I Did My Own Wedding Makeup. It Was The (Second) Best Decision I Made
I've always felt that the best part of going out is getting ready. I'm a proud bathroom makeup girl (see required TikTok viewing here), and few things bring me more bliss than uninterrupted time with my makeup, brushes, girly pop playlist, and enhancing my features with glam.
So why would things be different when it came to my wedding day? For the three years that I was engaged, I always hoped to do my own makeup (hair was a different story). Not only have I been a beauty editor for years, but I've always loved doing my own makeup for special events. However, the more people I floated the idea to, the more well-intentioned friends tried to talk me out of it. 'You're not going to want the pressure,' they'd say. 'Just sit back and let yourself be pampered.'
I mean…that did sound nice. But I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've genuinely loved getting my makeup done. Being a beauty-industry professional has made me pretty particular (and knowledgeable, even though I'm no artist) about how I like my makeup done, and even the most experienced artist is at a disadvantage compared to my years of practice applying eyeliner at the precise angle that elongates my eyes, or a pop of blush right at my cheekbones to lift and wake up my complexion. And that's not even counting getting the shades and undertones right; I've been scarred by too many frosted berry and magenta lipsticks than I'd care to admit.
Which brings me to a few months before my wedding, when I was surrounded by a small mountain of product and a weekend afternoon dedicated to bringing my Instagram saved folder of soft, bridal glam to life. I felt good about translating elements of each inspiration photo IRL, but in order for my look to last from first-look photos through the reception — not to mention, show up on camera — I definitely wanted some advice from the pros.
'To make your makeup show up in photos — especially with flash — adding warmth and depth is essential,' says Rose Siard, beauty educator and founder of Rose and Ben Beauty. 'Bridal makeup means different things to different people, but to me, a timeless bridal look features a lightly defined crease, a highlighted lid, a half wing starting from the iris outward, and a pair of Ardell 424 lashes.'
After an afternoon of meticulous swatching, I narrowed down my 'kit' that included everything I needed to execute my dream bridal beat. Then, I figured out the order to precisely document each step in my Notes app for flawless recreation. My goal was to make the day-of as stress-free as possible; with a recipe to follow, I knew I wouldn't be forgetting a step somewhere. (Just Virgo things.)
'For longevity, layering is key. Build your complexion in thin, even layers and set with a puff and powder,' recommends Siard. 'A great trick: spritz setting spray before powdering to lock in each layer and help the powder grip better.' Luckily for me, I lived in Florida at the time and was getting married in Vermont; if I could get my practice look to last in humid 90°F weather, then I'd feel more than confident in it lasting in breezy, mountain air.
Another tip from Siard was avoiding products with sunscreen — the only time she (or I, for that matter) would ever recommend doing so. 'While great for daily wear, SPF can interfere with makeup formulas and cause flashback in photos,' she explained.
The entire process took me a little over an hour, and I went about my day as normal: walking my dog a few times, getting coffee after lunch, and hopping on Zoom calls (albeit much more glam than usual). I intentionally did as few touch-ups as possible (aside from re-applying my lip after lunch) to see how my makeup held up. I examined (and photographed) my face every few hours and asked my fellow beauty coworkers for their candid feedback. ('Oh my god, Karina,' said Jackie. 'Wait, I think it's perfect,' added Lia. I work with the loveliest people!)
The night before my wedding, I unpacked all the makeup and tools in one of my suite's bathrooms (the only time I will ever say that!), grouping them by eyes, face, lip, and brushes. The following morning was a blur of breakfast and bobby pins, and then it was time for me to start the routine. While my bridesmaids finished getting ready, I retreated to my private makeup oasis (the aforementioned extra bathroom). Accompanied only by my mom (and trusty iPhone note), I began recreating my previous practice sessions.
As with many brides, my goal was to look like a more romantic, glam version of myself. I knew I wanted the focus to be on the eyes — my favorite feature — and settled on a soft, warm smoky eye with a hint of champagne sparkle. Paired with a glossy, terracotta rose lip (a dialed-up version of my everyday hue) and luminous, diffused skin, it was decidedly less 'done' than a traditional bridal makeup, which tends to skew heavy on the smoky eye and lipstick.
Some core products key to my look were the Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer that I tested earlier this year alongside R29 beauty-editor favorite, Lawless' Forget The Filler Foundation mixed with my go-to Make Up For Ever HD Skin Foundation.
I crafted a soft, warm shadow look by starting with a base of e.l.f.'s Liquid Metallic Eyeshadow in Moon, Chantecaille's Jasmine Eyeshadow Duet and my favorite travel eyeshadow palette, Natasha Denona's Mini Glam Palette. A dual-ended Stila waterproof liquid eyeliner has always been my must-have for my signature feline flick, and I wouldn't have trusted anything else for my big day. A full strip of falsies (even trimmed down to size) tends to weigh down my eyes, but I love individuals or clusters; I added two Ardell trios to the outer corners of my eyes for an extra winged, lifted effect.
Patrick Ta's Major Headlines in She's Seductive transformed me into a blushing bride, and Nars' Explicit Lipstick in Body Heat (which I discovered after interviewing Ciara, the face of the campaign) paired with Lisa Eldridge Sculpt and Shade Lip Pencil in 2W was my bridal lip combo, topped with the 2.0 version of middle school favorite gloss, Stila Plumping Lip Glaze in Kitten. (Yes, this was for both sentimental and performance reasons.)
Lastly, I set my face with a dusting of Tower 28's GetSet Blur + Set Pressed Setting Powder in Balboa Banana and locked everything in with Morphe's Continuous Setting Mist.
Looking back on it now, doing my own makeup was easily one of the best moments of my wedding day. I fell in love with beauty watching my mother do her makeup day after day, and having her by my side on one of the biggest moments of my life was incredibly special. I feared that I'd get nervous or stressed — if there was one occasion where I'd falter with liquid eyeliner, it would be my wedding — but that couldn't have been further from reality. All the practice paid off, and I felt muscle memory kick in as I blended my shadow and carefully set my complexion.
I knew I could execute my look in an hour, but left myself nearly two to avoid feeling rushed. 'One of my biggest tips: don't stress during application and enjoy the process,' says Siard, who also did her own bridal makeup. 'I still cherish the memory of sitting in the venue with a small vanity, calmly applying each step. It was such a beautiful, grounding moment."
As a beauty editor I did have an advantage with access to professional expertise, in addition to gratis product. Nonetheless, I hope this inspires and empowers fellow beauty-loving brides considering doing their own wedding makeup to trust themselves and go for it.
Now that I'm on the other side, I truly feel like doing your bridal makeup is not only possible, but can be extremely fun and rewarding. (Not to mention, it was also a rare moment of quiet serenity in a busy weekend of socializing.) Every time someone complimented my glam, I was so excited to share that I did it myself. And I may or may not already be accumulating ideas for a vow renewal…
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