MAC's red carpet masterclass and beauty tips for photos

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend a masterclass with 2 of MAC's senior make up artists, Lynsey Alexander and Neil Young, who gave us lots of make up tips and demonstrated 2 red carpet looks on the models.


Now most of us won't be walking down the red carpet anytime soon, but everyone wants to look their best in photos, so I thought I'd share some of their top tips:

Face:
When concealing, choose something that's similar in texture to your foundation, otherwise it can look patchy on camera.

For blusher application, the apples of your cheeks will give you a youthful glow, high on the cheeks a more feminine sophiscated look and near the cheek bones a more masculine stronger look.

Medium deep MSF natural is a good contour colour, but always soften the edges with something like a 188 brush.

Bronzer under the chin helps to give it more defintion and lessen the look of a double chin in photos.

Don't forget to highlight the collarbone, and the centre of the arms and legs for a slimmer look and to match the face.

If you are prone to redness, then anti-histamines can really help to keep them at bay and reduce the need for more make up.

(sultry eyes with constructivist paint pot & shy girl lipstick)

Eyes:
For blonds, omega is a good colour for the eyebrows, but whatever colour you use, always work it into the hair for a more natural look and set with a gel to keep the hairs in place.

Avoid very dark smokey eyes, as flash photography will make it look too harsh against the skin.

With eyeshadow, the closer it is to the brows and the lower it is under the bottom lashline, the more sultry it'll look.

For a softer look, keep a concealer brush handy to blend eyeshadow into the skin.

(statement lips & eyes with show orchid lipstick & individual lashes)

Lips:
If you're applying a neutral lip colour, a sheer wash of select moisturecover concealer before lipstick helps to tone down the natural redness of the lips.

With strong colours, use a brush to really work it into the lips and to give it a cleaner finish.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening. I picked up lots of tips on how to contour and apply eye make up, which I shall be putting to good use, and thanks to Lynsey, I am now seriously lusting after MAC's strobe cream and shy girl lipstick!

What are you top tips for looking good in photos? Which red carpet look do you like best?