1. Cut out salt and alcohol – No less than a week after your session, cut back on salt and limit or stop drinking alcohol. If you’re out drinking several nights a week with friends, opt for a soda or cranberry juice. Both salt and alcohol cause you to retain water, especially in your face, which can make you look puffy on camera. Avoid particularly salty foods – this means no sushi! “Sushi-Face” is a real thing and models avoid it like the plague!
2. Self-Tanner or Spray Tan: If you’re doing a fitness or bikini session and want to get a tan, start a few days in advance so it has time to even out and look “natural.” If you self-tan, you can slowly build it up to the shade you want, and if it’s a spray tan, you’ll have a couple of days to even out the dark spots by exfoliating.
3. Whiten your teeth: If you drink coffee or red wine, or smoke, chances are your teeth are accumulating stains, even if you brush regularly. A few days before your session, start whitening your teeth. Over-the-counter whitening strips work great, and you’ll be happy your teeth are picture-perfect and bright when you smile!
4. Get a manicure: This is particularly important for pattern modelling, as your hands are often in and around your face, or touching parts of your clothing. If you don’t want to pay for a manicure, it’s okay to do it yourself. Clean, file and shape your nails, then add a clear coat or neutral polish. Never come on set with flashy colors on your nails unless told to. It can be distracting and seems unnatural.
5. Exfoliate the skin and moisturize: Three to five days before the session, prepare your skin by exfoliating. One of the easiest ways is to use a salt or sugar scrub in the shower. After each shower, hydrate your entire body. Repeat daily. This process will slough off dead, dry skin, helping you glow all over and love the skin you’re in!
6. Epsom Salt Bath: This is an age-old tactic for runway and print models. Very hot water and Epsom salts are believed to draw excess moisture and swelling from the body. You want to do this the night before, and moisturize well after you’ve done it, as it will also leave your skin feeling dry. After your bath, try to limit your fluid intake until after your session.
(Some extras to bring for the day of)
-A change of clothes to wear while doing your hair and makeup. Opt for button-down shirts, since they don’t have to go over your head when it’s time to change. Do not wear anything tight that will indent your skin when you take it off.
-A clean, naked and hydrated face if you know that you will be made up on set.
-Make sure if you wear sunglasses, that they are not a pair that leaves marks on your nose. These marks ALWAYS take time to disappear!
-Hairpins in the color of your hair
-Makeup wipes/oil blotting wipes
-Small toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. Especially on long takes, you may be having lunch and want to start the second half of the shoot as fresh as possible.
-Naked underwear if you are going to wear clothes that are not yours. Bring bras and panties that do not show a line and do not show through light colored clothing. Bring multiple types of bras such as strapless and racerback styles.
-If it is a swimsuit session, it is a protocol that the model brings daily protectors since you do not have the costumes that you will use during the session.
While we can provide you with all the beauty tips and tricks to set you up for success, ultimately what matters most is that you bring an excited and upbeat attitude, ready to step out of your comfort zone and have some fun! True joy appears on camera, and a model having a great time is the most beautiful. Good luck!