This article is a beauty based must read for all you brides to be. When the big day arrives, and all those months of meticulous planning have paid off the last thing you want to worry about is smudged mascara ruining your photos or risk being too heavy handed and making you look less blushing bride and more over-blushed bride!
As the beauty editor of My Beauty Matches the first (and smartest) personalised product matching site for beauty, as well as the largest beauty retailer in the world, I’ve picked up some incredible tips from some of the best makeup artists out there. Not only am I a dab hand at creating the perfect palette of bridal nudes for all skintones, I am also privy to makeup tips from what can only be described as the makeup oracles (Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury to name a few). But I’ve also whittled down my kit to the products that I know will last the distance; and outlast even the most energetic bride on the dancefloor.
These tips are a bride-to-be must read. From necessary pre-wedding preparations to knowing what products will give you a gorgeous glow (even if sleep has been somewhat lacking in the run up) and are sweat, crease, smudge resistant and let’s not forget waterproof. Because who doesn’t love a good cry at a wedding? Read on for my tried and tested wedding makeup tips:
Do a trial run with a makeup artist
Never try something new on the big day, you are just asking for a disaster. Take photos of the look you want to your makeup trial and check the results in a few different lighting settings to ensure the colours match your skintone.
Don’t skip the moisturiser
This is an essential wedding makeup tip. Worried about getting a shiny face in photos, and think skipping the moisturiser will help? Wrong for so many reasons. If you have dry skin, the products will settle in the fine lines and wrinkles, making you look tired. If you are going to be indoors most of the day we recommend using a moisturizer without SPF as too much can leave you with a ghostly sheen. La roche Posay Hydreane Light 40 £13.50 is a light, oil free moisturiser that will nourish your skin leaving it comfortable and shine free all day long.
Do use a silicone free primer
Silicone based primers can be slippy, especially in the heat and your makeup will just slide right off. Try Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance £28.50 which will give your more base staying power. Don’t let eyeshadow creases ruin your big day and use a primer for your eyes too, pat on Clinique All About Shadow Primer For Eyes £16.00 before your eyeshadow to give it lasting hold even through the happiest of tears.
Do use long – lasting formulations
Being camera ready all day is demanding enough, so make your products work hard, so you don’t have too. Look for crease proof, sweat resistant, long lasting and waterproof for products for some serious staying power. Armani Lasting Silk Uv Foundation 6.5 £36.50 is a high resistance, fresh foundation that will give a luminous semi-matte finish that lasts all day.
Do blend
One of the biggest wedding faux pas is having a different colour face to your neck and chest, wearing white will only make this show up even more. Use a damp sponge to blend your foundation all the way from your face to your decolletage for a soft, airbrush-worthy finish then use Daniel Sadler Invisible Veil Face Powder for a flawless finish that won’t rub off on your dress.
Do use a concealer that matches your foundation
Don’t go one shade lighter in an attempt to brighten the under eye area. You will just end up looking like a panda in photos. Shiseido Perfecting Stick Concealer £24.00 camouflages blemishes and dark circles without creasing or drying out the delicate eye area.
Don’t contour, Nontour!
Your wedding is not the time to go for a heavy contour. Think ethereal not Kardashian. Use a highlighter on the areas that would naturally catch the light for a gorgeous bridal glow. This is one of my favourite wedding makeup tips and I’m currently obsessed with this one shade suits all (literally EVERYONE) Perricone Md No Highlighter Highlighter £29.00. Apply to the top of your cheekbones, down the middle of your nose, cupids bow, between the brow bones and the middle of your chin and blend with a fan brush to diffuse it beautifully into your skin. For those wearing a strapless dress blend a little on your collarbones and shoulders to catch the light as you move.
Do use a powder
Prevent shine ruining your fun by dusting a little translucent powder. Daniel Sandler Invisible Blotting Pressed Powder £18.50 has a permanent place in my makeup kit. It doesn’t cake, dry out the skin or change the shade of your foundation, or natural skintone. It’s so super lightweight, that the only thing you will notice whilst wearing it is the shine free results.
Do set your makeup
Use a makeup setting spray for makeup that won’t budge an inch until you want it too. NYX Cosmetics Make Up Setting Spray Matte Finish/long Lasting £8.00 is a professional product at high street prices and all my makeup artist friends swear by it on shoots as even under hot lights, makeup won’t melt, smudge or crease.
I hope you enjoyed these wedding makeup tips! Read more at My Beauty Matches including How to get wedding perfect makeup in under 15 Minutes Take our free personalised beauty quiz to find the best bridal makeup matches for your big day and have one less thing to worry about.
Happy Planning!
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