Alright brides to be. Coming not only from a photographer’s perspective, but a makeup artist and a former bride, we need to talk make-up. Let’s be honest. It is probably not the first thing on your list of things to plan, and that’s ok, as long as it is on there somewhere. There are so many aspects of a wedding that you plan right down to the weight of cardstock you will be using for the programs. One thing you should definitely plan is your makeup.
And that is why we are going to talk about bridal makeup. Joining me in this blog overview will be Jamie Floyd. A local professional makeup artist who is truly a master of her craft. Jamie and I both agree that bridal makeup needs to be a topic of discussion. In this post we are going to showcase the do’s and the don’ts of bridal makeup.
To start as a reference, here is a picture of me with my everyday makeup on. Nothing fancy, simply what I could get on my face before Caroline our 2 year old daughter woke up from her nap.
"My everyday look"
Now that you have a reference of what I normally look like, we can get into the do’s and don’ts.
Don’t #1
Don’t be afraid to wear some color! Even if you aren’t ready to go full lashes and red lips, you still need to put some color on that mug. Here you can see I am wearing very little makeup which makes me look washed out. You want to look your best right? Well, then buck up and put on your rouge. This doesn’t mean pile on the foundation and blush, but you need to add some color which will in turn add depth and contrast to your skin allowing us to more easily photograph your gorgeous features. Remember, the makeup is there to enhance you, not turn you into some Tammy Faye Baker wanna-be. In this photo I am wearing concealer, powder, very neutral shades of eye shadow with very little in the crease of my eye. On my lips? Just some light colored gloss. Now, there is nothing “wrong” with my makeup. But there is nothing really right either. This is YOUR day, so don’t be timid towards color. After all, 18 percent of the word is gray already…make yourself pop!
Don't try to be too "Natural"
The biggest problem with look number one is that while you may look just fine in person, you will look flat in your pictures.
Do #1
Do go for the natural look if that is what you are comfortable with. Do use color, and do for the love of Starbucks put on mascara and eyeliner. Here I am still wearing light powder and concealer, but this time Jamie has added a natural pink blush to give me contrast in my cheeks and violà! I have high cheekbones again! Another thing that has been added is a nice contouring color in the crease of my eyelid. In addition to the flattering eye shadow is a very neutral brown liner along with mascara and lip color. Let me just say, I am NOT a lip stick kind of girl. I very rarely even wear gloss, but Jamie has done a great job on my lip color.
The Natural Bride
So for the bride who is looking for the natural but glamorous look, go this route instead of the minimalist “don’t” of number one.
That’s it for this part of our makeup project! Check back very soon for part two and more do’s and don’t of bridal makeup!
