How do I choose a makeup look for my wedding day?
Whether you’re a full glam girlie or a BB cream babe, finding a makeup look that matches your personal style and also photographs well can be tricky. And, just scrolling through Pinterest can be super overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. I am here to help guide you in the right direction to find the perfect look thats just right for you. Let’s go!
Identify your comfortability level in makeup
Defining your level of comfortability in makeup is always my first stop in finding what style fits the client best. This looks like asking yourself questions like: Do I wear makeup in my every day life? Do I want to cover or enhance any part of my face? If you typically don’t wear makeup or see yourself with makeup on, you may not be comfortable having a lot of makeup on for your big day. For an event like this, the main focus should be on feeling like you look your best, because if you don’t, it will read on your face that you’re not totally happy or comfortable with how you look. And, we can’t have that! Determine if you feel more comfortable in subtle, barely there Sofia Richie makeup or are fine with a little bit of extra coverage and that Kim K feeling.
Natural, Soft glam or Full glam makeup
Okay, so you know you love the barely there natural makeup look. That’s great! Using key words like natural, subtle, “no makeup” makeup, and fresh faced will lead you to finding an artist that matches your vision. Look at their portfolio and see if their clients portray the natural look you want to go for. Oh, you want a little more coverage and maybe some contouring? Soft glam is my happy place, my sweet spot, if you will. To me, soft glam is about enhancing your natural features while adding a bit more coverage and definition to the face. This means that birth marks, freckles, and overall skin texture may peep through the makeup to appear more natural. With soft glam, you still look and feel like YOU just elevated and enhanced for your event. This may also mean adding false lashes and long lasting products to keep you looking fresh all night long. If this sounds like your vibe, we need to chat!
On the other side of the spectrum, we have full glam. This is typically where no natural skin is showing through, heavy contouring to really enhance the face, carved brows and full eye makeup with lashes, bells and whistles. If you know you’re super comfortable in makeup and want something that is a little more show stopping, this may be the perfect glam for you. It may feel a little heavier on your face with maximum staying power to last you all night long. When looking for an artist to create a look like this on you, use key search words like, full glam, full face, high glam, dramatic makeup, etc. Using specific wording can really affect what results come up when looking for inspiration.
Neutral or Colorful
Once you have conquered the hard part and decided on a makeup preference style, we can pick out colors or decide if you want to keep it neutral. Neutral makeup uses tones that are similar to your skin tone, earth tones, and shades overall that don’t add too much “color” to the face or eyes. These are typically your browns, beiges, grays and black. If you love the bronzey, latte colored makeup looks then neutral may be the perfect fit for you. However, if you are more into color, adding in some rosy mauve, deep plum, and even olive shades can really make a look pop! For instance, for blue eyes, I love using peachy and rosy tones to really make them stand out! For green eyes, deep plum and mauve shades are my go-to. And, for brown eyes— olive tones, golden shimmers, and deep chocolate shades can take your look to the next level. Coordinating your wedding colors to your makeup can also create a beautiful monochromatic hue to tie everything together.
To Shimmer or not to Shimmer
You’ve got the style, intensity and the colors picked out… whats left? I always like to give my clients the option of adding glitter or shimmer shades to their makeup look because not everyone loves a glittery eye look like I do. And thats okay, matte looks are just as stunning and eye-catching as shimmery ones. But, if you love the glimmer and shine of the eyeshadow under the lights, then you may want to opt for it on your wedding day. This season has been all about the rose gold glitter with that extra punch of shine in the center of the lid. I achieve this by using the Ulta foiled shadows topped with the Diamond Bomb by Fenty Beauty. This creates the perfect shine and shimmer. And, always let your artist know if you prefer matte looks and do not want any shimmer.
Finding Inspiration
Once you know your key words to find what you’re looking for, you can use search engine sites like Pinterest and Tik Tok to find looks you love. Pinterest is a great tool to find new ideas and even styles you hadn’t thought of before. However, with looks found on the internet and social media you have to be cautious of over editing and makeup looks that have been inauthentically enhanced. Keep in mind your face and eye shape may be different than the model on screen and replicating a look exactly can be quite impossible. I usually recommend my clients come with 3-4 reference photos for their bridal preview so we can figure out the overall aesthetic of the look and what we love and don’t love. Your makeup look is totally customizable to what YOU love, so don’t be shy about being picky. I am here to guide you the whole way.
I hope this has been a helpful guide to get you moving in the right direction with makeup! Always remember it is about feeling comfortable in your skin on a big day like this and makeup doesn’t have to be cakey to stand out in photos, just well applied ;) if you need an extra guidance or just want to chat about beauty I am available!
xoxo| kelseajmua
