How to Slay the Passport Makeup Trend at Your Next ID Photoshoot

Of all the itty-bitty tasks that come with travel prep, dragging yourself across town and through assorted official channels only to end up with a less-than-ideal ID photo is definitely not a favorite. While it's certainly not life- or even day-ruining, you may feel a minor cringe every time you get carded. But forget the low-stakes annoyance of a bad photo and imagine the totally disproportionate sense of pride you'd feel with an amazing ID photo.

We've all seen photos of celebrities, influencers, and friends who manage to take a legitimately great passport picture, and with that comes a million questions about lighting and multiple tries. As much as nailing the shot seems more sorcery than science, there's a surprising amount you can do with your makeup and hair to ensure your official pictures are as close to grid-worthy as possible. To give us the best shot at achieving the ever-elusive ID photo with the TikTok-viral "passport photo makeup" trend, Byrdie spoke to top celebrity beauty experts.

Keep reading for the best behind-the-scenes tips on getting as close to picture-perfect as possible.

How To Style Your Hair For ID Photos

Before you start styling, the first thing to do is check out the necessary photo guidelines for the documents you're after. School IDs and state-issued licenses are often more flexible, but federal IDs like passports tend to have more stringent requirements for skin tone–altering makeup or face-obscuring hair. From there, it's a matter of prep work and realizing that hair that looks good in IRL situations isn't always the hair that looks best on camera.

Celebrity hairstylist Christin Brown says it's a common misconception, too. When we look at incredible hairstyles in magazines or on social media, she says, it's rarely because of the hair's actual integrity. "I'm constantly picking apart this narrative with clients in the salon because clients need to know that there is a difference," she explains. A photo is just that—a single image captured in a split second. It's not necessarily an accurate depiction of reality. The good news is that means there's a ton you can do for success.

Brown tells Byrdie that hair prep is absolutely vital for capturing the best look on camera, no matter your desired style. "One of my suggestions is to always kick off the styling session with damp hair and smoothing cream (for a sleek style) or your favorite curl cream," she says. "This can really set the tone for style memory."

Unless you're very attached to a particular updo, wearing your hair down may be easier to control and adjust in the middle of a photoshoot, too, says celebrity hairstylist and Mane Addicts Artist Cherilyn Farris. Her best advice is to keep the look simple, focusing on shape, shine, definition, and placement. Farris points out that shine acts as a hair highlight. "Think about what will be visible from a straight-on photo," she recommends, adding that enhancing your natural texture is a solid bet. For straighter or wavier textures, Farris is a fan of touching up with a GHD Flat Iron before finishing with the Balmain Texturizing Volume Spray. When working with curly textures, she loves the Ouai Rose Hair Oil for its rich, nourishing shine—it even doubles as a body oil for extra sheen on the collarbones, shoulders, and décolletage.

For the straightforward, head-on nature of an ID photo, Farris recommends wearing hair down with one side tucked behind your ear or shoulder. "This will make sure your face is visible but your hair still looks intentional. Half-up styles are also great if you want your hair away from your face but still have hair visible from the front," she adds.

And if it's a specific style you're after, make sure to bake in enough time to really let the products set in. Brown says one of her top styling tips is to let hair set for as long as possible before a photo for optimal volume and shape. "If you're going for big runway hair, doing a roller set before anything would give the hair a long-lasting style," she says. "For frizz prevention, I'm going for a cream like the Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother on damp hair to control frizz for 72 hours, smooth hair, define curls, and condition before styling."

How To Do Your Makeup For ID Photos

These days, it's not a big concern that ID photos will look too shadowy or grainy—you'll usually have a totally dizzying flash that will illuminate everything and then some, especially with passport photos, in which proper lighting and clarity are the most important factors. Ever see those hilariously suspect photos of celebrities swanning around the red carpet with what looks like huge clouds of baby powder across their faces? That can happen if the makeup you're wearing is formulated with flashback-inducing ingredients like zinc oxide, found in products with SPF.

According to celebrity makeup artist Nydia Figueroa, it's okay if the makeup you wear to the photo feels and even looks much heavier than you'd normally prefer. A face (and neck) canvas that's as close to flawless as possible calls for more primer, concealer, and a full-coverage foundation. With the base of your look prepared, Figueroa explains it's important to add structure back in through contouring. "Contour is the best way to make your features pop," she explains, "but you want to apply it in layers and [blend it in well] so that it mimics a natural shadow." She adds that applying highlighter is an excellent move for photos but recommends sticking to a cream or liquid highlight for a more natural, lit-from-within glow that doesn't read too harsh under the flash. "Apply your blush high up on your cheekbones to lift and contour under the blush to sculpt," Figueroa suggests, and "stick your chin out, especially if you don't have a strong jawline, as this will not only make you look confident but more structured in the face."

Additionally, this is another area in which you'll want to research photo guidelines pretty extensively. Passport rules like maintaining skin color consistency might sound bizarre or irrelevant in a vacuum but actually translate to no red, black, or otherwise bright or unnatural-colored lipstick. In the case of your official ID photos, which you'll likely hang on to for several years, it's always wise to go with a simple yet defined, natural-adjacent look that emphasizes your bone structure and immediately identifiable features like eyes, eyebrows, and lips, says celebrity makeup artist and Mane Addicts Artist Brittany Sullivan. "Think how you'd do your makeup and hair to feel polished for say, a job interview, but not too much pressure because the lighting makes such an enormous difference in how makeup shows up."

Sullivan leaves us with grounding advice, reminding us that there really is a tremendous amount of luck in securing a great passport photo. Plan and prepare, sure, but know it's not totally in your control—or the end of the world if you end up with a less-than-stellar one.