How to Take Incredible Photos of Glitter Makeup, According to Euphoria Makeup Artist Alexandra French
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The holiday season calls for an excess of sparkle, and no one does glitter quite like the Euphoria makeup team. And for makeup artist Alexandra French, who joined department head Doni Davy to create the iconic looks of the show’s second season, learning to properly capture those shimmering moments is part of the process. After all, if one steps out in a grown-up glitter look and it doesn’t make it to social media, did said look even happen?
“I have been on countless shoots where I realized a lot of people do not know how to capture glitter or shimmer properly; it always looks like sand or gets lost with all the diffused lights,” says French of her refraction filming technique. “I had been working on finding a technique to capture glitter for a long time without even realizing it!” Over the course of her time on the show (much of it spent experimenting with Davy’s Half Magic shimmers and gems) French realized that refractive details look better in the spotlight—literally. “It really made the magic of it all come to life,” she says.
Davy recently took to Instagram to put French’s perfected glitter hack on blast, and we’re here to help spread the word. All you need is your phone, your preferred glitter or rhinestones, a handheld spotlight, and some lipgloss. Here, a Euphoria-approved means of capturing your dreamiest glitter looks—the better to share this season.
To begin, grab your favorite fine glitter, shimmers or rhinestones. Shut off the lights and reach for your mini spotlight (French prefers the IKAN Micro Spot On-Camera Light on the dimmest setting). “Turn down your phone’s exposure and lock it into place,” says French, who advises using your front-facing camera to film. “This will help the light pick up the glitter/shimmer and will amplify it.” And before you start recording? Add a little lipgloss to your lens. “Smudging a tiny bit of lip gloss over the camera lens gives it a little ”Kira Kira” filter and really help the glitter shine!” says French. The makeup artist recommends staying fluid while filming, the better to throw as much light as possible. “Movement will be your best friend when trying to capture glitter!”
“I think the idea of a winter wonderland holiday or just the holiday season in general is magical,” says French. “Shimmery makeup goes hand in hand with presents, icy weather, snowy mornings or sitting by the fire.” So get to posting, aka diffusing that warm and fuzzy feeling the same way that your glitter amplifies the light.
