Body makeup is one of those things most people only try once a wedding or a shoot forces them to, and then they wonder why they waited. Legs, collarbones and shoulders catch light in a completely different way from the face, and a little evening out goes a long way in photographs.

Dior's Backstage Face & Body Foundation is the classic answer, a wash of color that can be built from sheer to fuller and used on both face and body. If you want glow rather than coverage, Urban Decay's Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops for Face + Body can be mixed into a cream or worn alone on the tops of shoulders. Patrick Ta's Major Glow High Shine Skin Perfecting Body Crème is the shiny one, best on a dress night. Lux Unfiltered's Golden Era Blurring Body Glow is subtler, more of a soft-focus sheen.

Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Body Cream is the base layer I would put underneath, so that skin looks smooth before any color goes on. And Fenty Beauty by Rihanna's Face & Body Kabuki Brush 160 is how I would blend all of it: a dense brush that buffs product in without streaks, and quickly covers a large area.

Test any body product on the inside of your wrist first, then do a dry hand-swipe against dark fabric before you leave the house. Let it set for a few minutes, and wear something you do not mind touching it.

A camera, a bright window or a bathroom mirror with harsh bulbs will find every shadow, and that is when a full-coverage concealer earns its place. I care most about two things: that it does not slide into creases by lunchtime, and that it still looks like skin once it is on.

Huda Beauty's FauxFilter Matte Buildable Coverage Waterproof Concealer is the matte, high-coverage option, good for blemishes and anything you want to stay put in heat. Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Hydrating Full Coverage Concealer is the more comfortable one, made for face and under-eyes. Too Faced's Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Concealer with Hyaluronic Acid is my choice for a day with lots of talking and laughing. Tower 28 Beauty's Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer with 18-HR Wear is the lightest of the group, closer to a skin serum than a paint.

Anastasia Beverly Hills' Magic Touch Medium to Full Coverage Concealer is the crisp, precise one. Bobbi Brown's Skin Long-Wearing Color Corrector Stick is a different job entirely: use it under a concealer to neutralize shadows before you cover them.

What I would skip: piling a heavy concealer over dry, unprepared skin, or setting the entire face with powder. Put moisturizer on first, tap concealer only where you need it, and blend with a fingertip so the warmth melts the edges. Set only the small areas that crease.

Here is how I would pack it. One skin tint and the filter finish for the face, the body perfector if there is a dress or shorts in the plan, and a single full-coverage concealer for whatever the day throws at you. Add the liner and mascara and you are done.

Try the whole routine once at home on an ordinary morning, not for the first time on the day it matters. Check it in daylight, in a bathroom mirror, and with a phone flash, because those three lights are honest in different ways. Keep the wand of the mascara clean, wipe the brush, and swap a shade if you find yourself needing a lot of blending. Makeup that works on set is really makeup that has been tested in the light it will be seen in. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Makeup Brands We Love and Contour Makeup Went From a Kevyn Aucoin Sketchbook to a Stick in Your Bag.