Foundation/flash photography/SPFs headache!

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~Lady Powderpuff~

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Hello all

I am hoping someone may be able to help me as I am finding this a bit of a minefield!

I am looking to build up my makeup kit which is mainly for bridal makeup.

I understand the best foundations for bridal are those with NO SPFs, as apparently SPF causes flashback or whitening of the face when taking flash photography. Which at weddings is likely to be an issue.

Are there any cream foundations out there that are;

-nice on the skin/great looking finish
-long lasting
-medium coverage
-affordable (under £15 a bottle ideally)
-can be bought without any minimum bulk orders. I only want to buy 4 or so bottles to start with.

I loved the sound of Avon Ideal Flawless, and Revlon Colourstay, only to find thy have SPFS! I dint want to risk buying them and having a disappointed bride if her photos don't look great.

Please help, kindest regards.
 
Inglot YSM doesnt have SPF, is a creamy liquid & costs €18..they have a good range of colours :)
 
You only need to worry about high SPF s, and not all foundation with SPF flashes back as it depends on the type of SPF used . It is a bit of a minefield .

Ones I use that last long and photograph lovely are aramni luminous silk and Estée Lauder double wear LIGHT. However if your looking for less than £15 per bottle I would suggest looking a professional brand like kryolan , mehron etc.
I know if I had booked someone for wedding makeup and they turned up with Avon and Revlon cosmetics I probably would nt be too happy . I do think it's ok to carry a few cheaper brands but I would nt want to see and pay for someone who has a whole kit up of it . But that may just be me .
 
Hi - what training do you have for bridal make up? It's horses for courses and each area of MUA has it's own requirements.
I have a variety if foundations in my kit to suit all skin types, ages and skin tones. I always meet the bride before the wedding for a trial but rarely the bridesmaids, mothers or guests. You have to be able to make up anyone on the day.
It is a huge privilege and responsibility to do a brides make up and you need to be confident with your products and application. Do you know how to use your products to bring out the brides best features and conceal others?
I have built my pro kit over 5 years - it's worth a small fortune ! And I'm always adding new or different products. Make friends with your high end make up counters, ask for samples/ make overs on yourself to try the products. Photograph everything you do before the wedding to see the effects of flash and lighting on the products and placement.
I started with a basic bridal make over kit for my first bride and got everything from Bobbi Brown - cost over £200 I think! But I had a starting point and added from there.
Hope that helps - if you need some examples of my kit foundations, let me know xx
 
You only need to worry about high SPF s, and not all foundation with SPF flashes back as it depends on the type of SPF used . It is a bit of a minefield .

Ones I use that last long and photograph lovely are aramni luminous silk and Estée Lauder double wear LIGHT. However if your looking for less than £15 per bottle I would suggest looking a professional brand like kryolan , mehron etc.
I know if I had booked someone for wedding makeup and they turned up with Avon and Revlon cosmetics I probably would nt be too happy . I do think it's ok to carry a few cheaper brands but I would nt want to see and pay for someone who has a whole kit up of it . But that may just be me .

I agree with the above here, I've been in your shoes too, torn between not wanting to spend much and wanting a good foundation that doesn't flash back. I HATE flash back!

Foundation is a really important part of a makeup, it can make or break the finished result in my opinion so you're as well to spend that bit more and maybe cut the costs in other parts of your kit.

I've heard illamasqua Skin Veil is good and Mac face and body. I am going to do my own wedding make up so have been thinking (stressing) about this a lot. I would really like to try Makeup Forever HD but there's nowhere near me that stocks it.

I would highly recommend the Urban Decay Setting Spray, will set the make up and stop it from sliding or wearing off at all. Great for your personal use too! And the Eye Shadow Primer, kit essential! xx
 
Hopefully of interest if you haven't found him yet - 'Goss makeup artist' on youtube look him up, he does some fab reviews on products ( sorry no advice re: foundation but thought you guys might like him i think he's great :)
 
Thank you very much for your helpful advice, much appreciated xx

I totally agree with the lady who mentioned not being best impressed if a make up professional turned up with a box full of cheaper brands, absolutely. If I were hiring I would want someone with the bees-knees of a make up kit.

To answer the other lady's question I am NVQ level 3 beauty qualified with several years spa and salon experience but makeup has always been my favourite. I have been doing brides for about 10 years now via word of mouth but now I want to do it 'properly,' for want of a better phrase, and buy a new kit and set up a website etc.

I am happy with my other products eyeshadows, blushers, concealer a etc which are from the likes of Urban Decay, Benefit...but the base has been a bit of a headache due to the potential costs when I am just starting out properly.

Thanks again all xx
 
If you look at a brand like Mac and use something like their face and body don't forget you can mix different shades of foundation. You don't need one of every colour. You could start off with a light shade and a medium and even get some tester samples of colours you would rarely use.
 
Thank you very much for your helpful advice, much appreciated xx

I totally agree with the lady who mentioned not being best impressed if a make up professional turned up with a box full of cheaper brands, absolutely. If I were hiring I would want someone with the bees-knees of a make up kit.

To answer the other lady's question I am NVQ level 3 beauty qualified with several years spa and salon experience but makeup has always been my favourite. I have been doing brides for about 10 years now via word of mouth but now I want to do it 'properly,' for want of a better phrase, and buy a new kit and set up a website etc.

I am happy with my other products eyeshadows, blushers, concealer a etc which are from the likes of Urban Decay, Benefit...but the base has been a bit of a headache due to the potential costs when I am just starting out properly.

Thanks again all xx

Wow you sound as though you know what you're doing anyway.
Just a thought- if you're going to spend around £15 x3 - why not go for a palette of foundations eg. Kett or make up Forever - they only cost a bit more, you get 6-8 shades which you can also blend, then can be used with wet sponge as light coverage up to full coverage or concealing.
They photograph beautifully too and would look v professional.
Try PAM on internet based in London xx
 
When choosing a foundation for photographic / bridal work it is handy to know the science behind flashback as it will help you to figure out what ingredients are culprits.

Not all SPF is troublesome , if fact with todays newer SPFs its virtually a problem of the past now found only in older generation foundations.

Titanium Dioxide is often blamed but this is not stricly true. All complexion make up ( foundation and concealers) need titanium dioxide in them. It is what give the product coverage and its also need to make the skin colored pigment in them (it's white in nature and it's mixed with other colored oxides to create a skin tone). The problem with flashback occurs when titanium dioxide is used in high amount and mixed with zinc oxide to create a sun block within the foundation. It works by reflecting all light away from the skin and this is what causes the flash back.

Fortunately with todays technology most of the new foundations on the market have sun screens in them which absorb the harmful uv rays or dissuprt the wavelength of the harmful uv rays to stop them being harmful to the skin. These do not cause flashback.

So if your unsure of what foundation or concealers to buy lookout for a mix of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as a red flag for flashback

I never have more that 4 or 5 shades in my kit anyway so you shouldn't feel bad or cheap for doing this… it makes perfect sense , just mix to create a custom colour for each client, no client is the exact shade from a bottle anyway ;)

For tried and tested foundations for photographic work inmykit.com is a great source of information :)
 
When choosing a foundation for photographic / bridal work it is handy to know the science behind flashback as it will help you to figure out what ingredients are culprits.

Not all SPF is troublesome , if fact with todays newer SPFs its virtually a problem of the past now found only in older generation foundations.

Titanium Dioxide is often blamed but this is not stricly true. All complexion make up ( foundation and concealers) need titanium dioxide in them. It is what give the product coverage and its also need to make the skin colored pigment in them (it's white in nature and it's mixed with other colored oxides to create a skin tone). The problem with flashback occurs when titanium dioxide is used in high amount and mixed with zinc oxide to create a sun block within the foundation. It works by reflecting all light away from the skin and this is what causes the flash back.

Fortunately with todays technology most of the new foundations on the market have sun screens in them which absorb the harmful uv rays or dissuprt the wavelength of the harmful uv rays to stop them being harmful to the skin. These do not cause flashback.

So if your unsure of what foundation or concealers to buy lookout for a mix of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as a red flag for flashback

I never have more that 4 or 5 shades in my kit anyway so you shouldn't feel bad or cheap for doing this… it makes perfect sense , just mix to create a custom colour for each client, no client is the exact shade from a bottle anyway ;)

For tried and tested foundations for photographic work inmykit.com is a great source of information :)

fabulous post learnt something new!
 
Loving this thread, will keep watching! X
 
Thanks for your responses on here ladies, it's so great to have your thoughts and tips!

I went to my local House of Fraser over the weekend and quizzed a couple of the girls in there about this issue. The lady on the Chanel counter told me that flashback is really only an issue when the SPF is higher than 10, and that in this day and age most foundations do contain some SPFs. Sounds like instead of looking for NO SPF it may be ok to look for products containing a low amount as they will be ok.

She gave me a couple of samples of their Perfection Lumiere, which is SPF10, and described as long wear flawless fluid makeup, which sounds a fine addition to a bridal kit!

Thank you Noreen, it is great to know you are successfully mixing and matching and blending the colours to suit your clients.

So excited now to go shopping for my new goodies!

Best wishes x
 
As a general rule of thumb anything with a SPF of lower than 10 will not cause issues , but while this is true still be weary of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide combo. When combined at low SPFs they can still cause issues

I'm sure there was a new ruling passed in the last year or two that has made it illegal to say a product has a sun protection if it's less than SPF 15 so all companies will be soon phasing out labeling of SPFs of lower than 15 making it even harder for us poor old MUAs ;)
 
Thank you, headache now officially over!

Fantastic advice and information.

Best wishes x
 

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