I have worked with more than 500 brides in my career as a makeup artist. Unless I am traveling I am working on weddings almost every weekend of the year. Making brides look and feel their absolute most gorgeous version of themselves on their big day is one of the favorite aspects of my career.

 

Along the way I have heard these same four wedding myths (that lead to major wedding makeup mistakes) over and over again. Whether you are engaged and thinking about your wedding makeup, or whether you just like picturing yourself walking down the aisle, keep these wedding makeup tips in mind. Also remember that they don’t just apply to the bride, but also to everyone in your wedding party.

This post contains affiliate links.

Four Wedding Makeup Myths, Debunked

 

1.) “You need to do your makeup heavier for pictures”

No. Actually you don’t.

There are so many foundation options now that give you flawless coverage, but can be applied super sheer, creating the illusion of gorgeous, perfect skin. Which after all is the goal with foundation anyway.

Cheeks should glow and look fresh, not like great stripes of war paint, and eyes should be enhanced, not overkilled.

A face full of thick, heavy makeup looks hideous, and as the night moves on it looks progressively worse. 

Beautifully applied makeup photographs beautifully.

You should also remember that your wedding photography will be digital and your videography will be HD. Both have exquisite clarity, so heavy handed makeup can end up making you look like a drag queen.

 

 

 

2.) “You can’t wear sunscreen on your wedding day”

Yes you can. 

You couldn’t pay me to go even one day without sunscreen! There are definitely formulations that leave the skin feeling slimy, and there are formulations that flare or flashback white with flash photography, but there are plenty of others that work perfectly, giving you sun protection all day long.

Look for an SPF product with broad spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays) that doesn’t have titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Both of these ingredients have a whiteness to them and cause flashback when photographed.

Kiehls Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50 is a sheer formula that protects you from 90% of the sun’s damaging (aging) rays, and stops you from burning. It feels as light as air on the skin. Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense is available online here at Sephora

Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50
This facial SPF has state of the art technology to keep you completely protected. The formula is super sheer, paraben free, and is ideal for all skin types, even the most sensitive. It also plays beautifully with makeup, and Doesn’t flare with flash photography.

Neutrogena Dry Touch With Helioplex SPF 100. This has been my facial SPF product for years. Helioplex is the active ingredient giving you broad spectrum protection, and it doesn’t flare under lights. I use it for photoshoots, on film, television, commercials – everything! It has a dry finish, so makeup glides on over it but doesn’t slide back off. neutrogena dry Touch With Helioplex is available online at Target.com

 

3.)” You have to use colors and styles that are in fashion”

Nope. Not true.

The goal here isn’t to make you look like a fashion victim – it’s to make you look like the most gorgeous version of you. Your wedding day makeup should be timeless and beautiful. When you look at those pictures on your wall 10 years from now you don’t want to be haunted by colors that make no sense or that have dated, statement brows that now look silly

( instagram eyebrows are the worst offenders!), you want to see yourself looking radiant and lovely and timeless.

It always comes back to you looking like the very best version of you. Also remember that your makeup can’t be fighting for attention with your dress. When you walk down that aisle you have to look lovely in total, with everything working in harmony. Your dress, hair, flowers and makeup have to all be telling the one same story, not fighting each other.

 

4.) “You need to wear big false lashes”

I am all about lashes. I love them to death. But there are many things to take into consideration when selecting lashes for your wedding day, one of which being the light that you will be photographed in. Most brides have their wedding pictures shot outdoors in natural light. If you have a bright sunny day a big strip of lashes or a dense strip of lashes will act like an awning poking out over your upper eyelids, casting a huge shadow below. Light will grab hold of the black strip and make you look like you are squinting in all your pictures.

A good makeup artist will not be married to one lash, but will have an assortment of lashes with her, and select the right one for that day.

I adore strip lashes, but often use individual lashes in my brides as I can accentuate the lashline without collapsing the eye. When I do weddings where we are going to use strip lashes I make sure the size works with the light outside and that they sweep beautifully to the outer corner instead of pointing straight out in front, creating the dreaded awning.

Related Posts:

Makeup Tips For A Bride Wearing A Blusher Veil

10 Fantastic Lipsticks For Fall Weddings

8 Bridal beauty Blunders You Need To Avoid