After toying with the idea of having a professional makeup artist do my makeup on the day of my wedding, I ultimately decided that I know exactly how I like my makeup done and which products sit best on my skin. For this reason, I decided it was best if I did my own bridal makeup on my wedding day. Many people seem shocked that you would chose to to do your own makeup on your wedding day, but if you have great products, there’s really no stress to it at all.
Having made this decision, I’d been testing longevity and different colour combinations of makeup for months and it was such a fun experiment. The look I was going for was “blushing bride”. I wanted my skin to look radiant, a subtle pink lip and nothing too dramatic on the eyes. I did this by using a combination of products that I’ve used so many times and which never disappoint. If you’re looking for great products to use on your wedding day or any special occassion, here is my essential product list.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible 24hr Matte Cover Foundation
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Highlighter
Diorskin Forever Extreme Control Matte Powder Foundation
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Liner
Maybelline Colossal Big Shot Mascara
Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzing Powder
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Highlighter in Lightscapade
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
If you can set yourself up correctly with these products in your makeup arsenal, I assure you that you will also be able to create a flawless, radiant and gentle bridal look that you will be able to use for any special occassion. These products are extremely long-wearing and I can safely say that they didn’t budge even though I experienced many waves of emotions and tears too. The only thing I reapplied throughout the day of the wedding was my lipstick, but that is to be expected. As for the rest, they worked perfectly.
At the end of the day, you definitely don’t need a makeup artist to do your bridal makeup. For me, it was the time of the day that I took to myself and enjoyed the routine of applying all my favourite makeup. If you are also tempted to do your own makeup on the day, I’d say go for it! It was far less stressful for me to do my own than to have it done because I knew exactly what the outcome would be. I’m so glad I went with my gut and did my own bridal makeup on my wedding day.
I did, however, hire the beautiful Kari Stofberg to do all my incredible bridesmaids’ make up because I wanted the girls to feel pampered. She did a really wonderful job and I’d highly recommend her if you are interested in hiring a top-class makeup artist for your big day. She’s a real perfectionist and it shows in her work. She’s an absolute dream.
If you’d like to see more of my makeup recommendations for everyday use, you can read my Ultimate Makeup List blog post or you can watch this video where I discuss my 2019 Makeup Favourites.
I also did my own makeup for my wedding day! I had a lot of fun trying out different products for about 9 months until I knew what wore well on my skin, which was my favourite mascara, and what kind of tones I wanted to use.
That’s exactly what I did and I really enjoyed the whole process. It was time I used to get excited about the wedding and play around with products. It was really lovely. A few people thought I was crazy for doing my own makeup but I’m really glad I did. You definitely don’t need a professional to have great makeup on the day!