Wedding Makeup Guide

The most important part of your wedding day makeup is to look like yourself. You want to look your best without looking like your trying too hard. You have to feel comfortable in the amount of makeup you are wearing, as it will show in your pictures. It is very important that when you look back at your wedding photographs, you'll recognize the face that is smiling at you. Most importantly, make sure that your wedding day makeup makes you feel like the beautiful bride you are and supposed to be.

The best way to insure this feeling is through practice. Practice makes perfect, and your wedding makeup is no exception. Whether you are having your makeup done professionally or you are doing it yourself, practice is the key to achieving your perfect look. If you are going the professional route, it is important to for you to schedule at least one trial session with your makeup artist before the big day. You'll need to make sure that both of you are on the same page, and it may take a couple of sessions in order to achieve this. The same applies if you are choosing to do your makeup yourself, you'll want to practice many times, experimenting both with colors and techniques. You can also go to a makeup counter at your local department store to pick up some helpful hints and special products that will help you apply your makeup flawlessly. Remember, practice is the best way to ensure you remain stress-free on your special day.

The best way to achieve flawless wedding day makeup is to fuse all of these elements together, highlighting all of your features but not allowing any one area to overpower.

Face

The key to a flawless face is having a foundation that matches your skin tone perfectly. You want to make sure that the foundation you use blends easily into your skin, virtually disappearing before your eyes. The last thing you want is to see foundation lines around the outside of your face when you look at your wedding photos. To ensure this does not occur, check your foundation in natural light. The artificial lights found in your bathroom and department stores are often deceiving. You will also want to find a foundation that works with your skin type, not against it.

Tip 1: If you have oily skin, you will want an oil-free matte formula that will help minimize shine. If you have dry skin, find a foundation that doubles as a moisturizer so your skin will look fresh all day.

Concealer is optional and a good idea for all brides that have jitters and probably won't get as much sleep as you should the night before the wedding. You want to be careful with concealer, however, since using too much can appear cakey, and actually draw attention to those areas you are trying to minimize. A good way to make sure your concealer blends perfectly is to mix in a little bit of your foundation before application. This way you are sure to get the clean, fluid look you want.

The next step is finding a light, loose power that will set your foundation and concealer, and take away any excess shine. You don't want to load up on powder, as this will only cause you to get shinier faster. Rather, you want just enough to keep your makeup in place and reduce shine for your photos.

Tip 2: It is a good idea to keep your power on hand through out the day, as you will need to reapply before your photos and other special events.


When you decide on your blush color, you will want to find something that will provide you with a natural glow. You will want to use a little more blush than you do for day to day wear as you don't want to appear washed out in your photos. Just be careful not to get carried away. You want to appear natural and not overly made up, which is easy when applying blush.

Eyes

It terms of eye color, it is best to choose muted, neutral colors that compliment both your dress and the other colors you are using on your face, such as your lips and cheeks. Using white or other light eye shadows on the inside edges of your eyes will help brighten and open them up. You can also use this same light color on your brow line for added definition. Beware of using too much shimmer or glitter, as these types of eye shadows will cause you to appear shiny in your pictures.

Tip 3: A light shimmer used to highlight certain areas such as your cheekbones and brow bones is okay, but you may want to take test photos before the big day to see how it is going to look.


Your mascara and eye liner are the finishing touches for your eyes. These items allow you to add as much definition as you desire. You can add extra volume and length to your lashes by using false lashes. These are available in both strips and individuals, depending on the effect you want to create. Individual lashes appear more natural and can be used across the whole lid, or just in areas that need to be filled in. You will want to apply false lashes after you have finished your eye makeup to insure they stay in place. You can also curl your lashes using an eyelash curler to open up your eyes and create the illusion of fuller, longer lashes. Make sure to curl your lashes prior to applying mascara to avoid ripping out lashes and smudging your makeup.

Tip 4: No matter what you decide to do with your eyes, it is best to use a waterproof mascara and eyeliner, especially if you know you will be shedding some tears on your big day.


Your wedding day lip color should look consistent with the rest of your makeup. You'll want a lipstick that is a little brighter than your usual color to ensure that it shows up in your pictures. The first time you put on this darker shade, you may be uncomfortable and feel as though you are wearing too much makeup. If this is the case, you should try wearing the lipstick a few times before the big day in order to get used to it. If you still don't feel like yourself, you can use a similar shade to what you wear day to day as long as it complements your overall look. Adding gloss to your lips will also help your lip color pop and help them to appear fuller in your photographs.

Tip 5: A good way to ensure that your color stays in place is to apply a lip liner all over your lips before you apply your lipstick. You will have to reapply your lipstick throughout the day, so make sure you keep it nearby at all times.