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Bride Makeup Tips
by Allison Boelcke
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Overview
Wedding day makeup can be a challenge: It must be durable, yet beautiful. Since all eyes are on the bride, she needs makeup that can stay put throughout the ceremony and reception, withstand tears and look good in photographs. If you're a soon-to-be bride, don't fret: There are ways to apply makeup that will stay put and make you look your best.
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Selecting Products
Before choosing makeup for your wedding day, consider your everyday makeup style. If you don't wear much makeup, your wedding might not be the best time to experiment with a dramatic new look. Pick out makeup that will softly emphasize your best features and conceal any imperfections. For natural color and coverage, test foundation samples in natural lighting. Apply a light strip of foundation down your jaw line and gently rub it in. Select the color that blends seamlessly into your skin and doesn't leave an obvious color line around your jaw. Any concealer for under-eye circles or for blemishes should match your skin or be no more than two shades lighter.
Choose waterproof mascara to avoid under-eye streaks. For a foolproof look that emphasizes your eyes without being too dramatic, select a shimmery beige or taupe eye shadow. Liquid eyeliner provides the best staying power, but if you are unsteady with eyeliner application, choose a soft black or dark brown pencil liner that is more forgiving of mistakes. Choose a lip liner that closely matches your natural lip color to apply as a base to prevent smearing. Soft pink, plum or coral lipstick or gloss colors tend to be the best for photographs, because they are more natural looking and it's less noticeable if they rub off.
View makeup colors in natural light and take digital photographs to make sure you are happy with how they look, both in person and in photographs.
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Application Techniques
To ensure your bridal makeup is long-lasting, apply a thin layer of foundation primer. Foundation primer is a clear base that smoothes and preps the face to create a canvas for longer-lasting makeup. Dot foundation lightly on your forehead, chin, nose and cheeks and use a sponge or your fingers to lightly blend it in. Dab concealer on blemishes or under eyes and gently tap with your middle finger until the concealer sinks into the skin. Smile and brush cheek color onto the round "apples" of your cheeks. Use a fluffy makeup brush, not a powder pad or puff, to brush translucent, loose powder across your face to set makeup in place and prevent shining.
Sweep a light layer of translucent powder across your lips, then use lip liner to outline and completely fill in your lips. Apply your lip color, dab with a tissue, then sweep another thin layer of powder over lips and smooth on a second coat of lip color. This will give your lipstick or gloss a base to adhere to and stay put through the wedding kiss and countless photographs.
Use your finger or an eye shadow brush to smooth lids with a thin layer of shadow. Draw a line with eyeliner as close as possible to your eyelashes, then use a cotton swab to gently smudge the line so it isn't too drastic and unnatural. Dip a stiff eyeliner brush into a powder eye shadow in a similar shade to your eyeliner and lightly trace over your lash lines for even longer-lasting coverage. Gently clamp lashes with an eyelash curler, then sweep lashes with a waterproof mascara. If possible, take a digital photograph of your face after your apply the makeup so you can make sure you don't appear washed out for your wedding portraits.
