The big day has finally come, you’ve put on your dress and you’re walking down the aisle but (shock, horror!) you’ve had to do your own makeup?? Today we’re not talking about the bride, we’re talking about the trusty squad of beautiful ladies by her side.
If you’re always the bridesmaid and never the bride, you’re probably clued-in when it comes to DIY wedding makeup but doing your own face for such a big occasion can be pretty overwhelming if it’s your first time. Here are some things you’ll want to bear in mind:
- Be bronzed and beautiful – Most brides have a spray tan before their wedding so it’s a good idea for bridesmaids to tan too so the first lady doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. There’s no need to pay for a professional job for every wedding though, a good at-home fake tan will do just as well.
- Don’t forget your dress – No we don’t mean leaving it in the car, we mean don’t forget the colour of your dress when planning your makeup. Most bridesmaids dresses are dusky pinks, pastels or baby colours so makeup should be equally pretty and understated to not look too out of sync. That being said, if you’ve got a brave bride who’s chosen bright colours, feel free to apply a lippie or eyeshadow that matches.
- Make sure you’re primed and ready – Weddings can be long days and you’re going to want to ensure that your makeup is up to the challenge. Before applying anything at all, make sure you prep your skin with a good primer that will help your makeup last all day. If you don’t have a lot of time to get ready, you can also always opt for a foundation and primer all-in-one like Max Factors’ Facefinity 3-in-1 foundation.
- Wear more makeup than you normally would – If you’ve ever looked at a close-up picture of a celeb on the red carpet, you’ll notice that they’re normally wearing tons of makeup. This is because cameras (and, more specifically, camera flashes) will leave your skin looking washed out unless you go prepared. A tan will help but you’ll need to apply a bit more makeup than you’d normally wear to look good in that wedding album.
- Don’t outdo the bride – Remember, it’s not your big day. You want to look pretty but not so eye-catching that you take all the attention off the bride. Unless your bride has specified a bold makeup look, avoid dark eyes and bright lip colours in favour of a hint of bronzer or a pretty lip stick or tint.
- Be prepared for happy tears! – There’s nothing worse than arranging the bridal party for the post-ceremony photos only to see that one of the bridesmaids has a face covered in mascara (“It was just – so – beautiful *sob*”) If you know you’re one to well up at the wedding march, a good waterproof mascara is absolutely essential.
