Youthful, fresh, adorable, radiant, glowing - this are just a few of the words used to describe the bridal look. On the wedding day all eyes of your guests and your man are on you, you are constantly being photographed and perhaps even have a videographer following you around, so your wedding makeup needs to be flawless. It is your makeup that puts the finishing touch to the whole look and makes you feel like a million bucks! Below I am going to share some tips on how to make sure your bridal makeup looks its absolute best all day and night!
First of all, I would really like to stress the importance of hiring a professional makeup artist for your wedding. Bridal makeup is considered to be one of the hardest makeup looks to do, because it combines 3 different looks in itself (natural, photo makeup and special occasion makeup), so please trust the pro to give you that flawless face! Professional makeup artist carries a wide array of products specifically designed to last all day and withstand tears and sweat. Besides, it is so nice to just sit in his chair and feel pampered and relaxed!
Once you narrow down the search of makeup artists, be sure to check out their portfolio to see if their style of work suits you. If you like what you see, don’t wait to call! Good makeup artists are booked sometimes a year out, and the most busiest times are typically March-June and September-November. Once you secured the artist, go ahead and schedule a trial run - it is a rehearsal of your makeup and a great time for you both to meet and discuss the look you have in mind. Then, the artist can do a few different styles to find the one you love and that suits you best. Make sure to bring pictures of the look you are going for - sometimes a visual can be way more helpful than trying to describe it with words! It is usually a good idea to wear a top that has a similar color that of your dress and wear your hair up- it will help you get a better thought on how makeup will look with your dress and hairstyle. Don’t be afraid to speak up if something in the makeup is not to your liking - a good makeup artist will never take it personally and will strive to give you the look you are comfortable with.
However, even the best makeup artist and the most amazing makeup tools and cosmetics are not a “magic wand” and will not completely erase bags under eyes, wrinkles, dry flaky skin and acne, especially if your goal is light, fresh makeup look. So the rule Number One - get your skin to the best possible shape for the wedding! Prepping should start at least 6 months prior to your wedding day. If you have problems with acne, uneven skin tone, pigment depositions or minor fine lines, a series of superficial chemical peels will do the trick and will help to reveal a fresher, more glowing complexion. Make sure you do the last peel at least 2 weeks before the wedding, so you don”t have any residual redness or irritation. For minor skin concerns, such as blotchiness, dull complexion, some blocked pores or flaky skin, a few facials will help - they deeply exfoliate, increase circulation, nourish and hydrate with appropriate masks and serums. Don’t forget about home care in between treatments too - always wash your face at night, exfoliate with a gentle scrub few times a week, moisturize and protect your skin with a broad spectrum sunscreen (especially important if you do a chemical peel series). The night before the wedding, try not to drink too many fluids or eat a lot of salty food, otherwise you risk to wake up with under eye bags and swelling. Try to get a good night’s rest too, so you are full of energy for your big day’s festivities!
Stop going to a tanning booth or beach at least a week before the wedding, to avoid your skin getting too dry and red. Instead, try a spray tan a few days before - it will give you a nice healthy glow.
Try airbrushing. It is a great way to achieve that perfect complexion and it lasts all day and night in addition to being tears and sweat proof (the silicone formula is the best for that). Plus, it is also High Definition makeup, so on camera and in photos you don’t see makeup, only fresh beautiful skin. The makeup is sprayed on your face in a thin layer, covering your face in a veil of makeup, that feels very light.
Don’t forget that your makeup needs to pop. So even if you don’t wear makeup in your everyday life or do just a bare minimum, you should go with a bit more makeup for your wedding day. Camera flashes, day light, dim lights in the venue, even your ivory dress- all that “eats up” a lot of makeup and strips color from your face, so you need to make sure that your best features are highlighted and you have enough makeup to not look washed out in pictures. Eyes are usually your best feature and they need to have some definition (medium shade matte shadows are the best in the crease and lighter, more shimmery colors are best in the inner corners and under the brow.). Cheeks should be sculpted with a matte bronzing powder or a specific contour shade(ashy brown that mimics the natural shadow color). Just don’t go crazy with contour - it is easy to make it look muddy and dirty. Blush is best either in fresh pink or peachy tones, nothing too dark. A bit of highlighter on top of your cheekbones with give the face a lifted, glowing look and is amazing in photos!
Shimmer needs to be in the right places. Using too much of shimmery or high shine products can make your face look oily and slick in photos. A bit in the inner corners, under the brow, on top of cheekbones and in the center of your lip is all you need to look radiant and well rested. Avoid using a blush or bronzer with shimmer in them - it looks very unnatural and creates a not so attractive oily patches in pictures.
Consider false eyelashes for the day of. Falsies can take your whole makeup look to another lever of glamorous! They make your eyes so much more defined and big and make them stand out in pictures, even if you don’t use a lot of eyeshadows. They are especially beneficial if your own lashes are short or sparse. There are strip lashes out there that look so natural nobody would even tell they are not yours!
Make accents. Just recently there was a trend of one accent in makeup - either lips, eyes or cheeks. However, in bridal makeup, there should be 2 accents. The most popular are “eyes-cheekbones”, “eyes-brows”, or “lips-brows”. Your face shape, features, and style of your dress and hair will determine what accents will suit you best.
Don’t forget about eyebrows. Well groomed arches will frame your eyes and bring attention to them in a good way. Make sure there are no stray hairs - it can visually close the eyes. If your shape needs correcting, go to a professional at least a week prior, to avoid any redness or irritation.
Follow these simple tips and rules, and you will be the most gorgeous bride on your wedding day!