how to prepare for your boudoir session

 

First of all, at this point you probably know that I like my clients to feel as physically and emotionally ready for their session as possible, because I know that feeling ready creates the best and most fun boudoir session outcome!

With that in mind, this guide will be a ‘take what you need’ kind of thing. Some things are must-do’s, and some are tips for things you may or may not want or need to do!

Don’t feel overwhelmed, because even if you walked into the studio feeling completely unprepared - you’d still end up with some kick ass photos.

Because, you know, we gotchu.

 

WHAT TO DO THE WEEKS/MONTHS LEADING UP TO YOUR SESSION

PAYMENT

  • Make sure your payment method is decided and that you’re prepared to purchase at your Reveal appt.!

  • This can look like making prepayments, saving up, stashing money away (if you’re trying to keep it a secret gift!), or applying to paypal.com/credit if you know you’ll need that.

3-4 OUTFITS

  • Make sure you’ve planned, ordered, or have your outfits!

  • Ordering online means planning extra ahead in case what you order didn’t work.


HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE.

  • SO IMPORTANT!! The best way to feel and look vibrant, glowing, and make sure you’re feeling your best just in general!

  • Start slow by just drinking a little more than you usually do!


STRETCH. 

  • Boudoir poses can be a lot like yoga sometimes, so stretching for 5-10 min a day, can be amazing for your flexibility and making sure you’re not sore!


SAY NICE THINGS TO YOURSELF. 

  • If you don’t know where to start, you could try making a list of 5-10 things you love about yourself and your life (physical and non physical!) at least once a day. Seems cheesy, but it was a game changer for my own self talk so I know it works!


SET YOUR INTENTIONS

  • Take a moment to really think about what your intentions are for your session. What do you want to get out of it? What do you want to feel during and after your session? Setting your intentions can really help your mindset and make sure you get the most out of your experience!

  • confidence? sexual liberation? taking back your power? mind/body connection? feeling beautiful? feeling like a bad ass bitch? to have like, the best time ever for no particular reason?

  • If you are doing it for someone else, what could YOU get out of it?

THE WEEK OF YOUR SESSION

 SLEEP.

  • Photoshop can't fix tired. Get your beauty rest!


GET YOUR STUFF READYY. 

  • Gather your outfits, accessories, and make sure you have everything!

  • Try on your outfits BEFORE your session!


EXFOLIATE 

  • Your body - the night before

  • Your lips - Try brushing your lips with a toothbrush or use/ make a lip exfoliant a few times before your session for lipstick longevity! (I know the struggle).


MOISTURIZE 

  • that pretty face + lips of yours! It'll give you that healthy glooooow.

  • Try to use a moisturizer that you're already comfortable with so that you know it won't break you out or make your skin irritated.

  • Moisturize your face and body the night before (skip the face moisturizer on your morning of for makeup reasons!)


NAILS. 

  • If it's your thing, get them done the week of.

  • If that's not your thing, just make sure they're clean and trimmed up.

  • I've also seen people do some magic with some glue on nails! They only need to last for the duration of the shoot. ;)


SHAVING/WAXING

  • This is all your decision, we don’t judge your body hair preferences!

  • If you're someone who doesn't like body hair, please plan accordingly because it's almost impossible to edit afterwards.

  • IF YOU’RE WAXING, do it 2-3 days before to prevent redness and bumps.


STRETCH. 

  • 5-10 min the night before or morning of is highly recommended!

THE DAY OF YOUR SESSION

BE ON TIME.

  • Exactly on time is perfect, and if you’re more than 5 min early - take a moment in your car before you walk over! because I’m always doing finishing touches and making sure everything is ready for you right before your session.

HAIR AND MAKEUP

  • They'll ask you the general vibe your looking for, but if you have a specific vibe you want, bring some photos!

  • Hair is typically just a basic curl, so we can flip it around and get it messy during the session.

  • If you want or need something else, you should come with it already done!

  • Your makeup will be heavier in person than it will be in the photographs, and darker than you're used to.

  • IMPORTANT!!! If you have a problem with how your hair or makeup- let us know before our artist leaves! It will not hurt our feelings - we WANT you to be so happy with your look and they’ll be happy to tweak things for ya!

BLOCK OFF YOUR DAY

  • Set aside ~5 hours for your session. It typically does not take that long, but it could! Setting aside the time will make sure we don’t end up needing to rush your shoot.

AFTER YOUR SESSION

  • You will be all glammed up, so definitely plan to do something fun and go out to really get the most use out of your glam!

  • OR if you’re doing this as a secret gift, bring makeup wipes so you can hide your glam from your significant other. ;)

WHAT NOT TO DO BEFORE YOUR SESSION!

SPRAY TANS

  • Please no self tan before your session! Even the best at home job will not photograph well. It WILL look orange and will be obvious.

  • If spray tans are a must have, get one done professionally! Not a booth tan, but an airbrush tan done by hand. They will customize the color for you, make sure it’s not streaky.

  • Embrace your natural color! As a super pale girly myself, I know the temptation of feeling like you ‘should’ make it to be different, but embracing your true color and seeing it look gorgeous as is in photos is so empowering!

NEW HAIR

  • Right before a shoot is probably not the time to experiment with a new haircut or color. Just in case.

  • If spontaneous is your thing, just make sure you give yourself enough time to dye it another color if it doesn't quite work out like you thought!