What Is the Viral 'Passport Makeup' Trend and How Can You Achieve It?

For some, passport photos are a breeze, but for many of us, they tend to leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully, the viral passport makeup trend offers a way to level up your photo. Makeup artists share how to perfect this look to make sure you look your best—even in less-than-ideal lighting and with a stoic expression. All you need is a little guidance and the right tools, like the best makeup light at home, to make it work.

What Exactly Is Passport Makeup?

The passport makeup trend embraces a no-makeup makeup look that focuses on light coverage and enhancing your natural features. "The trend gained popularity on TikTok after creator Georgia Barratt showcased a soft glam version for their passport photo," says makeup artist Kasey Spickard. "It’s about subtly defining and enhancing your features with contouring and brightening."

Enhancing your natural features is key because "gentle highlighting and contouring can get washed out on camera," says the expert. It’s also important to keep the look understated—resisting the urge for heavy, full-coverage makeup—especially when capturing a passport photo.

How to Achieve the Passport Makeup Look

Follow expert advice to master the passport makeup look before you take that all-important photo. From creating your base and contouring to defining your eyes and lips, you'll find it's simple to recreate this natural makeup look.

Step 1: Apply Your Base and Contour

Contouring is the first step in the passport makeup process. "When you're in a situation where you need to be photographed straight on, and you can't rely on your typical angles, you need to create your angles with contour," says makeup artist Elyse Reneau.

For contouring, Spickard suggests using a cream contour like Danessa Myricks Cream Bronzer, selecting a shade two to three tones darker than your skin. Apply it to sculpt areas such as the hollows of your cheekbones, chin, nose, and the crease of your eyes. Then, enhance those areas with a powder bronzer, such as Charlotte Tilbury Matte Bronzer in a similar shade range, according to the pro.

Brighten the under-eye area, center of your forehead, and chin with a high-coverage concealer, such as Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Longwear Concealer, in one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Set with a brightening setting powder, and finish the look by applying a cream blush (like the viral Charlotte Tilbury Pinkgasm) to the tops of your cheekbones, blending upwards toward the temple, and then setting it with a powder blush.

Step 2: Achieve Siren Eyes

Once your face makeup is done, it's time to shift focus to your eyes. The secret here is to embrace another viral TikTok trend: the siren eye. (Don't worry, it's easier than it sounds.)

Spickard explains that the first step to achieving the siren eye is to "deepen your crease with both cream and powder bronzer, and then brighten your eyelid with a soft nude eyeshadow." After that, simply add a "gentle flick of black winged eyeliner at the outer corner of your eye" and a small flick on the inner corner to elongate the eye. Spickard suggests using Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner, which has a fine, marker-like tip that makes the look easy to perfect.

Next, finish off your eye makeup by curling your lashes, focusing especially on the outer corners. Spickard recommends Maybelline Falsies Pushup Angel Mascara, though fluttery lashes are also a great option if you prefer that style.

Step 3: Define the Lips

The final step to completing the passport makeup look is to "overline your lips generously," as Barratt demonstrates in the video. The TikTok creator overlines with a brown liner and fills in with a mauve lip gloss. For a similar effect, Spickard recommends MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Cork or Stone, followed by HUDA Beauty Cream Glow Bullet Lipsticks, which Spickard loves for their wide range of "pinky nudes for all skin tones".

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the restrictions for clothing in a passport photo?

  Your passport photo must clearly show your face without any distortions, shadows, or texture. Therefore, items such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, uniforms, camouflage, hats, or other head coverings (except for religious or medical reasons) are not allowed. Additionally, scarves, jewelry, headphones, or anything else that obstructs the face cannot be worn.

• Are there makeup restrictions for passport photos?

  While the U.S. Department of State doesn’t impose any specific restrictions on makeup, it should be kept minimal and natural. The photo must clearly show your face, and significant alterations with makeup would not be accepted according to passport photo guidelines.

• Can I wear my hair down for my passport photo?

  There are no specific hairstyle rules from the U.S. Department of State, but if your hair is down, it must not cover any facial features like your eyes, eyebrows, or ears. Additionally, bangs should be pulled back, and your hair should not cast any shadows on your face or the rest of the photo.