Makeup Tips For The Wedding Party: A Step-By-Step Guide

Creating the perfect wedding makeup look requires several steps, from prepping your skin to choosing the right products and colours. Whether you're a guest, bridesmaid, or the bride, there are some universal tips to achieve a beautiful, long-lasting look.

First, prep your skin. Cleanse, tone, and moisturise your skin, and use a sheet mask for instant hydration. Then, apply a primer to smooth your skin and help your makeup last longer. Choose a long-wearing foundation that gives you sufficient coverage without feeling heavy, and remember to blend well for a seamless finish. Use concealer to hide any dark spots or blemishes, and set your base with a setting powder to control shine.

For eye makeup, opt for neutral, earthy tones that complement your eye colour. You can create a soft smoky eye or a classic cat eye using eyeliner and eyeshadow. Add false lashes for extra drama, and finish with a waterproof mascara to avoid any smudging from tears.

For your lips, choose a shade that complements your blush and the overall harmony of your look. Go for a matte liquid lipstick for longevity, or layer lip liner with gloss for a low-maintenance option.

Remember to practice your look beforehand and allow time for touch-ups on the day. With the right products and techniques, you can create a stunning wedding makeup look that will make you feel confident and beautiful.

Prep skin with a moisturiser and primer

Before applying any makeup, it's important to prep your skin with a moisturiser and primer. This will ensure your skin is well-hydrated and create a smooth base for your makeup.

Start by cleansing your skin and applying a light moisturiser. If you're going to exfoliate, opt for a gentle exfoliating cleanser instead of a harsh scrub. If you usually use a particular skincare routine, stick to it—now is not the time to experiment with new products.

If you have any blemishes, dab something suitable on them, like Visine, but otherwise, leave your skin alone. The focus should be on creating a clean and soft canvas for your makeup.

After moisturising, apply a small amount of primer to your face and eyelids. Primer will help your makeup last longer, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and disguise open pores. Allow the primer to dry or set before moving on to the next step.

If you're short on time, you can use a sheet mask to instantly hydrate your skin and a hydrating lip balm to prep your lips for any lip products you plan to use.

Apply foundation and concealer

Applying Foundation and Concealer for Wedding Makeup

Primer

Using a primer before applying your makeup will help it last through the ceremony, dancing, and celebrations. Primer will also help smooth fine lines and disguise open pores. Use a small amount after moisturising, and before putting on foundation. Spread it evenly on your face and eyelids to create a smooth base for your makeup.

Foundation

Allow the primer to dry or set before applying foundation. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not giving each step time to dry. If needed, use your hairdryer on a cool setting to speed up the process.

Foundation should be applied in thin layers, starting from the middle of your face and blending outward using a foundation brush. Pay close attention to blending beneath your jaw and on your neck to avoid any visible lines.

Concealer

Whereas foundation is designed to even skin tone, concealers are designed to hide things like blemishes and dark circles under your eyes. Dot a liquid concealer the same shade or one shade lighter than your skin tone along problem areas, then pat with a brush to spread it. If it's not blended enough, dip the tip of a makeup sponge in water and work the concealer outward.

To hide a blemish, first apply foundation, then concealer, and set it with powder. If you can still see it, add more concealer and powder. Make sure you pat the concealer on the blemish rather than rubbing.

Setting

After you've added all your base products, you'll want to seal it with a light dusting of setting powder. This will keep your makeup looking natural and fresh, and will also prevent unwanted creases.

Add highlighter, blush and contour

Now for the fun part: adding some colour to your face!

First, apply bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks, just below the cheekbone and following the angle of your jawline. This will help to contour your face and make your cheekbones pop.

Next, sweep some blush just above the bronzer on the apples of your cheeks and up to your outer eye. This will give you a lovely, healthy flush.

Finally, apply highlighter just above the blush on the upper cheekbone to attract the eyes to your cheekbones. You can also dab a little on the middle of your nose, cupid's bow, inner eye, and above the brow for a little extra glow.

And there you have it! A gorgeous, glowing look that will photograph beautifully and last all day (or night) long.

Do eye makeup with shadow, liner, and mascara

When it comes to eye makeup, there are many ways to go about it, and the order in which you apply your products can depend on the look you're trying to achieve. However, a general rule of thumb is to start with eyeshadow, then eyeliner, and finish with mascara.

Eyeshadow

First, you'll want to prime your eyelids. Using a small amount of primer or concealer, smooth it over your lids, blending up to your brow bone. This will help your eyeshadow go on smoothly and wear evenly.

Next, apply a light, shimmery eyeshadow shade to your lid. Then, add a medium-toned shadow to your crease and smudge a darker shade along your lash line. Play around with different colours to find what works best for you. Makeup artist Carolina Dalí recommends sticking to "bronzey, peachy, earthy, and pastel colours" as these photograph well and "stay away from eyeshadows that are too loud".

Eyeliner

After you've applied your eyeshadow, it's time to move on to eyeliner. Using a liquid eyeliner, apply a line across your top lash line. Keep it thin for a subtle look, or go thicker and add a flick for a fiercer look. If you're a beginner, makeup artist Reina Kim suggests playing connect the dots: start by drawing dots close to your lash line, then simply join them together to create the perfect cat eye.

If you want to tightline your eyes to create an "invisible" eyeliner effect, gently pull up on your eyelid to reveal the space just below your lashes and fill in with a smooth pencil eyeliner. This will make your lashes look darker and fuller.

Mascara

Finish off your eye look with mascara. Opt for a mascara that offers both volume and length and sweep the brush through your lashes from root to tip, wiggling as you go to fully coat and lift your lashes. If you want more curl, try using an eyelash curler before applying your mascara.

And there you have it! A complete eye makeup look, all applied in the right order.

Finish with lipstick

Now for the final touches! When it comes to lipstick, it's important to choose a shade that complements your skin tone and the rest of your makeup. If you're unsure about which colour to go for, a good rule of thumb is to stick to your everyday shade or something similar. This will ensure you feel comfortable and confident.

If you're set on a bold lip, be prepared to touch it up throughout the day. A bright lipstick will require maintenance and you'll need to keep an eye on it to avoid leaving traces on your partner, glasses, or anything else you might come into contact with.

For a more low-maintenance option, go for a nude lipstick. This classic choice is always in style and goes with many different makeup looks. Just make sure the shade isn't too close to your skin colour to avoid the "concealer lips" effect.

To make your lipstick last longer, start by outlining and filling in your lips with a lip liner. This will create a base for your lipstick to sit on and help it stay put. Then, apply your lipstick in thin layers, blotting between applications. This will give you the most lasting finish.

If you're wearing a bold lip colour, you can also try a technique used by makeup artist Pat McGrath. She puts the lipstick on the back of her hand and then uses a fingertip to firmly press it into the lips for a long-lasting finish with a soft edge.

Finally, don't forget to purchase the lipstick used by your makeup artist so that you can reapply it when needed. Give your bridesmaid the job of looking after it on the big day!

Frequently asked questions