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DIY Wedding Make-Up

By Pam Wrigley

Most of us ladies put some makeup on every day – so we are no strangers to bringing out our best features and concealing our flaws. Even the best of us, however, may feel a little hesitant about doing our own wedding makeup. You may be considering asking a friend, or hiring a professional make-up artist… there are all kinds of options available. If you do want to have a go at it yourself – read on! Pam Wrigley gives her best advice on how to do your own wedding make-up.


If you decide to go it alone on your big day and do your make-up yourself – remember that beautiful wedding make-up is not just about putting more on for the cameras. You don’t want to end up looking like a clown!

Your photographs are just one part of the day, everyone will be looking at you close up, and you don’t want their lasting memory of you to be “she wore too much make-up”! A beautiful make-up is all about balance – brows that are too dark, blusher too heavy and caked-on foundation will all draw attention, but not the favourable kind!

To begin with, ideally you should only tackle this one if you’re used to wearing make-up and are confident in putting it on. If you’re not, your wedding day is not a day to start experimenting! The first rule is – if you are not a make-up kind of gal and you still opt for the DIY route – keep your make-up to a minimum. You will be nervous and excited on your big day and a perfect straight line around the eyes first time round may escape even the most accomplished amongst us.

Primer, Foundation, Powder...

I love and highly recommend the Laura Mercier primers, followed by a tinted moisturiser or a mineral powder. The ones by Cosmetics a la Carte are a dream to apply, they have a great range of colours, suit different skin types and what’s more they have great staying power. I also love the Cosmetics a la Carte Matte Miracle – this light gel can be applied under foundation or on top, and is a great way to keep unwanted shine at bay.

If you do opt for a liquid foundation I find Chanel almost unbeatable, they are light and easy to apply and yet have great coverage. Foundation can be applied using a sponge, a foundation brush or with your fingers, have a play around and discover what works best for you – there are no rights or wrongs, just different methods.

Finally, don’t forget to powder! Mac Prep + Prime finishing powder is a great option if you’re not sure what shade of powder to buy. It is totally colourless when applied and will set your foundation beautifully so it lasts all day long.

Don’t be frightened to be fairly liberal with your powder, your skin will look a bit powdery at first, but don’t worry – the powder will settle in around 30 minutes to an hour, leaving you with a flawless, natural looking make-up that will last – not a makeup that disappears before the first dance.
The mineral powders do the job of a liquid foundation and powder in 1 step. . .they are quick and really easy to use, but for best results remember to let your moisturiser soak in to your skin for a good 10mins before you apply them. . or you will find they go patchy and they’re difficult to apply. .

That Rosy Glow...

It’s a fact… overly dewy foundation just looks sweaty in photos! Add the dewy look to your make-up at a later stage, and strategically.

Once you’ve got the perfect matt base try adding the dewy look to your makeup using No7’s Vital Enlightening highlighter powder if you are going for golden warm tone with your makeup, or maybe a touch of Laura Mercier Pink Mosaic shimmer block if your finished look is more English Rose. Apply to the cheek bones along the top edge of the blusher, on the brow bone just below the eyebrow and maybe just a touch above the temple just above the arch of your brow, to lend a sun kissed dewy look to your make-up.

Benefit High Beam is fantastic, but not so great on your wedding day, in flash photography you can look like you’ve got white stripes across your face, and whilst your professional photographer may not use flash, you can bet that your guests will.

And finally…
It may be a good idea to have a make-up lesson at one of the cosmetic counters, go for MAC or Bobbi Brown, but be careful – it is very easy to spend a lot of money on products that you might never wear again, and you bet they will be recommending for you to buy the particular products they’ve used on you, especially if you like the result. At the end of the day, if you’re not confident about doing it yourself, you could have put that money towards a make-up artist. She’ll have everything in her kit that you could possibly need to make you look totally gorgeous – plus something that money can’t buy at the cosmetics counter: a calming influence on the sometimes hectic but always excitable hours building up to THE most important bit of the day… the ceremony.