“Strike a Pose,” Click goes the camera. “Change your pose,” Click. We all like to look great in photos. It is a fact that we set a high standard of what we want to look like in a picture. Self-criticism is not far behind the first glance of how we appear in a photograph. So, how can we show our best features? What tricks can make us look great in pictures?

The cosmetic industry, with its vast array of products, makeup artists, and tutorials, can turn us from ‘plain to glam.’ How so? Here are 5 brilliant makeup tricks for looking great in photos.

1. Minimize the Skin Texture

With the quality of camera lenses today, photos reveal the textures and pores of our skin. Use a moisturizer for your skin type. Normal, dry, or oily skin types have different moisturizers and primers best suited for the skin type.

For example, if you have an oily face, you definitely will want to avoid an oil-based moisturizer and stick to a matt-based moisturizer or primer.

Give the moisturizer time to get absorbed into your skin. Follow it up with a primer base. These provide a smoother canvas for makeup application.

2. Apply Foundation

Select a liquid foundation that naturally blends with your skin and gives a fake or cakey look. Face powders look great for everyday looks. However, avoid using foundation powders photoshoots, as they do not provide the needed level of coverage under photo lighting.

3. Conceal or Emphasize

What you might view as blemish can be the attractive and distinctive feature that lends to you looking great in a photo. Freckles across the face, a smile with a dimple, a beauty mark, and more uniquely identifies you. So, do you enhance your unique features, or do you cover them up? The decision sits with you.

Do you want to enhance your freckles? Try to minimize the use of a concealer. Depending on the concealer you use, it might blur or completely cover up your freckles. Do you want to hide blemishes or spots? Apply a concealer on the tip of the spot and lightly pat it down to conceal it. Have you gone out parting the previous night and want to have a fresh look in your photos? Try these makeup tips for hiding your morning hangover.

4. Emphasize your Eyes and eyebrows

They say eyes are the windows to our soul. The eyes tell a story of our emotions or thoughts and captivate the viewer’s eye.

Eyebrows

The noticeable feature around the eyes is the eyebrow. Knowing how to enhance the eyebrows is important because they convey different emotions. Take care to shape your natural eyebrow line and fill it in to look fuller than your normal eyebrow. Fuller eyebrows look great in photographs.

Eyes

Using bold colors around your eyes and on your eyelashes emphasizes the eyes more than softer colors. Bold colors photograph better and draw attention to the eyes. With eyeshadow, creating depth is the way to go. Choose eyeshadow colors that reveal your style. Use matt eyeshadows instead of shimmering eyeshadows. Shimmering eyeshadows make for shiny pictures that do not look great. Using different eye shadows, use the lightest color over your eyelid and lower brow bone. Then, apply the darker eyeshadow above the eyelashes and blend to create a seamless look.

To make your eyelashes stand out, emphasize your eyes with eyeliner or eye pencil and mascara. Using two to three mascara coats will make your eyelashes more visible in a picture. Add fake lashes to increase the length and fullness of your eyelashes.

Use Bold Colors for the Lips

Camera lighting washes away makeup color. Applying heavier makeup (more than you would use for everyday use) and bold colors ensure that your makeup application does not fade with the camera lighting.

5. Makeup Finish

Knowing your face shape and features is the foundation of understanding which makeup trick you will use to emphasize or conceal these features. Apply translucent powder over the face to create a matt look and an even face for great photos. The more you practice, the more you improve in applying makeup to look great in photos.