Bridal Makeup: The Breakdown

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well! Today's post will be all about bridal makeup. I'm going to breakdown what products I would use, why I would use them, and what products you could substitute - like, a drugstore dupe/substitute for a higher end item. I want to go in depth and really explain each and every product to you all, because I know how important it is to have the perfect products for your big day. And seeing as June is wedding month, I thought this would be the perfect time to post this tutorial! I will list all of my thoughts and opinions in the captions below each picture. Enjoy!

 

First up, you need a good primer. You want to make sure your makeup lasts all night, and this primer will help tremendously with that. This is the Benefit POREfessional. I really love this primer. You only need a tiny bit, and it feels so silky on your skin. It helps your makeup glide on with ease, and helps lock it in for hours. A good drugstore primer is the L'Oreal Miracle Blur Revitalift primer. It is expensive for a drugstore item, but it gets the job done. You definitely want to have a good base for your makeup. Don't skip this step. You will be glad when, at the end of the night, your makeup is still on, haha.

This is a two-in-one post. I have heard so many girls talking about the L'Oreal True Match foundation, that I had to try it out for myself. When choosing a foundation for your wedding day, you DON'T want it to have SPF in it. While SPF is normally very good, it is known to give off a white cast in photos. I didn't realize this foundation had an SPF, so while it only has a small amount of SPF, I don't want to risk it. Especially since the wedding photos will be forever, haha. So far, I'm really liking this foundation though! It is very runny. Probably the thinnest foundation I've ever tried. But it applies beautifully, and seriously feels weightless on your skin. Also, the coverage is fantastic! I've been able to wear it a full day, and it's flawless! Anyway, back to wedding day products... Another big factor to consider is having a product that is waterproof. If you're having an outdoor wedding, you don't want your makeup to melt off. And if you're like me, and cry over every little thing, you don't want your makeup to budge or get those annoying tear streaks running down your face. So, for this post I am going to recommend two different foundations - Covergirl Stay Fabulous Outlast 3-in-1 for a drugstore option. And Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation for a high end option. I loooooove the Covergirl foundation. I put that stuff on first thing in the morning, and by the time I go to wash my face at night, it still looks as good as it did before. Of course, you may need to touch up your powder, but the foundation doesn't move, fade, or breakup on the face at all. At least in my experience. Now, the Estée Lauder foundation I have not actually tried myself yet. I do plan on purchasing that product, and I will do a full review for you soon. Bear with me on that. However, I've done TONS of research on that item, and I've heard the best things about it. A lot of the beauty gurus I watch on YouTube recommend that foundation for weddings. So, I will definitely keep you all updated on that. But, what you want to take away from this part of the post is that you want a waterproof foundation with no SPF.

Foundation is on!

Next up is the eyes. Just like the face, you want a good primer. Eye shadow primers help with color pay-off, prevents creasing, as well as helps the longevity of the shadows. There are a million different eye shadow primers out there, but I will recommend just a few. Before I mention which ones I suggest, I'll go ahead and tell you that I don't know of a good drugstore eye primer. That's one thing drugstore products are lacking. L'Oreal has a Miracle Blur eye primer, but I've never tested it, nor have I heard any reviews about it. So, I wouldn't recommend it for your wedding day just in case. However, I DO recommend the Lorac Behind the Scenes eye primer. It is awesome for those who have oily lids. My eye makeup lasts soooooo long with this stuff, and it doesn't crease at all! Another primer I would suggest is the NARS eye primer. That's another one that's amazing for oily lids. The NARS is A LOT more expensive though. At Ulta you can get the Lorac Pro Palette with this size primer in it for $42. I bought mine over a year ago, and I still have a lot left in this baby!

On to eye shadows... First up, I chose to use this shadow by Makeup Geek called "Creme Brulee," I applied this with a big fluffy brush right into my crease as a transition shade. I chose this shadow, 1. for the color, and 2. because it's amazing. I've mentioned these in several of my previous blog posts, but I'll go ahead and gush over them again for you. These shadows are amazing. The quality, the pigmentation and the price are all winners in my book. These shadows compare to MAC shadows, but they are half the price. You can get them on the Makeup Geek website, and I highly recommend you do. They have a million colors to choose from too. I wish I had them all, haha.

I blended that right into the crease like so. I start out with a small amount of product, then keep building it up until I reach my desired look. It is sooooo important to blend when applying shadows.

Next up, I chose "Mauve" from the Lorac Pro Palette. Again, I've used this in pretty much every makeup tutorial I've done on my blog. This palette is my everything, my baby. Best purchase ever. I went with "Mauve" because I wanted to bring out my blue eyes. And this color, with the contrasting warm brown I put in my crease will just make the color pop. If you don't have the Lorac Pro Palette, you could try the Maybelline Eye Studio quad palettes. They have a million different colors to choose from, and those shadows are very smooth and pigmented!

I applied that from the lash line to the lower crease, like so.

This is what you should have so far.

To deepen up the crease, I chose "Deep Purple" from the Lorac Pro Palette. Purple is a go-to color for wedding eye makeup. It is universally flattering on every eye color, and honestly, you just can't go wrong with it.

I applied it to the outer corners of the eyes. As with most darker colors, you want to start with a very light hand and build up to your desired consistency. You can always add more, while applying too much can be hard to correct.

After applying the dark purple, I took a fluffy brush and blended out the harsh lines.

Like so.

This is what you should have up to this point. It's okay if it's not perfect right now. Everything will come together in the end.

I wanted a little bit of shimmer, so I went for "gold" from the Lorac Pro Palette.

I applied it to the center of the lid, like so.

For liner, I wanted to do a nice, winged look. For that, I used the L'Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense liquid liner. I love this stuff. It stays on forever, and it's super black. A high-end liquid liner to try would be the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner. It's super black, and won't budge.

I created a small, but sweet wing to elongate the eyes a bit.

Let's give the eyes a rest, and go back to the skin. Foundation can only do so much, and that's where concealer steps in.You want a good concealer. One that will cover up any imperfections, and not budge. For that, I chose the MAC Pro Longwear concealer. This stuff is seriously the best concealer ever. It's full-coverage, but thin. It is very lightweight, and blends beautifully. And once it's on, it's on. It won't move, fade or crease. It's amazing. A drugstore option would be the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind. I love that concealer too!

I applied the Pro Longwear underneath the eyes, around the nose and on the chin, like so. I want to conceal, but I also want to highlight those areas.

Concealer is blended!

To set the face, you want a good powder that will keep your makeup in place, and one you won't have to worry about touching up all through the night. For this, I chose the Coty Airspun Loose Setting Powder. This is, hands-down, the best loose powder I've ever tried. This powder is so finely milled, and so soft. It sits lightly on the skin, but it makes your skin look flawless and poreless. It also keeps my skin matte for hours and hours! Most importantly though, it does not leave a white cast in photos. The powders you'll want to stay away from are the HD setting powders. Those are amazing powders, don't get me wrong. But they are terrible choice when you plan to use flash photography. HD powders will blend right in, and be invisible to the naked eye. But once the flash hits your face, for some reason the camera picks it right up. So, definitely stay away from the HD setting powders for your wedding day. A high-end setting powder I would recommend would be the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

The face is now set! It seriously makes your skin look flawless. Also, one thing I do want to mention is that I did powder a bit more than I normally would. It's okay to go a little heavy for your wedding day. You don't want a cake-face, but going a bit heavier will help it to show up better in photos.

For brows, I chose the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. This is an amazing brow pencil. Her whole brow line is full of different amazing products. I like the Brow Wiz because it is so precise. I can create tiny, hair-like strokes to fill in and give shape to my brows. This is another area where I'm not familiar with a good drugstore brow product. I know the Elf brow duo is good. Especially the wax part. And I've heard Milani has a new brow line that is pretty good. So, those are definitely some cheaper options.

I filled in my brows, and shaped them to my liking. I wanted soft, natural looking brows. But, I wanted them shaped enough to frame my face.

To set those brows, I used Benefit Gimmie Brow. It is a tinted brow gel that will hold those brows in place all night. It has small fibers in it that help make the brows look more full - but not in a bad way. In the best way. And it's just tinted enough to give them a bit more color. If you just want to set them in place, try a clear mascara. I have the Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara, and it gets the job done. And it's way cheaper.

Brows are done!

For bronzer, I chose Benefit Hoola. It is my go-to, every day bronzer. It blends beautifully, and the color is perfect. Not too orange, not too ashy. A good drugstore option would be the NYX Matte bronzer. I love that one too. Another thing to mention is that you want to have a matte bronzer, rather than one with shimmer in it. Having a bronzer with shimmer can end up looking muddy. Especially the longer your makeup is on.

I took a large brush, and applied the bronzer from the top of my ear down to the middle of my cheek.

Like so. Again, it's okay to go a little heavy for your big day. Your will absolutely love your makeup in your photos.

I also lightly applied bronzer to my forehead along my hairline. This makes your face look like your naturally sun-kissed.

For blush, I chose "Berry Amore" by Milani. I chose this because the color is absolutely beautiful. It gives your face a natural flush with a very subtle glow. It's stunning. And it has quite the staying power. A high-end option for blush is the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes. They come in a ton of colors, and they will last and last.

Blush is applied!

Now we're going to finish the eyes. Going back to the Lorac Pro Palette, I went into the "Mauve" again, and applied it to my lower lash line.

Like so. I know a lot of people are uncomfortable taking eye shadow down onto the lower lash line. They think it will drag their eyes down, and accentuate the dark circles. I agree. It will definitely do that if you don't use a good concealer. The concealer will help make your eyes look more awake and bright. Don't be afraid to take that shadow down, and really smoke it out. It enhances the eyes, and adding that mauve color will make your eye color pop even more!

This is an awful picture, haha. Anyway, I wanted a light color with a hint of shimmer to brighten the inner corners of the eyes, as well as the brow bone. I don't know about you, but I really love it when someone looks to the side, and they have that hint of a glow under their brows. I think it is stunning. So, I applied "Champagne" from the Lorac Pro Palette to my eyes.

Inner corner.

And to the brow bone.

After that, I took the fluffy blending brush I've been using, and I blended my upper crease again. I just didn't want any harsh lines.

This part is completely optional. But I wanted to throw it in there, because it can add that little something extra to your look. This is a highlighter - Benefit Watt's Up.

It's a beautiful, champagne cream to powder highlighter. Highlighter can make your skin glow, and make you look like you're lit from within. When used sparingly, of course. You don't have to use a high end highlighter. You could take any champagne colored shimmer eye shadow you own, and apply it the same way!

I applied that highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones, like so.

Once blended, you have a real glow to your skin! Look at that highlight!

We're almost there. Stick with me! Lashes are also optional. But, boy do they pack a big punch. False lashes can bring your entire look together. Not to mention you will actually be able to tell you have lashes from far away in your photos. There are tons of different lash brands out there, and even more styles. You can get a natural looking lash, or the most over-the-top glam lash. You can get strip lashes like you see here. Or you can get individual lashes, and place them wherever you'd like to create more fullness and volume to your natural lashes. There are so many options out there that you could try out all different kinds before your big day to see what you like best. My favorite lashes are the Ardell Demi Wispies. They're short on the inner corners, and get longer towards the outer corners. That, like winged liner, elongates the eyes and gives them more of a feminie, feline shape. Something to note - strip lashes are absolutely stunning, but they can make your eyes feel heavy after a few hours. That may be a reason to try individual lashes. But, it's all about preference. :)

Mascara is another preference product. You definitely want a waterproof formula so it doesn't sweat off, or run if you're a crier. This is the Jordana Best Lash Extreme. It's not waterproof, so I wouldn't recommend this one. I'm just holding it up so that I could include a picture of mascara to be able to talk about what you would need :). Choose whatever mascara works for you, in a waterproof version, and go with it.

Lip products are one of the most important considerations for your wedding day makeup. You want something that adds a hint of color, but something that will last so you aren't reapplying every five minutes. For this, I chose the Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain. This product is super cheap, and super amazing. This product has amazing pigmentation, amazing color pay-off and comes in several different colors so you can find your perfect shade. This is called a balm stain for a reason. When you first put it on, it is very creamy and moisturizing. It applies beautifully, and doesn't run or bleed. It lasts for quite some time with full color. After you wear it for a while, it does fade. But it fades into the most beautiful stain on your lips. And that stain seriously lasts for hours. It fades into a "your lips but better" kind of color. I love it. I own quite a few of these, and they're all the same. They're all amazing. I highly, highly recommend this product for your wedding day. A high end option would be the Tarte Lipsurgance. They are the same kind of balm stain as the one above.

I chose the color "02 Sweet Pink" for this look. I applied it like normal, then blotted it a few times so you could see how well it fades. It's amazing. 

Last up, I want to talk about setting sprays. Setting sprays can help set your makeup, and be a final primer-like product to lock-in your makeup and help it to last that much longer. I have shown MAC Fix + here. This is a mineral charged water that has huge skin benefits, and can be used for a multitude of other things. This product will help greatly if you feel like you've over powdered. It will make the skin look like skin again. There are quite a few different setting sprays out there to try. There are several really good ones from Urban Decay. Those are pretty pricey though. There is a brand (who actually make the Urban Decay setting sprays) called "Skindinavia." You can find them on the skindinavia website. I have done tons of research on these particular setting sprays, and I've heard nothing but good things. I will definitely be trying them out. Skindinavia have setting sprays specifically for all skin types, and also one specifically for brides. And they always have different sales and promotions going on. If a setting spray sounds like something you'd be interested in, look up Skindinavia for sure.

And here's the final bridal look!

Excuse the lash glue still drying, haha

      I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and found it informative. There was a lot of pictures, and a lot of information there, I know. But I wanted to go really in-depth for you all, as I know how important your big day can be. I want you all to be as informed as you can be. I want you all to know what products are out there, and what they can do, and substitutes for each item so that you have access to everything you can get your hands on. If your wedding is coming up, congratulations! I'm sure your day (and especially you) will be absolutely beautiful. Thank you all so much for reading, and sticking through the longest post of all time, haha. Have a great week, and I'll see you soon!!


                                   XOXO - Tabitha