Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and soon after you find your wedding dress, you need to think about wedding makeup looks. There is a lot to consider when it comes to wedding makeup, including how to choose a makeup artist and what color palettes and makeup styles best suit you.
In this post, we will discuss some of the best wedding makeup looks that will hopefully inspire you. From natural to glam, we’ve got you covered with several wedding makeup ideas!
Is Bridal Makeup Different From Normal Makeup?
Yes, bridal makeup is different from normal makeup. Even if you want a natural makeup look for your wedding day, expect to wear more makeup than you’re used to.
Your makeup artist will likely apply fuller coverage foundation, plenty of setting powder, and more eyelashes than you would normally wear. The reason for this is that normal, everyday makeup will not stay put as long or photograph as well.
However, as long as you choose a professional who knows their craft, your makeup will not look cakey or overly done.
What to Look for in a Wedding Makeup Artist
There are several factors to consider when choosing a makeup artist. According to professional makeup artist Heather Pepe, one of the most important is to find an artist that fits the style and aesthetics you like. You should also make sure they are a good fit for you personality-wise.
Pepe says, “If they don’t listen to what you like or want, that’s a red flag. If they try to talk you out of a particular look without offering alternative looks, that’s a red flag. If they make you feel uncomfortable or intimidated, that’s a red flag.”
She goes on to emphasize the importance of booking someone you like and connect with. “Your wedding day is going to be one of the most important and memorable days of your life, so it’s important to spend that time preparing for it with people you enjoy being around.”
What Do Makeup Artists Charge?
When you start your search, you’ll soon find that wedding makeup artists’ prices can vary widely. What a makeup artist charges is going to depend on a few considerations; these include your wedding location, how far your artist needs to travel, how many people (besides you) they are going to work on, whether they need to bring an assistant, and how long you plan to have them there.
With all of this in mind, there are some common ways that makeup artists structure their fees.
Packages
Many makeup artists offer bridal packages that include both a trial session and the makeup application on the wedding day. These packages typically have a fixed price.
Hourly
Some makeup artists charge an hourly rate, especially for larger bridal parties or when additional services like touch-ups are required throughout the day.
Understand What You’re Getting Before You Sign a Contract
No matter how your makeup artist chooses to charge for their services, be sure you fully understand what you are getting for the price you pay.
Ask questions and clear up any uncertainties before you sign a contract. This includes understanding any fees that you could incur from either cancelations or unexpected events on the side of either party.
This will benefit both you and your makeup artist, so on your wedding day, you can just focus on having your services done and enjoying the moment.
How to Choose Your Wedding Makeup Look
The best way to choose the perfect wedding makeup for you is to do as much research as possible. First, consider the type of dress you will wear, the color palette and theme for your wedding, and the season.
Once you have considered all of the above, you can start researching bridal makeup in magazines. Create Pinterest boards and save ideas that catch your eye. Follow makeup artists whose styles you like on social media and search hashtags for wedding makeup looks.
If you’re into celebrity weddings, search for photos of your favorite celebrities on their wedding days for inspiration. Essentially, you can find wedding makeup inspo anywhere. Just be creative and always keep an eye out for looks that you love.
Are There Any Specific Makeup Tips for a Morning or Evening Wedding?
Yes. As a rule of thumb, you will want to choose a lighter and more natural color palette for morning weddings.
Take advantage of the natural light that nature has to offer during this time. It will highlight your makeup in a beautiful way. Darker makeup looks during the morning and early afternoon can be too harsh for these times of day.
Tips for Morning Wedding Makeup Looks
If you’re having a morning wedding, take advantage of natural lighting. During this time of day, lighting conditions are generally softer and more diffused. Check your makeup in natural light before the ceremony to ensure it looks balanced and suits the environment.
You should also be sure to wear sunscreen under your makeup. You’re likely going to be outside a lot during this time, especially when you take pictures.
There are many brands of moisturizing SPF products that go onto the skin beautifully without leaving a white cast or feeling heavy. Many are made to go under makeup and won’t compromise your makeup in any way.
Tips for Evening Wedding Makeup Looks
Keep in mind that evening lighting can wash out certain features. To prevent this, focus on enhancing your features for more definition.
Use contouring to enhance your bone structure and bring attention to your cheekbones. Define your brows to frame your face, and don’t forget to add a touch of highlighter to make your skin glow under the evening lights.
Easy Wedding Makeup Looks
When it comes to easy wedding makeup looks, the simpler the better. Make glowing skin the central focus of your look and stay away from bold brows, dark eye makeup, and dense eyelashes.
Natural Color Palette
For this look, avoid too much contouring and instead focus on highlighting the high points of the face. Freshly groomed brows, pinky bronze eyeshadows, and brown eyeliner emphasize the eyes without being overwhelming.
Finish with light blush, a soft pink lip or nude lip, and enhanced yet natural looking eyelashes to impart a fresh, vibrant look that isn’t overly done.
Rose Hues
Another easy wedding makeup look involves sticking to colors within the same color family.
For this easy makeup look, rose hues are seen in the eyeshadow, blush, and lip color. This must be the look that inspired the term “blushing bride.”
Red Lip
A red lip can easily stand on its own. Simply pair a lovely red with natural colored eyeshadow, a light blush, and minimal lashes. Ensure brows are trimmed and brushed into place, and that’s all you need for a simple yet unforgettable wedding makeup look.
Glam Wedding Makeup Looks
There aren’t too many times in a person’s life where they can go all-out glam for an event. So what better time to do it than your wedding day?
Smokey Eye Wedding Makeup
When you think of a smokey eye, blacks, grays, and dark blues likely come to mind. This color palette embodies the standard smokey eye look and is perfect for glam makeup. However, if you feel that darker shades of eyeshadow are too overwhelming, you can always opt for browns or bronzes.
Bronze and brown are perfect for smokey eye looks because they bring all the drama of a black smokey eye without appearing too harsh. Plus, bronzes and browns look beautiful on just about any skin tone.
They’re especially beautiful if you’re having a morning or afternoon wedding. And if your wedding goes on into the night, you can always build on your smokey eye with darker shades of shadow for a more dramatic evening look.
Nude Lips or Bold Lips With Your Smokey Eye?
Can’t decide what lip color you want to complement your smokey eye look? There is no wrong way to do this. If you’re fully committed to 100 percent glam, then a bold lip is the way to go. But if you feel the need to offset your bold eye makeup with something subtle, then a nude lip is the perfect choice.
And much like our suggestion for darkening up your smokey eye for the evening, you can wear a nude lipstick for your wedding ceremony then switch to a bold lipstick color for the evening.
A Bold Red Lip
Speaking of a bold red lip, if you were wondering if a red lip can also be considered glam, then the answer is yes!
A red lip calls to mind Old Hollywood glamour, an enduring and timeless look. Pair your red lip with bold brows and either bronzed or pink eyeshadows. Feel free to add winged eyeliner; black eyeliner gives a bolder look, but dark brown eyeliner looks just as beautiful for a softer yet still standout enhancement.
Lots of Lashes
Make your eyes the center of attention with full, long lashes. You can even wear more than one set of lashes to create texture and length. Another option is to layer individual or knotted lashes over a strip lash of your choice. This method allows you more flexibility for customization.
One of the best things about a lash-focused wedding makeup look is it can either stand alone against softer-colored eyeshadows or be paired with a smokey eye. Your options for a glam lash look are endless.
Dramatic Cat Eye
Much like a red lip, a dramatic cat eye is a classic that can either stand on its own or blend into the background as part of a whole look. If you opt to make a cat eye the center of your wedding makeup look, then go for strong lines achievable with a liquid eyeliner. You can either leave it like that or use smokey shadows on it to make it pop even more.
Black eyeliner tends to be what comes to mind for most cat eye makeup, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try a graphic liner look. When it comes to graphic liner, you can play around with liner shapes, designs, and colors. Why not go with a bold purple or teal eyeliner? Add a bit of sparkle to it and top it off with some fluttery lashes.
Romantic Wedding Makeup
When it comes to romantic wedding makeup, glowing skin and softer colors create this look. Perfect for a daytime or garden wedding, romantic wedding makeup emphasizes the eyes. Soft pinks, grays, browns, and truly any color palette in muted tones can create a romantic wedding makeup look.
Pair this makeup style with a pretty set of natural looking lashes and either natural or bold brows. Subtle yet shimmering highlight applied to the high parts of the face give an ethereal glow. And finally, a soft pink lip, nude lip, or even a glossy lip bring the entire look together.
Soft Smokey Eyes
Smokey eyes don’t always have to be full-on glam. They can be softened depending on the colors you choose. To achieve a romantic smokey eye, opt for colors like soft brown, champagne, taupe, and golds.
Flushed Cheeks and Lips
Lighter shades of pink and peach give the appearance of a natural flush. This natural, barely-there makeup look is perfect for romance-inspired makeup. Be sure to use cream blush for a dewy finish–it also allows you to build up the intensity of the color to your liking. A glossy lip with a touch of color lends itself nicely to this look as well.
Natural Wedding Makeup
Gorgeous wedding makeup doesn’t have to be outright glam. In fact, many brides prefer natural or “no makeup” looks for their wedding day makeup.
Glowing Skin
For this look, emphasis is placed on glowing, flawless skin and well-groomed eyebrows. A soft contour subtly emphasizes the bone structure, and a touch of shimmer on the eyes adds to the overall glow of the look.
Sun-Kissed
The sun-kissed look makes it appear as though you have a natural tan. Create this look with the help of a bit of bronzer to warm up your skin tone. For the eyes, soft brown and bronze eyeshadows (and even pinks) are important. Peach, coral, and terracotta lip colors bring the entire look together.
This sun-kissed look can also extend to the rest of the body. If your dress shows off your shoulders and décolletage, body bronzers and shimmers can be added as well for a head-to-toe glow.
How to Keep Your Wedding Makeup Fresh Throughout the Day
Your wedding day is likely going to be long. Your makeup has to last throughout the ceremony, photographs, dinner, and dancing. Since no makeup lasts this long without touchups, you should keep a small makeup bag filled with touch-up essentials handy.
Makeup Touchup Essentials
The following suggestions are just a few of the items you should carry with you. They’ll come in handy and you’ll thank yourself for thinking ahead.
Mirrored Compact
A mirrored compact that offers both a regular mirror and one with magnification is helpful to have. If you need to reapply lashes or eyeliner, it’s easier to do that if you have a magnifying mirror. And if you can find one that lights up– even better!
Setting Powder
Powder is essential for keeping your makeup in place and eliminating any shine.
Translucent vs Colored Setting Powders
Some powders come in translucent (no color) and others have a tinge of color to them. Something with a bit of color is helpful because it can help disguise any redness or skin tone unevenness. Just be aware that if you apply too much, it runs the risk of looking cakey.
Pressed vs Loose Setting Powders
Setting powders also come in either a pressed form (in a compact) or loose powder. We recommend choosing a pressed compact to eliminate mess. Loose powders can get all over your dress and just be messy overall. Choose a pressed compact and make sure it has a clean sponge in it for easy, effortless application.
Mascara
Waterproof mascara is always recommended for wedding makeup looks, primarily because happy tears will likely be flowing throughout the day. You may or may not need to touch up your mascara, but a small tube is still good to have on hand. You can buy a mini tube of mascara from any major makeup retailer like Ulta or Sephora. They’re less expensive than the full size and can fit easily in a small makeup bag.
Lash Glue
While mascara can be waterproof, lash glue is usually not. Even expertly applied false eyelashes run the risk of lifting or moving, so be sure to have lash glue on hand. And while you’re at it, a small pair of lash tweezers might be helpful, too.
Adding false eyelashes to a look can be intimidating to a lot of people, and part of the reason is because of the glue. In order for your glue to work best, it’s a good idea to apply a bit to the full length of your strip lash, bringing it all the way to each end of the lash. Once you apply the glue to the strip lash, let it sit for a few seconds until it is a little tacky.
When the glue is a bit tacky, that’s when you apply it to your lash line. If you apply it too early, then the glue will be too wet and won’t adhere properly. Once it is applied, you can quickly go in and adjust the lashes with your tweezers if you need to.
Eyeliner
Once again, all of those happy tears will likely do a number on your makeup. And if your lashes do lift or your eyeliner smudges, you’ll need to touch up your liner. Keep an eyeliner on hand for easy re-application.
Blush
No matter how heavy-handed a makeup artist is with blush, it will still fade over the course of the day. Keep a small blush in your makeup bag for quick touchups before pictures so you are sure to have some color on your cheeks. And if it’s easier, get blush stick.
With a blush stick, you don’t even need a brush to apply it. Simply swipe it onto your cheeks and blend it with your finger or a sponge. Just don’t forget to wash or wipe your hands afterward– you don’t want to have blush all over your beautiful dress!
Lipstick
Extra lipstick is an absolute must, even if you wear waterproof or matte lipstick. Keep one handy for application after you eat and drink. You may want to keep lip liner in your makeup bag as well.
Blotting Papers
Whether or not you have oily skin, you should have a pack of blotting papers in your bag, too. You’re going to be wearing more makeup than normal, and you’ll be busy and constantly moving all day. So even if you’re not usually oily, you may find yourself with oilier skin on your wedding day.
Blotting papers remove excess oil and create a cleaner canvas for your setting powder and other makeup. Unless you blot away all of those oils before applying makeup, your makeup will sit on top of them and won’t last as long.
Enhance Your Wedding Makeup Look With the Right Accessories
Now you have your dress and your favorite wedding makeup style in mind. But your overall look is still incomplete without the proper jewelry. Clean Origin can help!
We carry an extensive selection of bridal jewelry featuring ethical and environmentally friendly lab grown diamonds. From bracelets to pendants, earrings, and even stacking rings, we have everything you need to complete your wedding day look.
Still looking for the perfect wedding band? We have those, too, along with countless styles of lab grown diamond engagement rings. Be sure to connect with one of our helpful diamond experts either online or in person at one of our nationwide showrooms. If you prefer to work with someone virtually, make a virtual appointment here.
Happy shopping!
