Boudoir blog for women in Maryland, Virginia & DC who are interested in booking a boudoir photoshoot near them. Products, clients, tips and tricks are a few of the things you’ll find on the Lavish Boudoir Blog.
How to prepare your skin for a boudoir photoshoot.
When you’re going to show a lot of skin in your boudoir photoshoot, you need to take care of it. The Dos and one big DO NOT will have you glowing in photos.
You’re going to be showing A LOT of skin… so let’s make it look good.
I’d say that at least 90% of my clients are surprised when I say they should NOT tan in the sun, in a bed, from a bottle or any other method.
“But my skin looks so much better with a tan!”
Let’s think about that… the reason most of us like a tan is because it disguises flaws like cellulite, stretch marks, and spider veins. It can even make us look a little thinner. I get it. I looove my skin tanned and I’ve used every browning strategy out there.
Here’s why you don’t need that color boost:
Lighting takes care of most of the blemishes mentioned. Anything else can be easily smoothed in Photoshop.
Proper posing makes you look longer and leaner.
Fair skin (or just your natural tone) is more reflective which creates a softening effect.
Every single one of my clients is asked to apply this lotion before their boudoir photoshoot. It doesn’t look like much in person, but it is positively luminescent in photos.
So, if you’re not allowed to tan… what should you do to prepare your skin?
Hydrate from the inside. Drink lots of water and cut back on sugar/soda and alcohol.
Hydrate from the outside. Apply a moisturizing mask (test for a reaction way before your photoshoot) or get a facial.
Wax/pluck/shave any spare hairs. Check your chin, nipples and butt cheeks for sneaky ones.
Exfoliate 2 days before your session. I like a dry brush.
Practice self care. Try to get 8 hours of sleep and your blood pumping.
Also, if you want to make your skin products work better, I love my BeautyBio microneedle tool. I haven’t tried the body attachments. If you do, let me know how you like them in the comments.
Shop your own closet for boudoir
One of the biggest concerns for a boudoir photoshoot is
What do I wear?!
I’ve got great news for you…. the perfect wardrobe might be hanging in your closet right now.
At the Lavish Boudoir studio, our photoshoots run about 90 minutes (although I often run over-time when I’m having fun). This allows for 3 wardrobe changes + white sheets. So that starts us off easy.
OUTFIT #1: Nothing at all, but draped in our white sheets.
OUTFIT #2: A sheer and clingy t-shirt/tank matched with boy briefs or CK undies
OUTFIT #3: A black bra and panty set or bodysuit
OUTFIT #4: A slouchy sweater over a pretty bra and undies
Tada! No fuss wardrobe without spending a dime.
If you book with Lavish Boudoir, we’ve also got some amazing pieces for borrowing in our wardrobe. If you’d like to check them out, click the Book Free Consult Button up there on the right!
Loving on a single mom.
Miss T had been on the fence about a boudoir photoshoot for ages and just hadn’t pulled the trigger. When I asked for women who would be wiling to sign a model release and full artistic control in exchange for a session discount, T was one of the first to apply.
I think it was the makeup-free photo in a Hogwarts sweatshirt that sealed the deal for me. She had these huge glasses covering these sparkling eyes. Her insanely beautiful red hair and porcelain skin just added to her beauty.
She honestly didn’t say much in her application. Some women spill their guts, but something in her photos spoke to me.
When I met T, there’s this warmth to her that makes you feel like you’ve always been friends. She mentioned her son and her eyes lit up. She told me about moving here from Houston. She told me about the new job she was hoping to take. She told me about her best friend whose name is tattooed on her wrist.
Being a single mom is not easy. But she never once had a single negative thing to say about it. Her strength and quiet confidence made her so easy to photograph.
When I photograph a woman, I want to see the emotions in her. I learned from a mentor a long time ago how powerful it is to put women in touch with these emotions. We are so often going through the motions of life, that we don’t stop to recognize what we feel. When we are allowed to do that, and then it’s captured on camera, it is so freeing.
An emotion that I’m not particularly comfortable with is vulnerability. So I rarely photograph it it. I prefer confidence, joy, desire, laughter, flirtation… anything but vulnerable.
But that day, it spoke to me. Because I’m pretty sure that T doesn’t let herself get vulnerable too often. I’m sure she’s built up her confidence and to let some vulnerability show is uncomfortable. I didn’t realize how often I captured her throughout the photoshoot in this way until I went through the images to share here. But she makes it look beautiful, right?
T, you are just an amazing young woman and I am so glad you sent me that 2-sentence e-mail to model and the photo in the Harry Potter sweatshirt because girrrrl, you rocked this shoot and I loved being your photographer.
CLICK PHOTOS TO SEE SLIDESHOW
Boudoir Goggles:
I see the women in the world through boudoir goggles.
Where she sees a messy ponytail, I see a woman who is too busy kicking ass to spend time pushing her hair out of her face.
Where she sees thighs that rub holes in her jeans, I see curves and feminine beauty.
Where she sees crow’s feet, I see someone who laughs so hard her face squinches up.
Where she sees short, I see petite.
Where she sees awkwardly skinny, I see leggy.
Where she sees a soft tummy, I see a body that created a human.
When a woman talks to me and tells me she could never do a photoshoot because of (enter one of thousands of excuses here), I want to just shake her and prove that
1) She’s exaggerating her insecurities 5-fold so that they take on a life of their own.
2) She is enough, she is beautiful. Her femininity is aching to be recognized.
3) She deserves to be served. She deserves to receive the energy that she lavishes out to everyone else.
I see all women as these amazing humans with superhuman potential and incredible beauty. It’s such a privilege to capture that with my camera and I never take my role for granted. It’s my job to guide you to recognizing that beauty in yourself. Even when you’ve got a messy ponytail, shadows under your eyes, and jeans that won’t quite button that day.
If you’re ready to see yourself through boudoir goggles, please allow myself or another experienced photographer show you who we see.
Or send a quick e-mail to receive more information:
Our newest and most luxurious offering
I’m a woman who likes pretty things and there is nothing pretty than our new bespoke fusion albums. I could tell about the genuine Italian leather, or the high-definition video screen, or the quality of each page as you turn photo-by-photo. But let me show you instead.
If you want the most amazing gift for him or for yourself, this boudoir album is it. Our clients have filled it with up to 96 pages of gorgeous photos and videos. Let me know what you think!
If you’d like more information about a boudoir photoshoot in our female-run studio, just fill out the contact information below! I look forward to hearing from you!
The quest for better skin continues...
There are quite a few brands of rollers, but what I love most about BeautyBio is the brand. I’m all about supporting the fellow female entrepreneurs. Especially the ones with heart and passion for what they’re selling.
I used this in November for a few weeks straight. The first time, I gotta admit… those tiny little needles hurt like a mo-fo. I think I was a bit aggressive with my rolling. It felt like a bad sunburn until morning. But at least it did get the blood flowing. After that, my night routine was to lightly roll my whole face in all directions and then apply my Clinique moisturizer. I don’t love that moisturizer, so I won’t bother to go look at the specific one.
After I eased up on the roller, it never hurt and it didn’t cause more than a minor flush, like when I exfoliate. It was actually kind of enjoyable because it takes about 5 minutes (an eternity in mom-time), but you feel like it’s actually working. When Adeana and I met in December, she told me my skin was glowing! Which never happens because as mentioned, I have dry dessert skin. First thought, “Oh shit, I hope I’m not pregnant.” Second thought, “Oh yay! My roller is working!”
I confess, my skin feels like it’s aging by the minute. The humidity of South Georgia (and no kids) kept my skin relatively bouncy and young.
Then I moved to Albuquerque in 2015 and these beautiful cloudless days have sucked every last bit of moisture from my sleep-deprived skin. And no, I don’t drink enough water. It sometimes feels pretty hopeless to keep my skin glowing.
While I love an effective beauty treatment, two studios and two children, a super-hot husband and an attempt at a regular gym routine, mean that spending an hour or two per week mid-day at a spa just isn’t going to happen. Also, I’m terrible at sitting still, so I don’t really relax.
Adeana and I discussed the GloPRO Microneedling from BeautyBio and decided to give it a whirl. It’s all over the youtube beauty scene and has gotten some pretty glowing reviews (see what I did there?). It’s a splurge, I’m not gonna lie. But I waited until I could get a discount from Sephora. As I’m writing this, there’s a coupon code on the actual beauty bio site for 25% off (BRIGHT25).
I used this in November for a few weeks straight. The first time, I gotta admit… those delicate little needles hurt. I think I was a bit aggressive with my rolling. It felt like a bad sunburn until morning. But at least it did get the blood flowing. My night routine was to lightly roll my whole face in all directions and then apply my Clinique moisturizer. I don’t love that moisturizer, so I won’t bother to go look at the specific one.
After I eased up on the roller, it never hurt and it didn’t cause more than a minor flush like when I exfoliate. It was actually kind of enjoyable because it takes about 5 minutes (an eternity in mom-time), but you feel like it’s actually working. When Adeana and I met in December, she told me my skin was glowing! Which never happens because as mentioned, I have dry dessert skin. First thought, “Oh shit, I hope I’m not pregnant.” Second thought, “Oh yay! My roller is working!”
There are quite a few brands of rollers, but what I love most about BeautyBio is the brand. I’m all about supporting the fellow female entrepreneurs. Especially the ones with heart and passion for what they’re selling. I love this quote from their site:
Female-owned, people-minded, BeautyBio strives to empower through skincare because we believe beauty can change the world one confidence boost at time. We want you to hustle and be boss babes (and guys), so while you’re building your empire, we’re committed to making sure your skincare routine remains easy, effective and stress-free. - BeautyBio.com
Does that sound in alignment with the Lavish brand? Yes! Also, her branding is rose gold and I’m a sucker for rose gold.
I’ve been kind of slacking on skin care with the holidays and the Valentine’s Boudoir rush. So I’m going to include my best smile wrinkles in a selfie and then update mid-March. Ooh, maybe I’ll splurge on their R45 retinol treatment, too. Stay tuned!
What’s your favorite dry/old skin tip? I’d love to know what you know.
