Wedding Makeup

Complete your look with gorgeous wedding makeup

On such a special day most brides want a totally different makeup scheme to their usual look, but many are worried about getting it wrong and ending up looking garish or overdone. Finding an experienced makeup artist, who will come up with a wedding makeup combination that suits both your skin tone and your wedding style, can ensure that you look radiant in your wedding photos.

When to book your wedding makeup artist and who to book for

You should be looking to choose your wedding makeup artist around four to five months before the big event, and you should book both for the wedding day itself and for a trial run two to three months beforehand. If you can arrange to have your hair and makeup trials on the same day it’s a great excuse for a girl’s night out.

You will need to book the makeup artist for any bridesmaids and possibly the mothers of the bride and groom as well as yourself, but you are the only one that should need a trial session.

Choosing a wedding makeup artist

When you are talking to makeup artists and deciding which one to use, the questions they ask you are possibly more important than their responses to your questions. They should be asking you about the lighting at the ceremony and reception, the type of venue you have chosen, the colour of your wedding dress and the overall wedding theme, and the hairstyle you have in mind.

Your makeup artist should have a wide range of styles in their repertoire and they should be prepared to listen to what you want, whilst also making suggestions themselves if they feel something you ask for might not suit you or your wedding style.

When you have a trial your makeup artist should try out a few different looks to make sure they get exactly what you want, rather than settling for the first try. If you aren’t happy with your makeup trial, either book another appointment or find another makeup artist.

Top beauty tips for brides

- Choose colours that match your complexion. Generally brunettes look good in warm shades of plum, cream and copper, while blondes can carry off colder shades such as lavender, blue-grey and teal. Redheads look stunning in peach, grey or moss green.

- Very few brides get through the day without a few tears of joy, so make sure you avoid panda eyes by using good quality waterproof mascara. This can also double up as waterproof liquid eyeliner; just dip the eyeliner brush in the mascara tube.

- If you want to make any changes to your skin care and beauty routine, do so several weeks before the wedding. Getting a facial or using a new beauty product the week before the big day can provoke a very ill timed breakout.

- Getting the perfect complexion on your wedding day can take more than a good foundation. The stress of wedding planning can cause breakouts and bad skin, so take time to relax and pamper yourself before the big day. Drink plenty of water and fruit smoothies, and try to limit the amount of coffee and alcohol you consume. Get into the habit of cleansing and moisturising daily, preferably several weeks before the wedding.

Fifties glamour is the latest trend in wedding makeup

When it comes to wedding makeup this season, Hollywood glamour is back with a vengeance. Eye makeup is both glamorous and elegant, with soft colourful shades enhanced by several coats of mascara, or possibly even false eyelashes.

Lips are lined to create fullness, and lipstick is topped with a little shimmering lip gloss. Red is the hottest trend in lip colour, but if you feel this is a little over the top, or doesn’t really suit you, ask your make up artist to recommend a shade that complements your skin tone.