Wedding Makeup Tips Part 2: Essential Things To Keep In Mind ON Your Wedding Day

So you know how to prepare your skin, and yourself, in the months and weeks leading up to your wedding day. If not, please read the essential preparation guide ...

Now that your wedding day is here, it’s crucial you know these things to have you looking your absolute best. And, of course, make the best out of your bridal makeup artist!

In Part 2 of this guide, we take you through every step of getting ready on your wedding day. From what you should wear to the parlour (yes, it matters! For a practical reason) to how to ensure you’re comfortable throughout your wedding ceremony.

Image courtesy: Shutterdown Photography

1. What to wear before you begin: Button-down shirt or robe

Before you start your appointment, wear a button-down shirt or put on your bridal robe. When you’re changing into your wedding gear, your hair and makeup will already be done. If you’re wearing something that opens from the front, you can easily change without the fear of your makeup rubbing onto your shirt or your hairstyle getting spoilt.

2. Arriving on time matters

Or even better, arrive early. Give the bridal makeup artist (MUA) ample cushion time – just in case you don’t like your hairstyle and she needs to re-­do it, or if you forget your wedding jewellery at home.

If you’ve accounted for any last­‐minute hiccups, you will have time to spare for the driver to get the jewellery back to the salon without delaying you!

Also keep in mind your photographer will want atleast 10-15 minutes extra to click some getting ready photos – both posed and candid.

3. Protect your hair first

Your MUA will begin with your hair. Before they style it, ensure some form of protective serum has been applied on to it. You will have your hair ironed, permed and tugged at before all your wedding functions, and it’s important to ensure it’s protected from damage.

4. Get the base right through moisturising!

Wash your face and apply moisturizer at least 20 minutes before makeup begins. Why? Makeup tends to settle into fine lines and wrinkles, but the moisturizer (once it has had time to be soaked into the skin) helps fill in those lines.

Ask your MUA whether she will do this process for you, or whether you need to moisturize before you leave your house.

5. Primer is essential for makeup that lasts for hours

You will be in all your bridal finery for many, many hours. And the makeup needs to last from the time you leave for the venue upto the vidaai. Ensure your MUA applies a primer before she starts (this creates the base on which makeup will be applied) and that she uses a finishing spray once the makeup is done to set it.

6. Makeup that doesn’t look oily in flash photography

Plenty of brides have this complaint – their face looks all soft and glowy, until their friends post photos on social media that they took from their phones – suddenly, the bride realises her face is looking oily in all the photos taken using flash!

There are multiple reasons why your skin gets shiny (not in a good way) an hour or two after makeup application – either the makeup artist has used too much highlighter (or worse, mixed highlighter with your foundation!) or they’ve overused fixing spray.

Ensure your MUA does neither of these and if you’re someone who has naturally oily skin, apply a mattifying gel before any makeup goes on. Expert bridal makeup artist, Chandni Singh, suggests The Body Shop’s Mattifying Gel.

7. Cover ALL your bases

Although this is a basic piece of advice that you will come across everywhere, it’s surprising how many times it’s forgotten. Ensure your MUA has applied the base (primer and foundation) on your neck and chest as well. While you may not notice it in person, the difference will be prominent in pictures.

Image courtesy: Recall Pictures

8. Waterproof eye makeup

Ensure the mascara, eyeliner and kajal are waterproof – you never know when you may get teary-­eyed (at something sentimental your mother says to you, or if you laugh too hard at the hilarious performance on your Sangeet night). If the MUA doesn’t have waterproof products, ask her to arrange for it or bring your own.

9. Hack to make your kajal last longer

This involves 2 steps –

Make sure you help yourself by doing these steps irrespective of whether your MUA knows them or not!

10. Bridal emergency kit in hand

You know how every bride has an emergency kit in place – for any last­‐minute hiccups and touch-ups at the venue? Well, you should have your kit with you while you’re getting your makeup done as well. For example, your MUA might have forgotten her eyeliner at the previous venue, so you can ask her to use yours instead! Sure, it’s rare, but that doesn’t mean it never happens.

11. Shades of lipstick

If in doubt, ask the photographer! Why? They’re probably the only person in the room who will give you an honest and objective answer as your relatives and friends will be more focused on keeping you calm and happy.

12. Green light to the makeup

Once the makeup is done, ask your photographer to click a few pictures of you with and without flash. Have a look at the pictures yourself – if you love it, you’re good to go!

Two things to specifically look out for (in the photos) are –

a) If she’s filled your eyebrows (which most will), is it looking natural? It should.

b) Is the glue holding your fake eyelashes in place showing up in the photos? It should not.

If there’s any additional thing you find lacking, your MUA should be able to take care of it there and then.

13. Is everything comfortable & CAN YOU MOVE?

You will bend to touch relatives’ feet, be lifted up in the air during jaimala, or somebody might sit on your dupatta by mistake (it’s happened to every single bride out there!) The hairpins & safety pins need to hold your bridal bun & dupatta in place through all of this, and more.

Test yours out by moving your head around, sitting and standing to check that nothing is opening up.

Also check that your hair accessories (flowers, matha patti, maang tika, etc) stay in place and you can move comfortably.

14. Do the sit test

After you’re completely ready, sit down on a chair or sofa and check if you dupatta has come undone anywhere, and if you’re comfortable with any cleavage or stomach/back area that shows when you move. There’s still time to re-adjust any part of your outfit while you’re with your makeup artist.

15. Trick to make your bridal hairstyle comfortable

Just in case your hair bun or the pins start to feel painful, let your MUA know. She will try her best to re-­adjust the style of draping so that it hurts you minimally. But it is, unfortunately, totally normal for it to hurt a little bit.

If you’re feeling too uncomfortable, you could pop in a painkiller to get you through the next 6 hours smoothly.

16. Fluff the can-can!

If you’re wearing a lehenga, it is ESSENTIAL to fluff the can-can underneath your lehenga, otherwise, it will stay flat. This is the final step in getting ready for your wedding day!

Do you have any wedding makeup tips to share with fellow brides? We’d love to hear from you!