8 Wedding Makeup Tips

This Spring, it will be 14 years since I started doing wedding hair and makeup in Las Vegas. Just saying that doesn’t even seem real to me- 14 years? WOW. It doesn’t seem like that long ago I did my first wedding, but yet when I think about how fast things change it seems like it was several decades ago, instead of just one. When I started doing wedding hair, it was all about the curly and high up-do complete with twisties and hosed down with glitter spray. I also had to print off all the inspiration images my brides sent- smartphones were just starting to be a thing, so I had to have the printed images on hand for the day of the wedding. My entire calendar was in a real-life paper day planner, and I do believe more than once I had to go back to a wedding to fetch it because I forgot it. At any rate- we’ve come a long way. There’s a lot that change, and a different set of rules when it comes to bridal hair and makeup. Here’s what I’ve learned, both old and new, wedding makeup tips for the modern bride.

1) Don’t count on Pinterest to show your wedding hair and makeup artist. This tip alone is what prompted me to write this article- Brides LOVE Pinterest. And I do too- it’s amazing. It’s pretty much the perfect way to collect ideas for your wedding day, and you should definitely use it! But, everything that you love, you need to take a screenshot of on your phone and save. Nearly every wedding now our brides try to pull up their Pinterest board, only to realize they either don’t have reception or the WiFi is crappy. You really can’t count on having access to the internet on your big day, even if your hotel or venue says that you do. Less than a second is all it takes to make sure your inspiration images for your wedding day hair and makeup are saved to your phone, keeping your stress level and timeline in order.

2) Let your mom do her thing. We love our moms and want them to look and feel beautiful! It’s their big day, too, and then there’s the photo’s to think of. But sometimes, mom really doesn’t want to wear lashes, and she probably does love her lipstick, and when you try to force her into a look she’s spent decades feeling comfortable with, it puts a damper on her day. Don’t try to change your mom unless she’s into it and wants to. If the feathered bangs she’s been rocking since 1984 are her thing, let her have them. We know you just want to photo’s to come out great and yes, her personal style may be dated to you, but it’s not worth it if she feels uncomfortable. And she’ll make us re-do it in a style or look she’s more comfortable with after, anyways.

3) Make friends with reality. I’m a big fan of Photoshop- I have convinced myself  more than once that I really AM 15 lbs lighter after not realizing how much work was done on an image. But, Photoshop has also really distorted our perception of reality. Those beautiful eye makeup tutorials? Yes, they look great on the person with the big eye shape who did them. And the smooth, flawless skin? You can have that in just a few clicks, but it may not be able to come from a makeup artist. We can only work with color, we can’t do anything about texture, so if your skin has some texture problems those will still be there after a professional makeup application. I have acne scars myself and trust me, if there was a way makeup could make my skin smooth, I would have figured it out already.

4) Your tattoo’s are part of you. Own it. We offer tattoo cover and are happy to take care of your 18 year old bright idea so Grandma doesn’t know, but understand that some tattoos can’t be covered without an understanding of what’s involved. You’re ex’s name is over your heart and you’re wearing a plunging neckline? If the fabric isn’t too snug, and that tattoo is fairly old, we can probably cover it with mild damage to your dress. But, if your dress rubs on the area where the makeup is applied, friction can make the makeup move. While most professional wedding makeup artists with use a water-proof, budge-proof formula, you have to understand that friction it’s a whole different story. That flower on your arm? Just leave it. If it’s not offensive, it’s not worth risking getting makeup all over your gown and your hugging guests. In fact, bedazzle it! Embrace it. We are starting to see brides bling out and dress up their tattoo’s to make them wedding glamorous.

5) Reign in your contour fantasies. In private groups and happy hours all over the country wedding makeup artists are talking about the contour trend and trying to find a nice way of saying “Yes, I’ll give you contour, but not Kim K style because you’ll look like a drag queen in person.” While I can’t speak for all the other makeup artists, I can tell you that I am a big fan of contour! I love how with just a few well-placed strokes I can define and sculpt a face. However, I don’t do it to the extreme that all these tutorials are showing you. It only looks good to you because it’s on camera- in real life, like your wedding day where guests will see you in person, too much and too harsh contouring can and will make you look like a contestant on Ru Pauls Drag Race. Understand that a skilled wedding makeup artist knows the perfect balance between making you look amazing in person, and flawless on camera.

6) Clip-In extensions. Own them and love them. All those amazing images of beautiful cascading waves you see? Yup, there’s a good chance a few extensions were popped into her hair to make it fuller, longer, lusher. If your hair isn’t very thick, layered, and long, we can’t create those big beautiful waves for you without adding some hair. Because most wedding hair and makeup artists work on location, it’s unrealistic for us to carry all the different kind of hair we would need to pop in extensions at a moments notice. You’ll need to do some advanced planning for that. So, if you plan on wearing your hair down, and you want that look, get yourself some beautiful clip-ins and we’d be happy to secure them in place for you. Also, be sure that your at-home stylist does NOT blunt-cut your ends, they have to be textured (beveled, shattered, razored) so that your hair and the extensions blend seamlessly.

7) Simple is Chic for your ‘maids. Pretty much all our brides now are over the matchy-matchy concept, letting their bridesmaids wear what suits them within the look/color scheme of the wedding. Same goes for hair, too, with most brides OK letting the maids pick out their own style. Having witnessed too many unflattering yet matching ‘dos in my career, I’m pretty happy that fad is gone. At least now, when our bridesmaids have similar hair styles, the bride is OK with letting us customize the look so it works with each individual bridesmaids features. However, when thinking of bridesmaids hair and makeup, keep it simple. Simple is chic, and having one bridesmaid who chooses this super intricate up-do with braids and curls and twists and every element she can find crammed onto one head of hair looks like she’s stealing the brides thunder. And, remember, the back of her hair probably won’t be in most photos. Then there’s the fact that if her style has all that going on, she’s going to time-stamp herself and classic elegance just went out the window. Simple is always timeless, always beautiful, and can still have a modern twist. Think down, beautiful curls or waves, maybe some pieces softly pinned back. Think low swept up-do’s, either clean or soft, depending on your taste. Makeup too, should be simple and classic, and somewhat uniform. You don’t want one ‘maid with winged eyes and red lips and another with purple smokey shadow and a nude lip. Choose a flattering idea, keep it simple, and let your ‘maids make it their own.

8) Airbrush isn’t always the right answer. I left this last because the tip is short, you can read my thoughts on airbrush makeup here.