With wedding season quick approaching, I wanted to share 15 important tips if you’re doing your own wedding makeup for your big day! More and more brides are taking it upon themselves to glam themselves for their own wedding day. Not only do some people feel more comfortable doing their own makeup but it also can minimize day-of stress and cut down on costs, which I know we all love.
Being a certified makeup artist and having worked on bridal clients, I wanted to share 15 important tips to remember if you end up doing your own makeup!
1. Practice Makes Perfect
I cannot reiterate this enough! Try out a couple of different looks to see what you feel comfortable wearing and feel the most beautiful in. Once you landed on the look, keep doing it over and over for practice. The more you do it, the more natural it will feel which means one less thing to stress about on your big day!
2. Know What Products You Want to Use
Trust me, this is not the time to play and use a product for the first time! I’ve had too many instances myself where I needed to get ready quickly and look put together while trying something new and it didn’t go well. As you’re practicing each look, take note of every single product that was used so you can remember what you used and how you used them.
3. Skin Prep Properly
A few months prior to your big day, I’d recommend getting a few facials so your skin is ready to glow and be the best canvas it can be for your makeup look. So many people assume a gorgeous look is all in the makeup products but it really does start with your skin! You’ll look flawless and feel great, trust me!
4. Find Your Dream Foundation
This will take some trial and error but there’s a foundation out there for everyone that 1. provides a natural finish with medium-buildable coverage & 2. will last hours on the skin flawlessly. If you don’t already have one that you like, go to your local Sephora and take the Foundation Finder quiz and ask the Beauty Advisor for a few samples! Try out a couple of different brands and formulas, see how they apply, wear throughout the day and most importantly look in photos!
5. Self Tanning? Make It Match!
If you’re planning on self-tanning or getting a spray tan for your big day, make sure to do a test run prior so you can find the find the perfect foundation match! You’ll want to make sure your face matches your body so your foundation will need to blend seamlessly into your neck and chest.
6. Splurge
Ok, hear me out. Splurge on product that you know will make you feel gorgeous and timeless. If you want to spend $34 on that Charlotte Tilbury lipstick you’ve been eyeing, do it! For me personally, this is not the time to hold back but again, make sure you practice, practice, practice!
7. Find a Comfortable Setting
Getting ready for your big day is incredibly special! Find a place where you feel the most comfortable and relaxed. I’d recommend getting a separate room or finding another space away from your bridal party so you have a quiet, serene space to stay stress-free and you can spread out.
8. Lay Everything Out
To reduce additional stress depending on how much time you have to get ready, lay every single product you intend on using out on a table or whatever work space you have. I personally like to group my items by category so all of my face products in one section, eyes in another, etc. This helps minimize the need to dig through your makeup bag for something
9. Lighting is Crucial
Some people forget about this when getting everything ready for application but make sure you have proper lighting! I’d recommend either sitting in from of a giant window (the most ideal) or use a ring light so you have adequate light to apply evenly and blended! This will also help give you the idea of what it will look like inside under lights or outside depending on your venue.
10. Waterproof Mascara is a Must
I don’t think I need to explain myself a lot for this one but waterproof is a MUST. Whether you’ll be crying happy or sad tears, or it’s windy and you have watery eyes like myself, you don’t want your makeup getting all messed up!
11. Apply More Makeup Then You Normally Would
You’ll be most likely wearing your wedding makeup for 6+ hours at least and having lots of photos taken. Apply a little more bronzer, blush and highlight than you normally would. Even go a little deeper with your shadows and add some longer and fuller looking lashes so your eyes pop in photos. Between the length of time you’ll be wearing your makeup and the hundreds to thousands of photos being taken, you’ll want your makeup to look flawless all day/night long!
12. Setting Spray is a Necessity
No matter what skin type your have, I always recommend using a setting spray. Not only does it instantly set your makeup so all of the layers melt into one another but it also helps prolong the wear of your makeup throughout the day! I’ve tried so many and the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray is by far my favorite. My makeup looks like I just put it on hours later!
13. Essential Oils are Your Secret Weapon
I learned this tip when I was in makeup school from one of my favorite bridal makeup artists who taught our course. Whether you’re doing someone else’s makeup or your own, apply a little lavender or de-stressing essential oil to the inside of your wrist! The aroma from the essential oil will be close to your face as you go through your routine helping destress and calm you though the process.
14. Keep Your Makeup Essentials With You Throughout The Day
Always keep a powder, blotting papers and the lip you applied with you throughout the day! Keep with your day-off coordinator or one of our bridesmaids so you can touch up throughout the day/night and before photos.
15. Don’t Follow Trends
Most brides want something timeless, glamorous and as a result something that truly makes them feel comfortable and gorgeous. Makeup trends come and go but make sure to stay true to what you love on yourself. Don’t necessarily do something just because you saw it on social but make sure you feel like yourself on your most special day!
