Wedding day make up?

aander11 · January 2015

Are you getting your make up professionally done for the wedding or doing it yourself? I originally thought I was going to do it myself and go in before the wedding to get some tips from the ladies in the bareminerals store ( I love the bare minerals makeup). But now I am not sure. I don't want my make up to be way overdone but I also want it to last all night long. Thoughts? What's the deal with the airbrushed makeup?

allispain · January 2015

I had my makeup done professionally, but it was also done very soft and subtly. I wanted to look like myself, just a slightly nicer version of myself :-) I did have the makeup artist use my normal foundation, since my skin reacts badly to some makeups.

I did both a hair and makeup trial, but while I loved the hair, I did NOT like the makeup she did for the trial. It was way too much bronzer and eye makeup. (Shudder.) So I went back to square one with the makeup artist, and showed her a number of different pictures of what I was looking for. In the end, the makeup was perfect - I got a lot of compliments on how "me" I looked, it was just right for the photos (I didn't really look made up, but I wasn't pale and everything was defined just right).

Basically, this is to say that you definitely don't have to look overdone just because you get your makeup done professionally. The key is to be really clear with your makeup artist about what you want to look like.

vulpiepop · January 2015

I'm getting hair and makeup done professionally. I originally thought about doing it all myself but considering my inexperience with makeup (I don't usually wear makeup and when I do, it's very minimal) and hair, my family, FI, and some of the lovely brides here on TK convinced me to look into getting it done professionally. I found 1 MUA that is price reasonably for both hair and makeup and decided to do the trial to see how I'd like it. The hair and makeup lasted all night and I was happy with it so I signed the contract. I asked for natural-looking makeup and she delivered. It didn't look overdone.

I'd suggest just going for a preview and seeing how you like it. Be clear about what you want. If you have experience with makeup and you're comfortable and confident that you'll do it well the day of your wedding, then go ahead and go for doing your makeup yourself.

blabla89 · January 2015

I'm getting mine done because I have no makeup skills whatsoever. Like I can put on enough mascara and concealer to look put together on a daily basis, but nothing wedding-worthy. But if you're comfortable doing your own makeup, then that's a perfectly good option. Depending on how far off your wedding is, you probably may have time to experiment with different styles and products before you need to decide whether to hire someone. Ulta and Sephora have great return policies so that you can try out new products and return them if they don't work out for you.

atlastmrsg · January 2015

I had it done. The make up artist didn't do anything crazy, but subtle contouring and was just better at layering and blending eye shadows. I can do my own lashes, but it was nice to have her put them on. One less thing to worry about. Also, my make up bag is a mix of nice stuff from Nordstrom or Sephora...and then cheap fixes from drugstore. I knew that she was using all MAC products that would last through the day.

Added bonus: she's a really cool girl so I invited her to stay and party and she accepted. Which meant touch ups...and her date making cocktails for my mom while everyone was getting ready. They both were a huge hit!

flyingfoxes · January 2015

I'm getting mine done - I can't apply fake lashes myself - they end up looking crazy and glued halfway up my eyelids, lol. Plus I don't wear the whole shebang on makeup on a daily basis so it would be just as economical to pay her to do it than it would be to buy all that stuff myself.

ElcaB · January 2015

I had a makeup trial & hated it. My sister ended up doing my makeup, but if she hadn't, I'd have done it myself.

The key is to buy the right products. I used BareMinerals primer, foundation, bronzer, and blush, Urban Decay eye primer, and Urban Decay All-Nighter setting spray. I used my regular eye shadow & eye liner (which is nothing fancy).

I SWEAR by the primers & setting sprays. My makeup stayed on all night --- and didn't look too shabby when I woke up the next morning, either! (As if I'd remember to wash my face after the wedding.)

amelisha · January 2015

I'm doing my own. I have good products, including a great primer, setting powder, and setting spray, and I don't want to waste my limited time on vacation (we're having a DW) stuck in a chair with a stranger in my face.

JennyColada · January 2015

I got mine done because I wanted to feel pampered and pretty. I also paid to get my mom's hair and make up done because I thought it would be fun and nice to spend some time with her.

theartistformerlyknownas · January 2015

Yep. I wanted to look like a more amped-up version of myself than I felt capable doing, wanted to feel pampered, and wanted the airbrush foundation to make my pictures look nicer.

hpubride · January 2015

I did mine myself. I used Mary Kay primer and foundation clinique on my eyeshadow and bare minerals everything else. I had an airbrush trial for $90! which is crazy and it took soooo long and didn't give me enough coverage. I figured even if my makeup didn't last all night, what was most important to me was not blowing so much time and money on makeup but just looking like myself and not overdone. Good luck!

Knottie12606420 · January 2015

I have been a bridal makeup artist for year. I highly recommend finding a makeup artist with a airbrush makeup system. It lasts 24 hours is sweat proof and is buildable so she can go as light or as heavy as you want. My brides love it because they say it feels like they don't even have anything on.

appleorchard · January 2015

I'll be doing mine myself, but I am having a small destination wedding instead of a big one for our whole families. I'm also pretty picky about foundation coverage, and have never had my makeup done well by someone else.

I will probably splurge on a few nice products from Sephora, Make Up For Ever HD foundation is my fave! Combined with primer/setting powder I should be good to go. I really don't think Bare Minerals would last long, it's very light.

amelisha · January 2015

appleorchard said:

I'll be doing mine myself, but I am having a small destination wedding instead of a big one for our whole families. I'm also pretty picky about foundation coverage, and have never had my makeup done well by someone else.
I will probably splurge on a few nice products from Sephora, Make Up For Ever HD foundation is my fave! Combined with primer/setting powder I should be good to go. I really don't think Bare Minerals would last long, it's very light.

Get the Make Up Forever HD Setting Powder - it's stark white in the container but it gives a totally sheer, light-diffusing kind of finish on your skin and it looks great in photos. I bought some to test it out and I'm in love with it.

I also have the Urban Decay All-Nighter setting spray and that stuff is a miracle. It used to keep my makeup perfectly in place through twelve hours of bartending.

jimandpam87 · January 2015

ElcaB said:

I had a makeup trial & hated it. My sister ended up doing my makeup, but if she hadn't, I'd have done it myself.

The key is to buy the right products. I used BareMinerals primer, foundation, bronzer, and blush, Urban Decay eye primer, and Urban Decay All-Nighter setting spray. I used my regular eye shadow & eye liner (which is nothing fancy).

I SWEAR by the primers & setting sprays. My makeup stayed on all night --- and didn't look too shabby when I woke up the next morning, either! (As if I'd remember to wash my face after the wedding.)

I completely agree with this. My makeup trial went HORRIBLY, so I ended up doing my own. I found a lot of makeup tutorials for brides on youtube and picked one to follow. I'm generally pretty good at makeup so it wasn't a huge deal, but I did practice a few times and did my own "trials". But I definitely think you need the right products. I don't know anything about airbrushed makeup, but I know my makeup lasted all day with long-wearing products and primers.

[Deleted User] · January 2015

I had mine professional done at my hair salon but had them use my own makeup. I'm allergic to the brand they carry. I did a trial about 2 months before the wedding, I did it probably around lunch time and had plans to meet up with friends to go out to some wineries just for a girls afternoon/evening out and it was a warm day, so it gave me the perfect chance to see how the makeup would hold up through the day. Which is also how I found out I was allergic to the brand the salon carries. Fortunately no bad reaction, just broke out within 4 hours of having the make up on my face. I think the key is doing a trial to test out the look & makeup. Now one of my BM was really good with makeup so she did her own & one of the other BM. She probably could have done mine, but I kind of liked the extra pampering at the salon.

kritter4789 · January 2015

After two makeup trials, I decided to do my own makeup (the first one was horrible, and the second one I just did not feel comfortable, I want to feel like me!) My second trial was airbrush-It looked fine and felt ok on my skin, and the artist swears by its staying power...but I just am really picky about what products I use. I think if you are comfortable with doing your own and you can do it well/like the way you do your own makeup, then by all means go for it! Some people enjoy feeling pampered, but for me having my trials done I just felt stressed!

What I have been doing is practicing a lot, and trying new products and seeing what I like best (but don't try new products a couple months before the wedding or your skin could freak out!) As far as making your makeup last all day, make sure you have a primer and a setting spray/setting powder. I have been using the Laura Geller Balance and Brighten foundation (I am a big Bare Minerals person too!) and I really like it and plan to use it in April at my wedding. It seems to have better staying power for me personally.

[Deleted User] · January 2015

I did my hair and makeup myself and received many compliments. I searched through YouTube videos and found a few with different parts that worked for me (some were more for face makeup, others for eyes, two were tips for wedding and photography makeup, etc…), and then I bought a few items I didn't have.

If you're concerned about it lasting, use the following products: face primer (I used Hourglass, got a sample from Sephora rather than buying a full bottle), facial setting powder, eye primer (I used Urban Decay), and setting spray (Urban Decay). I put it on at one in the afternoon, did a quick touch up before the ceremony at four, and then didn't touch it for the rest of the evening.

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