Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Makeup Ideas for the Big Day

Hair and Makeup typically go hand in hand, however, makeup is seldom considered and hair gets all the attention. So, my big tip for you? Hire a makeup artist! 

Yes, it seems like an expense you can skip out on, but truthfully, your face is going to be in every photo! Makeup artists have the techniques and experience to make your face truly "shine" on your big day. A makeup artist will be able to make you naturally beautiful by enhancing what your face already has, which is also a big plus for the groom since men seldom enjoy the look of makeup and prefer our natural skin (no idea why). 

Definitely get together with your chosen artist a month or so before the big day and do a trial run, just like your hair. Hopefully you will be able to schedule these on the same day so you get the big picture. And, hey, when you get home, go ahead and try on your wedding dress. Fun! 

Make sure your makeup artist specializes in wedding makeup. The last thing you want is for a prom makeup artist to fix up your face for your big day. Sparkles are great for high schoolers, but on older faces, not so much.

Also, plan at least 50% more time for your hair and makeup than what the hair and makeup professionals ask for. If anything goes awry and they need to restart, you will be much more relaxed knowing you won't be late.

The bride to the right had a very talented makeup artist on her big day. Although she was already a naturally beautiful woman, her makeup made her look outstanding. You can see that while she does have a very natural look, it is also a perfectly polished look. It just enhanced her natural beauty.

Now, if you absolutely do not have any wiggle room in your budget for a makeup artist, here are some tips for do-it-yourselfers. And be sure to test out all products on your face before the big day. You don't want to have a reaction to something on your big day.

- The week before your wedding day, sleep on a clean pillowcase every night. I flip my pillow to get two uses out of it. There is no substitution for taking care of your skin from the inside, so drink a ton of water... like camel amounts. I'm not going to tell you to eat healthy, but it will help... I would rather enjoy myself the week before my wedding, anyways.


- Urban Decay Cosmetics creates a long lasting makeup spray, called All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. Essentially, it is hairspray for your face! Apply a coat or two and dance the night away without worry. You can find it locally at Ulta or online through retailers like Amazon.

- Primers also help to prolong the wear of your makeups and can also help smooth out your skin to minimize flaws.

- If you need to minimize fine lines or wrinkles, use a good facial moisturizer before your primer and foundation. And use very little powder on those areas.

- If you have that pesky acne that always seems to flare up on a wedding day, use a green-tinted concealer to counteract the redness before using your foundation.

- Now lets say you didn't get a nice long night of beauty rest... nerves, partying, chatting, so many reasons. Anyways, your eyes will pay the price. If they are red, visine will do the trick. If they have dark circles under them, try a yellow-tinted concealer before applying powder. If they are puffy you can try the teaspoon trick, but it won't last all day. There are eye creams with caffeine in them that are getting great reviews out there. 

- As for eyeshadow, avoid insanely bright colors. This is not where you bring in your wedding color. Stick with neutral tones for a more natural look. Iridescent or off-white shadows will make your eyes pop.

- Waterproof Mascara... and you do need to curl your lashes. However, if your lashes don't hold a curl for a long time, you may need to consider getting falsies. Get a good brand and you won't have to worry about them falling off.

- Lipstains instead of lipstick. You don't want a giant red stain on your groom's shirt. They typically come with a gloss to apply over them to make it look like a lipstick.

- Blush. It is an unfortunate cruelty. You want a little color on your cheeks. Pick a peachy-pink color and it won't be that bad. (I'm not a big fan of blush.)

Keep in mind, most professional photographers have the ability to fix any problem areas. If you do have a problem and the makeup isn't quite covering it, I am sure your photographer will help you out. 

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These tips are a concoction of ideas I have been gathering in a document through the years, as well as chatting with makeup artists at various weddings. Thanks to all of the makeup pros out there for their wisdom.

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Jennifer Duval is the owner of Duval Digital, a Colorado Springs based wedding and portrait photography studio. She loves outdoor weddings and homemade wedding favors, preferably food based. However, her primary love has always been photography. You can see more of our wedding photography work here: http://duvaldigital.com/home.Thanks so much 

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