Easy Passport Photo Makeup Tutorial

Shonagh Scott
by Shonagh Scott
20 Materials
$20
30 Minutes
Easy

If you’re about to renew your passport and you want to look your best, follow along with my tutorial to achieve the perfect passport photo makeup.


It should be subtle enough that you still resemble yourself but heavy enough that it doesn't disappear in the bright light.


The goal is a natural yet flattering look in your passport photo since it will be traveling with you for the next 10 years!


It is also important that you don't change your features too much with makeup. Otherwise, you may have an issue entering through passport control if you don’t resemble your photograph!

Tools and materials:

  • Assorted makeup brushes
  • Hydrating serum spray
  • Foundation
  • Color corrector
  • Beauty blender
  • Setting powder
  • Cream bronzer
  • Setting spray
  • Hand mirror
  • Eyebrow pen
  • Bronzer
  • Brown and black eyeliner pens
  • Faux eyelashes
  • Tweezers
  • Liquid eyeliner
  • Mascara
  • Powder bronzer
  • Blush
  • Lip liner
  • Brown eyeshadow
Prepping the skin

1. Prep your skin

Apply a serum spray to hydrate your skin.


2. Apply foundation and color corrector

Then apply a medium to full coverage foundation since the flash drains color from the skin.

Applying foundation

If you have discoloration or dark circles under your eyes, use a color corrector. Apply it just at the inner corners of your eyes.

Applying foundation

Blend in the foundation with a beauty blender without touching the color corrector yet.

Applying foundation

Apply concealer lightly with your fingertips on your eyelids and under the eyes to mask fine lines and wrinkles.

Blending

Then blend with a small brush, dragging the color corrector to meet the concealer.

Applying concealer

Tap the area with your finger or makeup blender to give that airbrushed look.


Don’t worry if you feel “made up” when you leave the house. In the photograph, the makeup will look much softer.

Applying setting powder

3. Mattify the skin

Apply setting powder using your beauty blender to reduce shine. Avoid products with silica which will reflect in the flash.

Blending

4. Apply light contour, blend and set

Apply cream bronzer where the sun would naturally hit. For example, at the ends of the cheekbones, the perimeter of the forehead, the temples, the jawline and chin plus the bridge of the nose.

Contour

Now, spray a brush with setting spray and work the contour into the skin.

Blending

Go over the contour areas with what’s left on your sponge to help further blend.


Then go over everything with setting powder on your sponge.

Blending

5. Fill in your eyebrows

Use a brow pen to fill in any bare spots in your eyebrows.


The bright lighting tends to make untouched brows disappear. Avoid making on-trend, fluffy eyebrows.

Contouring the eyes

6. Contour the eyes

Apply some bronzer to a brush and buff a small amount into the sockets.


This is optional but it adds shape to the eyes and makes the lids appear larger.

Contouring the eyes

7. Apply eyeliner

Transfer brown eyeliner to a small, pointed brush and smudge it along the root of your top lashes. Make it slightly fuller on the outside edges.


This is a great hack to give the appearance of fuller lashes without having to load on the mascara.

Lining eyes

Just enhance your face, don’t opt to change it!

Eyeliner

Then, add a tiny bit of black, creamy eyeliner closer to the root of the lashes.

Lining eyes

8. Apply lashes

Apply individual faux lashes along your top lash line. If you’re not used to wearing them, feel free to just use mascara.

Applying lashes

For hooded or small eyes, forgo anything on your top lids and instead apply a liquid eyeliner to your top, waterlines.


This will make your lashlines look fuller without sacrificing any space from your lids.


I recommend doing this even if you don’t have hooded eyes.

Lining eyes

9. Apply mascara

Apply mascara to your natural lashes. You might skip the mascara on your lower lashes as this can have the effect of shrinking your eyes.

Applying mascara

If you do apply mascara to your lower lashes and it appears too thick, use a lash comb to thin it out.

Applying mascara

10. Apply powder bronzer

Apply powder bronzer to the areas where we applied the cream bronzer.


Don’t be afraid if your face looks slightly darker than the rest of your body. This is actually good for your passport photo.

Applying powder bronzer

11. Apply blush

Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks and work the color upwards.

Applying blush

Blend slightly with your beauty blender.

Blending

12. Touch up sockets

Add a bit of bronzer again on the outer third of the eye sockets.

Touching up sockets

13. Add lip color

Use a lip liner that’s only slightly darker than your natural color.

Adding lip color

Then add a natural lip color.

Adding lip color

14. Finishing touches

Redefine your natural freckles or beauty marks using a brown eyeshadow and thin brush.

Finishing touches

Here’s the final look for this passport makeup:

Passport photo makeup


Passport photo makeup

Here are the before and after shots for you to compare:

Before and after passport photo makeup

Passport photo makeup

Passport makeup is about enhancing your features so that the photo still looks like you.


Did you enjoy this tutorial? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


Next, check out my 3 Easy Eye Lift Makeup Hacks to Look More Youthful.

Suggested materials:
  • Assorted makeup brushes
  • Hydrating serum spray
  • Foundation
See all materials

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