It’s wedding season and so many Glossies have requested bridal makeup tutorials. I specialise in wedding makeup and I’ve put together a look and a guide to explain why the different techniques are important for your big day.

Lois is getting married in May next year so we invited her and Mum Christine to Glossy HQ to take part in a wedding tutorial video!

Here are my dos and don’ts of bridal makeup and the exact products I used to create Lois’s look…

Mother of the bride? Don’t worry you can check out my other tutorial made just for you by clicking right here.

Preparing for your big day

Along with a good skincare regime (you may have seen my blog on this), make sure to research and choose your makeup artist (MUA) well in advance of your big day. I recommend at least 6 months, however I can sometimes be fully booked up to 12 months in advance. I always recommend at least two trials in the lead up to the wedding.

Make sure you have an idea of the look you want to achieve and discuss this with your MUA. I recommend pulling together a mood-board on Pinterest to help. The MUA will provide their ideas, making sure we understand your skin tone and your style!

You may even choose to do your makeup yourself – if you are I hope you’ll find a few tips and tricks below.

My Best Bridal Wedding Makeup Look Secrets

1. Primer

Of course, weddings are long days so making sure your makeup is long-lasting is a top priority. I used the Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturing Serum Concentrate, £41, to prime Lois’s skin because it not only smooths your skin but it plumps it too. For younger skin, serums that act as primers are lovely and light.

Tip: After priming, always start with your eyebrow and eye makeup before foundation because you’re likely to get eyeshadow fallout.

Kiehls

2. Eyebrows

Your eyebrows frame your face, so don’t forget to define them. I’m a big fan of the Obsession Brow Pomade range due to it’s easy to blend cream formula that dries quickly and is completely smudge proof. There are seven shades to choose from and I used light brown on Lois. It’s so affordable too at only £6 and has a lovely matte finish.

Obsession

Eyebrows are SO important. They frame your whole face. On younger brides, you can afford to go for more of a HD brow, but on mature skin defined brows can look too harsh.

To recreate Lois’s look follow these steps:

Start by combing your brows with a disposable mascara brush or something similar
Use a small angled brush to apply the pomade, concentrating on the lower line of the brow

Tip: If you find you get a build-up of product – keep brushing the product through until you get a natural, yet defined finish.

3. Prime the eyes

Priming your eyes is just as important as priming your skin. Your eye makeup will be put through a lot on your wedding day – chances are there’ll be happy tears and a long night ahead!

I swear by the Urban Decay Primer Potion in the shade Eden. This is slightly tinted, which is perfect for providing a smooth base, covering veins and taking out natural oils. I always apply this using a flat concealer brush and carve under the brows.

4. Eyeshadow

Make sure you choose eyeshadow colours that are fairly natural that also complement your hair and eye colour. Your eye makeup is also dependant on your dress style too! Lois has incredible red hair so I chose neutral shades with a gorgeous bronze hue.

On Lois’s eyelids I used a matte mushroom colour and then worked a darker shade still into the sockets, which really opens the eye. All these shades are from my Inglot eyeshadow palette, which I custom built. I love building my own palette and choosing each shade.

I then used the Full Metal Shadow from YSL using a flat brush, starting from the inside of the eye and joining it to the darker shades in the socket.

YSL Eyeshadow

Brushes

Brushes can make or break your makeup. I always use Morphe and they are good value too – this whole set is only £14.

Morphe Brushes

5. Eyeliner

I often use the Bourjois Liner Pinceau Liner in extra black because the fibres are flexible and fine. With liquid eyeliner, always to start with the wing first and then move inwards.

Tip: if doing it yourself use a handheld mirror so you can get as close to the eye as possible

6. Eyelashes

I used the Holy Grail It Luxury 3D lashes from my own collection called CINK, £6.99. These are perfect because they don’t look too heavy or false. The eyelash strands blend together with your own eyelashes for a seamless finish.

Always cut your lashes to size first. After applying glue, leave it to go tacky for 5-10 seconds before applying to the lash line.

Tip: Before applying your falsies, apply mascara to just the root of your own lashes for extra definition.

CINK Lashes

7. Foundation

Choosing a good quality foundation is vital. I use the Sheer Glow Foundation from NARS, £33 on a lot of brides. Firstly, it doesn’t contain SPF so there’s no need to worry about camera flashback on photos (which can happen at night when your photographer will start to use flash).

I used the shade Gobi on Lois and as you can see on the video, it really brightens her complexion and gets that glowy finish. I use the Illamasqua IL280 brush to apply this along with my fingers as the warmth helps to blend the foundation.

8. Under-Eye Concealing

Chances are, you didn’t get much sleep the night before your big day so an under eye concealer is a must.

I recommend using the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. It has a long-wearing, buildable formula that helps to create a soft, even finish. This is perfect for my clients as it’s non-drying and crease-proof.

9. Contouring

Contouring would be too severe on your wedding day, so I like to use a bronzer to subtly define features instead. The velvety finish of this Chanel Bronzer, £40, leaves your skin with a beautiful sun-bathed look. I apply this lightly onto places where you’d usually contour: under the cheek bones, on the hairline, the temples and jawline.

Chanel Bronzer

10. Set Your Contour

I set the creme-contour with the Topshop powder bronzer, £9, dusting it lightly over the top of the makeup.

11. Blusher

Blusher adds a fresh glow! Choose a colour that highlights your complexion so for Lois I’m using the MAC blusher in the shade Margin as it’s very light and has a natural-looking finish. I started with the apples of the cheek and blend outwards.

12. Highlighter

Always use a highlighter under your brows, in the corner of your eyes, on your cheekbones, lightly on the tip of your nose and on your cupid’s bow. I love the Illamasqua Beyond Powder in OMG; a shimmering champagne hue that instantly warms skin.

13. Line your lower lashes

You want to gently line your lower lash line for extra definition. To do this you can use a gel liner. I recommend using the AMC Gel Eyeliner from Inglot in the shade 69 (a dark brown) because it’s completely waterproof and smudge proof, which on your wedding day is so important!

Inglot Gel Eyeliner

14. Waterproof mascara

You’ve already got your false lashes on so you’ll just need some mascara to blend your own lashes and the falsies together. You’ll be put through a lot of happy emotions on your big day, so use a waterproof mascara to stop smudges and panda eyes!

The False Lash Architect Waterproof Mascara by L’Oréal Paris is one of the best out there. It’s great for curving lashes and staying put!

15. Lips

Lining your lips will not only keep your lipstick in place all day, but it’ll also make your lips look bigger. I chose a natural shade a few shades darker than Lois’s lips. It’s the Silk Gel Lip Liner from Tropic in the shade Stripped. I love Tropic makeup because it’s all vegan and cruelty-free.

Now for the lipstick and we all know every girl needs a MAC lipstick in her life! I adore the shade Kinda Sexy – it’s a gorgeous matte pinky peachy nude colour. Young brides can wear matte lipstick but I would recommend mature women wear a lipstick with a satin finish as it’s more flattering.

16. Setting spray

Don’t forget to finish with a setting spray for a long-lasting look. I love a setting sprays because they have an ultra-fine texture and invisible finish.

I recommend the Infallible Fixing Mist from L’Oréal Paris. It’s one of the most affordable sprays I’ve tried at just £8.99 and one of the best. Just hold the bottle around 20-25cm away from your face and spray 2 to 4 times in ‘X’ and ‘T’ shaped motions.

The Final Look

Lois's Finished Look

I hope you found this tutorial useful, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch on our Facebook page. Any makeup questions or techniques you are struggling with, let me know and I’ll be in touch to help.

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Lucinka Hodnett

Resident Makeup Artist

Passionate about the way cosmetics make you feel; I am a professional makeup artist with over 8 years’ experience. I am inspired by real women and natural features and believe that getting beauty basics right is crucial.