Even though your makeup artist will no doubt do a smashing job on creating a long-lasting look for your wedding day, between the tears, kisses, and the weather, fast-forward a few hours and you might be in need of a top up. Indeed, you might even be doing an outfit change for dancing and changing up your beauty look toboot. Either way, we've rounded up the best ways to refresh your look. You shouldn't need your entire beauty arsenal to get your bridal look back on track, but here we share the 10 great tips for touching up your wedding day makeup.
1. Talk To Your MUA
Your makeup artist will be the best person to advise you about how to top up your wedding day makeup. At your trial session before the big day, discuss your foundation and concealer and find out the brand, formula and shade that she will use for your trip down the aisle. Some MUAs will give you a trial-size vial of the foundation, but if not, it might be worth picking up your own for the day. Concealer is probably more important for touch-ups on redness, dark circles and blemishes, but knowing what is on your skin is key information.
2. The Most Important Products to Have
The key products you are most likely to need on your wedding day is anything that can be smudged or affected by crying, eating, drinking, laughing and the weather - both sun and rain. These are mascara, concealer, lipstick, lip liner, and face powder. All are pretty small in size and could be packed in a bridal handbag along with blotting papers to mop up excess oil, and deodorant for topping up if the weather or venue is warmer than normal. Create a checklist (to add to your other lists) ahead of your wedding day and make sure you have everything you need boxed off.
3. How To Replenish Hydration
If your skin can be on the dehydrated side, your makeup might look a little cakey or dull after a few hours. A facial mist is your hero, so spritz as often as needed to rehydrate and refresh your makeup. A budget-friendly mist like Mario Badescu's Facial Mist with aloe, chamomile and lavender costs just €5.75 and will fit in your bag at it's a 59ml size, but if you're looking to treat yourself, Caudalie's Beauty Elixir is a heavenly face mist for drier skin types, €13.25/30ml.
4. How To Fix Tear-Stained Eyes
Emotions run high at weddings, but before you get knee-deep into the photography after the ceremony, take a minute to use some eye drops if needed, and to repair any mascara smudges. Delicately tap the area with a tissue to dry those tears. Then have a q-tip in your (or your maid of honour's) bag, and a sample size of micellar water, that you can use to precisely remove any black marks. Reapply undereye concealer where needed. Don't forget to check your lipstick, and blot away any shine, and you will be camera-ready in no time.
5. Beat The Heat
Lucky you if you're getting wed somewhere hot and sunny, but the change in temperature will have an impact on your skin. Where possible, use all longwear or water-resistant products and invest in a great antiperspirant for the big day (we have a list of the best here!). To mop up any excess oil or sweat, blotting papers will be your best friend. To avoid overheating, pack a small battery-operated fan to cool down your face and the back of your neck. Your facial mist is an essential buy for this weather, and one with added aloe vera or rosewater will refresh your makeup and hydrate the skin.
6. How To Stop Oil & Sweat
Oily and combination skin usually means having to deal with shine breaking through a perfectly polished wedding morning complexion pretty quickly. Therefore blotting papers and a face powder compact are essentials when touching up your wedding day makeup. But even if you don't have oily skin, a heavy gown or packed room can cause anyonee to perspire, so better to be prepared. If oily skin is an issue, take steps on your wedding skin journey to get your skin in optimal condition. Regular exfoliation and in-salon treatments like microdermabrasion help to keep pores clear. Topical solutions that contain retinol can help minimise pore size and should be started a few months ahead of the important day.
7. Buh-Bye Blemishes
If a blemish threatens your wedding day look, keep a few spot-reducing products in your beauty bag. Rather than squeezing the blemish (which might inflame it and cause it to swell) think of shrinkage and fast-acting beauty that contains salicylic acid. This acid penetrates pores deeply, and for breakouts, you often find it alongside calamine to soothe redness and help ease any swelling. Overnight use really helps to clear away a spot, Clarins Clear-Out Targeted Blemish Lotion is a star buy at €19/13ml, as is Dr Dennis Gross Breakout Clearing Gel, €46/30ml. The on your wedding day, it's about keeping it covered. We have a whole post on how to do just that here!
8. Get Set and Stay Gorgeous
Between blotting papers, facial mists, compact powder and switching up your day-to-night look, topping up your wedding day makeup sounds like a lot of work, right? But really it's about good prep. If we were to add one beauty prep essential to your checklist it would be a setting spray, which can also refresh your look. See our top choices for setting sprays here.
9. Go From Day To Night
Most MUAs will apply false lashes to their brides for drama, so the best way to amp up your bridal beauty look for evening is to have a lip change, and add a little more blush and highlighter to your makeup for dancing the night away. Champagne highlighter is perfect for brides, and a peach or pink blush gives your look a freshness. Cream versions of both are the best route as they work seamlessly with the skin, just use the blush first, and pop a little highlighter on top. The switch-up doesn't need to be dramatic - it's your bridal look, just a little more glam.
10. Nail the Lipstick Change
Many brides love a second dress for the evening reception, so when topping up your wedding day makeup why not include a lipstick change? Bridal lipstick tends to fall into the nude zone which suits the more formal gowns that are usually chosen for the ceremony. But your evening outfit might be more fun, and suited to dancing the night away, so a daring shade like a bold red will fit better.
To change up your lip look, you'll need:
- A cotton pad and micellar water to remove the original lipstick.
- Add a dot of lip balm, if needed.
- Leave it on for a minute to add hydration before removing.
- Lining the lips with a liner and fill in with your new lipstick.
- To ensure it stays in place, use a longwear liner and lipstick combo.
- Lightly press a flat tissue to your lips, and reapply a second layer of lipstick.
Looking for a makeup artist who can make you feel gorgeous on the big day? You'll find our favourites here!
