My Wedding Day Makeup & Bridal Skincare Prep

When it comes to bridal makeup, I'm super particular about every detail. While booking vendors for my own wedding, I knew I would want to do my own bridal glam. I felt I'd give any other artist a hard time getting every detail just right. No makeup artist deserves that! Doing my own makeup would take extra effort, but I was ready for the challenge.

Because this would make things a little more difficult, I began planning far in advance. Three months before our wedding, I started a vigorous skincare routine. I've struggled with acne and eczema for about five years. I knew I was not about to let either ruin my wedding day.

I put myself on a strict regimen of washing and moisturizing twice a day. I cut makeup to a minimum and gave my skin plenty of time outside. I increased my water intake and tried (key word tried) to focus on eating whole foods.

After a month of these habits, I began seeing great results. Since the condition of my skin can change quickly, I was holding my breath for something to come up. Around two weeks before our wedding, I suddenly woke up with red, scratchy eczema patches on several parts of my face.

I was extremely nervous because I've dealt with patches on my face before. The skin on our faces is more sensitive than the rest of our bodies. This makes the protocol for treatment a little trickier and the healing process much lengthier. With two shorts weeks to go, I wasn't ready to act patient and simply hope my skin would heal itself.

I immediately called my doctor and explained the situation. They got me an appointment the very next day. I was so relieved. By the time of my appointment, the patches became darker, thicker, and dryer than the photos above. Typically my eczema patches become larger and much more painful after a few short days. They begin to feel hot, itchy, and are a big form of insecurity for me. Nothing I wanted to feel on my wedding day! I was so embarrassed and nervous they wouldn't be gone in a week.

Thankfully, my doctor started me on a plan she called the "wedding exception" skincare routine. We used a prescribed cream very lightly to scare the patches away for a few weeks. I was extremely thankful the plan began to work within a few short days.

Acne and Skincare Products Used:

Face Wash: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser

Moisturizer: CeraVe Daily Moisturizer

Acne Treatment: Differin Gel (retinoid product)

Sensitive Body Wash: Aveeno Skin Relief Wash

Eczema Treatment: Cream available only through prescription

Aside from my skincare, I was also planning which makeup products I would use. I wrote a blog (Bridal Beauty Prep) about several of the items I was trying out. I wanted to ensure every product was chosen beforehand. This way, I could easily and quickly finish my makeup the morning of.

With a week to go, I purchased the exact shade of foundation and my lip color choice. I did one final makeup trial on myself and was very happy with the look. That same day I had Lexi at Metropolitan do my hair trial and had a dress fitting booked. This was a great way to imagine how everything would come together. I highly recommend this to every bride. It's important to envision how everything will come together.

The morning of our wedding, I was on cloud nine. Once my hair was officially finished and everyone was getting ready, I began to start my makeup. Originally, I chose a corner of the room next to a big mirror. After starting on my base, I began to feel like I needed a space away from distractions. I grabbed my makeup bag and headed to the hotel room my sister and I stayed in the night before.

This ended up being the perfect space to finish my look. I focused in and was alone in the quiet for about 20 minutes. Before heading back to the getting-ready space, I snapped a few selfies. I remember thinking, "Hmm. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll write a blog on this look."

At the beginning of the application, I was a nervous wreck. I kept praying for my hands to stay steady and complete the look without error. After I was in the groove, I zoned out and finished the look in great time. Stepping away from the big group, and having a moment to myself was such a cool experience. I'm super happy with how it turned out.

I won't give away all my secrets, but I'm happy to share links to each product below. I was over the moon with the final look. These products were my absolute holy grail! I can't thank them enough.

Makeup Products Used:

Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear

Concealer: Tarte, Shape Tape

Powder: Anastasia, Translucent Powder and Maybelline, Fit Me Pressed Powder

Bronzers: Physicians Formula, Butter Bronzer and Hourglass, Ambient Bronzer

Blush: Milani ,Baked Blush

False Lashes: Lash Extension by Evolve Studio

Mascara: L'Oreal, Lash Paradise

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay, Naked Reloaded Palette

Eyeliner: e.l.f., Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Lip Liner: Charlotte Tilbury, Lip Liner in Pillow Talk

Lipsticks: Maybelline, SuperStay Ink Crayon and Charlotte Tillbury, Lipstick in Pillow Talk

If you are thinking of applying your own wedding day makeup, I would advise you proceed with caution... Not just as a makeup artist, but someone who did their own bridal glam, it definitely adds a little stress to the morning. Overall, I'm very pleased with my makeup look, but can't imagine how stressed I would have been if I wasn't a makeup artist myself.

If you love this look, I encourage you to show this blog to your stylist. It is so classic and timeless. It works well on many different faces and for multiple wedding themes. I've recreated it by request several times and absolutely adore how it turns out each time.

Wedding Day Photography: Indie Pearl Photography

Bridal Gown and Veil: Charlotte's Bridal and Formal Wear

Men's Tuxes: Charlotte's Bridal and Formal Wear

Bridesmaids Dresses: Charlotte's Bridal and Formal Wear

Floral: Cindy's Wedding Designs

Hair Styling: Lexi and Allie from Metropolitan Salon