A lot of people wonder why makeup artists are even needed for high fashion photo shoots and runway events because “it is so easy to apply some eyeliner and powder, right?” Well, if by “easy,” you mean applying black eyeliner in the crease of the eye (without it smudging), creating a flawless complexion and uniform look that is visible on stage on 10 models in a matter of 30 minutes, and ensuring it will last for hours, then you are definitely in the right industry.

Makeup artistry in the high fashion industry is a very fast-paced, exciting and stressful career that requires a number of skills. Before even learning the tips and tricks to runway makeup, you need to first make sure that you are able to multitask (for example, powdering a face while fixing another model’s smudged lipstick five minutes before the show starts), work well under pressure and also provide pristine results in a timely manner. Once you have these skills perfected, you can then move on to the actual makeup techniques.

One of the most important things to remember when doing makeup for runway is that the models will be on stage with a ton of spotlights and flashing cameras pointed at them. This means that more makeup is needed to make sure it is visible up on stage. While it may seem clownish or way too much makeup when you’re face-to-face with the model, on the runway it will just appear to be a normal amount of makeup. In this article’s picture, I used a ton of blush and dark eyeshadow, but in the picture it just appears to be an average day’s worth of makeup due to the bright studio lights and camera’s flash.

Since there are so many bright lights and flashes, as mentioned in my previous article, these lights tend to “white out” the face and make the complexion seem very flat and two-dimensional. To correct this, you need to make sure to heavily contour and add a lot of colour to the cheeks (if that is the desired look). You can use a really dark bronzer (with absolutely no glitter or shine) or contour powder to shape the face; however, sometimes these products are not dark enough, and you may actually need to buy a darker coloured powder foundation and use it to contour.

Another important aspect to always keep in mind when doing makeup for high fashion is you want the makeup to be on trend and interesting by putting your own personal spin on it, but it can never overshadow the garments being showcased. The makeup needs to complement the collection while giving it an overall uniform feel.