Bridal Beauty

How to Get that Effortless Wedding Day Glow

As a soon-to-be bride, you’ve probably received more advice than you ever thought you needed about wedding beauty. How do you sort through all the noise to get the look that’s best for you? It just takes a little planning so that on the day of, you don’t even have to think about it. Here’s everything you need to do to look and feel gorgeous on your big day.

1. Find Your Dream Make-up Artist

Your choice of make-up artist is so key. Look for someone whose style meshes with yours. Make sure to meet with potential artists in person so you can get a feel for their personalities—you want someone who puts you at ease and makes you feel comfortable. Bring a few everyday pictures of how you wear your make-up, and some images of the look you’re envisioning. (I suggest going for a look that’s timeless, so when you’re looking back at your photos in 15-20 they won’t appear overly dated.) Get a sense of whether they’re willing to listen to what you want and work with you to make it happen. Ideally you find a balance where you feel comfortable speaking up for what you need, but are also open to taking their advice.

2. Test Everything Out

Two months before the wedding, you’ll want to do a test run with your make-up artist and make sure you’re comfortable with the look. For example, eyelash extensions have become all the rage, but will they work for you? They do look beautiful, but may overpower a bridal look if you haven’t tried them before. It’s also important to test any new products you might want to use to make sure your skin doesn’t react negatively.

3. Allow for Extra Pampering

The weeks leading up to the wedding are your time to really indulge in taking care of yourself. A few extra appointments can make all the difference in preventing beauty emergencies. Two weeks prior, get a facial so there are no last minute breakouts. Also, get your teeth cleaned—a sparkling smile makes for radiant skin! At the same time, make a conscious effort to be getting plenty of sleep so you’ll be brighter and less stressed. Brow shaping can be done one week to a few days before the wedding to keep your look clean and polished. And in the last few days leading up, take extra care of your skin and moisturize from head to toe. A body scrub is great to help you feel light and refreshed. Lastly, to avoid appearing muddy in photos, don’t over-tan and be careful with self-tanners.

4. Have a Blissful Big Day!

To have a stress-free wedding day, plan to spend plenty of time on your look. You want the process of getting ready to feel luxurious and relaxing. Remember that timing for make-up is 1-2 hours for the bride and 30-45 minutes for the bridesmaids. Designate someone to be in charge of your bag of touch-up products. You’ll want to have blotting papers, a small pack of tissues, lip color, your powder compact, mints, floss, and cream. If you feel like your make up is too heavy, you can take a dab of cream, warm it in the palms of your hands, and press it on your cheekbones. This adds a glow and softens overly done-up skin.