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BEAUTY TRENDS

DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS

A medium shot of a deep toned model applying blusher onto her cheeks for bridal make up, in a studio setting in front of a pink background.

Let’s face it, your wedding is arguably the most photographed (and important) day of your life – so looking and feeling your best is a must. While many brides enlist professional make up artists to help them achieve their desired look, DIY bridal make up is also a worthwhile option to consider. For starters, you can be confident knowing you have full control over your cosmetics. The cost savings is always a plus too!  

Not sure where to start? No worries, here at Cult Beauty we caught up with By Terry’s Global Education Director, Melanie Barrese, to get all the best wedding make up tips and tricks for your DIY bridal look. 

BUT FIRST, HOW DOES DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP DIFFER FROM YOUR TYPICAL BEAUTY LOOK? 

While there are no set rules on what DIY bridal make up should look like, it’s important that you feel your very best. In other words, you want to look like yourself, not a stranger, you want to boost your glow without being too  dewy, you want to have a natural finish without feeling too naked – oh and most importantly, your make up needs to be sweatproof, waterproof *and* flash proof. We’re not asking for too much, are we? 

“Overall wanting to look like yourself is generally the most important factor when it comes to bridal make up. Having said that, you do need to go a little heavier than normal; this is so the make up really stands out on camera. It’s important to strike the right balance of applying a little more without going too heavy” says Melanie.  

WHAT IS THE BEST DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP  

“Natural skin is the biggest trend in DIY bridal make up. The full coverage, highly contoured and highlighted look has taken a step back and people are wanting softer more real-looking skin, that is perfected without being heavy. By Terry’s Brightening CC Foundation is the wedding skin dream, as it has sheer to medium coverage with a soft radiant finish. Also, soft individual lashes instead of a dramatic full strip is very popular, as they emphasis the lashes and the eyes without being too dramatic.” 

A close up of a female model with bridal make up wearing By Terry beauty and holding two kohl eyeshadows to her face.

MELANIE’S TOP TIPS FOR DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP 

“It’s important to practise the look you want to create on yourself for your big day. Practise your DIY bridal make up a few times and research the make up you plan to use. While it’s fine to rely on your day-to-day formulas, I would also suggest seeing what else is out there, especially when it comes to long wear products. What’s more, don’t follow big make up trends or go to heavy if you don’t normally. The pictures are going to be around for a long time and you want to look back and feel your make up was classic and timeless. Stick to colours like tans, browns, and nudes. For lips you want to focus on nudes, pinks, peaches, or reds. Rely on long-wear formulas and really prep your skin ahead of your big day.” 

THE DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP SHOPPING LIST  

  • Primer – to ensure extra-long wear to your look.  
  • Foundation – which has natural coverage to boost all-over radiance.  
  • Concealer – to lift and correct any dark circles, blemishes or pigmentation. 
  • Highlighter – for a luminous look off and on camera.  
  • Blusher – with a soft radiance to give glow in pictures. 
  • Powder – to set your make up and give you a smooth and hydrated finish.  
  • Eye primer – ideally one that has a bit of colour, so it becomes part of your look.  
  • Waterproof mascara – so you can feel all the emotions on your big day, without moving your make up. 
  • Eye pencil – to define lashes and your peepers.  
  • Lip liner and a matching lipstick or gloss – both isn’t always necessary.  
  • Setting spray – so your look doesn’t move (even when you’re on the dancefloor busting out your best moves).  

HOW TO CREATE THE BEST DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP LOOK 

Now we know what DIY bridal looks most say ‘I do’ too, Melanie reveals how to recreate it from home. Brushes at the ready… 

  1. On the day, prep your complexion with your skin care routine before applying a primer to offer grip and ensure your make up not only is long lasting, but also sits seamlessly on the skin.  
  2. Apply your foundation lightly with a soft fluffy brush, as it buffs into skin for a soft, balmy glow. Apply foundation in light layers, so you avoid going too heavy, too quick. 
  3. Next, apply your bronzer and blusher to add some warmth. Start with the Brightening CC Blush Pen in Rosey Flash and then layer on a bronzer like the Sun Powder to give the high planes of the face a soft, sun-kissed sign off. You can also dot on some highlighter as this always looks striking on camera.  
  4. Now it’s time to focus on your eyes. Opt for creamy eyeshadows (like the Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon), to easily blend in pigment and ensure long wear. Take a brown eye pencil to give you strong yet soft definition around the eyes. You can then apply warm, natural eyeshadow shades that mimic the skin’s natural tones – we’re talking soft peaches, tans, browns and terracotta’s for subtle definition.  
  5. For your lashes, take a creamy pencil (such as the Crayon Blackstar) and apply it across your lash line, before blending the pigment for a diffused yet fuller finish. Then curl lashes and apply a good coat of waterproof mascara – so you needn’t hold back the happy tears… 
  6. To clean up the undereye area, apply concealer in the inner corner, as this is the area that gets the most discoloured and typically needs more make up. If you apply a lot of concealer under the eye it can fall into fine lines, so the trick is to go heavy in the corner and then blend out lightly everywhere else. You can then use the concealer to blur the rest of the skin, focussing on areas like the chin, around the nostrils. This will give extra coverage as well as shape the face while providing some light at key points for a radiant look.  
  7. Once the skin is done, use a powder to set your look. Formulas like the Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder Loose, sets your make up, mattifies the T-zone and increases hydration. 
  8. Finish off with your lips. We recommend applying lip liner first as this will increase the wear of your lipstick. You can then apply lipstick and/or gloss on top.  
  9. The very last step is to use a setting spray to lock in your look. The Hyaluronic Glow Setting Mist offers a a big boost of hydration while holding your cosmetics in place for up to 16 hours. 

DIY BRIDAL MAKE UP FAQS

Can I do my own bridal make up?

In short yes! DIY bridal make up allows you to take full control of your look while avoiding additional costs. When doing your own make up ensure you research what products to use, and which work best for your complexion. Then, practice, practice and practice before your wedding day.

What is the difference between simple make up and bridal make up?

Day-to-day make up (otherwise known as simple make up) is intended for daily wear, while DIY bridal make up is tailored for special occasions that require a more elevated, longwearing look. While many products you use will be the same, bridal make up products are typically, waterproof, sweatproof and long lasting.

What is the difference between DIY bridal make up and professional make up?

DIY bridal make up should bring out the bride's best look and should last for the entire day. Professional make up artists use various techniques for wedding day beauty than those they use for everyday looks – priming and contouring are just a couple of methods used to create a seamless base that lasts till the early hours of the morning.

Et voila, now you’ve got your new DIY bridal make up look, all that’s left to do is find your something old, borrow and blue… 

SHOP ALL BRIDAL MAKE UP >>> 
Trifonia Asmar
Trifonia Asmar Writer and expert

Cult Beauty’s Senior SEO Copywriter, Trifonia started out in the industry when bold brows were just becoming a ‘thing’, and shares a passion for all things fashion and beauty. Currently embracing her curly girl journey (after endless years of straightening her strands), she is finally reverting to her natural ways! When Triffy isn’t busy testing out the latest curl-saving solutions, you’ll find her binging the latest reality TV show or on a long walk listening to her ever-evolving country music playlist.

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