Congratulations on your engagement! Whether you are newly engaged or have been planning for several months, I bet you have a bridal magazine stack a mountain high and have book-marked your favorite bridal sites looking for the best tips for your special day. Picking your wedding colors, bridal gown, bridal party, venues, and décor are so special and exciting, but they can also be very stressful. This stress can really take a toll on your appearance. I have put together some of my best tips to keep you looking gorgeous for your wedding day.
Before the Wedding Skin Prep:
While makeup does wonders it helps to have a solid base to paint on top of:
- If you don’t have a skincare routine, now is the time to start one. A routine of cleansing and moisturizing will go a long way to make sure your skin looks its best. Always remove makeup before bed to ensure you don’t have a breakout in the days to come.
- Use an eye cream. Most brides have dark circles and puffiness. This is not uncommon due to late night planning, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, and your occasional emotional breakdown. To make sure your eyes look best on the day of your wedding, adding an eye cream will help calm down inflammation, soften fine lines, and reduce dark circles.
- Schedule a series of facials no later than 6 months before your big day. Getting in sooner rather than later is best. This will give your skincare professional time to manage and treat any existing issues or concerns you may have with a series of treatments – not just one.
- Hair removal on the face is something we all need to do, however, it can be tricky determining when to schedule your pre-wedding wax. I have had cases where my clients have done it the day before and it really made it hard for makeup to stick to the skin in that area and made the makeup look blotchy. I recommend doing this about 7 days before the wedding – or even sooner.
The Wedding Day:
Whether you hire a makeup artist or not, here are some tips everyone should know about bridal makeup.
Pick a high definition-ready foundation. These foundations actually blur out imperfections that can easily be picked up on HD cameras. It should also have no SPF. SPF will reflect light back, as that is what it is supposed to do with sunlight, and make you look pale. Many people are choosing to have their foundation airbrushed on, but this look can be achieved with HD-ready foundations as well.
Look natural. I know most of you want to look natural on the day of your wedding. In order to look “natural” in your pictures you need to add about 3x more makeup than your normal application. Specifically your blush. Peachy/pink tones look the best on all skin tones. Also, make sure it doesn’t have a lot of shimmer or large flecks of mica because it will make your pores look big. You want to have that signature “blushing bride” look so don’t be afraid of adding more blush than normal.
I mentioned shimmer in your blush, but this also goes for anything else on the face. Matte products look much more natural and softer on camera. It’s one thing to have a little bit of a glow, but you don’t want to look greasy and sweaty from too much gleam in your makeup.
Wear false eyelashes to open eyes. Nothing will make your eyes pop more than adding a pair of lashes. Your eyes will look larger and less tired. Go with an option that gets longer as they reach the outer corner to give lift.
Eyeshadow is best with natural tones and a little bit of soft purples to ensure your eye makeup won’t look muddy. Lighter shades on the lid with a soft, defined crease and a blended outer corner are always a beautiful look. Blend your false lashes in with a nice black or black/brown liner. A little bit of a wing helps to lift the eyes. I recommend doing shadow on the bottom lash line to define but, nothing that could potentially run with tears.
Waterproof!!! There are going to be tears. Plan for them with waterproof eyeliner and mascara.
Try to avoid a nude lip. In your pictures it will look like you have no lips. A soft berry or mauve always looks beautiful on brides; they are timeless. Plus, nudes tend to make your teeth look yellow.
Set with translucent powder that is HD ready as well. Everything will stay put throughout the day and your pictures will look great.
Bonus Wedding Day Tip:
Just in case you wake up a little puffy and red, I have a DIY tip to calm and soothe tired, inflamed skin.
Supply list:
Cucumber slices (slice them the night before and store in a plastic bag in the fridge), aloe vera juice, a large bowl, ice water and a clean wash cloth.
Directions:
- Fill the bowl with ice water, cucumber slices, and two capfuls of aloe vera juice.
- Soak the wash cloth in the bowl, ring out the excess water.
- Press onto face focusing on all areas especially in the cheeks and eye area.
- Do this 6-7 times.
- Once you are done, you can use the cucumber slices to de-puff your eyes for about 10 minutes. There is no need to rinse off when you’re all done.
This is a great way to get in a little relaxation before wedding day prep of hair and makeup. Take a few deep breaths and focus on how wonderful your wedding day is going to be!
Now smile! You are ready to walk down the aisle and marry your soul mate — Congratulations!
Best Wishes,
Ashley
Ashley Gaa is a professional makeup artist and beauty blogger located in Omaha, NE. She has been a makeup artist for over 10 years and specializes in bridal, commercial and print makeup. Visit her blog makeovermyworld.
Photo Credit: Gleason Photography