Photo by Lydia Stamps Photography Six years ago to the day we went on our first date my lovely boyfriend popped the question and I became his fiancée! It was the perfect tonic to a pretty stressful year so far and it's wonderful to have something so happy, exciting and positive to look forward to.
Maybe it's because I've now entered the weird and wonderful world of weddings, or because I've reached that age, but weddings seem to be everywhere right now! I was honoured to be a bridesmaid for my fiance's (still cracks me up!) sister last year at her incredibly cool Mexican-themed wedding (so cool, in fact, that it was recently featured in Rock n Roll Bride magazine). Check out her particularly amazing and unique bridal makeup and her headpiece she designed herself (left).
Last month I had the best time being a bridesmaid alongside all of my closest school friends (below). Two days later I attended another friend's midweek wedding, and I'm excited to be providing another friend's wedding makeup this summer...See what I mean, the world's gone wedding crazy!!
Maybe it's because I've now entered the weird and wonderful world of weddings, or because I've reached that age, but weddings seem to be everywhere right now! I was honoured to be a bridesmaid for my fiance's (still cracks me up!) sister last year at her incredibly cool Mexican-themed wedding (so cool, in fact, that it was recently featured in Rock n Roll Bride magazine). Check out her particularly amazing and unique bridal makeup and her headpiece she designed herself (left).
Last month I had the best time being a bridesmaid alongside all of my closest school friends (below). Two days later I attended another friend's midweek wedding, and I'm excited to be providing another friend's wedding makeup this summer...See what I mean, the world's gone wedding crazy!!
Makeup Artist vs Do It yourself
All of this wedding talk has got me thinking about bridal makeup. There is much opinion and debate on whether brides, bridesmaids and mother of the brides should do their own makeup or hire a professional makeup artist (aka MUA) for the morning of the wedding.
Makeup is a very personal thing and only you can decide whether you feel confident using your own makeup and applying it yourself or whether you would like to feel pampered and trust someone else making you picture perfect for your big day.
Here's my advice....
Makeup is a very personal thing and only you can decide whether you feel confident using your own makeup and applying it yourself or whether you would like to feel pampered and trust someone else making you picture perfect for your big day.
Here's my advice....
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hIRING a makeup artist: |
- Hiring a makeup artist can cost anywhere between £25-£50+ for a trial and £50-£100+ on the day for the bride to be, plus bridesmaids, mother of the bride, etc. Remember to factor this into your budget, as this may dictate what you can afford to do!
- Do your research. There are hundreds of wedding makeup artists out there - some with lots of wonderful experience, others having just paid for a 1-day 'bridal makeup' course. Check they have insurance and abide with professional standards - and whether they're any good!
- Look at their portfolios, check you like the makeup products they use and book a makeup trial no less than a couple of months before the big day. Take some images along for inspiration, make sure the trial is carried out in a room filled with natural daylight and see how it stands the test of time throughout the day - a good MUA will know all of the tricks of the trade to achieve this.
- Your makeup needs to jive with your hair for the big day so make sure you keep your makeup artist updated with your plans for your hair, or even better find a makeup artist who can also do hair!
- A makeup artist would probably like to book between 1-2 hours for your makeup to make sure there is enough time to create the perfect look or make any amendments. Make sure you thoroughly cleanse and moisturise your face, ideally using an oil-free lightweight moisturiser so the makeup doesn't slip off throughout the day. Good makeup starts with good skin.
- Your makeup artist won't hang around all day so make sure your makeup has staying-power, and have a bit of powder to control any shine and the lippy used so you can top it up after all that kissing, eating and drinking!
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Do It Yourself
- Remember that you shouldn't look all that different on your wedding day than you do day to day; just a more beautiful and polished version! Research styles, colours and trends for inspiration and take time to practice before the big day.
- Wedding makeup is usually very natural looking, soft and glowing, but the benefit of doing your own makeup is you can look like you, so don't feel restricted. If you only feel like you with red lippy and winged eyeliner then go ahead! But also don't cake it on just because it's for a special occasion....it's better to build it up bit by bit and keep checking what it looks like in natural daylight and on camera - get out that selfie stick!
- Ask your friends for advice; they may know your face better than you do and what styles and colours suit you the most. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all.
- Makeup counters can be a huge help with guidance and makeup application; book yourself in for a tutorial and discuss suitable colours, products and application techniques. Often they will make up one half of your face and you can try out the other side. Don't be afraid to ask for samples; you need to like the products and get used to them before purchasing and a good makeup counter assistant should respect this. Why not treat yourself to some new makeup, and check if there are any 'gift with purchase' offers on - it can be a great way to try out products you might not usually buy!
- Be wary of your jaw line - your face will be naturally a shade darker than your neck but you don't want it to look vastly different to your neck and décolletage and risk an orange makeup line. Blend your foundation down to your neck (avoiding any fabric if you're wearing a high neckline).
- Wear a primer underneath your foundation and eyeshadow to ensure staying power, and don't forget waterproof eye makeup to avoid any panda eyes later in the day! Lip liner underneath your lipstick or gloss will help the colour last longer and a gentle powder throughout the day will blot away any shine. It's not called a powder room for nothing!
- Allocate between 1-2 hours for your makeup and hair on the big day; a makeup artist would sit you down whether you feel ready or not, but you will have to be strict and schedule enough time to get ready (this would be a good job for your maid of honour or bridesmaid!). Don't let any stresses of the morning distract you from making yourself look and feel perfect.
The little extras...
Before the wedding it's worth also treating yourself to some additional treatments to make you feel wedding and honeymoon ready - ting!!!
Manicure - Your hands will play a big role on your wedding day so you want to make sure you have nice nails and soft hands. Most people go for a nude or French polish, but don't be afraid to go for a more bold colour if you so wish - why not match them with your colour scheme or flowers. Gels can last up to 2-3 weeks so you'll be all prepped for your honeymoon too!
Pedicure - The same applies here; it's nice to have polished fingers and toes and especially important if you're planning on wearing peep-toe shoes on your wedding day.
Wax - Grow your hair in the lead up to the wedding and treat yourself to a wax; legs, underarms, upper lip or intimate bikini...it'll last longer and make you feel super smooth. Or for more permanent removal, look up laser hair removal.
Full body scrub and massage - Will make your skin super smooth and polished and reduce any pre-wedding strains and tensions.
Fake tan - We all feel nicer with a bit of colour so why not book yourself in for a spray or manual tan a few days before the wedding to give you a gorgeous sunkissed glow. It's best to trial this a few months ahead and try on your wedding dress to check it looks good. No one wants a Ross Geller moment on their special day....
Eyes - All of your emotions throughout the day will shine through your eyes, from smiles to happy tears, so any enhancements to your lashes and brows need to be carefully considered, but that's not to say they can't be brilliant! Lashes can be temporarily enhanced by using one-day reusable strip lashes, slightly longer-lasting cluster lashes, or individual lash extensions which last a few weeks (but take about teo hours to apply!). Gaining popularity is also LVL Lash Lift, a combination of tinting and perming your actual lashes (I had this for my wedding). All of which can be used with makeup, but you have to be careful removing makeup as oils can affect the glue.
Brows - Brows can be enhanced with waxing, threading, tinting; HD Brows is a great treatment for combining all of the above. Microblading and eyebrow tattooing are also available if you're wanting a more permanent, invasive treatment.
I offer some of the above treatments and am happy to offer advice or point you in the right direction for everything else, so let me know if you require any advice or help with your wedding prep pampering or on the day beautification.
Manicure - Your hands will play a big role on your wedding day so you want to make sure you have nice nails and soft hands. Most people go for a nude or French polish, but don't be afraid to go for a more bold colour if you so wish - why not match them with your colour scheme or flowers. Gels can last up to 2-3 weeks so you'll be all prepped for your honeymoon too!
Pedicure - The same applies here; it's nice to have polished fingers and toes and especially important if you're planning on wearing peep-toe shoes on your wedding day.
Wax - Grow your hair in the lead up to the wedding and treat yourself to a wax; legs, underarms, upper lip or intimate bikini...it'll last longer and make you feel super smooth. Or for more permanent removal, look up laser hair removal.
Full body scrub and massage - Will make your skin super smooth and polished and reduce any pre-wedding strains and tensions.
Fake tan - We all feel nicer with a bit of colour so why not book yourself in for a spray or manual tan a few days before the wedding to give you a gorgeous sunkissed glow. It's best to trial this a few months ahead and try on your wedding dress to check it looks good. No one wants a Ross Geller moment on their special day....
Eyes - All of your emotions throughout the day will shine through your eyes, from smiles to happy tears, so any enhancements to your lashes and brows need to be carefully considered, but that's not to say they can't be brilliant! Lashes can be temporarily enhanced by using one-day reusable strip lashes, slightly longer-lasting cluster lashes, or individual lash extensions which last a few weeks (but take about teo hours to apply!). Gaining popularity is also LVL Lash Lift, a combination of tinting and perming your actual lashes (I had this for my wedding). All of which can be used with makeup, but you have to be careful removing makeup as oils can affect the glue.
Brows - Brows can be enhanced with waxing, threading, tinting; HD Brows is a great treatment for combining all of the above. Microblading and eyebrow tattooing are also available if you're wanting a more permanent, invasive treatment.
I offer some of the above treatments and am happy to offer advice or point you in the right direction for everything else, so let me know if you require any advice or help with your wedding prep pampering or on the day beautification.
Here comes the bride....
The most important thing to remember is that getting ready for your wedding day should be FUN and STRESS-FREE. Plan ahead, practise, make time for it on the day and enjoy it. It's one day only, you deserve to feel like Queen Bee!
Laura x
