Props to Use for Beauty & Lifestyle Product Photos
Props 101 with your fave gal, Ysabelle!
I absolutely adore using props to compliment the products I’m shooting with for Instagram or this blog. They add so much personality and interest to a photo. I bet you can already get an idea of the props I love using when styling for a shoot and are my absolute essentials.
When I’m on the hunt for home decor or accessories, I’m always looking for something cute, dainty, affordably luxurious, aesthetic af, pink and chic, which is reflected through my content. I love aesthetically pleasing things because they make me feel super inspired!
Small trinkets like hair clips, scrunchies, earrings, rings, necklaces, candles and sunglasses are just a few of my all time fave things to use IRL and for photos. Not only do they look cute for photos, but they’re super easy to play around with and prop in with the products you’re working with as space fillers.
Here are some of my top fave products:
Do you ever wonder if you need to buy specific props just for your photos?
Most likely not (unless you’re doing this as a full time gig)!
Props can be found all around your home ~ like magazines, books, pretty glass cups, mason jars, plants, flowers, pretty mirrors, a pretty textured sweater or piece of clothing, jeans (also work fantastic as props too), candles, trays frames, art prints and the list goes on and on!
When I first started shooting content, I wasn’t blessed with a huge spending budget for props and I thought there was no way in hell was I going to go out of my way to purchase a bunch of new things to make pretty, aesthetic, blogger-esque photos! Ya girl was still making minimum wage and had to pay for bills!!
Although I was pretty bummed about it, I quickly realized that there were so many things around the house that worked perfectly as props!
I started off using a white robe, marble coasters, fairy lights, a wire basket, a pretty hexagon gold mirror, pink tray, some small plants, gold/glass tray, and a small wooden tray. Started off small, but added so much more to the photos. For the OG’s who’ve been there from the start, here are a few (actually a lot)of photos down memory lane.
See? Now what did I tell ya! You really only need a few things to make your photos work out fantastically and beautiful.
On the flip side of things…
You would not believe how much I have collected over the past few years! From a ton of household items (e.g. trays, vases, jars, magazines, books, etc.), clothes and products ranging from all things beauty, candles and facial tools. So with that being said, I’m gonna share some more props that I enjoy using to add a bit of a luxurious touch to them:
Marble Tray - how can you say no to a marble tray? This one has beautiful gold handles, looks oh so wonderful in photos and works like a gem for flat lays. Now this is definitely quite a splurge, so for all of my budget friendly peeps, be on the look out for a budget friendly props blog post in the near future!
Marble Stand - the marbling on this stand is drop dead gorgeous! I bought the smaller version but will definitely be purchasing the larger one soon to create a seamless layer in my photos
Otherland candles - one of my favorite candle companies ever! Otherland has their core and seasonal collections. Colors, smells and aesthetics for all. Not only do they look amazing in photos, but they burn oh so whimsically
Unconditional Magazines - AESTHETIC AF PERIOD. Absolute work of art.
Ouai Wide Tooth Hair Comb - hair brushes are so underrated! Here is a cute comb from Ouai (also love using it after I curled my hair to loosen the curls to give me a more natural wave)
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil - she’s pricey, but I’m a sucker for beautiful packaging!
Diptyque Roses Candle - they come in all sizes! I love using their smaller candles as fillers
Sunday Lane prints - aesthetic, minimal, chic and oh so cute prints. Have you ever seen astrological sign prints around IG? Well, they were probably most likely from Sunday Lane
Pink silk fabric or white silk fabric - how can we get more luxurious than silk? They work great for framing your photos and as backdrops
Boxes - you would not believe how many boxes I have hoarded from Byredo, Brooklyn Candle Studio, Mejuri, Daisy Jewelry, Fresh and Diptyque. Not only is their product packaging absolutely stunning, but so are the boxes that came with them. I like using them to help out with creating a variety of different levels
Fresh flowers - I recently started getting into using flowers in my photos and I don’t think I will ever be able to go back to not using them! They add a nice touch of liveliness to the photos
Glass crystal cups - any sort of glassware + natural sunlight = dreamy reflections adding depth and shadows to a photo
Gold picture frames - these frames with delicately hand-drawn artwork add a lovely dainty, vintage touch
Gold Pave Baby Amalfi Hoops from LuvAJ - one of my favorite hoop earrings ever!!
Where to buy?
If you’re looking into expanding your prop collection, here are some of my go to spots:
Thrift shops and local boutiques
TJ Maxx / Ross / Home Goods
Etsy
Amazon
Michael’s
World Market
Target
Just a friendly reminder, you really don’t need a whole load of props to make your photos stand out! I like to think that it’s more on the photographers eye vs their camera and props. So go and do a mini scavenger hunt around your place! You’ll never know what sort of gems you’ll find that’ll work perfectly as props for your photos.
Can’t wait to see what you create!