Natural Looking Wedding Makeup

Brides often say that they want to look natural for their wedding day makeup. This does not mean little or no makeup. Remember that few people are truly flattered by being in a full white gown and having a white veil on their head (think of how gray or white hair distracts from ones face) so if you are wearing white or ecru or ivory, it is important to wear makeup so that your skin is not completely washed out.

Don't believe me? Take off all your makeup and find the biggest mirror you can find. Now take a white sheet and drape it over your shoulders to emulate how much white will be surrounding your face and body. Add natural sunlight to see what your outside photos will look like without makeup. Now if you are considering wearing your hair up, as most brides do, pin back your hair. This is you without makeup on your wedding day. Do I need to go on? Action must be taken. Yes, you will have that bridal glow, but you still need to draw attention to your face. And, you need a plan to cover pimples or breakouts if you have too much wedding stress.

This does not mean that you have to resort to bright unnatural colors or colors that match the bridesmaids' dresses. Often shades of pink and peach, beige and gold can warm the skin without looking too flashy or like you are going clubbing. You can also wear colors that are just the most flattering to you if done with a light touch and blended carefully. If you normally do not wear these colors, some experimentation is necessary. Clinique makes an excellent line of softer colors that still are pigmented enough to not wash you out.

A makeup practice run is mandatory. Consider bring a digital camera and taking many photos so you can decide how this works. Wear a blouse that emulates the color and style of your dress (such as a tank top or spaghetti strap white t-shirt) so you can get a sense of how your makeup looks with that much bear shoulder skin and your hair up. Take pictures from all angles and bring a picture of your dress. A practice run is usually cheap or complimentary when a wedding day makeup package is booked. Think about doing this trial run before your engagement party to try out your look and to get pictures back to decide if you like that look or not. You will get feedback from others. Even if you do not have your engagement party after this trial run, make sure to do something so you can gauge the makeup job - go out to eat, take pictures at the beach, do something to assess how the makeup looks. Softer colors do make you look younger and more dewy. You might change your standard makeup to be less based in high pigmented blacks such as a black liner might be swapped out for a softer green or brown smudged softly so there is a defined line but not necessarily a dark line. This will still draw attention and frame the eye without harsh colors. A softer lipstick shade is likely a better wedding option. A good foundation is necessary to cover last minute breakouts, hives or any imperfections. This makeup can look very natural while still playing up your features.

Be prepared to answer the stylists questions about the fabric and formality of your wedding gown, the lighting of the reception (will be be candlelit? Will you be outdoors?) What makeup do you always wear that is your signature look and what makeup do you never wear? Is the ceremony going to be a very sunny place or mostly artificial lighting? A daytime wedding will look more natural, a nightime is often more formal. Remember you will need to have your makeup last for up to ten hours between the pre-wedding photos with your family, to the cutting the cake photos and tossing the bouquet.

You will want to decide your hairstyle as well at this time and you do not want any surprises there either. My college roommates' best feature is her shiny long thick black hair; it is that sort of black that is almost blue in its luster, like a cartoon femme fatale. It would be hard to mess up a straight style, but she did want someone else to style a simple blowout, like her hair but a bit sleeker and more polished. The morning of her wedding, a stylist she did not know came and did her hair, the bride thanked her, the stylist left, and the bride announced she hated it and combed it out in a panic in the time she had allocated to do her makeup. She did not have enough time to re-wash and dry her hair before the ceremony, so her normally soft, full, shiny hair looked weighed down with product and not shiny at all. If she did a trial run, this would not have happened. Bring your veil and headpiece and when you find a style you like, take photos and ask for that exact look again. Price around at salons you like - this can run from $75 to $500 depending on the services involved.

Some do it yourself bridal makeup tips to be aware of is to select lipstick colors that make the teeth look whiter (bluetones not yellows) and waterproof mascara are important. Long lasting lipstick or lipstains like Urban Decay inks stay put through eating and kissing and drinking.

Is the back of your neck ready to be seen by the world? This is an area we normally skip with moisturizer or sunscreen and generally your hair covers at least part of your neck. It is a good time to assess if you will need to start to moisturize, if you need to remove any stray hairs (waxing those hairs well below your hairline is actually a common salon process) Consult the salon that is doing any manicures, hair conditioning, or pedicures in advance of the wedding to see what areas could use a spruce that you may have overlooked. Waxing and bleaching areas on your arms you may not notice on yourself may be necessary since you are baring so much upper back area and everyone has little hairs on their back and shoulders. To get a smooth look you may need to exfoliate and prepare this skin.