Things You'll Need:
- Oil-free moisturizer Facial tissue Makeup primer Foundation Makeup wedge Creamy salmon-hued concealer Stick concealer Translucent or finishing powder Brow grooming kit Brow color Eye primer Eyeshadow base Flat-head eyeshadow brush Mid-tone or dark eyeshadow Fluffy eyeshadow brush Eyeshadow highlight Creamy eyeliner pencil Waterproof liquid eyeliner (optional) Eyelash curler Waterproof mascara Blush Lip stain, lip liner, lipstick Lip brush Clear lip gloss (optional)
-
Step 1
Determine what kind of makeup you will be using on the big day based on the time the wedding is taking place. This makes a huge difference in how the makeup will photograph (see Resources for more details). Softer shades of makeup are best for early morning nuptials. Noontime weddings call for more definition, using the same natural shades used in the early morning. Feel free to use a richer color palette for late-afternoon weddings. At night, you may use even darker or more vivid shades, as long as you stick with colors from a classic palette, such as pinks, berries, browns and grays.
-
Step 2
Dot and blend moisturizer on a clean face. Use an oil-free formula to get your skin ready for makeup, as a moisturizer that contains oil will break down the cosmetics you will be applying. After allowing the moisturizer to absorb for about five minutes, press a facial tissue all over your face to take away any excess. Squirt a pinch of makeup primer onto your palm and apply this from the center of your face outward. Primer creates a smooth base for your makeup and will help it last throughout the day.
-
Step 3
Choose a foundation which does not match your skin tone exactly and has a texture as well that works with your skin type. This is a preventive measure that will keep your makeup on for the duration of your event. Oily skin is best suited to powder or creme foundations, while drier skin looks best with a liquid foundation. A formulation with a matte finish is best in any case, as light-reflective foundation will appear shiny in pictures. However, if your skin is very dry and you want to appear somewhat dewy, you may use a foundation that adds the faintest sheen to your skin. Make sure this foundation does not contain evident shimmer particles. If you are worried you are going to cry at any time during the wedding, look into using waterproof makeup (see Resources for more information). After applying your foundation, buff away any demarcation lines using a makeup wedge.
-
Step 4
Apply a creamy, salmon-hued concealer under your eyes, and on the inner corners of your eyes by the bridge of your nose, if these areas still appear dark after you've applied foundation. Use a clean finger to gently press the concealer into your skin rather than blending back and forth, which will pull on your skin and erase any product you've worked hard to apply. A salmon-hued concealer covers shadows on the eye area without creating the raccoon effect that a too-light flesh tone concealer will. For blemishes, use a camouflaging concealer with a dry consistency. This concealer should match your foundation, as you don't want to put imperfections in the spotlight with a concealer that is too light or too dark. Dust a finishing or translucent powder over your face to set your base and concealer. If there are any spots that you've carefully concealed, do not use a sweeping motion, as this will lift away the product; instead, press the powder onto these areas with the makeup wedge.
-
Step 5
Enhance eyebrows with a either a brow pencil or powder applied with a stiff-angled brush. Do not just go over the sparse areas in your brows--bring out the shape of your brows by using light strokes to mimic the appearance of fine hairs. Choose a shade slightly lighter than your brows if they are dark, and slightly darker than your brows if they are light. Invest in a brow grooming kit so that you can tweeze the strays that grow outside of your brow line, as well as trim hairs that are too long. Save time on your wedding day by grooming your brows the day before.
-
Step 6
Apply an eye primer from lash line to brow bone. After the primer absorbs, smooth an eyeshadow base on, also from lash line to brow bone. This helps your eyeshadow resist creasing and appear more vivid and pigmented. If you are using soft colors, stipple on a midtone eyeshadow from lash line to slightly above the crease with a flat-head eyeshadow brush. If you want more dramatic eye makeup, use a darker eyeshadow. In either case, run the brush along your lower lash lines to transfer some of the eyeshadow here and bring balance to your eye makeup. Soften the edges of your application on your lids with a fluffy eyeshadow brush, blending until just under the brow bone. This creates a somewhat smoky effect. Dab a flesh-tone highlight under the arches of your brows to give them a lift. The highlighting product that you use should not contain any evident glitter or shimmer particles, although a mild sheen is permissible.
-
Step 7
Bring out the shape of your eyes with a creamy eyeliner pencil. You can use black if you have dark features or if your wedding is taking place in the evening. Otherwise, stick with dark brown, gray, navy or dark purple, depending on what complements your eyeshadow color. Work the eyeliner into your upper lash lines to make your lashes seem thicker without actually drawing a line on your lids. For extra definition, you may apply a waterproof liquid eyeliner in black, gray or dark brown afterward--again, base your choice on the rest of your eye makeup. Keep the line close to your lashes. Curl your eyelashes and apply black, soft black or dark brown waterproof mascara to your lashes. Dislodge any clumps with your mascara wand for a clean look. While you may apply three coats on your top lashes, avoid getting spiky and unnatural lower lashes by applying only one coat here.
-
Step 8
Find the blush and lip color best suited to you by choosing a more vivid version of your cheek and lip colors. This is a foolproof way of wearing blush and lip color. Dust blush on the apples of your cheeks, blending away any hard edges in your application with the makeup wedge. For long-lasting lip color on your wedding day, find a lip stain, lip liner and lipstick all in the same shade. Blend the lip stain onto your lips. This will give your lips color even if the rest of your lip makeup has disappeared later in the day. With a creamy lip liner, trace over your lip line, and fill in your lips. Finish by using a lip brush to apply the lipstick, blending from the center of your lips outwards. If you wish, top it off with a dab of clear lip gloss, applied also from the center of your lips outward.
