🏫🎓BIC University 🎓🏫

[danielledanielle]

Welcome everyone to BICU Thread!  The only university that's pretty much accept all, serve all. (That's right, there's a 100 percent acceptance rate. )

  

WHAT IS BICU?

• Compounding of various threads (coming soon) to address some beauty basics and further highlight the 🤌🏽🤌🏽 of the BIC.
• Discussion/Exploration in the beauty space where members can post/comment on things they feel the have an expertise on, aka mini member masterclasses.  (Updated to say: think of it as TED talk x BIC 🤣)
• School spirit... Feel free to share any fun beauty gifs and pics here repping BIC  

 miss ya @JeffreyBD 

For a mini masterclass, posting styles suggested are:

• Essay
• Q&A
• Step by step, how to (think like a wikiHow)
• Photo journal
• Listicle
• Dealer's choice (a blend of the above...hey, if you want to teach an all gif lesson, go for it)

The goal is to have a well of personalized info that can be drawn from whenever.  Following social media can be helpful, but it's also nice to have real person tips and tricks.

[itsfi]

FLATLAY SKILLSHOP 101

MODULE 1: Lighting & Angles - January 6 - 19

• Finding The Right Light For You 

            -  Natural vs. Artificial Lighting

            -  Time of Day & Positioning 

            -  Tips & Tricks to Improve Your Lighting

• Knowing Your Angles

            -  A View From Above

            -  Tackling it Head On

            -  Unique Angles

EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES NEEDED:

- Camera

- Products - My recommendation

ASSIGNMENTS:

There are 4 assignments in this module. Post your photos for this Module 1 here, including the Assignment #.

In a reply to this post, I will include notes on how I approached these assignments, with some examples. 

📚  Assignment 1 - Find the best light in your home (or wherever you will be taking your photos for this Module) for taking photos.

• Natural light usually offers the best lighting. If you can find a spot in your home where you can get natural light AND there's space for you to lay out your products AND take photos, that's your spot.
• If you are not home when it's light out, then find the space in your house with the best lighting and space for taking photos. 

NOTE: if you're working with natural light, the "best light" may depend on the time of day the photo is taken. If the light is too bright, your photo can come out overexposed. If there's not enough natural light coming in, your photo can have a hazy or dark look to them.   

📚  Assignment 2a - Flatlay shot - After finding your photo spot, lay out your products flat on a surface and take photos.

• How should I set up my products? However you want. For this first part though, let's go with laying out the products flat on the surface. If the surfaces where you will take photos are uneven or you run into problems with your products rolling off the surface or not being able to lay flat, place a towel - dish towel, bath towel, washcloth - on top of your surface to make it easier to lay the products flat against it. 

📚  Assignment 2b - Flatlay at an angle - If you are finding that taking the photo directly above your products is showing shadows or one of your products is causing a glare or reflection, try angling your camera slightly - instead of having your camera directly over the photos, tilt it slightly up and towards you.

📚  Assignment 3 - Head on shot - In the same spot where you took a photo of the flatlay arrangement, now arrange your products for a head-on shot - stand your products up and take your photos "head on" - level your camera with the products and point your camera directly at the products. 

Assignment 4 - If your the set up of the room where you are taking your photos allows for it, try taking your photos with the light source at different positions - if natural light, with the window behind your products or to the left side or the right side, above your products and/or in front of your products. If you're not using natural light, do the same but with the light source behind coming from behind your products, to each side of your product, above your products and/or in front of your products.

Questions after finishing Module 1
1. Based on this exercise, where (and, if applicable, when / what time) is the best lighting in your home (or wherever you are taking your photos) for your product photos?

2.  Do you have a preference for taking your photos overhead (traditional flatlay) or head on?

[itsfi]

Assignment 1:  

I am fortunate in that I can get a good amount of natural light in every room of my house during daylight hours. The bathroom, however, doesn't have a lot of surface space to place product so that was a no go.

I went through a process of elimination to narrow down the rooms that had a good natural light source AND enough surface space near that light source for me to lay out my products. That left the bedrooms and the kitchen. Of those rooms, the kitchen offered the most surface space and two other sources of light - recessed lighting and the light from the range, so I went with setting up my shots in the kitchen.

I ran into some issues with the weather - when I took the photos with the overhed shots, it was overcast pretty much all day. I had more sunlight coming in on the day I took the head on shots. 

Assignment #2: Flatlay (directly above products as well as with camera slightly tilted)

I chose a spot on my kitchen counter with the window slightly above where my products were set out and to the right of them - the lighting is natural and indirect. I placed my products on the counter and left them there all day, taking photos throughout the day when I was home. I took photos both (i) with my camera positioned directly over the products and (ii) at a slight angle - tilting my phone slightly up and closer to me. 

Spoiler

7:30AM

Spoiler

10:00 AM (and the rest of the day): I messed up with the spoilers but will try to fix it later tonight. For now, the rest of the day is all here.

Spoiler

Same set up but using recessed lighting:

Spoiler

1:15PM



Same set up but with recessed lighting:



3:00PM: The sun came out very briefly. 

Spoiler

5:30PM: The sun set shortly after 5:00pm and there was little to no natural light to be had after that, so these pics were taken with recessed lighting.

Spoiler

• Thoughts from Assignment 2:

          ⭐  For me, having even just the teensiest bit of sunlight produces a better photo. 

          ⭐  The lid to the lip scrub had my phone cover (and sometimes my fingers) photobombing every shot - tilting my phone just a little bit made for a cleaner shot, though my phone cover didn't look so bad. 

          ⭐  Shooting with recessed lighting from that spot produced more shadows than I prefer. I will try it again this week but will take the photo standing from a different position (~ assignment 4)

Assignment #3 - same countertop but instead of laying the products flat on top of the counter, I lined up the products upright and against the wall. 

Spoiler

• Thoughts from Assignment 3

          ⭐ It was sunny on the day I took these pics and that made the resolution for every shot brighter.

          ⭐ The shadows when shooting with the recessed lighting still isn't ideal for me. I'll try doing something different with it over the next weeks, a la Assignment 4.

Assignment 4 photos with these same products will be put up at a later date (after I do the assignment, lol).

If you have questions about one of the assignments or a hiccup you are running into with taking pics that are not answered here, but you would prefer not to post the question on the thread, you can PM me your question.  I'll collect all such questions and aim to post responses to them in subsequent posts here (without identifying who asked the questions).  BIC has changed some of its setting, so please make sure that you are set up to receive a reply PM from me. 

FAQs:

Spoiler

What if I need more light for a better photo?

You can try using a light ring, the flashlight from another camera, or an actual flashlight. I'll try to put up some photos of this later in the week or over the weekend.

How many shots should I take?

That's up to you. There are different schools of thought on this one. Many people, most, will likely say to take as many as you can, hundreds, thousands. The rationale there is that you have a lot of options to choose from and you can pick the best shot. Completely fair point. If this is something you can do and it suits you, go for it; or if your career or work involves taking the "perfect" shot, then taking more photos / having more options makes absolute sense.

If I had more patience and time, both to take photos and look over them to find the most perfect one, I *might* take a lot more shots than I do. I've grown accustomed to not taking as many shots when I'm taking photos at home, so I don't take very many. If I'm taking photos elsewhere, I often take more than I do now, but not too much more. 

At the moment, I either (a) take maybe 2 - 5 shots and pick the best out of them or (b) take an initial photo, look it over to see what, if any, adjustment needs to be made - i.e., did I capture all the products in the frame or did I cut off one or more items? is the shot blurry? is that my hand, foot, etc. in the photo? and then either keep the photo and be done or make the necessary adustments and take a few more shots. If I'm taking photos in a place I'm not familiar with (e.g., I haven't figured out a set up or arrangement that I like or that's my signature set up), then I may take more photos - 10? 12? maybe a little more, at different angles and with different lighting. This is just the approach that works for me. I would do it differently if taking photos was part of my career or job. 

[itsfi]

FLATLAY SKILLSHOP 101 📷 

Happy New Year, BIC! Kids are heading back to school this month, and so are we here at BIC University! 

Next week, we'll be starting up with FLATLAY SKILLSHOP 101. A more detailed course description is contained in the spoiler. Topics are subject to change. 

SCHEDULE: 

➡️  January 6 - 19

     📸  MODULE 1: Lighting & Angles

• Finding The Right Light For You 

            -  Natural vs. Artificial Lighting

            -  Time of Day & Positioning 

            -  Tips & Tricks to Improve Your Lighting

• Knowing Your Angles

            -  A View From Above

            -  Tackling it Head On

            -  Unique Angles

➡️  January 20 - February 2

      📸  MODULE 2: Background & Props

            -  Using What You Already Have On Hand

            -  Keeping It Simple

            -  Being Extra

➡️  February 3 - 16

     📸  MODULE 3: Arrangement & Editing

            -  Beware of ... Glare, reflection, and photobombing your own shot with your thumb, foot, etc.

            -  Framing Your Shot

            -  Putting It All Together

A Year of Beauty- Photography Challenge- Year 2 can be a good resource. @Samtian mentions additional resources on the thread for more detailed information on some of the techniques that were a part of the monthly challenges.

OBJECTIVES:

🎯  Offer some tips, tricks, tools and techniques for taking flatlays

🎯  Provide a space to (i) practice taking and putting together flatlay photos, and (ii) work towards finding and developing your unique personal flatlay style.

EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES NEEDED:

📱 Camera - be it on your phone or DLSR [Note: I shoot 95% of my photos on BIC with my iPhone - it's an iPhone X so yes, it's old. Vintage, if you will. 😉 It's what I used for the very first photo I ever posted to the Community and it's what I use to this day. I share this because I want people to know that you can pretty much use whatever camera you have on hand to take good photos.]

💄  Products - select whichever products you feel comfortable using to do the assignments (ummmm, yes, there will be assignments - more on that in the FAQs below). You can use the same products for the duration of this skillshop or you can swap them out, as you wish.

       ⭐  Recommendation: Select 2 - 6 items to use in your photographs. My reasoning is this - having at least 2 items will give you an opportunity to learn and work with scaling and working with one item vis-a-vis another. 

EXPECTATIONS:

☑️  Be open - This skillshop will be about process as much, if not more than, the end results. You may or may not come away with "the perfect" flatlay set up or photo. If you do, that's fantastic! If you come away at the end of it with a tool or two to make taking flatlays easier or more convenient for you, or to make it more fun, even better! 

☑️  Have fun - Photography has been a hobby I have wanted to pursue for a long time. I fell into taking photos just by being on BIC - it combines two things that are of interest to me. I get that it can be frustrating if a photo doesn't come out the way you want the first tme or the 70th time. First, I would say that having a critical eye or setting a high bar for yourself is not a bad thing. I'd also say that we can be our harshest critic. It may be easier said than done, but try to cut yourself some slack when it comes to your photos. We're not professional photographers and we haven't been doing this for decades. This is "school" - the kind without grades or a final exam. The tips, tricks, techniques and takeaways from this are all meant to help make our photos better as we put them into practice.

☑️  Be collegial by being thoughtful (and helpful) with your feedback - Those who choose to share their photos are putting themselves out here. Feedback should be genuine and genuinely helpful. 

FAQs:

Spoiler

Did she say there's going to be assignments?

Yes, I did; and, yes, there will. 

Putting together flatlays are one of those things that are going to require some doing. So there will be assignments. However, at or before the start of every module, I will include a set of examples of how I approached or would approach the assignments. You don't need to go about doing it the exact same way, but there will be examples to serve as guides for you should that be helpful.

Do I have to post my photos? What if I'm not happy with how some of them turned out?

You don't have to post the photos for each module's assignments. As much as I would like for everyone who participates to do so, I recognize that some may not be comfortable with that, and some may just wish to see what others are doing and/or just pick up tips and tricks from what others are doing. So no, there's no requirement to post your photos. That said, it can be beneficial to get feedback from others. Also, if you are inspired by someone's photos and use them for your own photos (here or otherwise), give credit where credit is due. 

As mentioned above, I will post examples of what I did for the assignment - these will contain shots that I'm happy with and others that I'm less than thrilled with how they turned out. It's all part of the learning process. That being said, I've allocated about 2-weeks per session (including 2 weekends) to give folks time to take multiple photos for the assignments and have photos they are happiest with / that they feel most comfortable sharing, if at all. 

When should we post our photos?

You can post them anytime after the module has gone live / the assignment(s) has/have been posted. Each session is set up for approximately 2-week increments to give folks time to set up their shots for the assignment, take photos, retake photos, review them, and, if they choose to do so, to post them.

We all have different schedules and different demands on our time - I've included two weekends per session in the hope that it will provide more opportunity for everyone to find or squeeze in some time to complete the assignments. Also, if you are unable to post your photos for a session within that session's time period, not a problem. Just post it at a later date if you wish. Tag me [ @ + username (itsfi)] - I'll do my best to check back in here often but tagging me will help to remind me to do so.

Thank you to Dean @danielledanielle for her feedback on setting up this skillshop. 

Looking forward to class on Monday! Feel free to tag folks you think may be interested. 

[danielledanielle]

@CynthieLu 

@peculiarzmakeup 

@PDXXXX 

@Cissy63 

🤔

[Cissy63]

Thanks for the tag @danielledanielle!  I have always enjoyed learning something new 😀

[CynthieLu]

Thank you for the tag @danielledanielle this is really neat! 

[CynthieLu]

@Mellmars1185 @Titian06 @makeitup305 @blackkitty2014 

[Titian06]

Thanks for the tag, @CynthieLu ! 😘

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thanks for the tag @danielledanielle  and the beautifully summarized notes on the universities upcoming endeavors @itsfi  does this mean anyone can teach I would love to do one on winged liner 🙂  also my foremost gratitude of my acceptance I am so excited for this ❤️❤️❤️

[danielledanielle]

Lip Lab 🥼 💄

There's a few ways to get a killer lip.

Suggested Tools:

Lip brush

Applicators already included (doe foot, teardrop tip, brush, etc)

Mirror

Remover (aquaphor, Vaseline, coconut oil, etc)

Lipstick of choice

Lip products or product

Tissue for blotting

Lip prep:

Exfoliation (a scrub, a washcloth, a toothbrush)

Moisturizer: primer or mask or balm or oil

Optional clean up:

Q tips

Micellar water or balm cleanser

1. Prep your lips

This can be as laborious as you like it to be.  Usually in the morning I gentle rub my toothbrush over my lips after brushing and use a lip mask like LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C , but you can use Vaseline, aquaphor.  Then I brush my teeth, drink water , etc, some of the mask has when away.  Then I remove the rest with a washcloth or cleansing towel.

2. Choose your adventure. 

Lip oils and gloss are the most forgiving.  Just a swipe and you're good to go

Lip stains can be fun as well, they are dropping for me.  Some stains you can even apply and peel off!   I don't own many of these, but SEPHORA COLLECTION Cream Lip Stain 10HR Liquid Lipstick are fantastic.  You can apply, then blot them with a tissue to get a strain or just let them wear away.

2a.  Other Lip items (liquids, butters, etc) Sometimes I just go in and fill.  Lately, I've been using liner.  I draw thick lines on the outside.  Top lip is away from the center/Cupid's bow.  That's usually tricky for me.  If I get too off track, I use a tip in the same direction, almost like I'm trying to push the pigment into the lip vs wipe it away

Another way to do it is to use the tip of the lipstick like a liner, the Fenty Mattemoiselles were so good for this 🥲.  I know @WinglessOne enjoys this method.

Fingers! Mother herself (Pat McGrath) did this, just apply with your fingers.  This gives you a lot of control with the pigment.  I like using my fingers for ombre looks and smoothing out harsh edges (which I should've donr in the photo!)

3a lip brush 🖌️

This can also be fun to practice.  You can feather in a lipstick or use any lipstick with a brush.  Essentially trace a smidge outside your lip line.

[danielledanielle]

Additional Tips from It Cosmetics (dot) com

How Do You Properly Apply Lipstick?
With prep work out of the way, it’s officially time to learn how to apply lipstick like the pros do. Let’s dive right in.

Step One: Line and Fill In Lips With Liner
Consider lip liner a BFF to both your lips and lipstick. When used correctly, lip liner can help:

-Better define your lip shape
-Make lips appear fuller
-Prevent lipstick bleeding
-Turn virtually any lipstick into a long-wear formulation

There are a few techniques you can use when learning how to apply lip liner. If you want to simply define your existing lip shape, line the edge of your lips—AKA the vermillion border—with the lip liner. Next, fill in your lips with the liner.

If you want to create fuller-looking lips, you’ll need to check out an “over lining” lip liner tutorial. Starting at the cupid’s bow, lightly trace just beyond the natural shape of your lips. Don’t overline at the corners, which can look unnatural. The goal is to create a realistic fuller pout, so practice as much as necessary and send a selfie to a friend if you want a second opinion.

For either technique, use either a lip liner that matches your skin tone, or choose a lip liner color that closely matches your lipstick.

EMBRACE YOUR POUT!

Step Two: Apply Lipstick From the Center and Outward
Ah, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: putting lipstick on your lips. Focus your application at the center of your lips, which provides more control during application. From there, you can work your way to the outer borders.

Step Three: Blot Lipstick & Re-Apply
Blotting is an old-school makeup trick that can help prevent lipstick cracking, creasing, bleeding, and fading. Simply press your lips together over a tissue to remove extra product, then reapply and blot again.

Step Four: Add Gloss If Desired
If you prefer a shiny finish, top your lipstick with a lip-loving gloss like Pillow Lips Solid Serum Lip Gloss. Available in eight pretty hues, this collagen-infused formula keeps lips shiny and moisturized without any sticky or tacky residue.

Whether you’re wearing a bright red lipstick, a girlish pink, or have opted for a more natural hue, knowing how to apply lipstick like a pro will make for perfect lips every time.

[danielledanielle]

How I blontour - brushes and slight strategy

Obscenely bright light.  This is my bathroom light, there's another, but they are bright... Sometimes too bright.

 

The light casts a perfect cheek contour shape/shadow  vs where I can suck in my cheekbones

 

Using a brush, just like Dior suggested, works too.  Notice where I hope my cheeks in, it puts the shape too low...

Now let's look at brushes.  I like a small dome brush as suggested, but also a tapered brush

Iconic London Contour Nose brush

sigma F04 extreme structure contour ( I never realized that was the name until now, my gawsh)

Sonia G lotus fan

Sephora collection 47 (old version)

You can do this with just a contour brush, but the tapered brush I used to trace...

 

 Try to load up the taper brush, since it's flat on the side, I load that part up

Then I trace the shadow. It helps to aim slightly higher

Use your fluffy contour or cheek brush to blend up

Voila, blontour

NARS Talc-Free Powder Blush Dolce Vita – 888 

 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you for the throughou tutorial I had a little laugh when you said “sometimes the lights are very light too light” that made me smile and so did this tutorial I love each photo and the presentation I am gonna do this after work! I’m looking forward to it. Yours looks amazing 🤩 @danielledanielle 

[danielledanielle]

Blontour via Dior Masterclass

These pics are from the Masterclass

Some of the products used:

DIOR Dior Forever Natural Powder Bronzer 

Dior Blush Brush no. 16

DIOR Forever Glow Star Filter Multi-Use Complexion Enhancing Booster 

DIOR Dior Forever Skin Glow Hydrating Foundation 

DIOR Rosy Glow Blush 020 Mahogany 

DIOR Lip Glow Oil 

 

So this was used a lot, my guess is the smaller brush head (vs a large bronzer) helps with placement in smaller areas, but it need not  be so precise just slightly more concentrated vs a wash

The complexion was about a healthy glow, so think more radiance "lit from within"vs dewy, like you could use DIOR Dior Forever Matte Skincare Foundation vs the glow of you're more oily, or even their cushion or powder I fathom.  The star filter with skincare is also just great coverage, I'm oily combo and have been used it alone as foundation

 

 

 

Lining it up with the ear to find your natural light and shadows

 

Smiling and swiping it a little lower than your cheek to contour,

 Using the blush and brush to bring it in without adding additional color

Using the remaining color for a soft contour in the brow bone/socket

 

[Cissy63]

@danielledanielle  Thank you for this idea!  Oh and I too want to pick up a sweatshirt!  But I need a garden flag with our university name and colors 🥰

[danielledanielle]

@Cissy63That would look lovely, imagine the black white colors with BICU and a garden 🏡 🤌🏽🤌🏽

[danielledanielle]

Doll Face Blush for the Long Faced Dolls 

I think of this as subtle contouring with blush or bronzer with a kiss of color in the middle. 

To keep from looking too orange, I work in a gradient, using the deepest color at points away from my face and try to highlight/brighten the middle.

 

I like PMG's Bronzer for this, because desert glow has a bit of a shimmer to it. The bronzers are also very orange/pink which works well with my medium olive tone.

Tools:

Two Powder Bronzers and/or

Powder Highlight or Blush

Brightening powder (think yellow, pink, lavender)

A contour like brush

Two fluffy brushes, one for buffing and one for blending.

 

 

 

 

I lay down the highlighter first because that's my "burn" and I want to be able to spread it out. If your burn is a blush, do so accordingly.

 

I then add depth with my bronzer. I go heavy, because I also will use a lot of the leftover on the brush to unify everything.

Spoiler

 

 

 

I do sweeping motions up and out, and blend it in a c-shape motion. If needed, or desired, I may add another highlight and blend up and out with a fan brush.

 

I then use a different fluffy brush to buff my brightening powder across the face.  

Then I go and use the leftover bronzer again and drag it along my nose bridge and lightly dust

my forehead. 

 

Voila!

 

[lmaster]

Love this!! Great job with the step by step instructions!! @danielledanielle 

[Mellmars1185]

@danielledanielle What a great tutorial. I will definitely try this out. Thank you!

[Cissy63]

@danielledanielle  Thank you for the step by step instructions 🤗🤗. And the finished project deserves an A+🩷