Planning Your Wedding Day Makeup

There are a few decisions to make before you run out and buy hundreds of dollars worth of expensive department store makeup. To begin with, how do you want to look on your wedding day, besides beautiful? Some brides prefer to look natural without too much glam. Other brides see their wedding day as the perfect time to rise above a boring, everyday makeup routine. Also take into consideration the style of your dress and hair. A simple gown and hair may not mesh with vixen-type makeup. Remember, you want everything to harmonize on this special day, from your flowers to your face.

Brides with voluminous ball gowns should consider softer, more romantic hair and makeup. A curve-hugging bodice, however, may need a more dramatic look. Simple gowns with little embellishment call for natural tones and classic hairstyles. The colors in your bouquet are another consideration. For balanced wedding photos, try to complement your makeup with the colors in your flowers.

On the InStyle weddings website, makeup artist Charlie Green gives advice to brides who plan on making themselves up. Green warns brides with fair complexions, for instance, to avoid bright colors and choose soft pastels instead. If a bride wants to create a dramatic eye, the makeup artist suggests, then a light lip color must follow. Free makeup tips are found online, at the library and with local department store makeup artists. Don't hesitate to ask these department store cosmetic experts to try more than one look. Higher-end makeup lines train their sales teams in the art of applying makeup.
Applying Your Own Wedding Day Makeup
There are some important things to remember before applying your wedding day look. The makeup you apply will have to survive many hours of nervousness, photos, meals, dancing and more. Preparation is key if you want your face to run this gauntlet. While being interviewed by Brides Magazine, Bridget Scarramuzza, a makeup expert from Chanel, gives some specific suggestions, such as instructing brides to use a tinted moisturizer before adding a semi-matte foundation. Don't be tempted to put on a thick layer of foundation, she continues, if you already have beautiful skin. Also, avoid any shiny foundations or heavy under eye concealer that will reflect in photographs. Finish this makeup base with a light, loose powder.

Don't use too much metallic eyeshadow, especially on the brow bone. According to Scarramuzza, this mistake will lead to a flare around the eyes in photos. Instead, keep any iridescent eye color on the lower lids. Waterproof mascara, she continues, is an absolute for wedding day makeup where there may be lots of tears.

With some planning and expert help, either indirect or in-person, any bride can create the wedding day look of her dreams