How to Moonlight as a Makeup Artist For Your Engagement Photos

Congratulations — you're engaged! You probably have that "twinkle in the eyes" of a person in love IRL. The harder part is mastering how to get that sparkle to shine through in your pictures.

First, consider visiting a local makeup artist for a quick lesson, especially if you don't usually wear a lot of makeup. It might be worth applying false lashes or using more eyeliner than feels necessary.

If you don’t have a makeup artist in mind, a good idea is to hit up the cosmetics section of your local department store and ask to make an appointment with an artist. Brands will send artists to these stores for that exact purpose. As a regional artist, I often meet with clients to do their makeup for events or trials, and I educate them along the way as to how they can recreate the look.

If your makeup style tends to be more bold, ask for an artist that is associated with this type of makeup (think MAC, Urban Decay, or Nars). If you are going for a more natural look, seek out an artist that uses lighter, more natural makeup (think Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, or Hourglass).

Once you arrive at your appointment, you can explain to the artist exactly what type of eye look you are going for. Be sure to bring reference photos to help the artist get it right. Artists will teach you how to apply liner, shadows, and fake lashes.

Don't be deterred if it seems like a lot of makeup — in pictures it will look like nothing but joy and love radiating from your eyeballs.

Your photographer will be skilled at capturing your joy in perfect natural light. Your job is to add the proper amount of light-reflecting highlighter and shimmery cheek colors to make their job even easier. Always apply blush and be sure to apply a bit more than you would normally for everyday life.

Use a cheek brush to apply color to the apple of the cheeks and move the color back softly back to the hairline. Be sure to pick a blush that will reflect the light, and skip anything too matte. Nars does a great job with this type of cheek color. My favorite is Nars Blush in Super Orgasm ($30) for those with medium or darker skin tones and Nars Blush in Orgasm ($30) for those who are fairer.

Add highlighter to the high point of the cheekbones, and on any other feature of the face that you want to stand out. This can include above the middle of the lips, above the brow bone, and down the center of the face. My favorite highlighter that works on just about everyone is Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured Creme Highlighter in Champagne Pop ($38).

It helps to practice at home, and be sure to take selfies to see how the flash captures your glorious cheekbones.

Put down the glitter! This is not the time to try out new trends or any looks that aren't you. Remember: you want your engagement photo makeup to seem like a natural, better version of your everyday look. That means skipping huge lashes, overdone contour, or anything else that your 14-year-old cousin would describe as "extra."

Try to remember to focus on accentuating your features. If wearing a lot of makeup is your comfort zone, you can feel free to add color and heavy coverage without doing anything trendy. This is not an editorial photo shoot for a magazine – it is a photo that lets the world know that you are in love.

Don’t distract from the theme by overdoing your face. You'll be thankful 20 years from now when you are looking back at these photos.

Sure, we all know that this is a posed shoot, but it's best to create the illusion that this is just you casually lounging on a bench with the love of your life. Keep this in mind as you choose your makeup look, and think about what your favorite facial feature is.

When asked this question, most women will say that their best feature is their eyes. If that’s the case, go the extra mile to put the spotlight on your eyes by making sure to use lashes and liner. Be sure to fill in your eyebrows! That gives your eyes an amazing lift in pictures.

If you aren’t used to a heavy brow, use a light product to fill them in such as Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Eye Brow Gel ($24)

The same goes for lips: if that’s your signature feature, don’t skimp on products. Take a few minutes to fill that pout in with liner, lipstick, and gloss. Do not be afraid of lip liner, it goes a long way when accentuating gorgeous lips. Choose one that has a smaller tip so you won’t be nervous about over-drawing. The liner I think has the most perfect little tip is La Praire Luxe Lipliner Automatique ($50).

But despite all this talk of staying "natural," you don't want to forget a pop of celebratory color. If you aren't comfortable adding a lot of color everywhere, choose at least one area where you can add a bit more. Brightening up lips and cheeks is always a safe bet. A pop of color on the lips is the easiest way to enhance your look.

The best way to choose a lipstick for a photo shoot is to pick one that feels comfortable for every day and then go one or two shades brighter or deeper. My favorite fall lip right now is Anastasia Beverly Hills Matte Lipstick in Rogue ($18). This “muted redwood” provides the perfect amount of red without feeling too overdone. But that doesn't mean you have to immediately reach for a bold red power lip if that's not your thing.

Cheek color is an easy way to lighten and brighten your face. The same rules apply in this category. Pick out your “safe” cheek color and bump it up a notch. Whether you are opting for pinks, corals, or plum tones, make sure that you are using a pigmented product that will pop. Bobbi Brown Blush ($30) is available in 17 gorgeous shades, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Go for it — the phrase is “blushing bride” for a reason.

Even skin tone is a must for crafting perfect looks. There is nothing worse than red splotchy skin or bumps showing up in your blissful photos. For those of you who do not like to wear a lot of makeup or don't love full-coverage foundation, grab a product such as It Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Correcting Cream ($32) to cover any redness or discoloration in your complexion.

Use something like Cover FX's Concealer Brush ($20) to apply a small amount of cover-up over red areas of the skin, and be amazed as your complexion becomes completely even and beautiful. This little bit of makeup will help your photographer from having to do too much editing.