Any brides planning to do your own makeup?

[yssie]

I've been pricing hair and makup, and I have a philosophical objection to paying $1500+ for hair and makeup for all my girls, or even $600+ for just me. Though hair I may have to just deal with, as my hair redefines Stubbornly Straight, and I want waves.


What makeup brands are generally accepted to photograph well? Any tips? I know to avoid mineral makeup and anything with shiny particles..

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

I was going to go with a professional make-up artist but I decided that I know my face better than anyone and I do a full face of make-up most days of the week, so I figured I'd do it myself.

I went to an Ulta and told them my make-up inspiration: WWKKD? What Would Kim Kardashian Do? I basically wanted a lighter shadow combo with lots of dark liner and false lashes. Then more of a natural lip.

They suggested Smashbox cosmetics as it's designed to be photographed, and I did buy some of their products. In the end, I thought my make-up turned out okay. I got compliments on it. Oh, I know you're not supposed to use mineral make-up, but I actually used my favorite Bare Minerals blush and though I don't have my pro pics back yet, I think it turned out okay for blush, but I wouldn't use the foundation.

I think it's just important to ask people how things look. I did my shadow and then asked my bridesmaids how it looked. They all said "you need more!" I did the same with blush, "how does it look? More? Less?" I did big, fake lashes and was so afraid they looked stupid but everyone I asked said "they look great!" My SIL said "I didn't do false lashes and I regret it every time I look at my pictures." So in the end, I'm definitely glad I wore them.

Wow. I didn't mean to write a book but if you know your face and you are decently experienced with make-up, I don't see an issue with doing it yourself. I would definitely go to a Sephora or Ulta (or it's equivalent) and get some recommendations. Then make sure you try it out on yourself. I bought an eyeliner that the salesgirl recommended and wore it a couple days before the wedding and it smudged really badly! It looked like I'd slept in it after a couple hours. Really glad I tested it out and went back to my fail-safe liner.

 

[kelpie]

I am! I will also probably just get my own hair done, if I don't do it myself too. I just feel like makeup artists like to make people garish and I don't want to look like another person. Ditto on the sparkly stuff. I'd play up the eyes since you want to play down the lips (the groom does not want to be smeared with coral lipstick on your first kiss). Besides that I think you need blotting paper for if your T-zone gets dewey (I like clean and clear oil absorbing sheets) and to set with translucent powder. In theatre we would dip a puffy brush lightly in powder and a friend would hold it about 10 inches back and blow the powder onto your face whie you closed your eyes. It works pretty well to set it and make a nice natural finish.

My cousin is raving about perricone foundation after her wedding (she says it matches everyone perfectly). My trick for applying foundation is the dampen a sponge applicator wedge before applying, goes on more flawless and looks like skin, not pancake. Don't forget some SPF protection if you are fair and will be outside. I like to line my brows with clinique brow corrector (the powder) and use an angle fine paint brush. I think that's key because eyebrows can wash out in pics. I like mabelline define-a-lash masacra. I LOVE Flirt lipstick in queen. Their tinta-licious lipstick is creamy and yet translucent and less pigmented since I usually feel like a clown when I where lipstick. The best part is its at kohl's which is cheap and everywhere.

http://www.flirtcosmetics.com/templ...?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY6761&PRODUCT_ID=PROD8013

 

[yssie]

Thanks so much for the reviews TG and Kelpie!


I don't usually wear much makeup, but for formal events I have no trouble with full face + slight contouring and people have told me it looks good. I guess it's partly a worry about the stress of doing it on my wedding day, so it's good to hear from someone who's been there and done that!

I definitely think I know my face better than anyone else - it's strangely shaped, and I had a terrible experience at a makeup counter at Nordstrom once that's forever scarred me - my two friends came out looking beautiful and I looked like a clown. I completely agree on the eyebrows - mine are rather pale, and they really do just blend out in pictures.


Thanks for the info on Smashbox and perricone, and flirt, I'll definitely check them out, and a visit to Sephora is in my plan for the week


The most exciting part about DIY is that I can practice as much as I like, no surprises the day of!

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Oh yes! I forgot, definitely darken the brows. I wish I had a good picture of my make-up to show but I really just have some non-pro pics I've been tagged in on fb.

I used a brush to apply my foundation. I thought it worked pretty well. Ditto kelpie, make sure to set your foundation with some loose powder. I also use Model in a Bottle (modelinabottle.com) for important occasions to set my make-up.

ETA: I always use a primer too! I use Smashbox Photo Finish foundation primer and Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" for my eye shadow.

 

[legallyspoiled]

Hi Yssie!

I've been out of the loop for a while. I'm excited to see you planning!!

Anywho, I am splurging and getting makeup for all of the women in my bridal party. $950 for 12 women (me, 3 moms, bridesmaids, etc) and 2 children. I love to glam it up! Plus it is just one less thing to worry about (i.e. less stress). I shopped around and haggled until I got a price that I thought was reasonable.

Still, I know plenty of women who are capable of doing their own makeup on their big day. If you feel comfortable and capable, start practicing every week and photograph the results in different lightening.

 

[yssie]

TG - do you use a moisturiser before the primer? Wedding will be in an air-conditioned room. Three people have rec'd modelinabottle now, it must be something special!


legally - haha left the bits of planning I didn't want to deal with a bit too late, I must confess! And under $1k for 12 women.. I'm SO jealous!

 

[megumic]

I decided I'd pay for the girls hair, since I want it to look great. But decided that if they wanted makeup, they'd have to pay for it themselves. I'm having mine done b/c I'd probably spend just as much on makeup products and b/c I know it will show better in pics.

I think if you require both makeup and hair for your girls, have them cover the cost of at least one. It's protocol for them to pay for both, according to my hairstylist.

 

[mayachel]

I am! In fact my most style conscious bridesmaid is taking me to sephora on Friday to pick things out. I am NOT skilled at make up, but just felt the picking were too slim in the area I was getting married. I am getting my hair done, but the make up=especially not being able to do a trial run, just seemed like a waste to me. I was all in favor of having someone else do it, but not without being able to try them out first. (I don't live there, and as it is will be doing my hair trial two days prior).

We found a ton of step by step stuff in magazines and will just experiment until we get it right, and she will likely do most of it for me day of. I definitely am looking for a foundation recommendation that won't look all goopy or shiny.

ETA: Here's my tip: I'm planning to have my eyelashes dyed in the next week so that I can forgo mascara-which often ends up under my eyes, even when the type says it doesn't.

 

[Mannequin]

I am likely going to need to do my own makeup - most of the mobile MUAs who come to you to do day-of makeup are booked in my area on my wedding day, it seems, and the rest are $$$$$. I plan on heading to my local Sephora to do a consult with the employees there in the next few days, and then I can practice, practice, practice! I have engagement photos scheduled for next Friday, so I can try out my new stuff with the photog who will be shooting the wedding in a few months.

 

[yssie]

megumic - I asked my bridesmaids about hair, and two actually don't want other people to touch it! One is black, and is very picky about who styles her hair, another has very easily managed hair and objected to me paying for something she could do herself.. I'm not choosing hairstyles for them or anything, they chose their own dresses and they'll choose/do their own hair. I got lucky on that front!

Mayachel - do come back with your Sephora experience! I have black eyelashes and I'm planning to do fake ones, so that's definitely something I'll be practising...

Mannequin - ohh I know exactly what you mean. That's great that you get to try things out with your future wedding photog, too

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Hey Yssie! I didn't see your question till just now re: moisturizer before primer.

Yep. I use Neutrogena Moisture (for Sensitive Skin) as soon as I get out of the shower/finish washing my face. Then, once that's absorbed, I put on the Smashbox primer. Then apply foundation (I use LORAC) with a brush, then concealer, then powder to set.

 

[yssie]

Hey Yssie! I didn't see your question till just now re: moisturizer before primer.

Yep. I use Neutrogena Moisture (for Sensitive Skin) as soon as I get out of the shower/finish washing my face. Then, once that's absorbed, I put on the Smashbox primer. Then apply foundation (I use LORAC) with a brush, then concealer, then powder to set.

Thanks for that info!

 

[Mannequin]

I went into Sephora today and got to try on the Smashbox "HD" makeup. It looked very nice when the salesgirl was done applying it. She used the primer, concealer, liquid foundation, and powder, and I did not feel like I was wearing a mask. I left with a Light kit full of sample sizes to use for practice. I had the girl try an eyeshadow look on me too, from one of their Brown Eyes kits... erm, that didn't go so well. She asked me where I wanted to be on a scale of no makeup all the way to RuPaul (LOL), and I told her in the middle for the engagement photoshoot. She used this brown kit on me that had dark purples and my eyes looked all bruised like I got socked in the face! I didn't buy that set. I left with some Nars eyeshadow, a few Clinique mascaras, and another stick of my all time favorite Sephora Jumbo eye pencil. Now I get to have fun playing beauty shop at home!

 

[CatLuver]

I did my own. Like you, I didn't think it was worth it to pay someone hundreds of dollars to do mine, and I would have had them use my products anyway because I'm a bit of a germaphobe and would not want "public" products on my face. Also, I didn't want too much makeup and I think professionals would tend to put on more than I wanted.

I think (and guests told me) it turned out great. I used a Sephora brand foundation just on certain areas, my normal Nars blush and Maybelline eyeshadows. I went to a Nars counter beforehand and bought a couple of eyeshadows, but didn't end up using them that much.

If you do some trials on yourself, and take some pictures, you'll get the idea of what your face will look like in pictures. I think it will work!

 

[yssie]

Oh I'm glad you came back with your review Mannequin, thanks! I will definitely try Smashbox when I go to Sephora this weekend, I'm excited about this - though my purse isn't so much

CatLuver - I think I'm middle of the road - I don't want to look like I'm wearing a mask, but I do want more than my usual "look". I think that's the best part of doing your own - you get to try as much as you like, and take as many pics as you like to figure out what works best.. my wedding dress is a very fancy, lacy affiar, high collar, sleeves, my reception dress is a simple strapless gown, so I'm going to have to find something that suits both looks.. I'm glad to hear it worked out well for you, success stories are confidence inspiring

 

[GettingDesperate905]

im doing my own everything lol but im stubburnly frugal to say the very least.
Also, I'm quite the make up artist/hairstylist from my days of thinking that more was more... you learn a lot of lessons with that philosophy and 20/20 hindsight hahaha
I think that if you want to do it GO FOR IT GIRL!, practice practice practice. find something you like and go with it. The way I look at it is that I know better than anyone else what I want, and I want to be hands on, take control, and get exactly that

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I got my hair done but I did my own makeup, so did all of my BMs. Worked out fine for us and saved a ton of money!

 

[Mannequin]

Yssie - I came back with a picture for you. I tried the Smashbox HD foundation kit in their lightest color this past Friday for our engagement photo shoot. It was 90 degrees that day, so flipping hot and humid that we were sweating as soon as we stepped out of the car. We did an hour and a half of shooting outside and the makeup stayed perfectly. No issues! If you are still deciding, I would highly recommend the Smashbox primer and foundation. This picture was taken after the shoot was over. I used some Almay eyeshadow, my fave gray Maybelline liner, and Clinique mascara on my eyes, and lightly brushed some BE blush on my cheeks. The lipgloss is a Revlon ColorStay in a berry color.

 

[yssie]

Mannequin - you look fantastic, and the makeup looks great!!


I got Smashbox primer from Sephora last week, I was advised to use tinted moisturizer instead of foundation so I picked up some of that, too. Glad to see it holds up so well under 'extreme conditions'!

 

[february2003bride]

Mannequin- you look so beautiful! Love the makeup!

Yssie- I think this is one area not to skimp on. The day of you are going to be excited/nervous/stressed and it's nice to just sit there and relax while someone does your hair and makeup! At the very least, have your hair and makeup done for yourself. When I was MOH in my bestie's wedding, we paid for our own hair but she treated us to our makeup being done by her MAC girls that came the day off. All of us looked great!

 

[Mannequin]

Thanks, you two! I sent this photo to my mother today and she loved the look. Now she can't wait to see the pictures we took! She can't wear this makeup due to oily skin issues, so she is dying to see how it photographed on me.

My bridesmaid is going to help me do my hair again on the wedding day, which I am so happy about because she is great with hair. I think that if she does hair for just me and herself, we won't run into any timing problems. I love doing my own makeup, and I have more than enough left in the Smashbox kit to do my face for the rehearsal and the wedding day, so I am going to play with more eye looks before then.

 

[yssie]

Feb - I'd love to have it done, it's just so expensive, and my two makeup trials were catastrophes! I must have a strangely shaped face or something


Hair, I'm still really on the fence about. I have a trial in Baltimore that my mum set up for me, I've got fingers and toes crossed that that'll go well, because I've been practicing and I'm still not quite there yet, and we've only got three weeks!

Worst case scenario though, I'll have one of my bridesmaids help me like Mannequin - she knows what she's doing, I think with a couple of practice sessions we could pull something together if necessary..

My girls actually preferred not to have their hair and makeup done, so that made for an easy decision on that front!

 

[cushionladyESQ]

Hey Yssie,

I am definitely doing my own makeup. I LOVE makeup more than I can say (almost as much as jewelry?!? ha), and I feel like there are a lot of brides who don't look like themselves on their big day.

If you never watch makeup videos, there are a lot of good gurus on youtube who have done "wedding day" makeup tutorials and talk about everything from primer, to foundation, to how to have the blush last all day. That might be a good thing to take a look at, if you're interested.

In terms of what makeup is good, if your skin doesn't get irritated or break out, MAC is really good for wedding days since it doesn't reflect too much light and doesn't have SPF (SPF can give you a halo in pictures). You can also maybe go to a makeup counter for some brand you like and ask questions and have them do a little mini tutorial on you.

I was in a friend's wedding and we had a mini tutorial thing at a Benefit store and it was really cool and I felt like I looked natural and like myself.

Hope that helps. Good luck!