5 wedding day makeup tips you should know before your big day arrives!

It is hard enough trying to plan everything and make sure it all goes to plan on your wedding, so the last thing you want to worry about it your makeup and beauty regime on the day.  For this reason, I have put together 5 tips all brides and bridesmaids should avoid on the big day.  

1) Avoid any new looks on your wedding day

If you are having your hair and makeup professionally done for your wedding, you probably won't need to worry about this too much.  This is because the makeup/hair artist should do a trial makeup run leading up to the wedding.  The makeup artist will try out a few looks and together, you will choose which look you feel the most happy and comfortable with.

However, if you are doing your own makeup on your wedding day, be sure not to try anything too funky or outlandish. Unless, that is what you are going for!  The reason being speaks for itself... you want to be able to feel comfortable and confident with how you look, and trying something new could have its repercussions. I knew a friend that decided to do their own makeup for their wedding, and on the day she decided to use frosty blue tones on her eyelids (we can look back now and have a giggle about it). Needless to say, it wasn't a great look and the blue toned eyeshadow clashed with her natural blue eyes. The look also appeared a little dated - rather 80's-esque.  After she applied her makeup, she immediately disliked her choice of eye colour and decided to start again. This set her back a little bit, and then the panic well and truly kicked in! All the while the clock was ticking and her fiancé was patiently waiting at the alter.

Nevertheless, once she had reapplied her makeup and put together all the finishing touches, she looked absolutely amazing. She made it to the alter, albeit, 15 minutes late and the rest is history!

2) Apply makeup which compliments the time of day you are getting married

Being a makeup artist, I often get requests to apply dark tones and false lash strips to the eyelids. This is fine, but not always suitable for a day wedding (particularly in the morning). This is all due to light and how it falls on your face.  Around midday, the light is the strongest and will expose makeup a lot more so than if you were under artificial light.  For this reason, it is best to wear more natural colours and tones around the eyes and cheeks, as it will be more forgiving in daylight.  

For evening weddings or special occasions, I can afford to use bolder eyeshadows and thicker false eyelashes due to the way the light falls on the face.

3) Avoid tinted moisturiser, BB or CC creams on your wedding day

Tinted moisturisers, BB/CC creams often contain a higher portion of SPF and more oily elements than a foundation. This means, that they will produce more shine on the skin than a normal foundation.  Which in turn, could lead to the skin looking shiny and this will be picked up on the camera.  Not a great look in your wedding photos!  Nowadays, there are a number of amazing photo-friendly foundations which are very popular amongst makeup artists. Some of my favourites are; Make Up For Ever HD, Revlon Colorstay Foundation, Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation and Mac Face and Body Foundation.

4) Make sure you moisturise and exfoliate your skin beforehand

In general, it is important to prep and prime the skin as it enables dead skin cells to be removed and maintains good sebum production in the skin.  It can allow for the skin to look healthier and more youthful, which is what we all want! Leading up to your wedding, you are more likely to break out in spots or possibly have drier skin because you are stressed and anxious.  Your skin is like a mirror, it will reflect how you feel inside. This is why it is so important that you take care of it even more in the days leading up to your special day.  Be sure to thoroughly cleanse with micellar water and makeup pads, as well as with warm water and gentle exfoliator.  Then, use a toner which is suited to your skin type. If you already suffer from dry or sensitive skin, refrain from using a strong toner with a lot of astringent in it. Then apply a suitable moisturiser and gently massage it into your skin. Make sure you do this at least two weeks before your wedding.  Also, don't forget to drink lots of water, as this keeps the skin plump and hydrated.

5) Take a few makeup essentials in your bag... or ask someone to bring them!

When my sister got married, I suggested she take a compact pressed powder, lip balm and lipstick.  She wasn't going to take anything at first, I think she was too busy worrying about other stuff (understandably so!) but as it is such a long day, you may want to do some small little touch ups before photos.  In the end, our mum put these small items in her bag as my sister didn't have anywhere to put them. The next day, she thanked me for suggesting it, as she was frequently applying lip balm. Like me, when she gets nervous, she tends to lick her lips. Which in turn, leads to dry and flakey lips. Although you couldn't tell, I think she appreciated having the little touch-ups to her makeup throughout the course of the day.