If there’s one thing that’s true about weddings, it’s that all eyes are on the bride and it’s your day to really shine. Not everyone will go for the same bridal look as no two brides will have the same desires for their hair and makeup. However, here we’ve compiled a list of the best expert wedding day makeup tips that can be followed or adapted to make your wedding day makeup look the most gorgeous version of you there is.
Prep With Skincare
Even if you have been following a long course of facials or treatments ahead of your big day, there is always time to squeeze in just one little extra push the night before your wedding. A very light exfoliation will rid your skin of any dead skin cells and boost your skin to look fresh and bright in the morning. Follow this with a hydrating sheet mask or gel mask and leave on as directed. This flush of moisture will make your face base go on easier, and your skin will look plump and hydrated. Follow with your regular skincare and get a good night’s sleep.
Ace That Base
One of the best investments for your wedding day is a hydrating face mist. It can be used in the morning before makeup, but then again throughout the day to refresh your look if it starts to get tired. After cleansing, spritz the mist on the face and neck and follow with a light layer of moisturiser. Unless you have very dry skin, a gel or lotion-type moisturiser is great for keeping shine down and it works great as a makeup base.
Some brides will go extra-heavy with foundation thinking it will last longer and keep skin looking flawless. It doesn’t really work that way, as all that’s likely to happen is it will start to slide due to heat and oil. Instead, get a highly pigmented and long-wear concealer and apply it (before foundation) wherever you need it – redness, scars, or dark circles. Follow with a regular layer of foundation and touch-up again with concealer where you need it. This will look natural, feel comfortable, and it will last much longer.
Strategic Powder
Not everyone needs or likes a lot of setting powder, but if your skin is in any way oily make it your best friend. Sure, you can dust translucent loose powder through the central part of the face and leave the rest, but powder has a purpose, it locks your foundation down. Even a light dusting all over will make it more durable and you won’t lose any of that desired ‘glow’ because it’s as easy to add a subtle highlighter after you have powdered your skin.
Smart Setting Spray
A setting spray is especially good for hot-weather weddings, here or abroad. It helps keep shine and oil at bay, and it locks down everything even in high temperatures. Best used when your whole look is in place, a setting spray is an MUA’s secret weapon for a long day. And they are not one-size-fits-all these days, there are matte versions for oilier skin types, radiant-boosting ones for dull skin, and some are hydrating for dry skin that can start to look patchy and parched after a few hours. They all hold your makeup in place, and for a long wedding day, well worth the investment.
Soft-Focus & Smoky Eyes
Your eyeshadow look is one to practice in the run-up to the big day to get used to wearing it. Everyone wants a defined and shapely eye, but no one usually wants a very dramatic look for the wedding day. A soft smoky eye works great with a little liner and mascara to finish. Start gradually and create the shape with a deeper shade and blend at every stage to make sure it’s not getting too heavy-handed on colour. Try making up the eyes before foundation so you can clear up any spills or smears. Remember, blending gives you a soft-focus finish, setting spray will keep it that way.
Bridal Blush
Blush plays a big part in a bridal beauty look and shouldn’t be skipped. There’s a good method for ensuring it becomes a gorgeous feature of your whole makeup. By now, you will know where it suits you best to ‘lift’ your face, but if you don’t, keep it high or tap it into place along the top of your contour.
Use a cream blush to start and after you’ve dusted your face with setting powder go in with a powder blush in the same shade and sit it on top. Highlighter can be added on top too, but if you use a blush with a light shimmer you shouldn’t need to, try Orgasm from NARS, it’s a cult bridal blush and it’s a peach-gold shade with gold flecks that practically does the job for you.
Get the Perfect Nude
Possibly the hardest find for your wedding day makeup is a nude lip colour that’s the best shade for your skin. This might take time to find, but it really is worth it as you will wear it forever. Whether it’s closer closer to pink or brown, there is a flattering shade for everyone. Before your wedding, try every online lipstick shade finder you come across and bookmark the ones you like best.
Before buying impulsively, visit the brands that appeal and ask for a trial with the colour until you find ‘the one’ and then buy it. This lip colour will probably be your go-to for many years, it’s worth spending the time to find it. If you need it, get the matching lip liner so you can create a fuller-looking lip.
Pack Your Top Up Essentials
Your bridal beauty must-haves should be packed for the duration of the day, preferably in your own clutch and not a friend’s or relation who may not be around when you want to touch up your look. Make a list of what you might need – oil-absorbing blotting papers, translucent compact powder, lipstick, highlighter and your hydrating face mist should all be included for starters.
After that, you might want to add a miniature bottle of your wedding day scent, deodorant, or something else you can’t live without on the day. Having those close means you won’t need to return to your room every time you need something, in a wedding dress that isn’t always a great idea.
Loved this wedding hair and makeup trial checklist? Get more wedding hair and makeup tips and ideas on site here. Or listen & Subscribe to The One Fab Day Wedding Podcast!
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