For me, bridal makeup will NEVER get boring! There is just something so special about helping a bride bring her bespoke beauty vision to life for her big day. One bridal makeup look that really stands out for me, is one that I created for my client, April, who recently got married in London.
This wedding was absolutely amazing – and was held at two of London’s most beautiful venues. The ceremony took place at The Fitzrovia Chapel, followed by a fairytale reception at The Kimpton Fitzroy. April wore a stunning dress by Rosa Clará, and had wedding photographer Nick Ray on hand to capture the day, so I was set on making sure her makeup looked phenomenal. I just knew that everything about this event would ooze elegance – and so, it was my job to make sure that this was reflected in April’s makeup look.
When consulting new bridal clients, I always like to gauge what their favourite go-to makeup look is, and tailor their makeup accordingly. While some brides like to go bold, and others prefer a barely-there look, April wanted something in-between. She wanted something sexy, yet soft and classy at the same time. In the end, she opted for a subtle champagne smoke on the eye, teamed with a natural base and rose-tinted lip.
Creating April’s bridal eye makeup look
When it comes to bridal eye makeup, I tend to find a running theme with winged eyeliner. While most of my clients may rock a liquid liner day-to-day, they sometimes think it can look a little too overbearing when paired with a wedding dress – which I totally get! With April, my job was to find a happy medium - and the result was SO gorgeous!
I tend to always start all of my bridal makeup with the eyes. It is usually the main part of the bride’s look (unless they are going for a bold lip), so I like to get it perfect before trying to ace their base. April still wanted the definition of a liquid liner, but didn’t want it to look too chunky or make her eyes look too heavy.
I started by priming the eyelid with Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Eye Primer. I always prime the eyelids, as it’s important that the makeup has a good base to grip on to, for it to last all day. For April’s smoky shadow look, I used the Smashbox Covershot Eyeshadow Palette in Minimalist. This palette is incredible because it offers the best combination of nude base shades, richer transition shades and subtle shimmers. For the shadow, I always use a soft fluffy brush, like the Sigma E36 Blending Brush. I started off with the softer shades, and then built up the colour in April’s eyelid crease to give a super defined, airbrushed effect. Just a quick FYI – this can go SO wrong if you overload your brush! Make sure you use the smallest amount and just keep layering up the colour until you’re happy with your look.
Once I had applied the eye shadow, I went in with eyeliner. First, I used a kohl liner along April’s upper and lower lash line, from the inner corner to the outer edge. For this, I used the Lord and Berry Kajal Stick in Intense Black. I love a kohl liner – they are so good for defining the eye, as the texture can be blurred and moves easily on the skin. Kohl products react with the skin’s natural warmth, so I find it’s great for thickening up the lash line without it appearing too harsh. Absolutely essential for any bride!
I then took a black liquid eyeliner - Too Faced Better Than Sex Liquid Liner – to carefully line on top of the kohl and create a flick on the outer corner, angled towards the end of April’s eyebrow. This eyeliner is great for creating soft wings, as it has a super-fine, precise tip. To finish, I added two coats of the Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara, on the upper and lower lashes. This mascara is my general go-to bridal product at the moment, as it doesn’t give a clumpy look, which most brides prefer to avoid. It’s also waterproof, so I know it’ll survive any amount of tear-inducing speeches!
Creating the perfect bridal base make-up
April wanted a natural-looking, peachy complexion, so I didn’t want to go in too heavy with her base makeup. Instead, I prepped her skin with Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, a moisturizing face primer, and followed by buffing a small amount of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation into the skin. I find that this product not only leaves skin glowing, but also stays put all day, which is so important for brides! To cover up any imperfections, uneven skin tone or dark areas, I used a tiny amount of the NARS Creamy Concealer and lightly blended it into the skin with a concealer brush. I then lightly dusted her cheeks with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush, before delicately applying MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Highlighter in Soft and Gentle, to her upper cheek and brow bones. I am obsessed with this highlighter as it never looks cakey and translates so well when photographed!
Creating April’s bridal lip look
It’s crucial to prime lips before applying makeup to them - particularly for a bride who wants their lip colour to last through countless kisses, food, drinks and beyond! In order to prevent any dryness on the lip, I used the Dior Lip Sugar Scrub, which gets rid of any dry skin. I then lined April’s lips with a rose-toned MAC Lipliner, before applying NARS Afterglow Balm in Orgasm.
April was an absolute dream to work on - it was so nice to see how her makeup look tied into her overall vision on the day, and it’s a day I’ll never forget!
Some more photos from the big day...
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Love, Alyse x
Hair: Roxy Farrier @roxyfarrier, https://www.roxyfarrier.co.uk
Venue 1: The Fitzrovia Chapel, @fitzroviachapel, https://www.fitzroviachapel.org
Venue 2: The Kimpton Fitzroy, @kimptonfitzroy, https://www.kimptonfitzroylondon.com
Photographer: Nick Ray Photography, @nickrayphoto, www.nickrayphotography.co.uk
Dress: Rosa Clará, @rose_clara, www.rosaclara.es/