At makeup counters, you will see most makeup now a days marked with the words "High‐Definition Makeup". These makeup giants realized that in the land of video and photography, high definition techniques have pushed makeup artists and directors of photography toward changing their methods to account for the much clearer pictures we are now seeing on our TV sets and out of our still images. So the makeup companies have jumped on the band‐wagon and tried to put the term "HIGH DEFINITION" in as many products as they can to make a buck. The problem I have with it is that they don’t really perform for these HD videos and photography cameras! Many labeled "HIGH DEFINITION" can’t actually be used in high def situations.
What is all of the buzz about high definition and filming you may ask? High definition concerns for filming and photography are really the same as they are in real life when you are looking at someone's face. What we see live is what we now see on the new high resolution TV screens or in photos. For TV especially, makeup artists, actors, brides and other talents used to be able to get away with piling on heavy foundation to hide the ills of the skin. And doing a quick makeup application with heavy cake foundations was okay because a thick lip liner was never noticeable for film, but that’s NOT the case now. It’s never been the case when women are seen face to face in makeup. So the new "high definition" revolution really isn’t a revolution at all; it’s simply about film and photography crew putting more of a spotlight on achieving those fresh and natural looks we’ve always worn in our homes, offices and on the streets - everywhere outside a studio. They now have to capture reality. We only are hearing it labeled as a high definition situation because buzzwords are powerful attention getters. We stand up and listen and cosmetics companies know we will.
High‐Definition Makeup is not a brand of makeup that we use on our face, this is actually a TECHNIQUE. A technique that a makeup professional has to undergo training, practice, and master to be able to do makeup for HD cameras. Doesn't mean that if you use HD Makeup, you are HD‐camera ready.
If you take out the term "high definition" to define our makeup, we are left with familiar descriptions of the way we’ve always wanted to appear in makeup, whether it’s called "high definition" or not. We really are talking about makeup that performs well on tv and on stills that the skin still looks like REAL SKIN, pores aren’t really noticeable, blemishes are hidden naturally and carefully, and the powder we use to hide and set them is also invisible; there are no obvious seams where a color starts and stops - meaning the blend of the product is really smooth, there are no mismatches in the colors of the face with the neck, the shades are true to real skin and not too pink, yellow, purple, gray or green. The makeup doesn’t make the hairs on the face and jaw‐line look like you have fur!
HD in the products means that cosmetics manufacturers have tried harder with foundations to make them fill in lines on the face, so often they contain so much silicone that is like cement filling cracks on a wall. It feels beautiful but too much silicone is too slippery specially for tropical countries like the Philippines, so these makeup don’t last as long no matter how thick you pile on the powder.
Real HD face powders means they are finely milled and when you touch them you can barely feel them on your fingers; Just the other day, I was at a cosmetics counter and one of the more popular brands I’ve tried that is labeled HD Powder did fill the lines around my eyes and smoothing them nicely, but when I had my photo taken there was a huge white ring around my eyes making me look I had a reverse‐racoon eye look. If I were standing behind an HD camera, this will really look very unpleasant on film.
For talents and brides to get that high definition, "ready for my close‐up" look, they need to find a professional trained makeup artist in HD makeup techniques to bring out the best of their features with the use of as little product as possible. Getting HD camera ready means having to look like yourself with natural, glowing skin with a little color but not the inch‐thick makeup look.
For brides, I suggest a daily skin care regimen months before your wedding day to get your skin prepped up for your big day! Remember that with great skin, the more prefect your makeup will look on camera. A lot of brands now have great skin care for affordable prices. These powerful face products will keep the skin at it’s best and ready for the makeup products that actually do work, whether or not they are labeled high definition.
I have undergone training for HD Makeup and have been practicing this technique whether for editorial, tv or bridal up to this date.