We all want to look good on camera. Whether taken impromptu or in a studio, photos last practically forever, so it’s natural to want to look your best.
The quality of your makeup can make or break how you appear on those lenses.
But with virtually countless products circulating out there, I get that choosing makeup to appear flawless in photographs can be confusing.
In this post, I’ll share some expert secrets for the best makeup for photos. Keep your social media feed free of embarrassing tags with the following camera-ready cosmetic tips.
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High-Quality Moisturizer
Clean, moisturized skin should be the first step in every makeup routine. It’s true for your everyday cosmetics and crucial for makeup meant to get captured on camera.
You want to thoroughly clean and moisturize your face to avoid drying or flaking, which can look ghastly in photographs.
Any high-quality cleanser and moisturizer will do. But for those nearing their 30s, when the skin experiences a drop of collagen and elasticity, I’d recommend using brands like InnBeauty Project’s Extreme Cream.
For excessively oily skin, try Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Rich Repair Cream or Tatcha The Water Cream.
Oil-Free Mattifying Primer
If your skin is on the oilier side, applying an oil-free primer before your foundation can help with your photos.
A layer of primer, used correctly, creates a smooth canvas for your makeup, helping the cosmetics last longer while managing oil and shine.
With a good primer, you won’t have to worry about your makeup fading off by noon or in the middle of your studio session.
Two of my favorite oil-free primers are Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer on the higher end and L’oreal Prime Lab Matte Setter for the drugstore option.
Medium Coverage Foundation
For photos, you want to avoid a thick, full-coverage foundation. Instead, use medium coverage, matte formula foundation to cover what you need without looking like you’re wearing a thick mask.
Midday shine is certainly a problem on camera. But you don’t want to lean heavily on the matte side, either. Intense matte skin often betrays the natural look you may want to recreate.
For the best shots, you want a natural glow that blends well with the rest of your body. I, for one, love L’Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation, as it gives a smooth natural-looking matte finish.
Here’s an important tip:
When preparing for a photo shoot, it’s best to steer clear of foundations with the SPF formula.
SPF products typically contain light-reflecting ingredients, producing unwanted casts on your images.
Color-Correcting Concealer
Using a color-correcting concealer under your matte foundation can save you considerable work keeping unwanted marks off your photos.
You can follow the color wheel for this. Green masks red (blemishes or rosacea), purple hides brown (sun spots or melasma), and yellow or orange covers blue (bruises or dark circles).
For those new to color correctors, using yellow or peach-colored correctors may be easier to work with when managing skin imperfections.
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Corrector is one of my top choices on the pricier end. While the unassuming Catrice Cosmetics Under Eye Brightener is another great pick if you’re on a budget.
Light Bronzer
A sweep of natural bronzer can go a long way to add a warm, sunkissed appearance and dimension to your skin.
For the best camera-ready results, dab a light bronzer on the top of the forehead, below the jawline, and under the cheekbones (also called the “3-E” placement), blending it with your foundation.
If you’re spending a little too much time under artificial studio light, cream bronzers like Nars Laguna Bronzing Cream and Milk Makeup Matte Cream Bronzer Stick give the most fantastic contours.
Liquid Highlighter
Mixing a drop of liquid highlighter into your foundation lends a fabulous dewy glow to your look. It’s a superb trick if you prefer a more luminous skin over a solid matte.
The Iconic London Illuminator is one of the best liquid highlighters I tested and loved. It’s versatile and can blend exceptionally well with foundations, moisturizers, and primers.
Translucent Loose Setting Powder
A setting powder or spray is important to keep your cosmetics from fading all day.
For photoshoots, I find translucent loose-setting powder the best choice as they’re the best at locking liquid and cream formulas.
Unlike other setting products, translucent loose-setting powder extends your makeup life while helping eliminate annoying glares from your snaps.
It leaves your skin with a delicate matte finish without feeling thick or heavy.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder and Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder are my go-to products for this job.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing worse than leaving your home confident you look good only to see photos of you later that say otherwise.
It’s best to be prepared when you know the cameras will be on you, so don’t hesitate to take note of these makeup tricks and never untag a photo from your socials ever again!
Let me know any of your favorite makeup products for photos in the comments below!