Whether you are doing your own wedding day makeup or you are hiring a professional, it is important to know what is going to look fresh and last all the way from First Look to Last Dance. We have a tip or two!
Skin
Beauty Blender
What you use to apply primer and foundation is as important as the product itself, and we strongly advise getting a beauty blender like this one from EcoTools to evenly distribute product all over your face and neck. Everyone ALWAYS forgets to give their neck some love! Don’t just stop at the jawline when you’re distributing your makeup products! Blend, blend, blend.
Primer
If you haven’t invested in a face primer before, now is the time! A good primer will help your wedding day makeup stay locked in place all day long. We absolutely love Radiance by Laura Mercier. It is luminous and will make you feel like Jennifer Lopez on the red carpet. Laura Mercier products are on the expensive side, but just a pea-sized dollop of product goes a long way and you won’t have to restock for a while!
Foundation
For day-to-day wear, we would typically recommend a lightweight foundation from Clinique or even simply tinted moisturizer. But for your wedding day makeup, you may want to opt for a foundation that has a little more staying power, like Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear by Laura Mercier. It is a 15-hour long wearing, weightless, oil-free liquid foundation with a matte finish that comes in 30 different shades. Just a few small dots of this foundation on a beauty blender will be all you’ll need.
Concealer
If you currently have acne or scarring as a result of acne, one of the best concealers out there is Conceal Rx by Physicians Formula. Our Founder, Christen Westcott, has always struggled with cystic acne and this is her secret weapon when her skin flares are out of control. You deserve to feel confident and radiant on your big day! Plus, it is only $5.29 which is amazing.
However, we wish Physicians Formula would offer Conceal Rx in more than just a fair shade. Alternatively, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer comes in 22 shades and is a #1 seller. You really cannot go wrong with NARS products. Again, they’re more pricey, but they have a fantastic reputation.
Cheeks
Blush
An industry-wide cult favorite is Orgasm by Nars, a peachy pink shimmer that is as bridal as it gets. Alternatively, if you prefer a more matte blush, we love the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush by Tarte in shade Exposed, which is a nude pink. Christen Westcott has been known to get a little wild and start with a layer of Exposed and then add a smidge of Orgasm on top!
Highlighter
Wedding day makeup just BEGS for highlighter. However, we’re finding it to be heavily overused these days. A light swipe on your cheekbones, brow bones and the tip of your nose will make your face pop at the altar. We can’t get enough of Face Illuminator Highlighting Powder by Laura Mercier in shade Devotion. Their Glow Powder brush is sold separately, but so worth the splurge because of how it curves to your cheekbones.
Eyes
Primer
Just like for your face, your eyelids need primer too! However, be aware that sometimes eyelid primer can affect the true color of your eye shadow. We’ve found that Photo Finish Lid Primer by Smashbox keeps shadow locked in place without distorting color.
Eye Shadow
Our suggestion for bridal eyes is to find a palette of natural tones with both matte and shimmery options. A great example of this is Skin Deep by NARS. It creates a beautiful and glamorous eye without looking too severe.
If you like a little more of a dramatic eye, Christen Westcott’s favorite palette of all time is Smoky by Urban Decay. Much to Christen’s dismay, Urban Decay has discontinued the palette. However, it can still be found at Nordstrom Rack Online, but who knows for how long!
Eyeliner
If you prefer a pencil eyeliner, we love PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil by Pat McGrath Labs. For a softer tone, we love the color Shade. For a more glamorous eye, it also comes in Xtreme Black.
If you’re more of a liquid eyeliner fan, we love Magic Marc’er by Marc Jacobs Beauty. Its felt tip makes it easy to create a thin or thick line. If you want a glamorous cat eye on your wedding day, then this is definitely the right option for you.
Mascara
If you aren’t planning on getting lash extensions or adding fake lashes to your look, we 10/10 recommend Great Lash Waterproof Mascara by Maybelline. It has been a top pick by beauty magazines for ages for a reason. Christen Westcott is still playing around to see which are the best fake lashes on the market, so stay tuned for a future blog post chronicling her fake lash experiments!
Brows
Fill in any sparse areas on your brows or even scalp with Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse with Brush by Tarte. Wedding day makeup is a lot like stage makeup, so you don’t want to do up your whole face and forget to give your brows some love! Plus, this mousse by Tarte is waterproof. On your big day, if a product comes in a waterproof version, we recommend using it!
Lips
Say what you will about the Kardashians, but we cannot say enough about the Velvet Lip Kits by Kylie Cosmetics. Our favorite shade is called Harmony. In every lip kit you receive a liner and gloss. You fill in your entire lip with the liner and then top with just a small dab of gloss, and it will stick with you for HOURS. A lot of lip stains tend to be very drying – this is minimally drying, and responds well if you dab on a bit of chapstick.
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