Ok, now that you’ve booked your boudoir session, what do you need to do to prepare for it? Everybody asks that, and it can be kind of nerve-racking. There are tons of nerves and emotions leading up to a boudoir session, and that’s ok! I’m here to help! 

I wrote down some guidelines and suggestions to ease and organize your mind and prepare you for this awesome experience!

Make sure your all set to go for hair and make-up.

I work with some awesome people to make your experience with us the best possible. Mikayla Crane, our amazing hair and makeup artist, gave us a few tips to make things go smoothly on the day of your shoot.

Arrive with a cleansed, exfoliated, moisturized, bare face and clean, completely dry hair. Nothing else needs to be applied.

Brow Grooming and Facial Hair Removal

Please have your brows groomed–either tweezed, waxed or threaded–1-5 days beforehand (depending on how sensitive your skin is). Having cleaned-up brows will make a world of difference with the makeup application. Remove any other unwanted hair beforehand, too and give yourself a few days to allow the skin to calm down.

Exfoliation: Face and Lips!

Either the night before or the morning of (or both, if your skin is used to it/can handle it), exfoliate your face. You can do this with just a washcloth and cleanser, or you can use a gentle scrub. Don’t rub too hard! Focus on the nose–dead skin cells tend to gather in those crevices. Use a sugar-and-oil scrub to get rid of dead, chapped, flakey skin on your lips for a smooth lip color application!

Moisture and Hydration

Moisture is very very important! Hopefully you’re doing this every morning and every night. Whether you do or don’t, moisturize the night before AND morning of your shoot. Also, try to drink plenty of water the week before and day of your shoot. Moisturized, hydrated skin is smoother and glows in photos.

Hair Preparation

Arrive with clean (from the morning or night before at the latest), dry hair, worn down, with no marks/dents in it from being worn up. If you can add in mousse, gel or any texturizing product while it is still damp, after it has been washed, before it has been dried, that can be helpful, but don’t worry if you don’t have anything. Do NOT come with straight-ironed hair unless you want a straight hairstyle; If you want soft waves or curls, the previously straightened hair will make it more difficult to achieve.

This will be a workout, be mentally prepared to that this will feel like a workout. Modeling is hard work 🙂 

Your body will be in poses that it normally is not in, which can be a workout! We will focus a lot of proper posture, arching the back and keeping the core tight to protect the lower back.  It can feel uncomfortable especially if you’re not used to doing these things. I promise I’ve got you and you won’t have to hold every pose for minutes at a time. It’s only a few seconds 🙂 

Pick clothes that you would actually wear and you feel amazing in. 

Finding the right clothes to bring in can be very difficult and time consuming. You want everything to be perfect and sometimes that is what is so difficult. When in doubt, bring something that you already have that you LOVE yourself in! Maybe its that bra that you bought once and never wear because you haven’t found the right outfit with it yet. It could even be a pair of shorty shorts that makes your bum look amazing. Choose things that accentuate your curves and makes you feel great!

A simple bra and panty set can be a great fresh and clean look to go along with your other outfits.  I have various robes with lace, fur trim and see-thru shirts we can pair with it if we’d like as well.  It can really help tell a story about you in the photos and keep the focus on you and your confidence. 

Bring sentimental items.

If you are doing this session for your other half then it’s always a great idea to bring something that is important to them.  Whether it’s their favorite team jersey or the lingerie bought for you on your first anniversary, he/her will LOVE those pictures. 

Don’t forget the accessories, heels and jewelry!

With the busyness of packing don’t forget your heels, and your necklaces! You can bring hair pieces (please make sure they’re new), socks, or even men’s ties!

Don’t wear a bra when you arrive or other tight fitting clothing.

If you want to do any shots without a bra, using a button up shirt, or loose sweaters it’s always good to arrive with no bra because it might give you bra lines. Same with tight clothing. Sweats are encouraged to arrive in. No judging will be received from us when you arrive in comfy loose clothing.

Sexy doesn’t have to mean lingerie.

Lingerie might not be your style and that’s not a problem at all.  If you want a more laid back style with sweaters, socks, and anything else that you feel sexy in, don’t worry about the lingerie. It doesn’t make the session any less sexy or beautiful! I’m happy to bounce around ideas with you to help with more clothing ideas.

Your voice is important and we want to hear it.

We will ask you questions about the hair and makeup look you’d like to have. It’s a collaboration between you and Mikayla and we want you to love your look. We want you to tell us exactly what you think and this is the space to speak what’s on your mind.

Same with the type of photos you’d like to have and the areas you want to showcase in your images. If you’re having a hard time finding pieces that showcase your assets let me know and I’ll do some looking around or give ideas on what to bring. You are amazing and I want to showcase all of your awesomeness!

Are you ready? Contact me to talk more about your boudoir experience!

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Join my Boudoir Community on Facebook

My group on Facebook is a place for humans to talk about boudoir photoshoots.  It is a safe space for humans to lift each other up and encourage one another. 

If you’re a client, or thinking about doing a session, this is the place to be.  We also run contests and special sales in our group from time to time.