Brides want to put their best face forward on their wedding day. And makeup artists give them two words of advice: Be prepared.
Many brides tell makeup artists they simply want to “look natural.” Twila Shakespeare, makeup artist and owner of Faces Fantastic in San Diego, tries to set the brides straight.
“I say to them, ‘Look, you’re not going bowling. You’re getting married. You need to wear some makeup.'”
A makeup practice run is an absolute necessity, she says. “You don’t want any surprises on the wedding day.”
Many brides opt to have their preliminary makeup consultation-application done in conjunction with their engagement party. Shakespeare thinks this is a good idea.
“This enables them to get some feedback. They can see what others think of their makeup,” she says. “Whatever they do, they shouldn’t have a practice run and then go home and sit in their apartment by themselves.”
You will want to find a salon far enough in advance so that there will be no surprises, so you can try shades and make sure you are not allergic to products.
During a makeup consultation, many things will be taken into consideration — the color of the gown, flowers, accessories, your skin tone and your hair and eye color.
It’s also important to take into consideration time and location of the wedding, says Marilynn Dworkin, makeup artist at The Make-Up Studio in Solana Beach, outside San Diego. Is it an afternoon ceremony? An evening candlelight wedding? In a synagogue or outdoors in the sunshine?
A daytime wedding usually calls for a more naturally elegant look with subtle colors and minimal frosty shadows, she says. An evening ceremony can carry off more dramatic colors.
Dworkin offers a preliminary makeup consultation a week or two before the wedding. At this time, the artist looks at the bride’s skin and coloring, deciding on appropriate shades and colors of foundation, shadows and lipsticks.
Though some brides prefer a more natural look, makeup artists urge them to consider how the look will hold up after spending 10 hours or so in front of cameras.
If the bride does nothing else special with her makeup on her wedding day, she should at least wear a fairly dark lipstick, says Elaina Owen, makeup artist at the Face Factory in San Diego.
“A red or maroon lipstick works well because it shows up in the wedding pictures,” she said. “Darker lipstick also makes the teeth look whiter and the whole smile appear bigger.”