How To Do Your Makeup For Engagement Photos

Despite popular belief, looking great on camera doesn’t always require a makeup artist. In fact, most brides could probably handle the task themselves just by implementing a few professional tips. As engagement photographers, we have captured so many beautiful and intriguing engagement photo looks. We know what it takes to make engagement photos look amazing. Because images are two-dimensional, it is important to be aware of which areas should be highlighted, and which ones shouldn’t.

Here, we would like to share our professional tips for how to do your makeup for engagement photos. These photo-friendly tips will help guide you on makeup application that will enhance your looks rather than pull away from your natural beauty.

The Canvas Just like a painter sitting down to a blank canvas, it is important to begin with smooth, clean, toned and moisturized skin. It’s difficult to have clean makeup for engagement photos if you are beginning with leftover residue from a previous application.If necessary, consider giving your skin a facial or a gentle scrub treatment prior to your makeup application. Just don’t scrub too hard! You don’t want to irritate your skin. Having a fresh and clean base will minimize uneven makeup application.

Shadows  Here, we don’t mean the pretty eye shadows that go on your eyelid! We are talking about the shadows that can appear on your photos. Cameras have the tendency to enhance wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. To ensure this doesn’t happen, select a lighter shade of foundation or concealer. Focus on the darker areas such as expression lines and around the eyes. Make sure you always blend your edges (into your hairline, under your chin, near your ears and around your brows.)

Blush or Bronze? Depending on how you apply it, blush and bronze can create amazing results when it comes to shading and contouring. When done correctly, they can produce a sculpted and appealing look. Bronzer can be applied lightly to the sides of the nose to minimize width. If you want more definition, use a darker shade of blush on the underside of the cheekbones.

Eyes When it comes to makeup for your engagement photos, you should try and avoid any harsh lines or dark eyeshadows that surround the entire eye. Dark eye shadows and liners will cause your eyes to appear deeper set and smaller. But, that doesn’t mean you have to go sans shadow! Try to select a smokier style that you can blend into lighter shades. Smoky shadows can be blended on the outer corners of the eyes, creating a more desirable effect.

Lips This is one area that can make- or break- your desired makeup for engagement photos. When it comes to your lips, you want to go for a natural yet polished effect. Consider using a shade that is one or two shades darker than your natural lip color. Start by outlining your lips with a lip pencil that matches your selected lipstick color. Fill in with the selected color, then top off with a light gloss towards the center of the lips.

Powder If you want to avoid the shiny effect, lightly dust a translucent powder over the entirety of your face. This will keep those glossy areas toned down a bit!

Need some inspiration for great makeup for engagement photos? Check out our gallery for some ideas!