Some moments in life are personal, and for many women, their wedding day beauty routine is one of those moments. Many women choose to do their makeup themselves on their wedding day, sometimes because of budgetary constraints, having a destination wedding, or simply wanting to be in the company of only close friends and family on that day. Whatever the reason, I am here to give you a few tips on achieving a classic and flawless look.
Start by getting to know your skin. Are you typically oily? Do you tend to get dry throughout the day? Knowing the nature of your skin is key to creating a makeup look that will last the whole day. No matter what type of skin you have, it is always important to start with a moisturized face. For those of you who are oily, try to use a moisturizer that is oil-free. A great option is the Mario Badescu Oil-Free Moisturizer ($20 – 2oz). For those of you who tend to run dry, Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Creme Riche ($87 – 1.7oz) does a great job at retaining moisture.
Next, you want to pick a foundation that is suitable for your skin’s coverage needs. You want a formula that is going to give you coverage, without looking heavy or cakey. I’ve come to love Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra 24-Hour foundation ($45.50 – 1oz). Not only is the formula long-lasting (as its name suggests) but it also comes in a shade range to cover global skin-tones. Everyone from ultra-porcelain complexions like Dita Von Tisse to deep-ebony complexions like Alek Wek can find a shade to suit them. The secret to long-wearing foundation is to apply it thinly, and to lock-in the foundation with a dusting of powder. A good universal translucent powder that works for all complexions is the Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder ($36.00 – 10g). Don’t let the white color fool you! This powder goes completely clear on all complexions, and leaves you with a soft glow instead of a chalky, dusty look.
You should always warm the perimeter of your face with bronzer, and flush the apples of your cheeks with blush. This will help bring “life” to your face, which is very important when you are at an event with flash photography. The bright light of the camera tends to zap the color from your face in pictures, so enhancing your complexion with bronzer and blush is a necessity! My favorite bronzer is Guerlain’s Terracotta Bronzing Powder ($52 – 0.35oz) which looks natural when applied to the high-points of the face (forehead, cheeks, bridge of nose, and chin). When it comes to blush, you don’t want to look like Mrs. Clause! Look for a blush that mimics the flush you get after working out. The Tom Ford Cheek Color Blush ($57.00 – 0.28g) offers a great range of blushes to suit everyone’s taste and complexion. Be sure to apply your blush with a light hand! I advocate holding your blush brush as close to the end as possible (to reduce application pressure) and to only dip the brush in the powder one time. Remember, you can always go back and put on more… but it is hard to take off too much!
Eyes should be simple and defined. When I work with brides, we tend to focus more on lashes than anything else. I will typically put a nude or slightly smokey shadow on the lid, then focus my time thickening, lengthening, and separating lashes. Properly groomed lashes can make the eyes look bigger and brighter. I like to use individual lashes and apply them liberally to the top and bottom lash lines. I will then top them off with a mascara that will thicken and separate, like Benefit’s They’re Real mascara ($23 – 0.3oz).
Rounding out your look is lip color. While many brides like the classic appeal of the red lip, I tend to steer brides away from it due to the amount of maintenance involved with maintaining such a bold color. If you are doing your own makeup, you don’t want to be chained to a purse of touchup items. Go for a color that is complimentary to your complexion and makes you feel confident. I like nudeish-pink colors the best for fair skin, and berry-tones for deep skin. Iman Cosmetics Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick ($10 – 3.7g) makes an excellent range of colors which do the double-duty of acting as a moisturizing balm, while giving you opaque and long-lasting coverage.
Victor Amos | Senior Editor
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