Here comes the Bride...
Wedding make-up is a tricky one. Do you go for a natural effect, something glamorous or a trend-led look? It can all be a bit daunting which is why ELLE has done all the research for you.
We’ve been to six make-up counters and had each brand create a look to give you some inspiration. Plus each of the on-counter make-up artists has shared their top tips for any brides doing a 'Kate Middleton' and applying their own make-up on the day.
Notebooks at the ready...
The Bobbi Brown Bride
The Bride: Bobbi Brown loves eyeliner, and so does Kate Middleton – book in at Bobbi Brown if you want to channel the timeless, classic look our future queen wore on her big day.
The Make-up Artist: Louisa at Bobbi Brown in Liberty, London. (Cliick here to visit the Liberty website)
Louisa's Top Three Tips:
1) Get your foundation matched by an expert – Bobbi Brown has a massive range of foundation shades to suit every skin tone.
2) Book in at Bobbi Brown for a free Bridal Lesson; you’ll get all the products written down on a face chart for you to keep.
3) On the morning give your Maid of Honour a powder, lipstick and foundation stick for touch-ups throughout the day.
The Bobbi Brown Look Explained...
The Products - face: Start by blending in your foundation, paying particular attention around the jaw line and nose. Use a concealer to erase any blemishes and set with a light dusting of powder to take down excess shine.
Use a little Bronzing Powder, £26, on the highest points of your face, then follow with blusher. Bobbi advises a neutral blush applied to the apples and blended up and out. Then use a second brighter shade to add a pop of colour to the apples of your cheeks and to lift the face. Look at your natural undertones –pale pink suits most skintones, while apricot looks lovely on Asian women.
The Products – lips: Choose a lip colour that is slightly darker than your natural lip colour. Lip Colour, £18, in Red (10) suits all skintones, Rose Berry (26) looks great on Asian women, while Nude (18) suits black skin.
The Products – eyes:
Use a mix of three colours on your eyes. Apply Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Velvet Plum, £18, on the lower lid and Goldstone, £18, in the crease - these work as a primer and eye colour. Use Eye Shadow in Bone, £15.50, on the inner corner to brighten. Green eyes suit gold and plum shades; blue eyes look bets with bronze, copper or grey, while brown eyes can get away with anything!
Then use Long Wear Gel Liner in espresso, £17, to define the eyes and follow with a waterproof mascara.
Click here to visit the Bobbi Brown website...
The Bare Minerals Bride
The Bride: With a wealth of eye and lip colours to choose from Bare Minerals can create any effect you want; here make-up artist Sara Dagervik has created a vintage-inspired bridal look.
The Make-up Artist: Sara Dagervik at Selfridges, London. (Click here to visit the Selfridges website)
Sara's Top Three Tips:
1) Fill in your brows with an eyeshadow, rather than a pencil – you’ll get a more natural look.
2) Bare Minerals is the ideal choice for any brides with less-than perfect complexions. Start using the products six weeks before you wedding as the minerals can actually improve your skin and prevent spots.
3) On the day keep a Ready SPF15 Touch UP Veil, £22, to hand. The pressed powder will keep your complexion shine-free and you won’t risk spilling loose minerals on your dress.
The Bare Minerals Look Explained...
The Products – face: Prep the skin with Prime Time Primer, £19. It balances the skin and helps the minerals stay put all day. Buff, tap and swirl using the Get Started kit, £49, it includes everything you need for a flawless complexion.
Apply Well-Rested, £19, under the eyes and Blush in laughter, £19 to lift the complexion.
The Products – eyes: Use Eye Colour in bark, £14, through the brows to fill in any gaps, then seal with Brow Gel, £11.
Prime you eyelids with Prime Time Eyelid Primer before blending Ready ™ Duo in The Hidden Agenda, £19.00. Finish with a smudge of Round the Clock Eye Liner in Midnight, £13 and a swipe of Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara in Black, £16.
The Products – lips: On lips use Lip Liner in Thistle, £11, all over followed by Pretty Amazing in Strength, £15.
Click here to visit the Bare Minerals website...
The Christian Dior Bride
The Bride: If you’re getting married abroad a bronzed, peachy look is perfect. Using coral instead of a more classic pink on lips and cheeks looks more summery, but still has a classic feel
The Make-up Artist: Jo Clouter at Dior in Selfridges, London. (Click here to visit the Selfridges website)
Jo's Top Three Tips:
1) Blot your moisturiser with a tissue before applying your foundation; any excess cream is likely to cause your make-up to slide.
2) Use a brush to apply your foundation – you save a bottle’s-worth of product a year if you use a brush, rather than a sponge, plus it’s more hygienic than using your fingers.
3) Give your Maid of Honour a concealer and lipstick so she can be on hand to perfect your make-up throughout the day.
The Christian Dior Look Explained...
The Products - face: Moisturise the skin, massaging the product in. Start with Skinflash Primer, £28.50, this contains cucumber extract which is both soothing and brightening – ideal if you suffer from redness. Use a little extra on the high points, the illuminating product will shine delicately through your foundation.
Use Forever Fluid Foundation, £31, it has SPF25 which is ideal if you are marrying abroad and it is long lasting. Follow with a little SkinFlash Radiance Booster Pen, £26, to add radiance under the eyes and to create a flawless finish.
Use Diorskin Nude Tan Glow Sun Powder, £34.00, it suits all skintones. It’s not a full-on bronzer, a mix of nude, bronze and peach tones it perfect and lifts your complexion. Use a little all over and add an extra layer to cheeks.
The Products – eyes:
On eyelids use the universal Dior 5-Coleurs Lift palette in Lifting Ivory, £41, it suits all skintones and eye colours. Infused with serum, the taupe-toned palette includes eyeliner that can be used to shape the brows, as well as eye colours for the lids – a great multi-tasker.
Apply Diorshow Waterproof Mascara, £23, infused with Royal jelly it’s kind to lashes and is buildable so you can get a natural or full-on lash look.
The Products – lips:
Use a nude lipliner all over the lips as a base and follow with Serum de Rouge lipstick in shade 345, £26, it’s a suits-all coral hue.
The Giorgio Armani Bride
The Bride: This ultra-glamorous purple smoky eye and dark lip is ideal for a winter bride. It looks especially good on anyone with olive or dark skintones.
The Make-up Artist: Micki Patterson at Giorgio Armani in Selfridges, London. (Click here to visit the Selfridges website)
Micki's Top Three Tips:
1) Complexion products are key – get your foundation and concealer looking perfect and the rest will fall into place.
2) If you don’t want to wear a bold lip colour down the aisle, especially when the groom has to ‘kiss the bride’ opt for a neutral colour and apply the dark lip colour after dinner for the evening reception.
3) Go for a look you feel comfortable with and that’s a typical look for you – you don’t want to shock the groom!
The Giorgio Armani Look Explained...
The Products - face: Apply Luminous Silk Foundation, £34. With crushed mother of pearl shot through the product, it’s light reflecting meaning it will photograph well.
Use SkinMaster Corrector in 2, £25, to cancel out any dark circles under the eyes.
Follow with Sheer Bronzer and Sheer Blush, £31 each, to add life back in to your complexion.
The Products – eyes:
On the eyelids use Maestro eye shadow in 25, £22, all over, followed by Maestro eye shadow in 22, £22, in the socket line to contour.
Build up the smoky purple look using the Eyes to Kill palette in 3 and the Eyes to Kill Shadow in 9, £26.
Finish with Eyes to Kill Mascara, £24.50.
The Products – lips:
On the lips apply Rouge D’Armani in 604, £25, with a lip brush to ensure a perfect shape.
The Benefit Bride
The Bride: The Benefit bride is a girly girl who wants to look like the best version of herself on the big day.
The Make-up Artist: Holly Davies at Benefit, Fouberts Place.
Holly's Top Three Tips:
1) Before your big day book into Benefit for a brow shape and tint.
2) On the day use a primer to help your make-up stay in place from morning to night.
3) Wear more make-up than you usually would – it looks better in photos.
The Benefit Look Explained...
The Products - face:
On cleansed skin massage in Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++, £19.50. Follow with a primer - either The POREfessional, £23.50, if pores are your concern, or That Gal, 21.50, if you want to brighten up a dull complexion.
Use Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Foundation, £24.50, to even the skin tone. To give skin a dewy finish, highlight the high points of the face with Watts up! 24.50 – be sure to blend. Use Erase Paste, £19.50, to conceal dark circles or blemishes.
Add a hint of colour to cheeks with a stain (£24.50 each). Benetint suits all skintones; Posietint looks lovely on porcelain skin, while Cha Cha Tint suits olive or black skintones.
Finish with a light dusting of Hello Flawless! Powder, £24.50, in the shade that matches your foundation.
The Products – eyes:
Moving on to the eyes, prime your lids with Stay Don’t Stray, £19.50. Follow with the Big Beautiful Eyes kit, £24.50, which suits everyone. Start with the lightest colour all over, then contour with the medium and dark shades (the kit comes with a step-by-step pamphlet).
Polish your look with Brow Zings, £22.50, on the day to get a neat brow look – fill in any gaps and fix the brows with Speed Brow gel, £12.
Curl your lashes and apply They’re Real! Mascara, £18.50.
The Products – lips:
Apply a slick of Full-Finish Lipstick – Lady’s Choice, £14, suits most skintones. Finish with a little gloss.
Click here to visit the Benefit Cosmetics website...
The MAC Bride
The Bride: MAC is at the forefront of the trends and is backstage at more shows that any other brands during fashion week. Go to MAC if you want something more trend-led on your wedding day.
The Make-up Artist: Cher Webb at the MAC Counter on 3 at Selfridges, London.
Cher's Top Three Tips:
1) If you wear a bold lipstick apply a bright lip liner all over your lips first – this helps your lippie stay in place and if your lipstick wears off the pencil will still remain underneath.
2) Wear waterproof mascara if you think you’ll be emotional on the day.
3) Be sparing and strategic with face powder – you want your complexion to look young and fresh.
The MAC Look Explained...
The Products – face: Give your skin a good massage with MAC Prep + Prime Moisture Infusion Serum, £28. Follow with Face and Body Foundation, £25.50, buffed in with a brush. It’s buildable coverage that gives a dewy finish to the complexion.
Next apply Select Moisture Cover concealer, £13.50 strategically. Use a creamy blush on the apples of your cheeks and Lustre Drops, £17.50, to add a flattering sheen to cheek and brow bones.
Creamblend Blush in Brit Wit, £17.50, suits pale skintones; Creamblend Blush in Tea Petal, £17.50, suits Asian skin, while Powder Blush in Fever, £17.50,looks great on black skintones.
The Products – eyes: Use Eye Shadow in Texture, £12, followed by Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Buried Treasure, £14,, a shimmer-flecked black-brown shade.
The Products – lips: Apply Magenta Lip Pencil, £10.50, all over the lips to work as a base, follow with Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Full Speed, £13.50.
Click here to buy MAC products...
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