Makeup For Passport Photo & Tips

I got a new Passport photo taken recently, and thought I'd show it to you all, although I might regret it =) Now I'm not claiming that I'm a 'pro' at good passport photos. I'll never be, and I've made peace with that. But I have learnt from past mistakes, and this time it turned out a lot better than all of my previous photos.

I look at an old Passport Photo and this is what I think:

• Hair too limp & flat (I went to the studio with just-washed-partly-wet hair), so face looks too big, nose & cheekbones too sharp.
• Expression looks too mean & nostrils flaring too much.
• Lips too glossy.
• Eyes too dark. You shouldn't have overdone the black kohl.
• Big silver hoop earrings? Really?!
• White shirt with white background? Sigh.
• You look too MADE-UP! It's a struggling studio that you'll find out had shut down in 2012, not a cocktail party!

Now let's talk about my new photo. First things first, the make-up! It's supposed to look subtle, and we tried our best.

Face:

Don't use anything with SPF, as it could make your face look too shiny. If you have good skin, a tinted moisturizer is enough. I used:

• Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Foundation all over my face & a little extra under my eyes. This foundation is dope. I repeat, it's dope!
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer to conceal spots.
• The Body Shop Loose Powder (nothing too matte)

Eyes:

Stick to matte eyeshadows in neutral shades- brown, taupe & maybe grey. Skip eyeliner if you have light eyes, like mine. If your eyes are darker, you can get away with a brown liquid/gel liner, but only if applied very close to your lash line. I used:

• Inglot matte eyeshadow #342 (Swatch here), a taupe-brown eyeshadow all over lids upto my crease, and blended it like I showed here. I also applied a little on my lower lash line.
• Brown Eyeshadow to line upper lash line. I used Urban Decay Busted from Naked 2 Palette. But it didn't show much.
• Colorbar Blackout I-Glide Eye Pencil to tightline (on the inner top lashline). Use a gel liner or something that won't smudge on your lower lash line when you blink. 
• Curl Lashes with an eyelash curler. I used a QVS. one.
• Black mascara on top & bottom lashes. I used a Shiseido Mascara. Skip the bottom if you already have dark lashes.

***Most Important: Eyebrows! Brush some brown medium brown eyeshadow on them & highlight the brow bone. I made mine darker than usual, but they still look light in the photo. I used Too Faced Brow Envy Kit

Cheeks:

Pick something brownish-rose shade that is close to your natural flush, nothing too pink & peachy. I used Lakmé Cheek Artist Kiss Of A Rose

Bronzer:

It's not necessary, but if you are pale, it will prevent your face from looking flat under the studio lights. 

• Pick a Matte one. I used The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder #02 under cheekbones, chin & forehead near my hairline.

Lips:

Make sure to exfoliate & moisturize them if they are chapped.

• Pick a mlbb (my lips but better) lippie or a lip balm. I chose my favorite MAC Patisserie, but I just dabbed it lightly & blotted it a bit, so it looks like a lip balm. Nothing too shiny & no lip glosses.

Hair:

I was tempted to leave it loose, but since my top has a collar, hair up looked better. If you're capable of making a classy bun, even better. If left loose, it should be kept away from your face. Photographer urged me to tuck my long bangs behind my ears, but I made sure to cover the pointy tips.

Clothing:

Work/Office wear is best- something with sleeves. I'd personally stick to plain, and stay away from prints & stripes for a passport photo. This time, I didn't want to wear black, coz I'd worn it before. It was either a maroon top with a regular cowl neckline, or this blue top. I picked the blue top, because it has a collar. Any color apart from white will do.

Jewelry:

Something discreet, nothing too flashy. No big hoop earrings! I went with a pair of Forever 21 studs (shown here). I guess you can skip earrings if wear your hair down.

Facial Expression:

"Grinning is not allowed." Mr.CZ read out from his computer while we were getting ready. Fair enough. In some countries, even smiling is not allowed, but a smile that doesn't expose teeth may still be acceptable. It's stressed that you should look pleasant & not angry (gunda/gangster type) or depressed, but you shouldn't look too happy either. This is tricky, coz I'm not too happy with my expression here, and my expressions in my previous passport photos are even worse. I guess it depends on the photographer's timing, your mood, & luck. So.... Good Luck! =)

 Hilarious Don'ts:

• I read somewhere: "Don't wear hats & sunglasses." Makes you wonder if some people really think that's acceptable.
• BBC website says: "Anyone who wears glasses must wear them at the end of their nose so they do not cover their eyes." What? How???  LOL....LOL....

As women, it's in our nature to scrutinize & find fault with everything. What's wrong with this photo?

• My left brow is lighter than the right one. I thought I filled them in evenly.
• I should have adjusted my ponytail, so it didn't splay so much that it looks like I have the hairstyle that's between a boy cut & a bob.
• Err...the left side of my face looks higher! Seriously, that photographer wasn't standing opposite me, he was more towards my right when he clicked =[
• Looks like I've got the "Crazy Eyes"- let's blame the photographer again, coz Mr.CZ's eyes look crazier LOL (Sorry, my love ;))

Hope you picked up some useful tips for your next passport photo session.

What does your bad passport photo look like? Oh please describe it to me! =D

♥ Cynthia Z *.*