How to do your own wedding makeup

Whether you're looking to save money on a makeup artist, back yourself as better with a brush anyway, or are having an overseas wedding where every makeup artist's portfolio is full of Dracula-looking characters, doing your own wedding makeup is an option.
After all, who's going to know what you like better than you do? Especially if you're already an avid beauty lover who does her makeup on the daily.
If you do decide to DIY, here's some tips from LUMA Beauty's Makeup Artist, Sarah Tammer, to help you prepare in the lead up and seamlessly nail it on the big day...
RELATED: 14 stunning wedding makeup looks that will stand the test of time
RELATED: Your ultimate pre-wedding skin care guide
#1 Prep your lashes in advance
Unless you're well-versed in the art of false eyelash application, Sarah recommends prepping your lashes before the big day. " I would have a very natural lash lift or extensions professionally done", she says. This way you'll already have a lot of length and definition, and just a few coats of mascara (or a quick brush through) will do.
Don't want to fork out for a professional treatment? Tint your lashes at home with using 1000 Hour Lash & Brow Dye Kit a week before and then curl on the day using the Heated Eyelash Curler.
#2 Do plenty of trial runs
Practice makes perfect and it's important to do a trial run regardless of whether you're DIY'ing or going with a professional. "After the trial makeup applications, when you’re ecstatic with your glorious look, be sure to wear the makeup for an extended period of time so you can see how it wears", says Sarah. "That way if anything needs tending to, you’re aware and ahead of the game."
"Things to look out for include oiliness, especially in the t-zone, whether your foundation has become cakey, and any creases under your eyes or on your eyelids and smile lines. It’s also good to test whether your makeup has flashback by taking a photo with your camera or phone with flash once the makeup is complete."
On the day, Sarah recommends allowing yourself two hours to do your wedding makeup. "This will ensure you have enough time to correct any errors you make with a cotton tip and makeup remover."
#3 Start with skin care
For the most glowing base possible, it's always best to start a bridal skin care regimen a few months pre-wedding. But skin care shouldn't go amiss the morning of your nuptials either. Cleanse and moisturise as you normally would, and then follow with a hydrating primer.
"Priming is essential to help finesse your foundation, ensuring your skin stays flawless for as long as possible", says Sarah.
"Primers are excellent for keeping oil at bay, while filling fine lines and providing a smooth, ultra-hydrated canvas for your foundation."
bh recommends: Luma Base Perfecting Priming Moisturiser
#4 Avoid products containing zinc
To protect yourself from suffering at the peril of camera flashback, Sarah says, "Don’t use anything with white zinc i.e sunscreen or any heavy pale foundations or powders". So let yourself off the 'SPF every day' hook, just this once.
#5 Mattify where needed
It's a fine line between 'glowing' and 'sweating', so once you've got your base just right, make sure to set with a finishing powder in any areas prone to oil (we recommend Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, $60, mecca.com.au). "Blotting papers are also brilliant to pop into a touch up kit for removing unwanted shine in the t-zone throughout the day", says Sarah.
#6 Blend, blend, blend
Blending is the key to every good makeup look, so make sure your wrists are at the ready on D-day. "Blending will give you a smoother, more flawless coverage over all and ensure your makeup looks chic and camera ready at the same time", says Sarah.
Sarah's secret pro tip? "If I’ve been trying to blend a cream or powder product for ages and it feels like it’s not happening, I take my Real Techniques sponges with some of the foundation or a setting powder on a medium soft powder brush and layer and blend over the top to smooth away any hard lines."
#7 Don't forget about the kiss
When it comes to choosing a lip colour, you do you, but don't forget you will have to kiss your newly wedded soulmate at some point. "I love natural blush tones that are rosey, like a natural lip colour with a little more intensity, but I’m also a big fan of a red lip, which looks stunning on a bride in all white", says Sarah. Our solution? Keep it safe for the ceremony ("you may now kiss the bride") and then embrace the bold at the reception.
bh recommends: Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Colour in 'Almost Bare', Mary Kay True Dimensions™ Lipstick in 'Rosette', Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in 'Pillowtalk' ($49, charlottetilbury.com), Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte Finish Lipstick in '#111' and essence Longlasting Lipstick in 02.
#8 Pack a touch-up kit
Have a bridesmaid or friend carry a touch-up kit on the day so you have products on-hand at all times. Sarah recommends filling it with, "blotting papers and translucent face powder to remove any unwanted oiliness, as well as your chosen lip colour or gloss."
"Consider packing a little eyebrow brush to ensure brows are kept in place, and if you have gone for a smokey eye with eyeliner on the waterline, it’s a good idea to have this eyeliner in your touch up kit as well", she says.
Also pop in some tissues, a couple of cotton buds, and some bobby pins - they'll always come in handy.
Would you/did you do your own wedding makeup? What's your best tip for long-lasting makeup?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
43 Member Comments
Never realised you'd have to prep your face for months! I need to take better care of my skin lol
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I did my own wedding makeup, it would have looked better if a professional had done it, but our budget was too tight at the time.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Some ACTUALLY good tips in here!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I made my own wedding makeup and was happy with it.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
These are great tips for everyday makeup not just bridal.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Long-term single sister here, so there are a lot more things that need to happen before this is ever an issue for me. But seriously, I think I’d much rather do anything else myself on my wedding day than my make-up. It wouldn’t matter how many times I practised, it would be a balls-up on the day.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I'm glad I had mine done professionally for my sister's wedding as doing it myself would have looked shocking and awful.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Yeah, for a wedding day I say go with a professional. You definitely don't want to risk it with wedding pictures.
Having said that, I think I recall Kate Middleton doing her own make up for her wedding to William? If this is true she is a very brave woman.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Brings back memories - I had a cute little satin wedding pouch-bag thing which I had a retractable lip brush in, which was loaded up with the lippy colour that the MUA used on me so that I could touch up my lip colour throughout the day if I needed.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I wish I had done my own makeup too. It would have looked more real and more like myself.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I had the honour of doing a friend's wedding makeup many years ago. Her wedding was in a relaxed outdoor setting and she wanted a soft makeup look.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Ooh i am a makeup artist and i would love to do in my own makeup on my wedding day!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I did my own make-up for both of my wedding days. I also worked on counter over the years for different brands and our rule when trialling make - up for the big day was always have a large white towel or piece of wedding dress fabric around your neckline as you need to adjust you're make-up as you can look very washed out with white or ivory. What an exciting and fabulous day Xxxxx
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I am already married and had someone else do it for me but OMG I could never do my own makeup on my wedding day! I'm never 100% happy with it on a normal day let alone the BIG day no way I would be confident enough to have done that back then or now.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
These are great tips for anyone on a budget.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I did my own makeup, it's something I enjoyed doing
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I was going to go for a professional and had a trial with the MUA recommended by our wedding photographer, but I was not happy at all with the look - it was very heavy and no longer looked like me in the mirror. So I decided to DIY but did a lot of practising beforehand - as recommended above '#2 Do plenty of trial runs'. The photographer also advised that a matte finish would be better for photographs so I steered away from glowy/shimmering stuff, and opted for long-wearing make-up products with a matte finish. And yes, I carried pressed powder and lipstick for touch-ups.
I think it turned out ok for me because I don't wear very heavy make-up in general. I'm no pro but I was happy with the result. One thing I would have liked that I didn't know how to do myself was falsies! They make your eyes look so much better.
My personal tips for long-lasing lip colour and no-smudge masacara:
- Line your entire lip with lip liner that matches your lipstick. This way you'll still have colour for your entire lip area even if part of your lipstick wears off.
- If you're like me where even waterproof mascara smudges - apply waterproof mascara, blot with tissue (close your eyes onto the tissue paper) to remove excess, apply clear mascara on top, blot again. For some reason this trick always works - whatever smudges is the clear mascara rather than the black!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Article not relevant to me but love that header image :P
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
The Charlotte Tilbury in Pillow Talk looks like something I want! Gorgeous colour!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
i wouldnt want to do my own - no way
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
1am RJ what on earth are you doing up at that hour!! lol I couldn't have done my own either - just because my mind was in the clouds that day!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
Haha, was doing some study...
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
You sound very committed RJ!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Oh yes makeup that still shows the real you
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0