Hi guys! Ok, so I've been getting asked by a lot of you lately how to film a makeup tutorial, and so finally I'm going to share what I do when I film!

First though, I want to make it very clear that there really is no "one way" to film a makeup tutorial. If you've checked out any of the zillions of tutorials out there in cyberspace you'll find such variety, many of which are sooo informative and quite entertaining too! And yeah, some could use a facelift, no pun intended lol!

Ok, so here are my 10 steps!

#1. Choose your topic & makeup products:

Make sure you know what it is you're going to talk about, and be organized with what you'll apply to your face and in what order. Don't waste time scrounging through your makeup bag for that eyeliner. Your audience will leave. (Tip: Write everything you've used down or type it into a doc to use as reference for a blog post once you're finished!)

#2. Prepare your finished "look":

I suggest that you have one part already completed, for example one eye completely done the way the other should look in the end. This helps to give your audience a "preview" of what you'll be teaching them and will likely make them stay longer because they'll be curious to know what steps you took to achieve the finished "look".

#3. Present yourself professionally and try to look your best:

Make sure you look your best. Do your hair. Make sure your nails look good. Wear a nice top. Think of the small details that interest you when you watch a tutorial yourself. Jewelry is often commented on. But here's a secret tip; you can stay in your comfy bottoms, even pjs as no one will ever know!!!

#4. Lighting matters:

One of my "musts" when it comes to how to film a makeup tutorial is good lighting. I suggest you set up your camera in front natural lighting coming in from a window, but if you're lucky enough to have professional lighting then that's even better. If not, shine a lamp from behind the camera to your face. (Tip: Take a few test videos to find what lighting you look best and most natural in. If it's too dark it won't show up as well.)

#5. To Voice-over, or not:

Once you start filming you have 2 options. One, you can do your makeup without talking to the camera. Or two, you can talk throughout. With the first option you will have to do voice-overs in order to explain to your audience what steps you're taking and what products you're using etc. If you'd rather speak while doing your makeup then I highly suggest you be careful not to make too many silly facial expressions and to try hard to maintain a consistent rhythm so that you don't bore your audience with your blabber.

#6. Show your products:

I have made my makeup tutorials with flash photo clips showing my viewer what product I will be using. This is a nice way to show them the product before you start using it. Another good tip is to show it close up to the camera, but don't go too fast and allow the camera to focus on the object for a good 2 seconds.

#7. The END:

OK, so once you have completed your look, it's important to give your viewer some time to SEE what you look like! I find that how to film a makeup tutorial that people will stick around for is when I start is off with the finished look, and of course end with it as well.

#8. Edit! Edit! Edit:

So unless you're going for the unedited & unscripted video "vibe" which is perfectly acceptable and if you've got some experience under your belt then it can also be very entertaining. However, if not then you need to learn how to edit and become familiar with your editing program such as iMovie. Adding transitions from your clips can also help alleviate the wobbly camera moments, those awkward pauses, the mistakes you made and have to secretly re-do and many many more... ;)

#9. Music and the frills:

A nice touch that I'd suggest if you want to film a makeup tutorial onto YouTube is to add some music in the background, or at the start, just to spice it up a bit. It makes you look even that more "good"!

#10. Learn from Watching:

Watch other people who already know how to film a makeup tutorial and learn from them. Learn not only their tips but learn from their mistakes too! Most of the time people who want to learn how to film a makeup tutorial are just as normal as you and I. We all share the same interests and we all have a lot to share.

If you have any specific questions I'd LOVE to know and I'll be happy to respond. You can comment below! Happy filming and remember the #1 rule is really just to have fun!