What if we told you there was a simple trick to help you get double the likes on your next selfie? Yeah, we thought you’d be interested. Celebrity makeup artists who routinely prep stars for important photo shoots know a thing or two about what looks best on camera. So, for your selfie’s sake, we reached out to ten of the top makeup artists in the business and asked them to share the number-one trick they use on clients during photo shoots to make sure they look their absolute best.
Use a mask first. “I prep the skin with moisture masks before I apply makeup. My favorites are Tatcha and SK-II. For the under-eye, I love Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches. I think the more radiant the skin looks under the makeup, the better you look in the photograph.” —Vincent Oquendo, who has worked with Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid
Use the absolute best foundation and concealer for your skin. “Find the right balance of a more concentrated concealer for under-eyes and blemishes and a sheer application of foundation. I like to use Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation with a damp Beautyblender for an even, transparent glow. Remember to match the color of the face to your collarbone and be sure to finish with a translucent setting powder, like M.A.C. Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder/Pressed. And tint your T-zone so that you don’t look like a freeze ball under the flash photo.” —Quinn Murphy, who has worked with Irina Shayk and Kate Upton
Highlighting is crucial. “The one key to looking good in a photo is highlighting. Highlighting atop the cheekbones, under the brow, down the bridge of the nose, and onto the Cupid’s bow creates a glow from within. You can be tired or have dull skin, a blemish, or no eyebrows on, and as long as you’re luminous, you’ll take a good photo. And with highlighting, there’s a wide range of texture and finish options: Vaseline, gloss, creamy concealer (two shades lighter than you skin) or shimmering creams and powders.” —Ashley Ciucci, who has worked on photo shoots for Lucky and People
Don’t forget blush. “Looking back, I’m always happiest when my ladies have a fresh, glowing, rosy cheek. It has that forever-young effect.”—Molly Stern, who has worked with Suki Waterhouse and Anne Hathaway
And while you’re at it, consider using a cream blush. “Cream blush is the best all-in-one product to look better in pictures. You never know when you’re going to need to be photo-ready, and cream blush is the ultimate on-the-go essential with a foolproof application. It gives you that ‘It’ girl glow on cheeks and a pretty pout in seconds.” —Katie Jane Hughes, who has worked with Whitney Port and Flaviana Matata
Use a mattifying finisher. “This helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and helps avoid a shiny complexion.” —Mally Roncal, who has worked with Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez
Always curl your lashes. “This is one of the easiest and most effortless enhancements you can do for your face. Even if you’re wearing no other makeup, curling your lashes up allows more light to hit the eye, which makes eyes appear brighter and larger both in person and in photographs. I think of lashes as awnings for the eye. If you leave an awning up in a window you allow more light in, so when you curl lashes upward, eyes automatically appear bigger and brighter.” —Troy Surratt, who has worked with Charlize Theron and Adele
Accentuate your best feature, and let the rest of your makeup be chill. “Accentuating one feature but also having a balance looks best in photos. If you’re going to do a stronger lip, don’t overdo it on the eyes, but make sure there’s still some definition. If you’re doing a strong eye, have a little something on the lips, too, instead just lip balm, which can look too bare. And a subtle contour always looks flattering.” —Fiona Stiles, who has worked with Emily Ratajkowski and Serena Williams
Use this angle. “I like to take photos from above because it always gives you [the appearance of a] better bone structure and doesn’t make you look too shiny.” —Wendy Rowe, who has worked with Christy Turlington and Victoria Beckham
Take time to find the best lighting and angles. “You can have the most flawless makeup on the planet, but if your lighting and angles are off, it’s over. These two components are everything. When someone says, ‘This is my good side,’ that’s actually not an untrue statement. It’s highly likely that you have a ‘better side’ for photographs. Don’t be scared to try it out or ask a very trusted friend to let you know your best and worst angles. And unflattering lighting just does not look right. You could have essentially pretty bad make up on, but really great lighting and the perfect angles will make it look like beautiful makeup.” —Mary Phillips, who has worked with Chrissy Teigen and Khloé Kardashian
