How to Do Bridesmaid Hair & Makeup

A bridesmaid's hair and makeup can be simple and easy.

Even though a bridesmaid should never outshine the bride, it's essential that her hair and makeup look great. Anything less may disappoint the bride on her special day. A bridesmaid's hair and makeup must look similar to that of the other bridesmaids and be complementary to that of the bride's; clashing colors and mismatched hairstyles are a no-no.

Things You'll Need

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Towel
• Heat-protecting spray
• Hair dryer
• Brush
• Curling iron or hair rollers
• Hair spray
• Hair accessories
• Concealer
• Foundation
• Makeup sponge or foundation brush
• Powder
• Eye shadow
• Eyeliner
• Eyelash curler
• Mascara
• Lipstick or lip-gloss
• Bronzer or blush

Instructions

Bridesmaid Hair

1. Wash and condition the bridesmaid's hair. Cover the hair with a towel and use patting and squeezing motions to get the excess moisture out of it.

2. use heat-protecting spray on the hair, and run a wide-tooth comb through it to distribute the spray.

3. Dry the hair with a hair dryer as you run a round brush through it. Set your hair dryer to a cool to low-warm setting to avoid hair damage.

4. Curl the hair with a curling iron. Use a curling iron with a large barrel to create loose curls, and use one with a small barrel to create tighter curls. Finger-comb the curls to style them. Use hair rollers as an alternative.

5. Apply hairspray to set the hair, and decorate it with a flower that matches the color of the bridesmaid's dress.

6. Create a half-up, half-down hairstyle as an alternative. Part the hair above the ears and pull it to the back of the head in a loose ponytail. Secure it with a pretty hair clip. Loosen some strands from the front hairline to frame the face.

Bridesmaid Makeup

1. Camouflage circles under the eyes with concealer. Use a concealer in a similar shade as the skin. Dot the concealer over the discoloration and pat it into the bridesmaid's skin with your fingertips.

2. Apply a long-wearing foundation to the face in a similar shade as the skin tone. Distribute the foundation with a moist makeup sponge, clean fingertips or a foundation brush.

3. Dust translucent powder over the face to set the concealer and foundation.

4. Emphasize the eyes. Apply a highlighting eye shadow from the crease of the eye up to the eyebrow. Apply a darker shade of eye shadow from the upper lash line to the crease of the eye. Use natural eye shadow colors, such as beige, peach, and brown.

5. Apply waterproof eyeliner along the top and bottom lash line. Go over the lines with a cotton swab to soften them. Curl the eyelashes with an eyelash curler and apply two coats of waterproof mascara to them.

6. Apply a long-lasting lipstick or lip-gloss. Use a nude shade if you want the emphasis to be on the eyes. Otherwise, use a bold lipstick color and apply eyeliner only to the upper lash line.

7. Sweep a blush in a pink hue over the cheeks to finish the bridesmaid makeup.

Tips & Warnings

• If the hair you are styling is shorter than 3 inches, change it up by parting it differently than normal, or put in hair extensions for a more drastic change.

• Always wash and moisturize the face before applying makeup.

• If the wedding is during daytime, keep the makeup minimal. If it's during nighttime, use bolder colors for a more dramatic effect.

References

• The Wedding Channel: Hairstyles
• Curly Hair Styles Magazine: Curly Wedding Hair
• Care Fair: How to Use a Curling Iron
• Bridesmaid 101: Bachelorette Party, Bridal Shower and Wedding Make-up Tips