Guest Blog; Wedding Make-up Tips

By Eve Ashby – Professional Make-up Artist

www.eveashby.co.uk

The real trick to wedding make-up is to create a more groomed version of how you would normally look. This way you will feel comfortable but still in keeping with the glamorous image you are creating with your elegant wedding gown and styled hair.

Because this is not a look you would normally wear day-to-day it’s a good idea to have a trial run-through. Not only will this give you some time to adjust to your new glamorous self but it also means you can check any new products for allergy reactions.

When you practice your make-up it is important to do so in natural daylight. It’s surprising what a difference lighting conditions can have on the colour of make-up. Often dark colours can seem much paler under artificial lighting and this can encourage you to applying much more than you really need, making the look much heavier and more dramatic then you intended it to be.

Your wedding day is not a time to be experimenting with new, bright or high fashion make-up colours, as this will quickly date your photos. Instead I always recommend you opt for natural tones to create a classic look that will never go out of fashion.

The first thing people always see are your eyes and this is why it’s so important to get this part of the makeover right. On young skins shimmery eye shadows look fresh and bright but on older skins this shimmer can emphasise fine lines and draw attention to puffy or overhanging eyelids. So for this reason it is always best to put matt textures on older skins and keep shimmery eye shadows for younger brides.

If you have never shaped your eyebrows before you will be amazed at what a difference it can make. Not only will it make you look more groomed but will also open up your eyes. Another trick for a wide-eyed look is applying a few false eyelashes. You don’t need to go for a whole strip as this can look overpowering and feel heavy on your eyes. Instead a few individual lashes on the outer corners of the eyes work wonders and really finishes off a glamorous look.

If you have small lips opt for light or bright colours and lots of lip-gloss, as the shine will give the illusion fullness. Try to avoid darker colours on small lips as they can make them look even smaller. Lip liners have a waxy texture, which lasts longer on lips than the soft moisturising texture of lipsticks so it’s a good idea to apply lip liner to your whole lip area before applying lipstick.

The big thing to avoid on your wedding day is make-up containing light reflecting partials. The main culprits of these being under eye concealer pens. These pens work by reflecting light away from the skin to hide dark shadows and can do a fabulous job when people see you close up. However the flash from the camera will emphasise this reflection and all you’ll see are bright white areas wherever you have applied the product.

Whichever look you chose on your wedding day the main rule to make-up is blend, blend, blend. There should be no harsh lines and each colour should seamless merge into the next. If you follow this tip than your make-up won’t fail to look natural and perfect.