How Do You Prepare Your Body For a Boudoir Photo Shoot?
How to prepare for your Boudoir Experience? DO NOT GO ON A DIET!
This may be the most important one. So many women make themselves wait to achieve a “goal” weight before they book their Boudoir experience, or they book their Boudoir photoshoot and then tell themselves that their weight will impact their day. It won’t. Why make yourself wait to feel good in yourself?
You do NOT need to lose weight for a Boudoir experience. The whole point of a Divine Divas Boudoir photoshoot is that it will give you a foundation of confidence that is irrespective of your weight. We want you to walk away with an affirmed sense of self-belief that will stand the test of time. Women’s bodies always change; our weight is often going up and down; our bodies change after childbirth and operations and the menopause - so what good is it hinging your confidence on what the scales say? We want to build a level of self-acceptance and celebration in yourself that means you will feel beautiful and sexy in yourself, no matter where your weight is.
More than that, I have known so many women come to us and say that their only regret is that they made themselves wait for so long to come in. I know you may not feel it, or even believe it, but trust me when I say - don’t overthink. If you want to feel confident, just book it! Your Boudoir photographer will make sure you feel relaxed and, trust us, you will LOVE your Boudoir photography.
Of course, nurture your body with healthy food and exercise before you come in - but do that from a place of self-love rather than shame. ♥️
Get your nails done if you fancy it!
If you don’t like getting your nails done, or frankly couldn’t care less about your nails, do not worry! The number one rule for Boudoir shoots is this: allow yourself to celebrate the person you ARE. You do not have to pretend to be anything you are not.
However, if you’re like me, and you always want to get your nails done but never seem to be able to find the time, DO IT! If you give your all to your Boudoir Experience, you will be able to see this as an invitation to really look after yourself; to find time for yourself, to invest in yourself, to treat yourself because you are worth treating! So book in that nail appointment!
Plus, from a photographic mindset, nails are always a brilliant detail in your Boudoir photos!
Same rule applies with your hair. (We wouldn’t suggest any spontaneous sudden changes.)
The month/week/day before your Boudoir Experience is not the time for any sudden hair changes. Divas, listen to me. Put the box dye down. Do not suddenly give yourself a fringe.
Please, yes, have fun experimenting with your self-expression…. but we just don’t want you having a crisis before your Boudoir session!
On the other hand, as with the nails, if your hair is due a trim or your roots need a touch-up, then book it in! Get in all of the pampering sessions before your experience.
Eat before you come in.
I am not kidding when I say 99% of Divas say they do not like, or are self-conscious of, their stomach. Woman feel so much shame about not having an entirely flat stomach. Please do not worry about that. Of course, we want you to walk away feeling empowered so we will take your worries into consideration and make sure we take beautiful, flattering photography but, more than that, we want you to embrace your body!
The photoshoot can be a bit of a workout (we take it at your pace so don’t worry, you absolutely do not need to be an athlete to do this!!) but what I am saying is that your body needs nourishment. Don’t skip breakfast purely to avoid bloating! Fuel your body and make sure you are drinking lots of water.
Don’t use fake tan if you don’t normally!
A lot of people feel insecure about being “pale” so they ask us whether they should go out and get spray tans… The short answer here is, no. Why? Well, firstly, your skin is gorgeous as it is and, secondly, you know what patchy fake tan can be like. If you’re not used to wearing fake tan, mistakes can happen and you can be left feeling uneven and very, well, orange.
There is a caveat to this. If you are confident with the fake tan, or always wear it and don’t feel like YOU without it, by all means go for it!
Also, if you do put it on and it ends up patchy - do not sweat it. We can work our magic so it’s not noticeable!
P.S The same advice applies for going on holiday just before your Boudoir session - beware of tan lines!
Wash your hair the night before and make sure it is dry when you come in.
We ask you to come in with clean, dry hair so that we can style it the day of your Boudoir photo shoot. If you have hair extensions, please arrive at the studio with them IN your hair. Ideally, make sure you are wearing extensions that can be styled with heat too.
If you have super long hair (i.e near your bum!) please let the team know so we can allocate you more styling time if needs be!
Come with a clean face; no make-up.
Same rules apply here. I know some people feel conscious of leaving the house with no make-up, and if that’s the case we don’t want you to feel bad in yourself but if you could still only put on minimal make-up (i.e just a bit of concealer!) that would be ideal! Before they do your hair and make-up, our make-up artist will cleanse your face, and it is a lot easier (and better for you!) if we don’t have to take your make-up off before we do that.
Also, if leaving the house make-up free does make you feel nervous, why not allow this to be an invitation to challenge yourself and to push yourself out of your comfort zone? It may be another opportunity to embrace yourself, as you are, and to push your boundaries! You are beautiful as you are Diva, remember that!
Please wear loose clothing to the studio. You can always bring another outfit to get changed into after!
When you turn up, please wear loose fitting clothing. The reason we ask this is so that you don’t have any clothing marks on your skin!
You can always wear a special outfit to change into after your Boudoir photoshoot. You will be feeling so sexy and so confident in yourself after your shoot, why not bring a look to match?! We always suggest doing something special after your experience with us anyway (like a meal or a drink with friends!) but, even if you’re not, why take the opportunity to wear something that makes you feel awesome? You’ll have had your make-up and hair professionally done so it’s nice to make the most of that!
Love and embrace every inch of your body!
This right here is the best tip I can give you. It can be very easy to build up an image of ourselves that is both not true, and also cruel to ourselves. I want you to go into your Boudoir Experience ready, and eager, to challenge any negative self-beliefs. This may be a real challenge for some people. It may be a life-long habit to the extent that you are used to seeing yourself and immediately hearing a negative thought in your mind. This is the chance to hear that comment and allow a second, KINDER voice to come in. We will be there to guide you and support you every step of the way, but the best gift you can give yourself here, and the best way to prepare, is to set a positive, loving, accepting intention in place. Practise self-love before you come in! Even if you would usually scoff at the idea of positive affirmations, try saying one nice thing about yourself EVERY day before you come in. You may not believe them but the language we use about ourselves is SO powerful, so it will have an impact.
You don’t need to change your body; you just need to be ready - and excited - to love yourself!!
Enjoyed this blog? You may also like these ones below!
5 More Top Tips: What You Need to Know Before Your Boudoir Experience
Boudoir Outfit Ideas: What To Wear For Your Boudoir Photoshoot