Bridal Makeup

I love doing bridal makeup.  As a makeup artist, I am one of the only people who gets an entire hour (more or less) with the bride on her big day.  When she's in my chair, she doesn't have to be anywhere else and she knows it.  I like giving brides this opportunity to become centered - mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally - amid the hustle and bustle of wedding-day activities.

The key to great bridal makeup, in my experience, is letting the bride look like herself!  I like to use an airbrush method for foundation because I feel it achieves the most natural-looking appearance.  When lightly applied, this method evens out skin tone without covering freckles or moles, which are the bride's unique and endearing features.  (However, if the bride covers these features on a daily basis, it will be important to use an application method that achieves greater coverage)

Most brides want to appear as though they are wearing just a little more makeup than usual.  This is achieved by using warm or neutral tones (brown, cream, pink, apricot).  These colors work great for any time of day or night and are universally flattering.  When in doubt, choose tones that are close to your natural skin-color.  Instead of eyeliner, I line the eyes with an angled brush and a powder (espresso or dark brown usually).  This helps the eyes pop without looking too dramatic.  Since the color will be heaviest on the area of skin where you first place the brush, start from the outside of the eye and line inwards.  Once you have lined them, gently sweep over the line with a clean eyeshadow brush to blend.

Weddings that are later in the evening require a slightly bolder makeup style (to show up in pictures under the flash of a camera), so these brides can go for glamour if they want!  I'm always happy to help a bride achieve the look she desires on her special day.  Feel free to contact me at ave42designs@gmail.com if you'd like to discuss your wedding-day makeup.