Makeup tips for a picture perfect face

Makeup is very important to women when they are being photographed. First, I alway recommend using a professional makeup artist. The good ones are worth their weight in gold.

Many times I’ve heard that I never wear much makeup and I want to look natural. A “natural” look can be achieved and enhanced with the right makeup. No makeup leaves you washed out and generally leaves an undesired look.

If you are going to go your own makeup or have a friend do it for you then here are a few helpful guidelines.

1. Blend, Blend, Blend. You can use your everyday makeup, but use more than you normally use every day.

2. Sometimes less is more. Use less makeup for a day wedding and more for evenings. It's been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and this being true, you want your eyes to be a special feature of your whole look. You can add a a little drama with eye makeup but you still want to look like yourself. If you don't normally wear red lipstick or tons of eyeliner, don't wear it on your wedding day.

3. Don’t skimp on concealer. Use a moisurized concealer on the thin, sensitive skin under the eyes. If your concealer isn’t moisturizing, blend it with a skin cream. For belemishes, first treat them with a natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, then cover with concealer.

4. Do a makeup trial run. It’s the only sure-fire, stress-free way to make certain your makeup will look beautiful.

5. Not all mineral makeup is created equal. Titanium dioxide, a chemical used as sun block, can reflect flash, giving the bride a ghostly appearance. In 2009 makeup artist Annie May launced a line of mineral makeup especially formulated for photography call Advanced Mineral Makeup. May promises it won’t white-out the bride under a flash.

6. Use waterproof makeup with staying power. You don’t want to spend your reception in the bathroom reapplying your makeup. Foundation, eyeliner and mascara all should be waterproof. And in case your cry (and you probably will), have a tissue or handkerchief handy to gently blot your tears right at the eye.

7. Keep your lips moisturized and colored. Dry lips look dreadful in photos. Have someone carry your lipstick for you and touch up often. Matte and gloss lipstick both photograph well, and be sure to use a blended lip liner for enhanced definition. It is here that I will personally say, you need to seek out Lora Smith’s Senegence at My Miracle Makeup. Her color stays on ALL day. You may need to occasionally reapply gloss to keep it shiny, but you won’t worry about losing your color

8. Don’t forget the groom. If he is playing a round of golf with the boys make sure he wears suntan lotion to prevent a sunburn or worst, the raccoon eyes you get from wearing sunglasses and no sunscreen. If the groom is red faced due to too much sun (or drinking?), a little powder can help. That goes for shiny heads, too. Use oil-blotting sheets to cut down the shine. It’s a good idea to slip a tube of Chapstick in the groom’s pocket for his dry lips, as well as a handkerchief to dab well-wishers’ makeup smudges off his suit.

9. Don’t sprinkle on glitter. In photographs, it tends to look like litle white spots, as if there’s something wrong with the camera.

10. Remember to apply foundation and powder to your neck, shoulders and decolletage — you want your head to look like it belongs to your body.

11. Do not go to a tanning bed or use a a spray tan right before the wedding. A tan bed can leave you with a slight red sunburned look and the spray "tan in a can" could give you a very unnaturally orange look.

Every bride wants to be picture-perfect for their big day. Follow these few tips and you are well on your way to wowing everyone with your fresh glamorpuss face.