How to do Your Own Wedding Makeup…

Looking to do your own makeup for your wedding day? Whether you’re trying to save money on your wedding or just fancy yourself as a bit of a pro at Instagram-worthy makeup – doing your own bridal makeup is definitely an option. Here’s everything you need to know about how to do your own wedding makeup…

How to do Your Own Wedding Makeup

If the thought of a full hair and makeup team hovering around you whilst you wait to begin the best/most stressful day of your life is enough to tip you over the edge, then doing your own wedding makeup could be the solution. Here’s how you can nail perfect DIY bridal makeup on your big day…

Start with skincare

Before you even start to think about makeup, you need to get a good skincare regime in place well before your wedding day.

If the wedding budget allows, start getting monthly facials – aim for at least three or four – before the big day as those will help firm and illuminate your complexion.

Seek professional advice to ensure your skincare routine is right before your big day. This way, your skin will be in tip-top condition and your foundation will look ultra flawless.

While we strongly suggest you stay hydrated and up your water intake before your big day, investing in a good toner will break down the dead and dull layers of the skin and reduce breakouts.

So many women are unknowingly dehydrated or have dry skin so a good moisturiser is also key. You can also try using a facial oil at night for powerful and quick results.

Practice, practice, practice

Avoid any stressful stuff-ups on your wedding day by practising your bridal makeup look plenty of times beforehand. Trial runs are especially important for brides who don’t usually wear a lot of makeup.

To give you a confidence booster, why not book a makeup lesson with one of your favourite brands for some one-on-one tuition. This way, from start to flawless, you’ll learn how to apply all your makeup with ease from a trained makeup artist.

There’s also plenty of bridal makeup inspiration and makeup how-tos to be found on Youtube and Instagram.

Use a primer

After you’ve moisturised your skin, you’ll want to apply a thin layer of primer, which basically prepares the skin for makeup.

A primer will serve as a temporary corrector, filling in enlarged pores as well as smoothing fine lines and some deeper set lines.

Using a primer will not only even out skin tone and texture but help your foundation to last all day. If you suffer from creasing eyeshadow, make sure you use an eye primer too.

Avoid makeup with SPF

You should definitely wear SPF every day but if there was to be only one exception, it would be your wedding day.

While sunscreen is very good for your skin, it can be very bad for your wedding photos. The zinc and titanium oxides that are found in SPF formulas can cause a white cast on the face in flash photography.

Likewise, in the evening, when there’s flash photography, it will completely bleach out the skin. If you must slather on sunscreen for your summer wedding, make sure it’s in your moisturiser and not your foundation.

When it comes to concealer, do not use light reflective concealer under your eyes as you risk having white eye circles in your photographs. Instead, use a matte concealer or your wedding makeup foundation to hide those dark circles.

Pick a long-lasting foundation

When selecting a foundation for your wedding day, it’s important to work with your skin type instead of against it.

If you have oily skin, you’ll want to avoid foundations boasting a dewy finish as you’ll end up looking greasy. Likewise, if you have dry skin, you’ll want to stay away from powder foundations and overly matte formulas.

If you plan on having a spray tanning before your wedding day, remember to go a few days ahead of time and get your foundation matched a day after your trial tan.

You’ll want to choose a long-lasting foundation to avoid shine and dullness throughout the day and prevent your makeup from sliding off.

Blend your makeup

The most common pitfall for brides doing their own wedding makeup is not blending enough!

Your wedding day might not be the best time to experiment with a heavy Kardashian-caliber contour but some soft sculpting can give emphasis to the natural shape of your face providing you blend your makeup. And it’s best to do this soft contouring using bronzer rather than your foundation.

Embrace waterproof mascara

Even if you don’t think you’re going to cry on your wedding day, it’s best to play it safe with a good waterproof mascara.

If you’re a summer bride, waterproof formulas will also withstand the heat and prevent your mascara from running.

Remember to comb through your lashes after each coat of mascara to eliminate clumps.

Define your brows

Whether you’re blessed with great brows or not, simply brushing them up and filling in the sparse areas with an eyebrow palette can add a natural depth to the entire face.

Line your lips

Use a lip liner (in a natural or nude shade) all over your lips before applying your lipstick or gloss. Lip liner creates natural definition and the colour lasts for hours!

Start with a conditioning lip balm then add a long-wear nude lipstick topped off with a gloss for extra dimension and a natural-looking finishing touch.

Invest in a setting spray

The key to really making your makeup last all day is using a good setting spray. Setting sprays prevent makeup from wearing away and they’re sweat-proof too!

Top up your makeup

On the wedding day itself, carry with you three essential products for touching up your makeup – your lip liner, lip gloss or lipstick, and a translucent powder or blotting sheets to lift away the excess oils and prevent shine. This will ensure you look your best throughout the entire day.

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