moodstruck Addiction Palette 2. I used the colors Romantic, Hopeless, Honorable, Cocky, and Peppy.  I also use Eye liner in Prestine – which is white. Mascara is so important to finishing off your look. It’s so important that I’m going to do a whole post on lashes!! But for now, Younique’s 3D fiber mascara gives the look of false lashes without the hassle. I finish off this look with a soft lip. I use Pouty lip pencil which is the perfect neutral matte lip! And finish with a touch of Lucid lip gloss.  If you are interested in the makeup I shared, contact me.

When to wear a grey smokey eye

If you normally feel comfortable wearing eye makeup, you can totally pull this look off for senior portraits. It will draw a lot of attention to your eyes in your images.  It can make you look very confident and glamorous. Just make sure that your wardrobe matches this look. You could easily wear a dress or more of a casual look with torn jeans and a biker jacket. Pops of black in your outfits would be fabulous too!

If you don’t normally wear a lot of makeup, this look would be perfect for Homecoming or going out. It might be a bit too much for your senior portraits. I want my seniors girls to look like themselves. So if you like simple makeup, I’ll be sharing some ways to make your eyes pop without wearing a dark eye.

When to wear a nude lip

Anytime! Well almost. I love a nude lip. I usually tend towards lighter colors for lips. But in your session, you do want a bit of color on your lips. Without a little color, it can look a bit undone. So Pouty lip liner is perfect – it gives just a touch of color without being overpowering. This color will match almost any skin tone and look fabulous with all sorts of outfits.

Normally for senior sessions, I’m all about matte everything!  Light can reflect off of the tiniest little shimmers and look unflattering in images from a session. So if you want to add a bit of shimmer to your eye – make sure to do eye makeup first. This will ensure that if there is any fall out from your eyes onto your face, it can all be cleaned off easily. And a little shimmer on your lips is ok – like Lucid gloss. But I definitely recommend having lipstick or a lip liner under the gloss – that way if the the gloss starts to fade, you still have color on your lips throughout your entire session.

Grey smokey eyes look fabulous on so many different skin tones and on different color eyes. You seriously can’t go wrong with this look!!!  

Worried about creating this look for your senior portraits? Don’t be! When you book your senior session with Colleen Sanders Photography, professional hair and makeup is included in your session.  So all you have to do is bring a picture of the look you want, and the artists will do the rest. Don’t worry, we’ve got this!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Leave a comment below to share what you learned or what you want to see next!