For most women, the wedding day is one of the most important events in life. Therefore, brides to be plan every single detail to perfection and constantly seek advice, tips and tricks that will help them organize the big day, as well as pick their wedding dress, bouquet, hair and bridal makeup.
While choosing your wedding dress and bouquet are matters of taste and preferences, the later should be adapted to your features. I’m here to let you in on some tricks of the trade and give you helpful advice that will ensure the longevity of your bridal makeup and enhance your natural beauty.
Hiring a professional can not only take the pressure off, but can also guarantee you will look flawless in your wedding pictures and your makeup will last throughout the ceremony, through all the crying, hugging, kissing, eating and dancing.
If you are confident you can do the bridal makeup yourself, you should consider doing some research on different wedding makeup looks and discover which style will look best with your features and dress.
Follow these steps to achieve your perfect bridal makeup:
Prepping your Skin for the Big Day
If you are prone to breakouts and wish for perfect skin at your wedding, you should visit the dermatologist three or four months before the big day. That way, your skin will have time to adapt to the new skin regime that you’ll be prescribed and will look fabulous in time for your wedding.
On the morning of your wedding, make sure you cleanse and moisturize your face. If you have acne prone skin, use an oil-free moisturizer in order to prevent excess oil throughout the day. Wait at least 20 minutes before applying foundation to give your skin time to absorb the moisturizer.
Primer – ensure your makeup base
To ensure your foundation lasts the whole day, I always recommend using a face primer before the foundation. Apply it after moisturizer so that it can prepare your skin for makeup and create a protective base that will keep your foundation in place all day long.
The primer will also reduce the appearance of pores or fine lines, leaving a smooth and perfect surface that will remain shine-free throughout the ceremony. There is a huge variety of face primers on the market for all different skin types (sensitive, oily, acne prone, dry etc) including tinted primers that help color correct undertones, any fatigue or redness.
Picture perfect Foundation
Apply the foundation with a professional brush and blend the product from the jaw line downward to your neck to make sure there are no visible dividing marks. If possible, check out how your makeup base looks in photos to make sure it doesn’t appear lighter or darker than the rest of your skin.
Powder – a must for a lasting wedding makeup
Although you might not be accustomed to using powder, it is crucial to include it in your wedding makeup to ensure all-day longevity and to set the foundation and concealer. I recommend using a translucent powder to get your makeup to stay in place all day without looking cakey.
Highlighters and Contour – chiseled features for a gorgeous wedding look
By using highlighter, you will be able to make certain features stand out. The high points of your face – cheekbones, the temples, the brow bones, the Cupid’s bow, the bridge of the nose, the apples of your cheeks and the jaw bone – will be emphasized.
Not only will you be able to sculpt your face and balance your features, but also give your skin that natural, beautiful glow that all brides wish for in their wedding makeup.
Blushing Bride – the proper amount of blush in your bridal makeup
To avoid looking washed out in photographs, I recommend applying a natural-looking blush color to the apples of your cheeks and then sweep an stronger, vivid color in the center to bring out the colors and give your face that warm glow that’s perfect for your wedding makeup.
Eye Makeup – different wedding makeup looks for brides
Depending on which of the wedding makeup looks you choose, your eye makeup routine will vary to some degree. Either way, the most important think you should keep in mind is that waterproof products are must haves for a bridal makeup – from eyeliner and cream shadows to mascara.
A perfect wedding eye makeup has both matte and shimmery finishes. It’s best to use soft, pearly shades in the inner corners of the eye, eye makeup pigments on the lid and matte, darker tones at the outer corners of the eye. Line the lashes with waterproof liner and soften the edges using a brush.
Long-wear Lipstick – perfect lasting lip color
There are no rules when it comes to choosing lipstick or gloss for your bridal makeup. While the first tends to be more appropriate for deeper shades like the classic red or perhaps burgundy, glosses and lip stains tend to be preferred by brides who love a more natural makeup and choose to enhance the eye makeup rather than the lips.
You should however have the product on hand to touch up your lips throughout the day. If you hire a professional makeup artist to do your makeup, make sure you ask for a sample of the shade used on your lips.
Your wedding bag should also include a pressed powder and some mattifying tissues to you can control the excess shine and always look picture perfect.
Be sure to check out all the wedding makeup looks I prepared for you and let me know which one you like best. Hope you find these tips helpful and you are more confident in trying to achieve a perfect bridal makeup yourself!