Note: This article was first published in June 2022 and some details may be out of date.
– I think there are a lot of tired travellers who won’t be recognisable at passport control, says a Norwegian makeup artist.
Lately, passports have had an unusual amount of media coverage. After a couple of years of pandemic, hordes of Norwegians have discovered almost at the same time that their passport has expired – or is about to. It’s bad timing when you’ve finally booked a holiday abroad this summer.
The result is mile-long queues and some people who may have to prepare for yet another summer on Norwegian soil.
If your appointment to renew your passport is just around the corner, a new trend on TikTok might be relevant.A version of Passport makeup – makeup for your passport photo – has gone viral.
The website Popbuzz was the first to report on the trend. The influencer Georgia Barrett, who has just under 500,000 TikTok followers, shared a video clip in April that has brought her a lot of attention. In it she shows which makeup tricks make you look your best in your passport photo.
So far it has been viewed more than eight million times and has had a million likes.
According to Barrett, it’s mainly about creating as much symmetry in the face as possible. These methods also give you an apparent lift and make you as snatched as possible. This is done with, among other things, quite heavy contouring, a lighter concealer than you’d otherwise use and lots of brow gel.
Since she shared her passport-photo makeup, many have followed suit. Some simply call it the #passportchallenge.
@georgiejxmes Reply to @noonesgonnaknow3 my facial symmetry is like my patience: non-existent. But this is my far the best passport pic I’ve ever taken! #passportphotomakeup #passportphoto #passportphotos #passportphotochallenge
– My immediate thought is that it makes me want to update my passport photo, hehe, makeup artist Linda Nicolaysen tells Melk & Honning.
– But that said, this is a look that’s very on point “right now” – and you keep a passport photo for ten years.
She adds that the look creates good contrasts and defined features.
– And it will undoubtedly give you a photogenic passport photo, since this is photo makeup. It’s quite an exaggerated use of contour, which works well in black and white.
Nicolaysen is still doubtful whether it’s the smartest thing to do.
– I think there are a lot of tired travellers who won’t be recognisable at passport control.
– Something I think we should also consider is that it’s a look that makes everyone look very alike, which I’m always sceptical of. The focus is on cat eyes with a lifted face. Personally, I think a proper snatched glam look can be fun now and then, but perhaps more for a night out than for a passport photo.
She says her own passport photo isn’t exactly her favourite.
– They rarely are. That’s why I think this trend has really taken off.
– It’s a while until I have to renew my passport, but I’ll probably have this look in mind next time. In a slightly toned-down version, mind you, as I’d like to be recognised at the control.
She’s also taking another good tip with her:
– It was a good idea to put the hair up like this. You have to show your ears in a passport photo, and then it looks a bit more styled than with loose hair tucked behind the ears. So it’ll be a tight bun next time.