Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day, naturally beautiful and glowing. It can be daunting getting the right look if you don't usually wear a lot of makeup or unsure what products to go for. For our wedding last year, I decided to do my own makeup and I have to say I was really happy with how it turned out! I've always been interested in beauty and tried and tested a lot of products to see what suited me and made sure it lasted all day. So whether you're hiring a makeup artist or doing your own makeup, here are some tips and tricks on bridal beauty must haves!
Primer
To really set your makeup and make it easier to apply your foundation is to use a good primer. Apply your moisturiser as normal and then apply primer on your t zone or areas that your makeup tends to come off by the end of the day. I used the Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer, which is ideal for oily to combination skin. It's a cream formula but sinks in quickly after you apply on your skin. It's not sticky or silicon base so won't feel tight or uncomfortable. A primer will help keep your makeup in place especially if it's warm and you get flustered! I would also recommend an eye primer to set your eye makeup and to make sure it lasts. I enjoy using the Urban Decay Primer Potion to set shadows in place.
Foundation
I think the most common question most brides ask is what foundation is best for weddings? You want something long lasting with a natural finish. There's a lot of 'photo and HD ready' foundations on the market, I would suggest getting a sample in your shade and see how your skin looks in natural light away from florescent shop lights. You also want to see if they is any flashback when you take photos with direct flash, which can be common in foundations with SPF.
I went to a Bobbi Brown bridal make over and fell in love with their Skin Foundation Stick in the shade Natural. I thought the foundation stick would be heavy and cakey but it's a dream to apply, you can build up coverage and it leaves a soft natural finish that feels weightless on the skin. Another contender for me was the Estee Lauder Doublewear Light Foundation, this performed really well on hot days and lasted a really long time.
Eye lashes
If you're blessed with long lashes you can enhance your lashes with a good waterproof mascara, to help keep your lashes curled all day without smudging. I have very short Asian lashes so I knew I wanted lash extensions. I didn't want to wear false lashes as they feel heavy, uncomfortable and I was worried they would peel off during the day! Thankfully I had an amazing lash technician Emily who applied my lash extensions 3 days before the wedding. She applies them individually onto my real lashes and honestly they looked amazing! They were full, long and luscious without looking over the top or fake. They looked like I had naturally thick lashes, they were the best decision I made! I didn't need to wear mascara or heavy eye liner on the day. I would recommend lash extensions if you don't want the hassle of falsies or mascara running!
Makeup trail
If you're planning to hire a makeup artist or do your own makeup. I would recommend to always do a trail, don't leave it to chance on the day. Chat to your makeup artist about the style of your dress and hair style, so they have an idea of what look you're after. Take lots of photos of your makeup trail look, in natural light to see how it looks in photos. If you're not comfortable with heavy eye makeup or bold lips, try another look until you feel your most beautiful! I swapped my usual black eye liner for brown, for a subtle yet defined look. There's always way to enhance your features, without making you look too over done.
Set your makeup
Even if your skin is dry or oily, I would suggest to set your makeup with a translucent powder. You don't want to add colour but you do want to avoid shine throughout the day. A translucent powder is lightweight and finely milled so will ensure your makeup doesn't slip and slide whatever the weather. I used the Laura Mercier Pressed Setting Powder and was advised by the Laura Mercier makeup artist to use the sponge to dab and press the product onto your skin. Using a large powder brush tends to make the product go all over without really setting it into the skin.
Lastly the best tip of all? Smiling of course! A happy bride is the most beautiful.
Good luck! What are your bridal beauty must haves?
Image from Irene Yap
