What kind of light will help you make the perfect makeup? What should you pay attention to when applying makeup to someone for appearances in front of the camera or preparing a model/model for a photo shoot? What lights are worth using in the beauty industry? Our guide will help answer all these questions.
Although our lamps are primarily used in the film and photography industry, we very often get questions from you about lighting in beauty salons or LED lamps that allow you to accurately illuminate your face when preparing makeup. So we decided to combine 2 different issues in one article. Light in makeup and makeup in film and photography. We hope that with this guide, choosing the right lighting will become easier, your work will be more comfortable, and your makeup techniques will be even more refined!
From this article you will learn:
- how to choose the best lighting for makeup;
- what color of light will be best for makeup;
- why you should bet on LED lights;
- how to properly illuminate the model when doing makeup;
- how to perform photographic makeup;
- what LED lights will work best in the beauty industry;
- what ring lights to use when doing makeup;
- how to use light to enhance glamorous makeup.
Perfect light for makeup
The lighting that accompanies you while preparing your makeup is almost as important as your skills and the cosmetics you use. The right choice of light will help you avoid mishaps, whether you’re working at home, backstage, or in a professional makeup studio. Here’s what to look for when finding a suitable lamp.
Color of light
The color temperature of light is a parameter that allows you to determine how “cold” or “warm” the light is. Its unit is Kelvin (K). In nature, we will register a color temperature of 1600 K during sunrise. Daylight in the shade, on the other hand, is about 12,000 K. When working on makeup, it’s a good idea to bet on values in the 4000 to 5500 K range. Why? Because such a temperature reflects natural daylight. Colors will then not be distorted and the model’s skin will be neither too yellow nor too pale.
Light diffusion
When preparing makeup, it is a good idea to use diffused light. These will be provided by devices that are equipped with various types of softboxes or milk covers. Diffused light minimizes the number of shadows present on the model’s face, and allows it to illuminate it evenly. The use of a spotlight, which highlights skin imperfections, can hinder the proper distribution of cosmetics, distorting the actual appearance.
Lighting for makeup: LED VS. incandescent bulb
Makeup artists are increasingly relying on traditional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. The former emits too warm a light, which can contribute to distorting the actual appearance of makeup in daylight. Fluorescent bulbs, on the other hand, contribute to highlighting imperfections, not even to mention their harmful effects on the environment. Nowadays, the best choice is LED lamps. They are energy-efficient, very often offer adjustable wattage and color temperature, and do not tire the eyes. Their light weight makes them perfect for all conditions: at home, in a beauty salon, and on a film or photography set.
How to do makeup for photos?
Now that you know what kind of light will make you comfortable when applying makeup, it’s time for tips related to the makeup itself. When it comes to photos and videos, there are a few important things to keep in mind. When preparing your daily makeup, you may not pay attention to them, but working with a camera and artificial lighting will be much more demanding. Here are some basic rules related to beauty photography.
Accurately and evenly
In beauty photography, a makeup artist should focus primarily on precision and accuracy. Every photographer today can count on the support of editing programs, but good makeup is the basis for success. The lens can capture the slightest imperfections, so make sure to apply the same amount of carefully distributed cosmetics on each side of the face. Your secret weapon will be primarily opaque foundations and concealers. Remember not to overlook other parts of the body that are to appear in the photo – ears, neck, or hands. If flash will be used on set, consider using primers that are slightly darker than the skin. Flash can make the face in the photo appear lighter, so it’s a good idea to take this into account.
Matte or gloss?
Unless your artistic vision includes experimenting with luminous highlights on the skin, the safest option would be to go for matte products. Glosses present additional challenges and risk making the skin look oily.
The best light for makeup: which lamp to choose?
Everyday makeup can differ from that prepared for photos or videos. So let’s start our guide to the right lamps with those that will work best for home and beauty salons. Their main task will be to make your work easier by providing even illumination characterized by optimal color temperature.
Ring lights in makeup photography
Ring lamps are one of the most popular tools for makeup artists. They are also successfully used by those who care about good lighting of the face in the created video materials. The distinctive design provides soft and evenly distributed light. Facial features are natural, and you gain the confidence to catch any imperfection in the resulting makeup. In this segment, we recommend two Newell lamp models: the RL-10A Arctic White and the RL-18A – WB (3200 K – 5500 K) – Arctic White.
Newell RL-10A Arctic White
The Newell RL-10A is a great way to illuminate your face evenly when working on makeup. The built-in diffuser guarantees a nice and soft light, and you don’t have to reach for additional modifiers. You will adjust the power and color temperature with ergonomic metal dials. A folding tripod is included, which will allow you to set the lamp in the right position and quickly change its position if necessary. Video creators and those involved in photography are sure to appreciate the smartphone or camera mount. It’s also a great convenience for makeup artists and makeup artists, able to preview how a painted person looks on the screen. You can connect the lamp to a power source via your smartphone’s AC adapter, a power bank, or the USB output on your laptop.
Newell RL-18A – WB (3200 K – 5500 K) – Arctic White
If the compact size of the Newell RL-10A Arctic White lamp is not enough for you, you should consider buying a larger model – the Newell RL-18A. It’s ideal for those who are looking for professional makeup preparation and precise lighting for photos or videos. Like its smaller sister, the lamp offers a built-in diffuser, power, and color temperature adjustment, as well as a smartphone holder and tripod included. As an added bonus, the device can manage 3 Newell RL-18A – WB (3200 K – 5500 K) – Arctic White lamps simultaneously.
Soft light source: makeup and beauty photography
Another product segment that will be successful in the beauty industry is round lamps with a built-in diffuser. As with the signature Arctic White devices, you can choose between a smaller or larger variant.
Newell Air Artha
The smaller model in the Air Artha family offers a diameter of 40 cm. The lamp has a built-in diffuser that allows you to get a nice, soft light, which is so desirable in makeup and beauty photography. You can smoothly adjust the power and color temperature using the dials, and control of the parameters will be facilitated by the built-in display and remote control.
Newell Air Artha XL
The Newell Air Artha XL will give you even more creative freedom when working with light on a film or photography set, as well as the highest level of quality control for your makeup. You will set the angle of the lamp with an impressive diameter of 54 cm thanks to a movable disc locked with strong screws. The device, as well as the smaller model without the XL note, has a built-in diffuser, providing a pleasant and soft light. Convenient transportation to your shooting or makeup location will be provided by a zippered travel case.
Beauty photography with a “WOW!” effect
Newell Air Artha and Air Artha XL are lamps that you will successfully use not only when working on makeup. They will help you optimally illuminate your photo or photo set, highlighting your perfectly executed makeup. If you like to experiment and realize yourself artistically, it is worth paying attention to the lamps, which were created for photographers and video makers. With their help, your beauty-style photos will become real works of art!
Newell RGB-W Rangha Max
Let’s start with a device that will not only take care of perfect makeup lighting but will also allow creative experiments with colors. The panel, which measures 200 x 121 x 13.7 mm, will successfully fit into any backpack and will more than once help polish your work to perfection. The small and lightweight device offers a maximum luminous flux of 1650 lumens and adjustable color temperature in the range of 3200 K – 5600 K. With the help of the Newell RGB-W Rangha Max lamp, your photos and videos can be complemented with colorful light that will add a unique touch to beauty-style portraits. The HSI palette is 360 colors that you can customize by adjusting their saturation. That’s as many as 36,000 different color combinations! This way you don’t have to use effect foils or filters that mobile apps offer.
Newell RGB Kathi
LED lamp with a unique sword shape is a secret weapon in the hands of creative photographers and filmmakers who care about highlighting the fanciest makeup. Vibrant eye shadow colors, neon eyeliner, glitter, and reflections on the cheeks – combined with the colorful light provided by Newell RGB Kathi you will create unforgettable images straight out of the TV series Euphoria.
The device offers adjustable power and color temperature, as well as 6 different colors of light. The lamp has 10 special modes for creating unique special effects. The built-in 2200 mAh battery and USB-C power capability will provide comfortable hours of operation, while the remote control will allow you to control the settings even more easily. Magnetic mounts are also included for mounting on metal surfaces.
Newell RGB-W Rangha Nano Sunset
And last but not least, an inconspicuous little guy that will help give your photos a unique touch more than once. Newell RGB-W Rangha Nano Sunset is a small LED lamp that allows you to get light with a maximum intensity of 800 LUX. Its hallmark is a special lens, thanks to which you will create a unique sunset effect. Circles of light with colorful borders will become the decoration of your photos, videos, or vlogs. The small device will help illuminate frames, add colorful effects, add variety to portraits, or highlight key emotions.
We hope our guide will help you choose the right LED lamp to enhance your makeup work, provide perfect facial lighting, and make your photos and beauty videos stand out with a “wow” effect, even before any retouching. If you have questions, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram. We’ll be happy to help you choose a lamp to suit your home dressing table, makeup studio, or mobile makeup workstation.
Credits: freestocks, Chalo Garcia, saskia fairfull, Jere Barcebal, x ),
