This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

How to set up lighting for makeup videos?

It can be fun to film makeup tutorial videos whether you are an influencer or not. Whether you want to post it on the media platform, send it to your friend to share the makeup technique, or keep it, lighting for makeup videos is essential. It ensures you and your makeup are shown in detail and accurately reveals what colors are used. In this post, we will offer some setup ideas for the makeup lighting.

Doing makeup under daylight balanced lighting

Invest in studio light for the best light for makeup videos

Although natural light is good to offer soft and delicate lighting, it is not available at any time of the day and will change over time. If you film makeup tutorials regularly, it is a good choice to use LED studio lights to get lighting for YouTubers any time you want. Below are three COLBOR products recommended for different situations.

COLBOR CL60M daylight balanced lighting for YouTube makeup videos with light base and reflector

COLBOR CL60M daylight balanced lighting for YouTube makeup videos with light base and reflector

The COLBOR CL60M studio light for video shooting features a CRI of 97+ and 5600K daylight color temperature. It uses Daylight Simulation System to offer daylight-like lighting for your makeup videos. Moreover, it offers a Bowen-mount adapter, a reflector, and a light base in the package. You can modify the lighting as you like. In a nutshell, the CL60M is a good choice if you want to do makeup under daylight and let your audience see how the makeup look in natural light.

COLBOR CL60R RGB video light for creative makeup transformation videos

COLBOR CL60R RGB video light for creative makeup transformation videos

Makeup transformation videos are popular among various media platforms. You need different colors to create a mood that matches your final makeup. Therefore, an RGB LED light like COLBOR CL60R is necessary. It comes with a color temperature of 2700-6500K. It also offers full colors that are adjustable in saturation and hue ratings. There are up to 3600000 colors in HSI mode to choose from. Just go for the CL60R if you want to display your makeup in a more creative way.

COLBOR CL220 professional light for makeup videos compatible with various modifiers and shooting gears

COLBOR CL60R RGB video light for creative makeup transformation videos

The COLBOR CL220 offers lighting for makeup videos at constant 220W output. If you film makeup videos in the studio with a professional team, the CL220 is one of the go-to options for you. It can reveal colors accurately with 85 tungsten SSI and TM30 Rf94 and Rg102+ at 3200K. The inbuilt cooling fan work to ensure optimal working temperature while producing low noise at 28dB. The Bowen mount and NATO grooves allow it to work with a wide range of light modifiers and filming accessories.

Set up lighting for filming makeup tutorials using 3-point lighting

Three-point lighting is the best lighting setup for makeup videos used by professional content creators. This method uses three light sources, as the name implies.

Key Light: This is the primary and intense light. It determines the overall brightness and exposure of the video. It is positioned at a 45-degree angle to the camera

Fill Light: In a makeup tutorial, your primary light will generate harsh shadows that will give you depth but will be counter-productive. Here's where the fill light comes in. By positioning it at a 45-degree angle from the camera, it will fill the shadows

Backlight: This light is optional. It all depends on the video style. It is positioned behind you to create rim light. This will make you distinguish from the background.

Avoid following lighting when filming makeup videos

When deciding which light to use for makeup, it is critical to keep color accuracy and color balancing standards in mind. Lighting for makeup videos influences color contrast, mixing consistency, and other things. Here are some lighting that you should avoid:

Fluorescent lighting: Fluorescent lighting is too bright and unflattering. Improper lighting alters your skin tone and how sections of your face appear, so it might lead to you selecting the wrong hues of cosmetics for your face.

Blue light: While cool sunlight-like light is ideal, a strong blue component might make you appear tired. Make an effort to keep your lighting as natural as possible.

Rose coloured light: Red and rosy light may give your face a healthy-looking glow, but it can also distract you from your true appearance. Although you may prefer your appearance in red light, it is better to choose something with more blue.

Using softbox to diffuse lighting for makeup videos if needed

Harsh shadows and really bright light will damage your makeup videos. This is when softbox plays a role.

A softbox is a type of light modifier that restricts light from an artificial source in a wire-framed box and releases it via a diffusion layer. It is often used as a soft light source that reduces sharp shadows. Due to the consistent soft quality of light it generates, it is versatile and used in various types of videos and photography.

More tips to make your makeup video stand out

Besides setting up the lighting for makeup vlog properly, there are more tips to improve the video quality.

Don’t make your background mess up

The background is an extension of your style, brand, and channel. You should make an informed decision. Seasoned cosmetic vloggers agree that white, grey, and pink are the best backdrop colors for makeup videos.

Here are some tips to help you choose the background.

  • To make you stand out, use a backdrop that contrasts with what you're wearing.
  • If you want to match the color of the backdrop, select something with a darker tone.
  • Choose basic pieces that will not distract the audience.
  • Wear simple, solid-colored attire.
  • Avoid wearing black in your makeup videos since it might make your dark circles appear more prominent, giving you a fatigued appearance.

Use tripod to ensure stable camera recording

Once you've purchased your camera, you'll need a sturdy tripod to hold it still. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the basic concept stays the same. They provide a stable video recording that is free of shaking, swaying, and camera tumbles.

The sort of tripod you end up purchasing will be determined by the equipment you select. A strong tripod equal to the weight of a DSLR is required. There are also dedicated mounts and tripods intended to hold a smartphone and a ring light together to create a low-cost content-recording solution.