10 Tips For Doing Your Own Wedding Makeup

Not all of us are comfortable with getting our makeup done – and what should be a pampering experience can become yet another added stress when it comes to wedding planning. Save yourself the stress (and money) and take things at your own pace. Award-winning bridal makeup artist and LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Pro Jaimie Attfield shares her top tips for doing your own wedding makeup, taking us from the planning stages all the way up to the main event. 

10 Tips For Doing Your Own Wedding Makeup

Before The Big Day…

1. Nail Your Skincare

According to Jaimie, one of the first things to consider is our skin – setting up a good base for our makeup to sit on. ‘It’s important to establish a good skin care routine ahead of the big day. This routine should prioritise hydration first and foremost. Water, water, water – it’s your best friend. Follow up with a cleanser, toner, exfoliant and a moisturiser with SPF.’

Not sure where to start? Check out our guide and timeline for achieving perfect wedding skin within 12 months here

2. Find A Makeup Style

Now for the fun bit: decide the makeup style you want. ‘Many brides opt for a classic look, as this will look timeless years later. I always advise my brides to avoid having anything that they wouldn’t normally go for; your wedding day isn’t the day to experiment with a red lip if you normally wear a nudes and vice versa.’

3. Do Your Research

Take your time putting your makeup look together. ‘You can look online or in your favourite bridal magazines for some bridal inspiration,’ advises Jaimie. ‘Try and look at models that have similar colouring to you and narrow it down to your top two favourites to help you decide which look you’d like to recreate.’

(c) Chalo Garcia, Unsplash

4. Check It Matches The Rest Of Your Look

‘Once you’ve narrowed it down to your top two, this would be the time to look at finer details like your dress, hair, accessories and colour theme (if you have one). This will help you decide which look you prefer and whether it fits in with the bigger picture. If you can’t decide, you can always choose your favourite bits from each look and put them together.’

5. Find Your Products

‘Now you’ve selected your look, it’s time to gather some products to start practicing,’ says Jaimie. ‘I think it’s worthwhile investing in a few key bits. This includes a primer based on your skin needs (oil-control for longevity or moisture-based for dry skin), a waterproof mascara, a new lipstick (there’s something so special about having a new and unopened lipstick shade especially for your wedding day) and a trusty setting spray to keep your makeup in place.’

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

The thing to do to make sure you nail your look? Practice, practice, practice. ‘With your makeup look and products chosen, it’s time to practice! Taking just an hour a week to set aside to really hone in and perfect your craft ahead of the big day can really build your confidence, and help you get your routine down quickly so you can spend more time celebrating on the day.’

(c) Karolina Grabowska, Pexels

7. Tan Or No Tan?

Some brides prefer to top up their tan for their wedding, but Jaimie warns us to be careful with our skin so close to the big day. ‘Sunburnt, dry, dehydrated or sun-damaged skin is never a good look, so if you want a tan then try opting for a fake tan. If you choose to have a spray tan, I always recommend having a trial run where possible a few weeks before. It’s also worth making sure that you have the tan done at least two days before the big day, so you can have two showers and reduce the chance of your tan transferring on your dress. There are lots of other tans available in the shops too, but I’d always have a practice with these first.’

On The Day…

8. Hydration Is Key

Now, for the big day. ‘First things first, wake up and get hydrated (sadly not in the form of Prosecco yet!) with a big glass of water and some hydrating eye patches. These will do you a world of good in prepping your skin for the day. A top tip for the night before the wedding is to sleep with your head slightly higher with an extra pillow – by elevating your head, any fluid can drain away, reducing puffiness around the face and eyes the next day.’

9. Plan Out Your Schedule

‘Give yourself plenty of time on the day to do the makeup,’ emphasises Jaimie. ‘ Take a slot somewhere mid-morning before the chaos of the wedding morning ensues. Pour yourself a glass of bubbles (although maybe don’t hurry through it before you’ve finished your makeup) and put together your gorgeous makeup look. The most important thing at this point is to enjoy yourself and take your time.’

(c) Min An, Pexels

10. Prepare A Top-Up Kit

Some things might not go entirely to plan – there might be (good) tears, after all – so make sure you have a top-up kit on standby. ‘All that’s left to do now is pack a little top-up kit for the day ahead. Some tissues for the happy tears (dab, don’t wipe), pressed powder to keep any excess oil at bay and your lipstick for reapplication after all the yummy food, drink and happy kisses!’

Featured image: Shot by Cerqueira, Unsplash