Let's Face It

Erin Caslakava

Brides should consider having a trial run with their makeup artist. That way, her skin can be analyzed to see if it’s oily, dry, or combination skin.

Although every bride is beautiful in her own way, each and every one still wants to look her very best on her wedding day. With a spectacular looking dress, artistically arranged flowers and a sparkling ring to wear every bride wants to look beyond DAZZLING on her wedding day.

 

While natural beauty radiates from within, the most essential exterior component is hair and make-up. So how can you assure yourself that something as vital as your personal appearance remains fresh and perfect throughout the entire event? 

A variety of professional makeup artists have revealed some of their secrets for helping brides look as beautiful at their reception as they did at their ceremony, which is often times separated by hours. They remind brides to plan on having makeup done after they’ve been carefully coiffed, so that no hair spray or product interferes with the application of the makeup. It is recommended that your hair and makeup be completely done just before getting dressed.  

A bride should be ready to go an hour before her wedding. So, depending on how many people she is going to do, the makeup artist should be at the site 3-4 hours before the wedding. Allocating enough time for everyone helps ensure the personal attention to detail necessary for maintaining a fresh look as close to the beginning of the ceremony as possible. 

If you want to pay the makeup artist to stay, which is sometimes the case, then touchups can be done right before the ceremony. Otherwise, you should carry around a little purse that has the following items: lipstick, liner, and mascara – which are great for giving eyes a lift.

Another professional strategy is purchasing your own makeup with the help of your makeup artist. Experts say this allows you to have access to touch up materials on hand, as well as giving you the confidence in wearing it. And, another suggestion is bringing concealer in case of an emergency breakout, and never try new makeup techniques the day of the wedding. A case in point: one bride went to a tanning salon for the first time the day before her wedding and hated her tan lines, requiring her make-up artist to spend extra time trying to eliminate them from the bride’s body.

Touchups as the celebration continues are also highly recommended especially before photos are taken. Having a sheer powder and lipstick or gloss is most important for touchups, and using good quality makeup will ensure that it will hold up for hours. It’s probably also a good idea to touchup after eating to keep the lips looking fresh and pretty.

But with so much to attend to, so many guests to visit with, and a party to enjoy, should the bride (or can she, realistically) be counted on to remember to pay attention to her hair and makeup as she navigates her way through her celebration?

Experts suggest delegating responsibility on your special day. Ask your maid of honor to carry your makeup pouch for you, After all, she is called the “maid” for a reason: she’s there to help assist you…. so you can simply enjoy your day. Another factor to consider when thinking about how to look your best from start to finish is whether the wedding is being held indoors or out since weather can wreak havoc on hair and makeup if you’re not fully prepared for whatever Mother Nature might come up with.

One bride had arranged an outdoor wedding ceremony. At six in the morning it was pouring rain. By noon the sun came out, and the temperature shot to 86 degrees. And by the time her ceremony started, the wind had picked up. So the hair design and makeup she’d selected was altered with every passing hour. Finally, because of the wind and heat, she decided to wear her hair up even though she had originally wanted to wear it down. As a compromise, she asked her stylist to give her some soft wisps of hair to surround her face. But with the wind constantly swirling, she ended up with pieces of her hair in front of her face - and in every picture of her ceremony.

Although climactic changes at most outdoor weddings aren’t as dramatic as they were for this bride, having an outdoor wedding nevertheless does call for some special considerations on the part of your makeup artist or stylist. Count on it being windy and humid if you’re having an outdoor wedding. And remember that in just two hours, hair will fall if it isn’t adequately controlled.

Outside weddings call for softer makeup. Not necessarily entirely “natural,” because you do need some extra for photos. But brides do need to remember that when it comes to makeup, they should do a little more than they might on a normal day. After all, they do have a beautiful dress and a great hairstyle. Furthermore, seasoned professionals suggest that brides have a trial run with their makeup artist. That way, your skin can be analyzed to see if you have oily, dry, or combination skin. And for humid weather, matte foundations definitely work best.

As a general rule, because lighting is almost always stronger outdoors than in, brides who hold their ceremony or reception indoors should use brighter makeup. However, some makeup artists prefer the look of a dark lipstick for indoor, evening looks.

Again, being comfortable in your own skin is of the utmost importance so make sure you’re wearing a shade of lipstick that you like and looks good on you. Pink might be the color of choice for some brides, but for others a deep maroon is what makes them feel their most glamorous, so listen to what your stylist suggests.

Even though each makeup artist is dedicated to helping you achieve your most sustainable, photo-friendly look, they do have their own favorite products and makeup tricks. These include: wearing powder to help your makeup stay in place, wearing false eyelashes to complement a glamorous wedding look and above all remembering that stress can do more damage than anything else to your appearance, so, try not to stress.