My wedding is 53 days away and I'm preparing already! I've been practicing how I am going to do my makeup (budget wedding? do it yourself!) and testing how photogenic it is. I'm normally not photogenic but I want nice wedding pictures to show my kids some day and to look back through the rest of my life! The most important thing to think about it you want to look like you!
I got my makeup done professionally for my high school prom by a nice makeup counter of one of my favorite makeup places. Granted I didn't get a trial run because it was expensive enough for prom and it wasn't my wedding day, but looking back on my pictures I look like a drag queen and nothing like me. My favorite pictures of myself are ones that look like ME so I really remember being there and in the moment and I'm not distracted thinking 'oh wow my makeup looks bad!' For that sake it is best to do your makeup very similar to what you do every day! (maybe just a little bit bigger)
Practice doing your makeup and if you have a bridesmaid/maid of honor/best friend/fiance handy give him a camera and have her/him snap a few picture of you taking care not to fix the light in the room or pose too much. Snapshots are some of the most memorable and you want to make sure you look radiant without trying!
Review the pictures and see what you want to fix! My everyday makeup consists of concealer, foundation, chapstick, black liquid liner, and mascara. My wedding makeup will be that + Sephora's Nude Beach eyeshadow!
Everyday Snapshot:
Wedding Makeup Test Run:
Obviously there are some KEY differences in lighting, camera, and angle but you get the point.
Wedding Makeup = Stage Makeup - 50% + Awesome Foundation.
So practice is important! For me a big part of it was finding the right combination of products. I'm not there yet but this is what I've been using.
Concealer: Mac Studio Sculpt in NW15
You may notice from the picture I'm like half a shade darker than my white t-shirt. This is the ONLY concealer I've ever found to be light enough for my skin. Other Mac concealers in this color are too dark. It's something about the mixture of this one that is perfect for me. If you can go to a Mac makeup counter, do it! Try them on! I have to buy online which can be expensive trial and error. I reccomend this concealer if you have dark circles under your eyes, spider veins in your lids (I do!) or have a tendency to be shiny in pictures where you don't want to be.
Foundation: Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW15
The powder foundation is light enough for me it's just the concealers that are darker. This one helps to block shine on my skin. I only dab on a very light layer with a sponge or dust ever so gently with my kabuki brush!
Eyeliner: Mac Liquidlast Liner in Point Black
You can apply this with the brush from the bottle BUT it does take a lot of skill. If you're not so comfortable with liquid liner brushes (this one is really like a tiny long bristled paint brush) I reccomend getting a seperate brush with tight bristles and using that. I use the brush from the bottle to get some of the liquid around the top of the bottle and then transfer it to another small brush. I'll list my favorite deals on brushes a bit further down!
Eyeshadow: Sephora's Bare Minerals in Nude Beach
On the website this looked almost like a taupe color but when I got it it was much lighter. On my skin it offered a little bit of a pink sheen with the hint of glitter in it. It helped to camoflauge my spider veins (yeay!). I literally just slathered this all over my eyes because my eye are deep set (tucking far beneath my brow bone) and this color helped to bring them forward a bit more and brighten them. Also a nice highlight under my brow.
Mascara: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume & Length
I usually use just the Lash Blast Volume but this one is new and it intrigued me. It was about $2 more than the others but I thought it was worth a try. I have long eyelashes anyway but I curled them and put this on and they were impressive. I had to comb them a few times (I'll show you the brush I used later) but then they looked fantastic. Only problem was they kept poking me in the eyelid (I remember why I don't usually curl them any more!)
Chapstick!
Any chapstick will do. My fair skin has a tendency to bleed color and if I put on any sort of lipstick it just highlights the pink in my skin and it looks like I smeared it all down my face (clown effect... but more subtle). So never underestimate the use of chapstick! I put it on then rub it off (helps to remove any foundation that might be stuck on your lips and get some color back into them) then press down a bit while I put it on again. Help exfoliate your lips and bring out your natural beautiful color! Also not using lipstick makes your teeth less likey to look yellow. In that first picture I'm wearing a very faint but pink lipstick. Second picture no lipstick... but I also use whitening toothpaste and mouthwash!
Brushes!
I won't deny that I do have a very nice and very expensive set of Clinique makeup brushes that were a Christmas gift to me several years ago (still in great condition! I clean them and take great care of them) but for some things I refuse to use them. I'm not about to put my waterproof liquid liner on a $50 brush because what if it doesn't come out! For things like that I've found my favorite set of backup brushes! And you can bet I'm buying 3 sets of these for my wedding day. 1 for my car, 1 for my purse, and 1 for my wedding accessory bag so there is no chance of losing them!
Not kidding. $1. I have 5. I use one for my eyeliner, one for my concealer. One for occasional undereye shadow application and then I have backups. The uses for this brush are ENDLESS. It's a tiny brush but the bristles are tight packed enough that as soon as you put it against your face it doesn't mush in 30 directions but it's still gentle enough to not hurt your skin. Also! It gives you GREAT accuracy! They tend to break after a while so never buy just 1.
Again $1. I use the comb for my lashes to declump after putting on mascara then I use them to first comb out my eyebrows to make them flat then I use the brush to shape them how I want them and brush any foundation out of them that may have dispersed itself in there. This will help bring out the natural color of your brow and make them easier to fill. To me NOTHING is worst than when it looks like your eyebrows are too light for your hair. It makes your eyes look awful.
These are just 2 of my favorites. But they also have every other brush imaginable in 3 different levels of cost. I like the Studio Brushes when I need something sturdy. The C-Brush is very good and they hold up well. Best brushes to get without breaking the bank! Also you can go to http://www.retailmenot.com/ and search for all of these companies to find great coupons to use online. For most of them you can find free shipping so it's ALMOST as good as going to the store.
But Now! To The Real Point Of My Post Today!!!
If there is one thing you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE in your wedding day makeup arsenal, it is this!
These are the 5th or 6th brand I've tried recently and they work the best. If you accidentally poke yourself in the nose with your mascara wand you do not want a hint of a gray freckle on your face all day. These are gentle and super effective without having to scrub hard! For example, my wedding day makeup above, I fell asleep with that on and this morning I just used these makeup remover pads and not only did it easily take off my usually stubborn liner and mascara but it actually brightened my eyes and made me look wonderfully awake!
These I have not tried yet. They are in the mail on their way to me right now but I will let you know how they turn out. If they are decent I'd reccomend grabbing a few of these. Nothing is a sweeter gift to give to your bridesmaids than everything they probably forgot and will really want. For less than $20 you can make a basket of makeup remover cloths, lip gloss, brushes, shadow, and mascara for your girls that you can leave in your ready area so you know they won't be taking your stuff and walking off with it. Let them look pretty... but it's your day!
Hope all of this helps ladies! Good luck with your big day and happy shopping!
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What is your favorite makeup product/remover? Leave me a comment and let me know so I can try it out too!!
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