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Weddings may have temporarily taken a back-seat but it doesn’t mean you need to stop the planning process and the same goes for your beauty regime. What a brilliant time to get your skincare routine in check and practise your big-day makeup.
And look at the positives – no need to be juggling appointments or running from place to place when we know you’d rather be wrapped in a robe sipping something sparkly.
The shops may be shut but you can still engage with your favourite beauty brands. From virtual appointments and live classes to online tutorials, brands have quickly adapted in the current climate.
So, if you’re thinking doing your own wedding makeup you’ll want to know what’s going to work best (whether that’s glowing skin, a bright red lip or even shimmery eyes) and now is the time to start practising.
M·A·C Global Senior Artist Debbie Finnegan tell us, “For most of my brides getting married their requested look is simple, they want to look like the best most healthy and glowing version of themselves possible and it is completely achievable at home.”
So sit back as Sophie Cullen speaks to the industry experts on how to perfect your big-day make-up in lockdown and the products worth a try.
Complexion perfection
Have you decided on the finish you want? Perhaps something matte or glowy? First things first, when choosing your foundation always make sure it’s longwear, this means less touch-ups and more time on the dance floor.
Antonia Basile, Lancôme Pro Artist, suggests if you’re doing your own wedding makeup a good tip to remember is, “start by applying it to the centre of the face and buff outwards using a fluffy foundation brush, this will give you an even coverage without looking too heavy on the skin and on camera, skin will look polished but not cakey.”
If you’re in the market for a new foundation, it’s important to find the perfect shade of foundation for your wedding day. Fear not, Estée Lauder offer a virtual foundation finder and all you’ll need is your laptop or smart phone. You’ll be able to try on over 60 shades to see which one is best for you. Their top foundation for weddings? Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup which has 24-hour staying power and will withstand those emotional moments.
However, we understand that sometimes people require a little more help than just a few useful tips and tricks. Bobbi Brown are utilising their pro teams on the live chat facility to talk directly to customers, simply book a slot and they’ll be able to assist you with any questions be it colour matching you for foundation or matching your lippie to your bouquet.
Create Definition
Your wedding day will be the most photographed day of your life and sometimes being on camera can wash out some of the colour in your face so it’s important to create definition and bring warmth to the face by applying bronzer and blush.
I asked Antonia Basile, Lancôme Pro Artist, for her best suggestion, she recommends Lancôme Belle De Teint luminous bronzer. “Work the bronzer around the face in a 3 shape – around the hairline under the cheek and then under the jawline. Finish the complexion by applying blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweeping upwards to create lift in the face, I like to use Lancôme Blush Subtil.”
Define the brows
Eyebrows are becoming ever more important on your wedding day, they enhance the eyes, lift the face and really define your features in photos. But what to do with them? I’d suggest during lockdown using a brow serum, this will condition and help with any regrowth.
Laurretta Power, National Brow Artist for Benefit Cosmetics UK, recommends, “For the big day – keep them soft and create a natural style. How to achieve this? Using My Brow Pencil’s precision tip creates lines so thin that you’ll be able to create strokes that mimics actual brow hairs in no time! This means you can fill in your brows fully and still have them look natural. Leave space between each stroke allows it to look dense, firm and most importantly, natural.”
Benefit Cosmetics YouTube channel is also filled with how-to videos, so if you’re feeling a little unsure or have questions, go give them a watch.
Full lashes
If you want to add subtle volume to your eyes, I recommend opting for strip lashes, they’ll make your eyes pop and enhance any eye makeup. My current favourites at the moment are Bisou Rose lashes, available in in six different styles.
These have an organic cotton band that sits on the lashes, compared to others on the market that are plastic making these great for those with sensitive eyes.
And don’t even get us started on the gorgeous bespoke packaging, which you can opt to have engraved if you wish. The lashes can also be reused 15 times.
Tary Viyola, Founder of Bisou Rose lashes, told me, “People sometimes think strip lashes can be a little tricky to apply, I always recommend to practise, practise, practise! First apply a thin layer of lash glue to the strip, add a little extra to the corners to avoid the lashes from lifting, place the lashes as close to your natural lash line as you can, this ensures a perfect blend with your own natural lashes, then taking a pair of tweezers or your fingertips squeeze down your lash-line – and you’re good to go.”
If lashes aren’t for you, make sure you opt for a waterproof mascara. Bobbi Brown Senior Pro Artist, Amy Conway, says, “They’re known to be a softer in curl, length and volume. To ensure you still get the drama and fullness like we get from non-waterproof mascaras, layer it on top. Almost like a top coat to your nails, get the false lash effect finish you want first- then set everything in place with the No Smudge Mascara for all day wear.”
Lasting Lips
Whilst we’re spending so much time in doors, it’s important to keep your lips hydrated and remember to exfoliate them. Use a lip balm in the day and before bed to keep them supple, my current go-to is By Terry’s Baume de Rose Lip Balm which is the Rolls Royce of lip care. The texture? A velvety formula that glides on, the vitamin-rich balm gives an intense hit of moisture whilst protecting too lips too.
Try exfoliating once a week using a light scrub to keep the looks in tip top condition – this provides the perfect canvas for lipstick.
And now for colours – Hayley Wicks, bareMinerals Artistry and Education Manager, explains pinks, peaches and nudes are a popular choice and recommends to try the new bareMinerals Mineralist lipstick for colour that lasts, with hydrating and ultra-smoothing benefits. They smell delicious too, with a natural fragrance of prickly pear and acai, so perfect for “You may now kiss the bride”.
If you’d like a bareMinerals artist to colour-match you or if you have any other burning beauty questions, they’ve just launched Virtual Beauty Consultations offering customers the chance to get the same bespoke in-store experience from the comfort of your own home.
Bright eyes
If you’re making a feature of your eyes, be it a gorgeous smokey hue or a single colour, do less on the lips and vice versa. If in doubt, when it comes to trends, keep it classic – you don’t want to look back at photos and regret your chosen look.
First things first, to make sure your eye makeup stays put all day it’s important you create the perfect base. Bobbi Brown Senior Pro Artist, Amy Conway, says, “Use a longwear cream eyeshadow to prime eyelids, they provide enough coverage to even out any uneven tone, as well as absorb any excess oil to prime before eyeliner or added shadow. First layer a matte cream shadow ball over the lid, then add Sparkle for that high shine and extra something special on your day.”
Struggling with colours? You can never go wrong with browns, neutrals, dessert, bronze and rose tones. As a basic rule if you are a cool skin tone or wear silver/white gold go for cooler shades, if you are a warm skin tone or wear yellow gold jewellery go for warm shades, and if you are a neutral skin tone or wear rose gold jewellery go for neutrals or mauve shades.