Makeup for YouTube Guys
August 20, 2016 7:14 AM Subscribe
I'm a guy starting to get serious about online video, including YouTube. It's well known that pretty much all the big, successful male YouTubers use some makeup to help them look better for the camera. How can I learn to do this?
As near as I can tell they're giving their skin a slightly more matte appearance, reducing redness, and generally hiding blemishes. The overall effect seems to be getting a mild version of that post-facetune look but on video. In other words, he doesn't look like he's wearing makeup, he just looks good on camera.
I know NOTHING about makeup. I'm a gay male with no close makeup wearing friends and so I've got nobody I can ask for advice in real life. I've looked for tutorials but haven't been able to find much; most of them are aimed at women's daily wear and assume a certain level of base knowledge I don't have. In other words, there's a lot of "Use xxx to do yyy" and I don't even know what xxx is. Plus, I suspect that there are differences between makeup for everyday appearance and makeup for on camera appearance. Perhaps there's a retail chain with a solid reputation for helping out newbies? Any advice would be appreciated.
As near as I can tell they're giving their skin a slightly more matte appearance, reducing redness, and generally hiding blemishes. The overall effect seems to be getting a mild version of that post-facetune look but on video. In other words, he doesn't look like he's wearing makeup, he just looks good on camera.
I know NOTHING about makeup. I'm a gay male with no close makeup wearing friends and so I've got nobody I can ask for advice in real life. I've looked for tutorials but haven't been able to find much; most of them are aimed at women's daily wear and assume a certain level of base knowledge I don't have. In other words, there's a lot of "Use xxx to do yyy" and I don't even know what xxx is. Plus, I suspect that there are differences between makeup for everyday appearance and makeup for on camera appearance. Perhaps there's a retail chain with a solid reputation for helping out newbies? Any advice would be appreciated.
I'm not an expert at all, but I have been noticing a few instances of quite prominent lip color lately -- and that video seems to have it, also. That guy's lips do not look natural; if the artist is going for a natural / not wearing makeup look, it's not achieved there.
posted by amtho at 8:19 AM on August 20, 2016
posted by amtho at 8:19 AM on August 20, 2016
I recently had to look into photo-ready makeup. Here's what I got: a good non-soap face wash, a good non-alcohol toner, and a good moisturiser. That's the starting point.
Then I walked into a big UK beauty/health chain and asked for photoready makeup at the counter. It's an actual thing. I got the following products (but you'll want to check with the makeup pro that it gives *you* the look *you* want): Nyx primer, Nyx Photoready Foundation (I apply this with my fingers), a concealer for red blemishes, and Nyx Photoready powder. I add eyeliner, mascara & red lipstick afterwards, but you might just want a subtle tinted vaseline?
So: well-moisturised skin + primer (which makes the makeup 'stick' under lights) + foundation + powder.
Hope that gives you a starting point!
posted by kariebookish at 8:47 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Then I walked into a big UK beauty/health chain and asked for photoready makeup at the counter. It's an actual thing. I got the following products (but you'll want to check with the makeup pro that it gives *you* the look *you* want): Nyx primer, Nyx Photoready Foundation (I apply this with my fingers), a concealer for red blemishes, and Nyx Photoready powder. I add eyeliner, mascara & red lipstick afterwards, but you might just want a subtle tinted vaseline?
So: well-moisturised skin + primer (which makes the makeup 'stick' under lights) + foundation + powder.
Hope that gives you a starting point!
posted by kariebookish at 8:47 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
That guy's lips do not look natural; if the artist is going for a natural / not wearing makeup look, it's not achieved there.
Well, I watched the video and he doesn't have any lip color on. The stylist used a lip polish and classic Carmex only on his lips. If his lips look "unnatural" it's only because he happens to be lucky enough to have a nice pink mouth. So OP, I wouldn't let this comment deter you from doing what's described in the video.
OP, I'm a cis woman and have recently started to use this "eyelighting" cream by Estée Lauder and it's a great complement to an otherwise natural look. I use it on my cheekbones, chin, and along the bridge of my nose. Gives me a nice subtle "glow" that translates very well to photo and video. It's extremely easy to apply.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 8:50 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Well, I watched the video and he doesn't have any lip color on. The stylist used a lip polish and classic Carmex only on his lips. If his lips look "unnatural" it's only because he happens to be lucky enough to have a nice pink mouth. So OP, I wouldn't let this comment deter you from doing what's described in the video.
OP, I'm a cis woman and have recently started to use this "eyelighting" cream by Estée Lauder and it's a great complement to an otherwise natural look. I use it on my cheekbones, chin, and along the bridge of my nose. Gives me a nice subtle "glow" that translates very well to photo and video. It's extremely easy to apply.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 8:50 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sephora (huge makeup retail store in US and Canada) is your friend. If you tell them what you're interested in they will lead you through the store, apply makeup if you want, and give you recommendations. You can also find a makeup artist who can teach you how to get the look you want, I'd search your local instagram to find someone (#makeupartist, #yourcity).
I recently shot video and I went to a local Sephora, got "Makeup Forever Skin Equalizer", "Makeup forever ultra HD foundation", one of those egg-shaped $30 sponges to apply it (you want this), makeup forever HD-press powder, and I looked great (I added blush and my usual eye makeup too). So I got a moisturizer to even out my skin, then applied foundation with the sponge, then brushed powder on top to set it and kill all shine.
The big thing I think is you want an even, natural looking skin tone with no shine. I spent $200 and while that's a lot I can't get over how great I look, I've been wearing makeup my whole adult life and I'm shocked at the difference. If you're just using that stuff for camera it'll last a while.
There are probably ways to enhance your eyes/groom your eyebrows but I'm not expert for how to do that for men, maybe a clear gel to shape the eyebrows a bit if they fall out of place, a very subtle lip stain that doesn't look like lipstick might be good too.
posted by lafemma at 9:35 AM on August 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
I recently shot video and I went to a local Sephora, got "Makeup Forever Skin Equalizer", "Makeup forever ultra HD foundation", one of those egg-shaped $30 sponges to apply it (you want this), makeup forever HD-press powder, and I looked great (I added blush and my usual eye makeup too). So I got a moisturizer to even out my skin, then applied foundation with the sponge, then brushed powder on top to set it and kill all shine.
The big thing I think is you want an even, natural looking skin tone with no shine. I spent $200 and while that's a lot I can't get over how great I look, I've been wearing makeup my whole adult life and I'm shocked at the difference. If you're just using that stuff for camera it'll last a while.
There are probably ways to enhance your eyes/groom your eyebrows but I'm not expert for how to do that for men, maybe a clear gel to shape the eyebrows a bit if they fall out of place, a very subtle lip stain that doesn't look like lipstick might be good too.
posted by lafemma at 9:35 AM on August 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sephora is the place to go. They are very helpful, will let you take a trial size of products home to try out. Just tell them what you are after & why. If it matters they often have men working there so they'll have more idea of what works on mens skin I imagine.
What I'd suggest is a good skin care regime which doesn't need to be expensive, but at least a good moisturizer & face wash. You might try Paulas Choice (if you ring them up they are really good at helping you find what products work best for you & are great on returns) or if you are on a budget CeraVe has some good products too.
Re lafemma's advice, yes you want a beauty blender (or one of it's cheaper knock offs) they make foundation application super simple. Check out instructions for use online.
You want a good foundation, a powder for toning down any shine from sweating under lights & a concealer if skin blemishes are a problem. Be aware that SPF in products for work under lights & with flashes can cast a white tint so make sure the person you speak to about the products knows you are using it for photography. Also get them to color match you it's so much easier than trying to guess yourself.
But honestly just go to Sephora & tell them what you told us. You may have to pay for them to make you up but they will teach you how to use everything if you let them know you are starting out, seriously everyone working there loves makeup & talking about it. Then get free samples of everything they used & try at home until you find what works for you. A lot of makeup is trial & error. If worst comes to worst & you panic a light dusting of powder can do wonders & is hard to mess up.
posted by wwax at 9:44 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
What I'd suggest is a good skin care regime which doesn't need to be expensive, but at least a good moisturizer & face wash. You might try Paulas Choice (if you ring them up they are really good at helping you find what products work best for you & are great on returns) or if you are on a budget CeraVe has some good products too.
Re lafemma's advice, yes you want a beauty blender (or one of it's cheaper knock offs) they make foundation application super simple. Check out instructions for use online.
You want a good foundation, a powder for toning down any shine from sweating under lights & a concealer if skin blemishes are a problem. Be aware that SPF in products for work under lights & with flashes can cast a white tint so make sure the person you speak to about the products knows you are using it for photography. Also get them to color match you it's so much easier than trying to guess yourself.
But honestly just go to Sephora & tell them what you told us. You may have to pay for them to make you up but they will teach you how to use everything if you let them know you are starting out, seriously everyone working there loves makeup & talking about it. Then get free samples of everything they used & try at home until you find what works for you. A lot of makeup is trial & error. If worst comes to worst & you panic a light dusting of powder can do wonders & is hard to mess up.
posted by wwax at 9:44 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Echoing kariebookish on skincare. That Charlotte Tilbury's video also touches similar points. A lot of the advice may assume that you've got this well-covered, but if you're going for a natural look (and I've been quite interested in this in how this is expressed through male celebs), then you need to start from skincare. Sephora could be a good resource for this, but I would rather you go elsewhere with a better focus on sensible skincare knowledge and advice. But if you're looking for a quick go-to using brands as reference, then Kiehl's and Organics would be decent places to start, if they're in your budget. if not, find a beautician or beauty nerd friend on this.
Once your skin texture is prepped via skincare, then for a guy doing a yt channel, the key shd be on priming and matifying your complexion/skin. I wouldn't advice foundation, unless you're applying it very lightly as a tinted moisturiser of some kind, if only because foundation provides a flat plane that the other makeup products then would provide contour and shading hence blushes and shadows, and tht would need higher-level makeup knowledge to have it expressed in more acceptable masculine terms. Google current day Joey Lawrence (and Channing Tatum circa the GI Joe premiere) if you want to have an uncanny valley moment.
So, focus more on the following: a good primer, a good concealer (i recommend Makeup For Ever and MAC because of the range of shades - again because you want to put as little coloured product as possible so if concealer can already match your skin very well that's good, rather than anything tht says brightening - and the texture blends in very well even before moving on to another product which means it already looks faux-skin enough at tht stage), a good face powder (either translucent or tinted), and a good brow mascara (clear if yours is already heavy and thick) and a set of good tools (for the very basic, a Beauty Blender - tht egg-shaped sponge - and a kabuki brush).
Finish off with a setting spray or some kind of misting product to remove powderiness that would give you away. Though if you are only doing this for yt, then a final go-over with tht damp beauty blender should be fine for now.
Also, tbh, I would not recommend foundation for you because you'll just fall into the nightmare of shade-matching. It's not just the headache of finding the right shade, but you need to invest time and money to figure out if the shade changes drastically throughout the day from oxidation etc and the fact tht different formulations render the same shade differently on different skin. AND the fact that you'll need to be savvy enough for all tht so that you won't hit the uncanny valley of ppl noticing your face is 1-2 tones different from your neck, chest, upper arms etc. Since your objective seems to keep you as stereotypically male-presenting, avoiding tht effect is definitely your primary goal.
posted by cendawanita at 10:38 AM on August 20, 2016
Once your skin texture is prepped via skincare, then for a guy doing a yt channel, the key shd be on priming and matifying your complexion/skin. I wouldn't advice foundation, unless you're applying it very lightly as a tinted moisturiser of some kind, if only because foundation provides a flat plane that the other makeup products then would provide contour and shading hence blushes and shadows, and tht would need higher-level makeup knowledge to have it expressed in more acceptable masculine terms. Google current day Joey Lawrence (and Channing Tatum circa the GI Joe premiere) if you want to have an uncanny valley moment.
So, focus more on the following: a good primer, a good concealer (i recommend Makeup For Ever and MAC because of the range of shades - again because you want to put as little coloured product as possible so if concealer can already match your skin very well that's good, rather than anything tht says brightening - and the texture blends in very well even before moving on to another product which means it already looks faux-skin enough at tht stage), a good face powder (either translucent or tinted), and a good brow mascara (clear if yours is already heavy and thick) and a set of good tools (for the very basic, a Beauty Blender - tht egg-shaped sponge - and a kabuki brush).
Finish off with a setting spray or some kind of misting product to remove powderiness that would give you away. Though if you are only doing this for yt, then a final go-over with tht damp beauty blender should be fine for now.
Also, tbh, I would not recommend foundation for you because you'll just fall into the nightmare of shade-matching. It's not just the headache of finding the right shade, but you need to invest time and money to figure out if the shade changes drastically throughout the day from oxidation etc and the fact tht different formulations render the same shade differently on different skin. AND the fact that you'll need to be savvy enough for all tht so that you won't hit the uncanny valley of ppl noticing your face is 1-2 tones different from your neck, chest, upper arms etc. Since your objective seems to keep you as stereotypically male-presenting, avoiding tht effect is definitely your primary goal.
posted by cendawanita at 10:38 AM on August 20, 2016
Also, you're probably on to something with your facetune remark. Video filters and front-facing cameras have come a long way now. For non-makeup wearing people, that's usually more than enough.
posted by cendawanita at 10:43 AM on August 20, 2016
posted by cendawanita at 10:43 AM on August 20, 2016
I know nothing about make up, but I know little something about selfies and camera work.
You should also look up tips on angling the camera, good lighting and so forth.
If you go to a place like Sephora, consider getting your brows professionally shaped. I don't wear make up. I do tweeze my brows. It makes a difference in how you look. Explain that this is for camera work. Take a couple of selfies. If your brows just do not stand out clearly, consider tinting them a bit, whether with hair dye or make up products. Brows make a big impact on facial definition.
Also, go to a great hair place and get a good hair cut. If you have facial hair, get it professionally trimmed as well. Explain to them you need to look good on camera. You may be able to maintain it yourself once it has been done, but hair makes a big difference in what your face looks like.
posted by Michele in California at 11:12 AM on August 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
You should also look up tips on angling the camera, good lighting and so forth.
If you go to a place like Sephora, consider getting your brows professionally shaped. I don't wear make up. I do tweeze my brows. It makes a difference in how you look. Explain that this is for camera work. Take a couple of selfies. If your brows just do not stand out clearly, consider tinting them a bit, whether with hair dye or make up products. Brows make a big impact on facial definition.
Also, go to a great hair place and get a good hair cut. If you have facial hair, get it professionally trimmed as well. Explain to them you need to look good on camera. You may be able to maintain it yourself once it has been done, but hair makes a big difference in what your face looks like.
posted by Michele in California at 11:12 AM on August 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Well, I watched the video and he doesn't have any lip color on.
My bad. However, his lips definitely look "too red" to me in the "after" shot. Maybe the exfoliant action of the "lip polish" reddened his lips?
posted by amtho at 7:12 PM on August 21, 2016
My bad. However, his lips definitely look "too red" to me in the "after" shot. Maybe the exfoliant action of the "lip polish" reddened his lips?
posted by amtho at 7:12 PM on August 21, 2016
Yup, pretty much. The lip polish is basically a sugar scrub. One of the immediate effect is skin irritation that looks prominent if you're a fair person with a pink/red undertone like that guy.
posted by cendawanita at 8:24 PM on August 21, 2016
posted by cendawanita at 8:24 PM on August 21, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pintapicasso at 7:42 AM on August 20, 2016 [2 favorites]