Being wedding photographers, we are often with the bride that we photograph from the time she is having her make-up done, and it’s always fascinating to watch the transformation.
not because the bride was ugly before, but because a professional make-up artist is just that – an artist. It’s such a magical moment when the bride looks in the mirror and sees all of her best features enhanced and is genuinely amazed at how beautiful she looks.
BUT…not all brides can afford to hire a professional make-up artist. And thats OK, as long as you have invested in some good quality make-up, a savvy friend and time to practice.
Here are some great tips from Kezia Myatt from Make Me Up Kezia to help you look your best on the big day. Extra special thanks to Kezia for being willing to appear on the big scary internet with no make-up on 
Over to Kezia…
When it comes to makeup on your wedding day, most brides still want to look and feel like themselves, albeit a slightly enhanced version of themselves. If you don’t wear much makeup on a daily basis, your wedding day is definitely not the time to try out a ‘smokey eye’ and sultry red lip. The aim is to still look like you. The same rule applies if you wear a full face of makeup everyday – stick to what you know suits you and looks like you, so that you are recognisable on your wedding day.
Every girl deserves to feel their absolute best on their wedding day, and it starts with a great skin. There is something about a flawless complexion that gives you such a boost in confidence and gives you the power to walk around like you own the world. Your makeup application is made so much easier when you have a good, clean canvas. So I would suggest regular facials at a reputable beauty salon as well as a good skin cleaning routine in the mornings and evenings at home.
Here is my to-do-list for your wedding day make-up.
Step 1: Prep the skin
The better your skin looks on the day, the less makeup you are likely to need. Moisturize every night and use sunscreen every day. (This is not just important for your wedding day, but for your overall health and wellbeing.)
Step 2: Apply Primer and Foundation
Primer should be applied as you would apply your moisturizer. This adds an extra layer between your skin and the makeup, making sure your skin doesn’t absorb the makeup, as well as filling any fine lines or pores on your face. Next apply your foundation. I suggest that you use a sponge when doing your foundation application, it gives you a smoother, more flawless finish, perfect for those bridal portraits.
Step 3: Conceal Blemishes and Set
Use a concealer on any blemishes/burst capillaries or dark rings under the eyes. Concealer needs to be used sparingly because it often contains light-reflecting pigments. If you use this in excess, you may end up looking ghostly in all the wrong places. Once you have blended the concealer into your skin, set your foundation with a loose translucent powder. (I like the Yardley range of loose powders)
Step 4: Make your eyes POP
Stick to a neutral palette of eyeshadow on your wedding day. Most preferred palette would be browns, bronzes and golds. Highlight your brow bone with a light/shimmery colour, but avoid too much shimmer and glitter because it can make fine lines more pronounced and show up too brightly in photos. Contour the crease of your eyelid with a dark brown in a ‘C’ shape and blend this into a neutral lighter beige towards the inner eye. The key to a beautiful makeup is to BLEND! Use a dark coffee/brown eyeliner pencil on your top lash line and smudge this out to give you a softer, prettier look. Lastly, apply Maybelline Colossal Waterproof mascara to both top and bottom lashes (it won’t run if there are tears!)
Step 5: Pump up your smile
Happy brides are the prettiest! Make sure that everyone notices your smile by popping a bit of pink onto the apples of your cheeks. If you blush naturally, be careful not to use too much colour, but do make sure you use a little more than you usually would so it is noticeable in photos. I like to contour my cheeks with a bronzer just under the cheek bone, to add that little extra emphasis on the cheeks. I love the blush and bronzer from the Catrice range.
Step 6: PRACTICE
As the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”! Put all the products you have decided to use into a neat little ‘wedding makeup bag ‘and put them to the test! The last thing you want is to rush through your makeup on your wedding day and not feel your best. Play around, take a million photos from every different angle and in lots of different lighting situations to make sure you like what you see in both day time and at night, and even with a bright flash on. Be sure that you are 100% satisfied with your application, the last thing you want is to feel self-conscious about your make up throughout the day. Allocate yourself half an hour to an hour on your wedding day to get your perfect look, and don’t let anyone stress you out – if you start off calmly and confidently – you will nail it.
If you are wanting to recreate Kezia’s look, below are the products she has used.
Dermalogica primer
Kryolan Ultra foundation in ELO +- R300
Yardley translucent powder +- R180
Yardley stayfast quad eyeshadow in smokey brown +- R100 (I used this on my brows and eyelids)
Catrice deep bronze 020 (cheeks) +- R60
Catrice defining blush 040 think pink (also cheeks) +- R40
Palladio liquid eyeliner black +- R110
Maybelline colossal mascara smokey black +- R120
Revlon colorburst 205 +- R130
And lastly a Hooray side tip, we have always found the girls at MAC to be super friendly and helpful.
If you spend over a certain amount they offer to do your make-up for free (how amazing).
MAC has some of the best and long wearing products around so if you ARE considering doing your own make-up why not purchase a few important items from the MAC counter and ask the girls to show you how to do your own make-up for your special day.
The post Guest Post | Doing your own bridal make up appeared first on Hooray Weddings.