Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Makeup

A few weeks ago, I popped into Blushington in Los Angeles to do a bridal makeup trial. Bridal makeup is such an important component of a bride’s wedding day because it can go horribly wrong and beautifully right… either way, it completely affects the way the bride looks! I don’t wear a ton of makeup in my everyday life so it is really important to me that I get my makeup right and still look like me on my wedding day. I want to come down the aisle and have Edwin see me, recognize me, and think I look the most beautiful I’ve ever looked. I don’t want him to see me walking toward him and think, “who is that?” or “what’s on her face?” So, doing a makeup trial is so important! Knowing that I have these feelings, gave me a hunch that a lot of you probably do to so I thought there was no better way to talk about it than with a Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Makeup post. I’m sharing my bridal makeup strategy, how to talk to your makeup artist, and some of the products my makeup artist at Blushington used on me. P.S. my top is old but this embroidered off the shoulder top is almost identical and under $100. This is Allison’s flouncy blue top + two similar tops (one, two).

Tips for talking to your bridal makeup artist:

– Don’t be afraid to talk through your ideas because you know yourself best. As I mentioned, I want a really natural bridal makeup look so I look like myself but just a bit more polished, amplified version of myself. I 100% trust makeup artists but they can create so many different looks and they can’t read your mind so it is really important to talk through your look with them. My look will be completely different than someone who wants a lot of contouring, a heavy eye, or a deep bold lip so I was sure to tell my makeup artist what I was thinking. Once you give them the basis for what you want, they can then pick the right colors and tones to match your face, skin, and eyes.

– Explain your wedding venue to your makeup artist so they can get a feel for the setting and the energy of the event. My wedding is outside, which gives me another reason to want a natural look. If I was having an indoor winter ballroom wedding, I would probably be doing a bit of a different makeup look.

– Do your research ahead of time so you can give your bridal makeup artist a general idea for what you like. For example, I told my Blushington makeup artist that I wanted a youthful peachy pink lip, a soft (kind of) smokey eye, a little highlighter to accent my cheekbones, and a rosy pink blush (I love blush!). I’ve also struggled with acne since I was a teenager so I discussed the balance I wanted to find with my foundation and concealer so I had full coverage of my skin and spots but didn’t have “caked on” makeup. My makeup artist at Blushington listened to all my ideas and did the most beautiful job on my bridal makeup!

Airbrush Versus Traditional Makeup:

A big decision for brides these days is airbrush makeup versus traditional makeup. Many makeup artists will tell you that airbrush makeup has longer lasting coverage but I totally suggest going with what you are most comfortable with because it’s your big day. I have tried both. I will say that I was anxious about how the airbrush would look but it went on super light and definitely didn’t give me a caked on feel at all. So, I’d definitely say it is worth exploring. However, at Blushington, I went for a traditional foundation/concealer look.

Laying the Foundation for Beautiful Makeup:

I started my makeup application process at Blushington with a 5 minute Dr. Schultz peel. If you live in Los Angeles, New York City, or Dallas where Blushington is located then I definitely recommend popping in and giving their peel a try. I’m very cautious about my skincare and take it seriously (struggling with acne will do this to you) so I wouldn’t recommend something I didn’t actually love (this is also not sponsored!) and I love the peel. I’ve done it twice now and I think my skin glows afterward and feels so soft. It is a subtle difference but I notice it and it makes my makeup go on so smoothly for a full week+ afterward. If your bridal makeup artist has access to a mini peel like this (with no downtime or redness or flaky skin afterward) then I’d recommend it or recommend doing it in the days leading up to your wedding. After the peel, the makeup application got fully underway. Blushington is very intentional with the products and lines they use so I trust them (I use some of the lines at home too!). Here is a breakdown of my makeup…

My Bridal Makeup Products:

Stila Foundation

Stila Eyeshadow Palette for a champagne gold eyeshadow (it was light smokey with brown on the outer eye corners)

Stila Smudge Pot for eyeliner (in brown)

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé for blush (in fig/opal)

Becca Liquid Highlighter for cheek highlighter (in moonstone)

Jouer Mineral Powder Bronzer for bronzer (in suntan)

Jouer Lipstick for peachy pink lip (in Dulce De Leche)

Any bride-to-be will tell you that wedding activities are so much more fun with a bridesmaid in tow so I brought along my bridesmaid Allison. She got a bridesmaid makeup look done that I absolutely loved! I didn’t dictate her makeup other than that I wanted it to be the same “amplified natural” look as mine. I want all my bridesmaids to look like their beautiful selves and not like dolled up Barbies. Allison’s makeup was so beautiful and she absolutely loved it (which is saying a lot because she does a ton of beauty research and writing for LaurenConrad.com)!

In general, we both absolutely loved the Stila foundation as it went on smoothly and didn’t feel or look heavy, which is so important when you’re wearing makeup for a whole wedding day. We also both loved (and use at home) our Jouer lipstick. The color is youthful with the perfect level of brightness for my wedding day.