Take as good care of your skin as possible in the weeks leading up to your wedding. Stress and dehydration will likely be your main enemies, but the better your skin looks the day of, the less makeup you'll need. Above all, moisturize well every night and use SPF every day. Emergency tip: Store an eye gel, serum or balm in the fridge and use it on your eyes the morning of the wedding. (Try SK-II Advance Eye Treatment Film Revitalising Eye Contour Gel, $95)
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Step 2: Apply primer and foundation
Apply primer over any textured areas (breakouts, wrinkles, uneven surfaces, etc.) or areas that tend to get oily throughout the day. Then apply a light layer of tinted moisturizer or mineral foundation with SPF such as Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, $36. If you feel you need more coverage, use an oil-free foundation instead.
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Step 3: Conceal trouble areas
Conceal any visible blemishes or broken blood vessels with a highly pigmented cream concealer like Stila Perfecting Concealer, $23. Since concealer often contains light-reflecting pigments, avoid caking it on, especially under the eyes. (That's what causes those strange white "hot spots" you see in some snapshots.)
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Step 4: Make your eyes pop
For eyes, I love the classic look of drawing one black line on the upper lash line, but that's best left to those who are whizzes with liquid liner. (In other words, not me!) Instead, keep it simple by smudging a rich chocolate brown liner like Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Kenya, $22, very close to the lash line.
For shadow, pick a neutral palette, preferably one with browns, bronzes or golds. (If you have a medium skin tone, you can go more earthy, like a terra cotta.) Highlight your brow bone with slightly shimmery neutral color such as CoverGirl Intense ShadowBlast in Beige Blaze, $8, but avoid too much shimmer or glitter as it can make fine lines more obvious and show up too bright in photos. Blend well!
Finally, curl your lashes and apply CoverGirl NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara, $10 (it won't run off if you cry). If you're using false lashes, give yourself plenty of time to apply them and look down into a hand mirror on a table when you do so (this can help you position them accurately). When the lash glue is dry, carefully go back over the roots of your falsies with liner and apply a coat of mascara to them.
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Step 5: Accessorize your smile
There's nothing prettier at a wedding than a happy bride. Make sure everyone notices your smile by applying a cream blush like Stila Convertible Color in Petunia, $25 on your cheeks and lips.
Photo tip: If you blush naturally, don't go crazy with color on your cheeks. But DO go just a step above your comfort zone; the amount of blush most people wear every day won't show in photos. You can also add more long-lasting oomph by dusting the apples of your cheeks with a bright powder blush, such as Bobbie Brown Blush in Pale Pink, $24, and blending well.
It's July, which means we are officially about a month into wedding season! (Yay!) It also means that a lot of brides have been asking me how to do their own makeup for their weddings, with concerns ranging from, "I'm worried it'll melt off" (check out these melt-proof makeup tips) to "I don't know how to get my makeup to look good in photos."
First off, I think every bride should hire a makeup artist to make her feel like royalty on her big day. (Seriously, I SO wish I had done that for myself. Pre-wedding checklists like this one are enough to think about already!) That said, even Kate Middleton did her own makeup, and it turned out beautifully.
Whether you're having a destination wedding in a tropical locale or getting married in your own back yard, follow these fool-proof steps -- culled from both my experience as a bridal makeup artist and my favorite celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow's recommendations (her clients include Claire Danes and Olivia Wilde). They are sure to help your radiant, gorgeous self take center stage on the big day.
