My Wedding Makeup

Last year, before the pandemic derailed everything, I started a series called Makeup Log, where I posted my daily makeup looks in order to keep a record of different product combinations, so that I could find the perfect makeup look for my wedding day. Because I would be doing it myself.

With over a year of minimal makeup wear and a wedding date set to May, I should have started practicing around March. At least. But I’m a procrastinator first and a bride second, so two weeks before the date felt like enough time to me. Two days before was when I actually started.

Hey, that’s what over 10 years of being makeup obsessed are for, right? Lots of product knowledge. Didn’t matter anyway, when the day came I forgot half of what I had previously planned.

Planned to do some contouring. Did not happen.

Planned to go heavy on the highlighter. I think I forgot it. Seriously, I can’t remember whether I applied highlighter or not. Good thing that I only brought with me what I needed, to avoid confusion. My brain was mush that day.

Wedding Makeup

Anyway, one thing you see a lot when it comes to bridal makeup is minimal, soft looking, “natural” looks. That’s not my style. I wanted glam. If I go full glam for a date night, why should it be any less on my wedding day? I don’t want to enhance what I have, I want to look good. So I decided to go for shimmery but well sculpted eyes and a red lip. Yep, full red lip. I had to choose products that wouldn’t make the groom look like it just came out of a horror movie after a bit of smooching though. Keep reading to see what I used.

Eye Makeup

Just to make it clear, this is me in these pictures.

It wouldn’t be a look of mine if I didn’t started with Urban Decay’s Primer Potion. Next, I chose the second shade (1) from the Nars St. Paul-de-Vence duo as my lighter crease colour. It’s a light rosy matte brown. Next step was to darken the crease with MAC’s Espresso (2), a mid tone, matte cool brown that’s a bit dry and lighter pigmented – which was what I wanted because I know I would not go overboard with it and loose my eye shape. Then I used Jouer’s Skinny Dip palette. I can’t remember if I wet the brush prior to use or not, but these shadows work well either way. I applied Magic Hour(3) on my mid and outer lid, and Star Light(4) on the inner corner and blended into Magic Hour(3). To finish off the eyeshadows, I used Embark(5) from MAC to darken the outer corner and warm up the look a little bit, and MAC’s Blanc Type(6), the best matte highlight of all time, on the browbone.

I think I applied Embark (5) on my lower lashline as well. Can’t be sure.

After the eyeshadow part was complete, I used Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining pen on the top lashline, and Marc Jacobs Highliner in shade Blacquer on the waterline.

For mascara, my choices were more limited. My favourite of all time is Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir, which doesn’t have a waterproof version (that I know of). And a bride without waterproof mascara is a finable offense. So I went with Essence’s I Love Extreme mascara. I’ve used it before and I know I could trust it. As the last step, I applied a bit of Eyeko’s Brow Gel on my brows.

Base Makeup

I used Guerlain’s Météorites Base as a primer. It does a good job of blurring skin texture while giving it a bit of luminosity. My foundation of choice was Catrice HD Liquid Coverage. Yall, I tried so many foundations. I even bought the bridal classic, Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk, and none – none – hold a candle to Catrice’s. Pores disappear. It looks like skin. It lasts all day without oxidizing or getting oily. It’s amazing.

I think I used YSL’s Touche Eclát on my under eye area. At least I planned to. To set my face, my most trusted product is Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Holds up like a champ, blurs pores like a dream. Time came for bronzer, I chose Sisley’s Phyto-Touche bronzing gel-powder. It’s a powder that looks like a cream when applied. It’s magic. The blush was where I brought multiple choices with me that day, and ended up with Hourglass Ambient Blush in Sublime Flush.

To finish off and blend everything together, I obviously had to use Guerlain’s Météorites Perles in shade Teint Rosé. Last but not least (even though I forgot to include it in the picture) I set my face with Urban Decay’s All Nighter setting spray.

Lips

I had to choose products that would not move or transfer. I skipped the lipliner and used Avon’s 2-in-1 Lip Tattoo. It’s a pen like lip product that leaves a dark red stain that won’t budge. I’ve also bought and tried a lot of long wearing red lipsticks, but ended up using something I already had, for several years actually, and it was what worked best: Kiko’s Unlimited Stylo, in shade 07. After it dries down, it does not transfer. At all. And it’s not as drying as liquid lipsticks.

Disregard the The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter. I didn’t use it on my lips. I might have used it as a highlighter, if I did use highlighter. That’s what I included it in this picture. I’m not great at planning photos.

What didn’t make the cut

I bought Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter on purpose for the wedding, but ended up not using it; the shade I have was a bit dark for me for that time of the year, and I think it would have clashed with my skintone.

I also did not end up using the Nivea After-Shave Balm, oddly enough – not because I shaved my face, but because it’s the best primer I’ve ever tried. But the Météorites primer added a bit of a luminous finish and even though it doesn’t hold makeup for as long as the Nivea Balm, my base was so longwearing to begin with that I didn’t need it.

Any contouring got forgotten, obviously. I also didn’t use any of the liquid lipsticks I got on purpose for the wedding. I also didn’t use Chantecaille’s Perfect Blur Finishing Powder (Laura Mercier’s is better at controlling oil), even though it’s featured in the photographs.

You may also like

10 Comments

  1. Wow, I’m impressed! I would have never thought of pairing silver and brown eyeshadows, but the combination looks stunning!! And even more so with a red lip. I can picture the look and it ‘s definitely glam, a very classy kind of glam.
    I need to try this Catrice HD Liquid Coverage foundation, it sounds like a winner beauty product. Thank you for sharing your wedding makeup!

    1. Thank you so much! I think the darker shimmer, Star Light, helped connected the silver and brown by being a cooler taupe. And yeah, the Catrice foundation is really good, and super inexpensive!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *