Common Beauty Fixes for Bridal Disasters

Dark Circles

It is important to know what you are trying to counteract; if you opt for something too light, you may get a gray cast to those dark circles you’re trying to conceal. I often find that color correctors are an absolute necessity to really counteracting any discoloration, including dark circles, especially as a prepping stem. Concealer should be a shade or half a shade lighter than your natural color foundation, and it is important that you be patient while applying concealer and do a thorough job. If you have noticeable wrinkling or lines around the eye, I suggest finding a primer that helps minimize noticeable lines by “filling” them in before you apply concealer. My favorite concealer is Kanebo’s Brush-On Concealer–it’s a little pricey, but it does the job well. Other cult favorites are YSL Touche Eclat (also pricey) and Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster (pricey again–see a trend?), but MAC Select Cover Up is a less pricey favorite, too.

Tear-proofing

Some brands make eye and lip sealers, which help to minimize the effects that water (aka your tears) will have on your makeup. Mascara is the easiest, as so many come in waterproof formulas these days–some, like Kanebo, have kinds that will only come off with water at a certain temperature (like lukewarm water that you’d wash your face with) and others like Clinique’s Lash Power last 24 hours (btw, take the Lash Power Challenge & score a free tube of Lash Power). Liner is tougher, but it can be done, especially if you opt for liquid (Liquidlast by MAC will save your life!). Eyeshadows, blush, and foundation will be the most susceptible to sliding around with too much tearing. Kryolan has a makeup sealer that you can spritz on your face to minimize the effects that works decently. Benefit’s She Laq and Make Up For Ever Eye & Lip Seal can both be effective as well. I do prefer Kryolan, because it holds up better, though, but it is harder to track down.

The most important thing you can do is to layer your makeup, including prepping and priming each area, regardless of whether you routinely do this in your everyday makeup.

Stress Breakouts

Go back to your basic skin routine, and be sure you are absolutely removing all of your makeup each night. It is important that you are getting the right intake of water on a daily basis as well as trying to get at least eight hours of sleep at night–and solid sleep, not constantly waking up. Wedding planning stress keeping you up? Try keeping a notebook by your bedside so you can jot down any last minute ideas or concerns before dropping off to sleep–this way you can deal with those in the morning. Also, reading a fun book may also help relax you (e.g. cheesy romance novels!) and get your mind on something else.

Invest in either Zeno Pro Acne Clearing Device or Thermaclear Heat Enabled Acne Treatment to really banish those nasty zits pretty much overnight. Considering how much the average wedding costs, the cost of either gadget will be well worth it when you see your wedding photos (and much clearer skin). I’ve just found nothing that is more consistent and effective in really reducing and even eradicating that bothersome pimple that decided to pop up right on the tip of your nose two days before the big day. If you can, going to the dermatologist for a cortisone injection is also an option to consider.

Plump Up That Pout

Lining your lips helps to give an appearance that they’re fuller, as well as putting a touch of high shine gloss to the center of your bottom lip. Defining your lips (including accentuating your cupid’s bow) will also help to give an illusion that your lips are bigger than they normally are. Many brands also offer a whole slew of lip plumping products which basically increase the blood circulation of your lips, which then give a bee-stung pout effect. I prefer FusionBeauty LipFusion as my plumper of choice, though it is pricey. I found that it plumped well, held it for a few hours, and it didn’t burn like DuWop’s Lip Venom does (I couldn’t take the sting on that one!).

Perfect Photographing

One of the most important pieces of your bridal makeup choice is how it will reflect in photos. These are mementos you will be looking at for the rest of your life, and it is only natural to want to look your best. Part of this is recognizing that certain makeup and products photograph better than others.

As important as SPF is, note that SPF often reflects light in photographs, which will make your face appear lighter than the rest of you (or wash you out). I always advise you to skip the SPF for this one occasion if it’s possible. If you burn easily and have an outdoor wedding, makeup artist Tosha suggests using MAC’s Prep + Prime SPF50, because it is a primer so it’ll be layered with foundation and powder without SPF that it shouldn’t reflect light, especially since outdoor weddings do not utilize flash as often (and having to wear SPF is usually a concern for those having an outdoor wedding).

Less shimmer means better photography. Flash just interferes with everything, doesn’t it? Shimmer may look fab in person, but it can often reflect too much in photos, causing you to have white spots or look washed out/too bright. It may accentuate wrinkles or problem areas, too. Opt for “adult shimmer” if you must, which is mostly ultra fine shimmer that goes on evenly and subtly.

Test, Test, & Test Again

This is your big day, and there is no reason to decide on makeup the night before. Practice the look you want, especially if you’re doing it yoruself, but more importantly, to test to see how it will hold up under reality. Mist yourself with water to see what happens if you sprung tears all over the place! Wear it for hours and see what it looks like–did your foundation slide around? Wear it out in hot conditions if you’re having an outdoor wedding! Eat a meal and check to see how much re-applying you have to do. Also, if you take take test shots of your makeup either with your own camera or the hired photographer’s–do it! This is totally going to help you determine how you’ll appear in photographs, especially candid shots. If you take these measures, you will be able to fine-tune and create a dream makeup routine that you know will work for your big day.

Most products are available at Nordstrom.com and Sephora.com. Stay tuned for bridal makeup tips for your skin, eyes, lips, body, and even nails!