Planning

Doing your own wedding makeup? With so many fab women's beauty tutorials and amazing products out there, if you enjoy doing your own makeup, then it's perfectly achievable to get a gorgeous long lasting look by yourself. This June we'll be sharing a series of beauty and skincare posts with you, so if there's anything in particular you'd like us to cover then please just ask - either comment on a post, drop us a message on social or get in touch via email. First up - insider advice on doing your own wedding day make up. These tips come from the amazing Hannah Martin (UK Senior PRO Artist) and Amy Conway (UK PRO Artist) from Bobbi Brown. I was lucky enough to attend their bridal and honeymoon beauty workshops recently and it seemed a real shame not to share this advice with you all.

GOOD SKIN FIRST

While makeup is amazing for covering all sorts of sins - if you have good skin to begin with, then you'll need less to enhance your natural beauty and the products will sit better on your skin. I know it's not always easy to have a glowing complexion when you're stressed and nervous, but if you can try to maintain a routine in the months leading up to your big day then this will really help. Don't try any new products from about a month out. (We'll be sharing posts on coping with reactive skin and acne prone skin on your wedding day very soon). And we all know the drill - lots of sleep, green veg, fish and good fats will help you to glow from within.

HYDRATE

In the run up to your wedding day it's really important to stay hydrated - but don't forget to do this on the day of your wedding too. If you can avoid alcohol, then try to save it for after the ceremony. Sounds very strict, I know, but if you're anything like me, once you've had a drink your skin and lips start to look dry immediately and this isn't a great base for makeup. Plus when I do my make up tipsy, I always apply more than I would do normally...no-one wants to look like a drunk clown on their wedding day. Before you begin, drink a big glass of water and apply lip balm and moisturiser to dry patches. (The Hydrating Gel Cream from Bobbi Brown is a great option as it sits seamlessly under makeup, it's water based and the gel formula means it feels really light).

CORRECT & CONCEAL

This is the one thing I'm really guilty of when it comes to doing my own makeup - I tend to throw a layer of foundation all over my face in one quick go, rather than colour correcting or concealing and then seeing if I actually need to even out my complexion. Why is this a bad thing? Well, if you slap foundation over your whole face, inevitably you'll have a line where your face and neck meet and as your foundation melts away over the course of the day/evening, the bits you wanted to cover will be revealed anyway. For most of us, we're talking about under eye circles, red or brown patches and spots. If you have really fair, porcelain skin then to cover blue shades you will need a pink toned colour corrector. For darker skin tones, peach based correctors will help to cover brown patches. Match your concealer to your skin colour as closely as possible by testing the product on your actual face - the back of the hand or inside of the wrist just isn't close enough for most people. If this all sounds like a foreign language then I'd really recommend a chat with a beautician over the beauty counter.

USE PRODUCTS YOU KNOW WELL

Your wedding day isn't the time to experiment. Always use products you've used before. Approach it like you would if you were paying a makeup artist - you need to have a trial to make sure you're happy with your final look. And you know what they say, practice makes perfect. I cannot recommend the Bobbi Brown team highly enough, find your nearest counter and make an appointment with them. Their products are SO user friendly, most can be applied or blended with fingers and they are build-able, so you can find the perfect level of coverage/colour for you.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR BROWS

Brows are such a personal thing, so for W-Day do what makes you feel comfortable. BUT remember that a good brow will frame your face beautifully so it's always worth trying out different brow looks and products during your practice runs, or with an artist at a makeup counter. If heavy brows really do terrify you, then fill in sparse patches really lightly with a powder or pencil (whichever you prefer) and set with a clear brow gel (using a clean mascara brush) as the gel formula mimics glossy hair, so doesn't look too 'done.'

PRODUCTS TO AVOID

Don't use a foundation with an SPF in it, as formulas that contain SPF can look ashy in photographs. Always stick to waterproof mascara. Even if you think you'll hold back the tears, you just don't want to take the risk. If waterproof formulas aren't cutting it on the curling/lengthening front (some waterproof formulas are weaker than their non-waterproof counterparts) then build volume with your non-waterproof stick and finish with a layer of waterproof to seal. The mascaras by Bobbi Brown are perfect for this as they don't contain fibres so will easily layer without clumping. Their Smokey Eye mascara is my go-to, it never EVER clumps no matter how many times I layer.

LEAVE TIME FOR MAKE UP TO SETTLE

One of the most common issues for brides is not leaving themselves enough time to get ready. It takes a LONG time to get you and your girls washed, coiffed and dressed. And now, I'm about to tell you that you need to leave an hour for your make up to settle. I know, I know, you might not have this luxury, but if you can - do it. It gives you the chance to make sure you're happy with your final look, add more make up where you need too and gives the products time to sink and blend into your skin.

BOBBI BROWN

Bobbi Brown are the most trusted makeup brand when it comes to bridal and I can hand-on-heart see why - the team are SO knowledgable and talented, and their products really are a dream. This post isn't sponsored by them, but if you're doing your own makeup for your big day, then I hope you'll find this advice really helpful and if you want more really great tips on beauty basics for your big day, you can listen to this episode of our podcast.

Fern Godfrey

Written by Fern Godfrey

Bridal Beauty Advice: Bobbi Brown | Bouquet: 3acre Blooms
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