Further Inspiration for Advert 1 - Wash & Dry Advert

Mac Check List

I made a check list of everything that I wanted my advert to include to make it look like a Mac advert and not just a random brands advert. Below are a list of things Mac always or mostly stick to when doing their collection adverts: 

-Youthful, doll-like models

-Slim and stereotypically pretty models

-No eye contact with the camera

-Models in very staged, static positions

-Flawless, dewy skin 

-Perfectly executed makeup

-Bold lip and eyes, with strong contour

-Photos taken in studio with studio lighting

-Fake/plastic looking back ground

-Bright colours used

-Highly edited images to make models look fake/doll-like

-High contrast in images

-Limited text, only Mac logo and collection title

Spring/Summer Check List

I also made a list of the Spring/Summer makeup and hair trends that I wanted to include in my advet to make sure that my advert was very on trend and current looking. I have listed them all below, however I will only incorporate my favourites into my looks. 

-Wet-look hair

-Deep side parts

-Pigtails

-Exaggerated eyelashes

-Black kohl eyeliner

-Luminous skin

-Graphic liner

-Braids

-60s theme

-Fake tan

-Dual textured hair

-Blue eyes

-Matte red lip

-Metallics

My Chosen Model

I have chosen for this girl to be my model because I feel like she fits the Mac model brief. She has got a youthful, plump face with bright eyes and full lips. I love that my model has very structured eye brows because it gives her face structure and frames the eyes. I like that her eyes are slightly oriental looking because it gives the model a unique look. My model has prior experience in modelling which will help her feel more comfortable and confident in front of the camera. My model has very clear skin and a plump face, giving her a doll-like look that I will accentuate with the makeup and editing.  She is very slim and long limbed, but not skinny because I don't want the advert that I create to give the wrong impression to young girls. She has long hair which means it will give me freedom when thinking of what hair design I want to do on her. 

Inspiration for my Advert

I wanted my advert to have a fantasy element to it and for it showcase something that young girls and women aspire to be like. I chose Mac's Wash & Dry Collection as the collection I would be advertising in my advert because I wanted to chose I title I felt I could interpret different from Mac to make the advert look different and unique. Mac's Wash & Dry collection wasn't water proof; however I want my Wash & Dry collection to be water proof and I want this to be the theme of my advert. I want the advert to be set in a place where people may want to wear makeup but they may also get wet. I initially started to think of locations I could shoot in; however Mac tend to keep their advert shoots in a studio and give it a fantasy, fake look, so I wanted to continue Mac's signature style. 

JAMIENELSONFASHIONANDBEAUTYPHOTOGRAPHER, 2011. Emirates Woman fashion magazine editorial with Model Vesna Parcina [viewed 6th March 2016]. Available from: http://jamienelsonphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/shoot-with-model-vesna-parcina-at-muse.html?view=magazine

JAMIENELSONFASHIONANDBEAUTYPHOTOGRAPHER, 2011. Emirates Woman fashion magazine editorial with Model Vesna Parcina [viewed 6th March 2016]. Available from: http://jamienelsonphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/shoot-with-model-vesna-parcina-at-muse.html?view=magazine

I was inspired by this pool-side themes photoshoot for Emirates Women fashion magazine because the models ooze confident and sex appeal and they look very high fashion. I like the use of gels to give the images different tints of colour. I think the blue gel works really well because it represents the blue reflection off the water, as if the models were sat on a poolside. All these images were taken in a studio by photographer, Jamie Nelson, but props have been used to give the impression they are either by a pool or on the beach. I like the use of inflatables because it gives a clear theme to the shoots and also adds a fun and playful feel. I like that the colours used a very bright because it adds to the playful feel and it reflects the bright and bold colours used in my researched Mac adverts. I like that the models don't look like girls would if they were realistically sat by a pool, but they instead look very glamorous, stylish and dolled-up. They are wearing swim suits, but then wearing heels, jewellery and their hair and makeup are done as if they were going to a glamorous evening event. I like that the models are wearing swim suits and not bikinis because I think it makes them look more classy and sophisticated.

JAMIENELSONFASHIONANDBEAUTYPHOTOGRAPHER, 2011. Emirates Woman fashion magazine editorial with Model Vesna Parcina [viewed 6th March 2016]. Available from: http://jamienelsonphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/shoot-with-model-vesna-parcina-at-muse.html?view=magazine

My favourite image is the bottom right because it is more of a close-up, meaning you can see the makeup more clearly and the model's hair and makeup look flawless. She is wearing a retro inspired swim suit and statement jewellery, making her look very glamorous and of high status. She is resting a clear umbrella, with gold rimming and a gold handle, over her shoulder which frames her face to draw attention to the makeup. I like how you can still see her hair and through the umbrella as otherwise I think it would have taken up too much of the frame and be too overpowering. The model is sat on a yellow plastic chair, leaning back as if she were catching the sun. I like that she is still in a staged looking pose, as if she knows she is being photographed because this is the static and almost fake look that Mac go for. The model's skin on her body and face looks very perfected and glowy which I love as it is very desirable to women and makes her look almost like a perfect doll, which is the look Mac strive to achieve. The models glossy hair has been curled and styled with a lot of body which I like because it almost looks like glamourised beach hair; however I would consider making my model have wet-look hair to make it look like she has just come out of the water, making it slightly more realistic. I also want to emphasise that the makeup in this collection is water proof and so the model can go in the water and still have her makeup looking perfect. I love how bold the black lip looks and how it ties in with the dark pattern in her swim suit; however I will incorporate more spring/summer 2016 trends into my look to make it more current. They may have given the model black makeup because the coloured gels would have distorted the colouring, so I need to consider the coloured gels and the colouring of the makeup when I come to designing it. I like that the model isn't making eye contact with the camera because it makes her look like she's too important and highly regarded to look at the camera; making her look very confident and powerful.

Further Inspiration... Beyonce for H&M

I was inspired by the lighting in this shoot for H&M showcasing Beyonce's swimwear collection. She is leaning against a blue background and then there is an oversized shadow of a leaf projected all over her face and body. I love that the shadows at an exotic touch to the image, without actually including any set pieces or props. I think the shadows also add a sexy look to the image, as it covers her slightly, adding a sense of mystery. I may experiment with adding shadows over my model, either with a water pattern to represent the reflection off the water, or a palm tree effect like this to make it look like she is on an exotic beach. 

Beyonce H&M Collection
KARMALI, S., 2013. Beyonce for H&M: Full Advert Unveiled [viewed 6th March 2016]. 
Available from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2013/03/21/beyonce-
hm-campaign--collection-confirmed/gallery/962036

Annette Wahl
I was inspired by the playfulness of this image and how she is holding a fun inflatable. The images I have research before are all very static, with no relaxed facial expressions; however I may want to add some fun inflatables into my advert to add a touch of silliness to my shoot because it will reach a younger audience. I will still keep the model looking very Stepford wife-like because I want to continue Mac and Miles Aldridge's theme of creating a fantasy dream-like world. I would not use a composition like this for my shoot because I think it is focusing more on the outfit rather than the makeup, which is primarily what Mac would want to showcase. I like the contrast between the pink and the orange because I think it looks very warm and summery, but it is also a bold statement with the clashing of the colours. I like how the body looks; however for some reason I am drawn to her feet because they don't look as perfect as the rest of her body. You can see the skin wrinkling around the foot and there is discolouration around the heels. If I were to include feet in my Mac advert then I would have to make sure they look flawless so that they don't take focus and so they blend with the rest of the perfected body. Another lesson I learned from looking at this image was that you need to add shadow to give the image depth. This image looks very flat to me, which I don;t like and I think it's because the image hasn't got a high contrast and the lighting is quite flat looking. I will need to make sure I keep enough depth in my image, even if I am experimenting with gel lights!

WAHL, A., 2016. Portfolio [viewed 6th March 2016]. Available from: http://annettewahl.com/category/lifestyle/

Resources:

JAMIENELSONFASHIONANDBEAUTYPHOTOGRAPHER, 2011. Emirates Woman fashion magazine editorial with Model Vesna Parcina [viewed 6th March 2016]. Available from: http://jamienelsonphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/shoot-with-model-vesna-parcina-at-muse.html?view=magazine