How To Do Your Own Wedding Make-Up By Trish McEvoy

If the thought of a full hair and make-up team hovering around you whilst you wait to begin the best/most stressful day of your life is enough to tip you over the edge, then doing your own wedding make-up could be the solution.

The pros? Lose the entourage and embrace a more chilled behind the scenes vibe where you can take control of creating a make-up look you feel comfortable in.

The cons? It’s easy to get the whole thing a bit wrong. And when those wedding photos last forever (no pressure), you want to look your most beautiful, and that means good make-up.

Read on for pro make-up artist Trish McEvoy’s tips, tricks and definitely-don’t-dos for how to look like a bridal goddess (and save a couple of bucks in the process)…

How To Do Your Own Wedding Make-Up – The Guidelines

You should keep weather, location, and colour schemes in mind.

But also consider your style and the look you like to achieve regularly. On the day you should still feel like yourself but pump it up because it’s a special day and there will be a lot of photos taken.

Don’t stray too much from your usual make-up routine.

Remember to take your time and that definition is important! If you usually wear light make-up you should focus on defining your eyes with liner and lashes. If you usually wear a full face of make-up then go for it!

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A subtle smokey eye can be great for a bride.

I suggest staying away from black shadows and anything that can look too heavy in photos. Also consider your wedding location – a more natural make-up look might suit a beach wedding better. Focus on brightening and opening up your eyes, sculpting your face with highlighters and go for rose or nude lips.

Trial runs are very important.

Especially for brides that don’t usually wear a lot of make-up. This is the best way to figure out what you want and to avoid stress on the big day. I recommend doing the trial two months before the wedding and taking lots of photos so you can review them later and decide if you want to make any changes.

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If you’re having an outdoor wedding be sure to take photos outside so you can see how the natural light affects your make-up application.

Set aside an hour and a half for make-up on the day.

The best way to avoid getting flustered is to take your time. If you’re doing your make-up yourself, practice the look a few times before your wedding day. I always start my make-up applications with eyes first so if there’s any mistakes or eyeshadow fall out, it’s easy to correct without disturbing the rest of your make-up.

Do your make-up before you get dressed to avoid spilling anything on it.

Do your hair first so it can set while you apply your make-up. Remember, when you’re putting on your beautiful wedding dress, cover your face carefully so as not to stain the dress!

Blend! Blend! Blend!

The most common pitfall for brides doing their own wedding make-up is not blending enough! When you think you’ve blended, blend some more!

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How To Do Your Own Wedding Make-Up – Step By Step

1. Primer

To avoid layering too many products on your skin, which can make your make-up slip off, use a lightweight moisturiser with a primer built in. Give your skincare a minute to absorb before applying your make-up.

Try… Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream, £36.55

2. Foundation

When selecting a foundation it’s important to work with your skin type instead of against it.

If you have oily skin – Avoid foundations boasting a dewy finish.

If you have dry skin – Avoid an overly matte formula. A silky matte finish will hold up all day and photograph beautifully.

Try to use a foundation without an SPF as any camera flashes will reflect off the SPF creating a chalky look in photos.

If you plan on spray tanning for your big day, go a few days ahead of time and get your foundation matched a day after.

Try… Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick, £42

3. Powder

Powder is always a yes! Use a fine milled translucent formula, it will help set the make-up and blur the look of fine lines and pores without adding any weight. Use a fan brush to apply for the perfect airbrushed finish.

Try… Shiro Tapioca Face Powder, £45

4. Blusher

You get the most natural finish with a cream and can always layer with a powder for deeper pigment and the longest wear, but the right blusher also depends on your skin type.

If you have dry skin – You definitely want a cream.

If you have oily skin – Opt for powder.

Blusher should always be placed on the high apple of the cheek (the fullest part when you smile), never too close to the nose and never past the eyebrow.

Try… Marc Jacobs Air Blush Soft Glow Duo, £28

5. Contouring

I love sculpting with light, it gives the face a lifted and lit from within look. Use a two toned bronzer and highlighter duo. Apply the lighter side to the areas you wish to highlight and the darker side where the sun naturally kisses your face.

Try… Trish McEvoy Light And Lift Face Colour Duo, £68

6. Eyebrows

Your eyebrows should look naturally full and well-shaped. Use a precision pencil to fill in areas of sparseness with small, hair-like strokes. Finish them with a brow gel to fix them in place and create the look of a flattering full brow.

Try… Beauty Edit Mayfair Brow Filler, £20

7. Eyes

False lashes are great for brides! I prefer falsies with a more natural look that help define the lash line but still allow you to look like yourself. Use a gel eye liner and tubular mascara so that your eye make-up is totally tear proof.

Try… Clinique Lash Power Mascara, £20

8. Lips

Nude, rose and pink toned lips look great on brides. A long wear lip liner will keep everything in place during the big kiss. I also love liquid lipsticks – they last all the way from the ‘I do’s to the champagne toasts!

Try… Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips in Pin Up Pink, £24

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