I’m a professional makeup artist, so women often hire me for their wedding day. However, many opt to save money by doing their own makeup for prenuptial events and photos. That’s totally fine, but I urge them to follow certain steps to create their best look.
According to wedding photographer Jane Shauck of IRIS Photography, “The engagement makeup should complement the feel of the shoot . . . for most sessions, this means a pretty natural look. I love makeup that evens out skin tone and draws attention to lips and eyes without being distracting.”
The purpose of an engagement photo shoot is to announce to the world that you’ve found the love of your life (no big deal or anything!). This photo will likely be seen in your local paper, on every social media outlet you (and your mother) utilize, and on your “Save the Date” cards or invitations. It’s important to remember all this as you choose your makeup look.
Ahead, find six tips that will help you create that beautiful, photo-perfect look for your engagement photos.
Pop Your Eyes Open
Congratulations — you’re engaged! You probably have that “twinkle in the eyes” of a person in love IRL. The harder part is mastering how to get that sparkle to shine through in your pictures.
First, consider visiting a local makeup artist for a quick lesson, especially if you don’t usually wear a lot of makeup. It might be worth applying false lashes or using more eyeliner than feels necessary.
Don’t be deterred if it seems like a lot of makeup — in pictures it will look like nothing but joy and love radiating from your eyeballs.
Capture the Light
Your photographer will be skilled at capturing your joy in perfect natural light. Your job is to add the proper amount of light-reflecting highlighter and shimmery cheek colors to make their job even easier.
It helps to practice at home, and be sure to take selfies to see how the flash captures your glorious cheekbones.
Skip Trends
Put down the glitter! This is not the time to try out new trends or any looks that aren’t “you.” Remember: you want your engagement photo makeup to seem like a natural, better version of your everyday look. That means skipping huge lashes, overdone contour, or anything else that your 14-year-old cousin would describe as “extra.”
If you normally wear a lot of makeup in everyday life, feel free to bump it up a bit, but err on the side of caution. You don’t want to do anything that will create undo drama. You’ll be thankful 20 years from now when you are looking back at these photos.
Sure, we all know that this is a posed shoot, but it’s best to create the illusion that this is just you casually lounging on a bench with the love of your life. Keep this in mind as you choose foundation, eye makeup, blush, and lipstick.
Opt for colors and coverage that are natural, but tszujed up enough to still show through the flash and retouching.
Add Color Somewhere
But despite all this talk of staying “natural,” you don’t want to forget a pop of celebratory color. If you aren’t comfortable adding a lot of color everywhere, choose at least one area where you can add a bit more. Brightening up lips and cheeks is always a safe bet. But that doesn’t mean you have to immediately reach for a bold red power lip if that’s not your thing.
If you are used to wearing a balm every day, try a pinky-nude lip color. If you never wear blush, opt for a soft peach cheek. This will define your natural flush and draw attention to your (gorgeous) assets.
Cover Up
Even skin tone is a must for the most perfect looks. If you don’t love full-coverage foundation, use a tinted moisturizer or a light mineral powder to cover any redness or discoloration in your complexion.
Help your photographer from having to do too much editing, and use concealer to cover breakouts or under-eye circles. This will create an overall bright and fresh look to your skin.
Source: Popsugar
