You’ve already postponed once, and now you’re drastically trying to cut down numbers to make sure your wedding can go ahead in 2021. One thing you might want to consider to help is doing your own makeup. Sure, it’s not ideal (no one can replace a pro, right?), but achieving your perfect wedding makeup might be easier than you think – especially if you take your lead from Jamie Genevieve, makeup artist, beauty guru and founder of Vieve.
Here, she speaks to GLAMOUR about everything you need to know about doing your own wedding makeup and shares never seen before photos from her big day.
“No one knows your face better than you”
“I find doing my makeup extremely therapeutic and no one knows my face better than me, so it made sense that I did it myself,” says Jamie. “Plus, focusing on makeup made me zone out and hugely helped with my nerves.”
“Take your time”
As a pro, Jamie is a dab-hand at speedy makeup application and could probably whip up a cover-worthy makeup look in a flash.
However, on her big day, she made sure to leave enough time to enjoy the process and relax. “I took my time and spent about an hour and a half slowly piecing together my look. I accidentally got ready far too early out of excitement and was actually ready to walk down the aisle 4 hours before schedule!”
“Test your products’ longevity”
One of the biggest worries about bridal makeup is that it won’t last throughout the day, or worse, it will smudge or streak the second you get a little teary-eyed. The best way to avoid this happening is to really put your products to the test – including making yourself cry if necessary.
“I did loads of tests beforehand and watched loads of YouTube videos I knew would make me cry to see if anything would move,” admits Jamie. “That is my #1 tip for anyone doing their own makeup; make sure you do at least two or three trials on yourself to find those perfect products for you.”
Vieve Sunset Blush, £23, Cult Beauty
“Blush will be your secret weapon”
Before her wedding, Jamie never really appreciated the power of the perfect blush. “I discovered my love for blush on my wedding day. Before then I had used it on my clients and knew the difference it made to complexions but for some reason I had never really used it in my own routine. When trialling different bridal looks on myself, I noticed my face was looking very one dimensional, nude and overall a little flat. It was definitely missing something! Blush really gave my skin a bounce and healthy glow and now I use it every single day. It can enhance eye colour, face shape, skin tones, everything.”
“Play with blush – it works in so many ways”
“Play with blush! I think it’s common to think that blush only belongs on the apples of the cheeks but there are no rules. I love playing with my blush application depending on how I want to look.”
“I used products from loads of different brands”
Jamie selected her favourite products from a wide range of different beauty brands to compile her ultimate wedding day makeup look. “On my skin, I used Erborian Bamboo Matte Primer, Nars Natural Radiant Foundation and Creamy Concealer, Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer. Then to keep everything in place I used Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder and Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray.”
While Jamie used a beautiful peach blush from Laura Mercier on the day, she was so in love with the transformative effect it had on her look, she formulated her own range of wearable blushes able to be used on all skin tones. “I formulated Vieve Sunset Blush to be a creamy, finely-milled flush of colour that was buildable but never looked chalky. If I was doing my wedding all again I would definitely wear Sunset Blush in the shade Pesca, and loads of it! The colour builds up beautifully and the natural glow it gives is perfect for a bride.”
As for her eyes, Jamie selected Urban Decay Perversion Liner, Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara and Natasha Denona Neutral Eyeshadow Palette. “I also used Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow and their 24hr Brow Setter,” she adds.
For her lip makeup, she turned to Charlotte Tilbury. “I used Charlotte Tilbury Lip Liner in Hot Gossip and Lipstick in Bitch Perfect,” she recalls. “Lip liner is an everyday staple for me – it’s the reason why I had to create a range of my own.”
Tempted? Find out more about doing your own bridal makeup here.