7 Bridal Make-Up Blunders To Avoid

From exactly which mascara will last a day of emotions to the secret make-up trick for healthy skin in photos, here's what a pro make-up artist wants you to know about bridal beauty.

In a ideal world, your wedding day is a calm, happy and celebratory twenty four hours where you feel positively giddy with joy. In reality, last-minute panics often abound and your loved ones' constant reiteration that is the "the biggest day of your life" can make the whole thing somewhat stressful.

Allow us to relieve a little of that stress. Amy Conway, Bobbi Brown Pro Artist, spends a good part of her summer every year painting the faces of brides-to-be and giving make-up lessons. She gave

Vogue a few helpful hints to ensure your bridal beauty goes off without a hitch.

 

You need more blusher than you think

"One thing I see very often is that brides are nervous about blusher, especially if they don't usually wear much of it. If you're wearing white or ivory, you can lose a lot of your skin's natural warmth against that, and flash in photos can wipe you out further. I always encourage brides to be a bit bolder with blusher - it's the first thing to rub off, too."

 

Prep is key

"I think brides often think I'm being silly when I suggest they use a primer, but it really does make a huge difference. I'm not a big fan of silicone primers, more of a moisturiser-primer hybrid like Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base. On oily skin, it controls oil production to stop patchiness, and on dry skin, it stops your make-up just disappearing into the skin."

 

Foundation isn't the be all and end all

"You really do not need to wear that much more foundation than usual, and in fact, you don't even have to wear it all if you prefer a BB cream or something. Stick with your usual coverage for your base, but do pay extra attention to the under-eye area as that does tend to get grey and shadowy fairly quickly. I use the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector before concealer to really brighten the area and make sure it looks fresh."

 

The photographer is your best friend

"It's definitely okay to ask the photographer to take a test shots as you're getting ready. You'd never usually take fifty photos of yourself up close without doing some sort of dry run, so take a couple of snaps to ensure you're happy with all the colours and finishes, and check your forehead and décolletage are the same colour."

 

Choose the right mascara

"There's no two ways about it – you will get tearful at some point, even if it's just with laughter during the speeches! Use a waterproof mascara that's not going to budge, like Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara. If you are thinking of wearing false lashes and you're doing your own make-up, definitely use a strip lash as they're easier to apply, but if you have a make-up artist, individual lashes look so natural. They're hard to apply on yourself, but they're virtually undetectable in close up shots, especially when your eyes are closed."

 

Keep it simple

"Your wedding day is not the time to try a brand new look. I sometimes get brides who want to try a rose gold eye, for example, despite the fact that they usually do a grey smokey eye. We do the rose gold, and then they remember that there's a reason they usually do the grey because it looks so good on them! You can definitely play around a little in your make-up trials, but make sure you still feel that you look like you on your wedding day."

 

Pack your bag accordingly

"Ask your head bridesmaid to pop a few products in her bag so you don't have to worry about carrying them. A foundation or stick concealer for under your eyes, a little touch of powder to refresh and then your lipstick. I usually use something like Bobbi Brown Luxe Colour as a blusher on brides because it saves on space in those tiny clutch bags and gives a lovely, healthy finish."

Photo: Weddbook, 

Credit: Vogue magazine