5 Must Haves: to be Camera Ready

Meet Dori. She's one of my oldest friends: we met during the high school years, became sorority sisters at UF and now, lifelong friends. I think she's truly amazing. She's smart, gorgeous, talented and tells the best stories (trust me when I tell you this girl doesn't forget a detail). I wish we got to see each other more often because it's the best. You know those few friends who it just clicks every time you see each other? That's us. We laugh, we shop, we gossip, we have the best time.  We're known as DorAl, just like Brangelina, of course. Lol, don't judge. But back to the stuff more relevant to this post... 

Did I happen to mention she's kinda famous? Yeah, she is! I'm so proud of her. She's worked her way up the tv ranks and is now an evening anchor for the CBS station in the Capital Region (that's the Albany, New York area). I have high hopes she'll make it back to the Sunshine State, but until then there's always that game of phone tag we love!

Since she's on TV every day, I figured who better to give make-up insight! Her skin has to look flawless daily -- especially now that there's HD! -- so here she is with...

5 must haves, in her words... to be Flawlessly Camera Ready!

First things first: this is probably going to sound like a big sales pitch for MAC makeup. And I apologize for that. But overall, when it comes to being camera-ready, whether for video or still, their products really ARE among the best when it comes to being effective and efficient.

MAC, Studio Tech

For starters, their Studio Tech can pull double-duty as both a concealer and foundation. I apply with a foundation brush to make sure it's even and smooth.

Sheer pressed powder

We all know how being "shiny" can ruin a photo. Don't you hate that -- when everyone else looks fab, but you think you look so slimy and gross?! I've found that using sheer pressed powder, MAC's in particular, is the best way to get rid of the shine and get a truly flawless finish. But it's not just the product itself that matters; it's also the application. Instead of using the included puff applicator, use a large makeup brush to apply the powder more lightly and evenly. A little goes a long way.

Too Faced eye shadow palette

I used to be the WORST about knowing where different eye shadows are supposed to go on the lid, and which shades are meant to compliment one another. That is, until I discovered the "Natural Eye" palette from Too Faced. It offers the perfect neutral combinations for day, night and fashion, as well as helpful cards showing you exactly where each shade for each look is applied on the lid. Totally foolproof -- and totally one of my favorite makeup finds yet.

Eyeliner - Almay / MAC

Every woman has their one type of makeup item they can't live without, the one item they "have" to have on before they leave the house. Without a doubt, mine is eyeliner. If I'm running errands on the weekends, it's just a quick once-over of an Almay retractable liner. For work and all those camera-ready occasions, it's MAC's Fluidline gel liner. The. Best. Using a flat brush that's rinsed and dried every time, line both top and bottom as close to the lash-line as possible.

MAC lip products

When it comes to lips, three products get the award for "Best Supporting Role." Find your signature shade of lipstick, lip liner and lip gloss, that are all relatively neutral but have a little pop. For me, it's a coating of MAC's Viva Glam V lipstick, followed by an outline of MAC's Spice lip pencil, and a swipe of MAC's Viva Glam V Lipglass on top. All three are pretty universally flattering shades, so get ready to pucker up for some fun kissy-face pics!