The Do's and Don'ts of Bridal Makeup

I believe that perfect wedding makeup is to make you look and feel fabulous, to be the best version of you!  I know when I got married I wanted to look beautiful, healthy and confident and find a look that perfectly complimented the dress I'd chosen.  From my experience as a bride and a makeup artist I'm going to take you through the dos and don’ts of bridal makeup to ensure you feel nothing but fabulous on your big day.

​Do Get Into A Good Skincare Routine 

Your skin is the base to your make up so it only makes sense that the better your skin is the better your make up will look. Drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep and eat a diet rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E and omega 3. Also try and avoid processed and sugary food which can dull the skin tone.
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Visit a skin care specialist who will be able to analyse your skin type and ensure you are using the best products for your skin. Invest in quality cleanser, toner and moisturiser  and use twice a day, ensuring you remove all make up before going to bed.
If you suffer from severe acne visit your doctor who may be able to offer you special treatments and medicine to help soothe your stubborn flair ups.
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​Do Have Your Foundation Professionally Matched

The point of foundation is to even out your skin tone, cover up blemishes and to give you a healthy glow. It’s not meant to change the colour of your face! Throughout the year, with changing seasons our skin colour also changes so it is important you get the colour right for your wedding day, especially if you are planning on fake tanning. Ensure you skin is the colour you will have on your wedding day before matching it to the foundation.
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Do Have A Makeup Trial

It’s important that you are 100% happy with your make up as well as your make up artist. A make up trial will give you the opportunity to try out a few different looks and ensure you are happy with the person who is doing it. You want a make up artist who understands your individual style and the type of look you want for your wedding day and who will not ‘take over’ your look! 
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It’s important that your make up artist knows what colour your dress and skin tone will be on the day so make sure you take along a photo or fabric swatch and if you are fake tanning, wear it to your trial. This will help them match the right colours to complement you overall look.
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Don't Be Led By Trends

As glamorous as glitter lips and graphic eyeliner may look, don’t be caught up with fleeting high fashion trends which could look odd in the years to come. You can still make a statement but keep it classic and elegant with a timeless red lip or a 1950’s style wing eyeliner.

Don't Overdo The Fake Tan

Fake tanning is not for everyone, but for those that feel more confident with a sun kissed glow be careful not to over do it and have a couple of trial runs a few months before the wedding to ensure you get the perfect shade – think healthy glow, not Umpa Lumpa! We all know that white extenuates a tan so once you have had a trial run, pop on a top in the same colour as your dress to test whether it’s the right shade. Bear in mind that you will want to apply your fake tan about 2 – 3 days before the wedding to ensure that none of it rubs off on your pristine gown, so do the top test 2-3 days after you tan as well.
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Don't Get Too Glossy or Highlighted

To achieve a healthy glow it is tempting to opt for glossy lips and lots of shimmer. However a shiny lip gloss can create a glare when photographed, which will lose your lip definition. Instead choose a moisturising lip stick and matching lip liner to define those lips.
Avoid applying highlighter on the nose and forehead because this can make your skin look greasy. Keep it subtle by sweeping a soft shimmer over the top of your cheek bones and just under the brow to create a fresh faced look.
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Glitter and sparkles can end up looking like white spots on the skin when photographed with a flash so avoid this all together, unless you are happy to pay for touch ups on your photographs!

Do you have a top tip that you think I've missed off the list - if so let me know.

​Emma x