To use a makeup artist on your wedding day or do it yourself?

My wedding day was fast approaching and one of the most stressful things I was beginning to face was the decision of doing my own makeup on my wedding day or hiring a makeup artist to do it for me. At first when I brought up this dilemma to friends and family they looked at me like I had fifteen heads…“Are you kidding? You can’t do your own makeup for your wedding day!” Now first of all I think I do makeup fairly well, well enough that I have never really used a makeup artist other than a few photo shoots when I was younger and doing modeling work – and to be honest, even then I hated when someone else did my makeup. I would sneak into the bathroom, either wipe most of it off, or take out a stash of my own products and fix what I thought needed fixing. There was something about what they would do to my face that would really upset me; they would line my lips in all the wrong places, most of the time over drawing them when I already have full lips. They would make my pretty naturally thin eyebrows look really overdrawn and they always put way too much on so that I wound up looking like a porcelain doll. (no I’m not kidding, people would come up and say “oh you look like a doll!” but I never thought that was a compliment)

So as you can imagine the weeks leading up to my wedding I was starting to freak out a bit – “Was I really being crazy to think that I could just do it myself on the one day I know everyone is going to be watching, staring, photographing and commenting on my looks?” Being a bride is already enough to drive me over the edge with anxiety, so much pressure to look your very best, but adding this other layer of pressure to choose to trust someone else with my face or do it myself was driving me mad. So, due to the constant push from people making me feel like I would look terrible if I did it on my own I made two bridal makeup trial appointments. The first one I made I went in with a few photos; all showing a very natural makeup look. I would find images of brunettes with light eyes just so I could show the colors I liked on my skin tone, hair color and eye color. I went in with an open mind, though I have to admit I really was not 100% comfortable having my makeup done. Maybe it’s the Aries in me, but I like to be in control and I like to see what’s being done along the way so that I can ask to make changes – however here I was in a makeup chair and just watching the products fly in and out of the makeup kit, brushes going on every area of my face, just letting them take the lead and hoping for the best.

As each brush went onto my skin I was questioning in my head “Do I really need that much bronzer, that much foundation, that much concealer, where is she drawing my eye browns, oh my god why is that bright blush coming near my cheeks.” For my first trial I did air brush makeup, because well everyone talks about how every bride needs airbrush because it makes you look flawless. The truth is, unless you are a teenager with invisible pores and perfect skin I don’t think airbrush should be used for a bride. It to me was entirely too dewy and felt like I had a lot of makeup on my skin, especially on my nose, around my mouth and near my eyes. I did my bridal do diligence though and tried it out. After about thirty minutes in the chair I was turned to reveal a person I had no idea who she was. I stared for awhile, I tried to figure out how this was supposed to make me look like a better version of me…but all I could think is “this looks nothing like me at all.” I have to say, I don’t think she was bad at her work, I think she likely does great makeup on others, but for me this just was not working. I could see tons of contour and highlight on my nose, I felt there was just way too much makeup, even after I asked to remove some things and tone some things down. I left feeling defeated and $100, plus $20 tip more broke. I went home and proceeded to take a few photos and then washed the money down the drain with soap and eye makeup remover. There was nothing about the makeup that made me feel beautiful, it made me more self conscious; it made me think “wow on my wedding day people are going to come up to me and only see a face full of makeup.”

Granted, as a photographer myself and having been on both sides of a camera I know that you need a bit MORE makeup to show up on camera – I won’t deny that. You do want to do a lip color that will show up even with flash photography and you want a cheek color that will show up and make you look pretty and flushed, I get that. What you other brides do need to realize though, is you need to also make sure you look good in person too…and a face with caked on makeup is not what I wanted anyone to be remembering about me on my wedding day. I wanted a face that was flawless, matte, not oily or shiny, natural – ME! I wanted to look like me, a pretty me with polish but still me none the less. I went home feeling upset and confused and I swore that I would now get this thought out of my head and just do it myself…..and that lasted for two weeks.

About two weeks before my wedding I got scared and thought, am I being crazy for not letting a professional makeup artist do my makeup on my wedding day. So I started to look up some more artists in my area and the quotes that I was getting were insane! Some wanted $300 for just the bride’s makeup, and that didn’t even include me getting to keep any of the product. I had more that were $150-$200 price range but they wanted to also have me book a minimum of other girls to do their makeup too. I didn’t have a bridal party so that was a no-go. Finally I found another artist who lived nearby and was free the day of my wedding so I booked another makeup trial. This one was only $60 and again I went in with a few photos to show exactly what I wanted….I was a bit more optimistic this time around as I felt she was really understanding my vision and she began to go to work. The moment she handed me the mirror to take a look, I wanted to cry. I just wanted to get it over with, go home and wash my face. I showed her neutral colors and pinks for my cheeks and I came out with burgandy and just overall did not look anything like me at all. I drove home and sat in my car, staring and wiping half of it off. As I walked into my apartment I ran into my fiance on his way to the gym.. I was mortified, I looked like a clown. He looked at me and said in the nicest possible way “I honestly think you should do your own makeup, you do it beautifully and that is how I love you – when you look like yourself. This doesn’t even look like you nor do you any justice.” It was at that moment that I made up my mind, with certainty, I was going to get this idea out of my head – I was going to do my own makeup and I didn’t need anyone to tell me I needed a makeup artist to look my best.

I have to say that doing my own makeup for my wedding was the best decision I ever made, I do not regret it at all and never will. For the next two weeks leading up to my wedding I ordered all the products I knew I needed for my bridal look. Having shot in front of and behind a camera I knew the products needed for flash photography to use, I knew which products I needed to make my look last all day and night, even in the heat, and I knew which products I needed to have the perfect look for my dress, hair and overall style. Once I resigned the idea of needing someone else to do my makeup I could breath a sigh of relief. Makeup to me helps me to destress, it gave me the time I needed on the morning of my wedding to just be alone in my hotel room, take my time and watch what I was doing as I went along. If something wasn’t coming out like I wanted, I could remove it and start again. I gave myself 2 hours to get my makeup done and finished it all within an hour. I was not rushed, I didn’t have a panic attack, I felt at ease and in control – just like I wanted to on my morning getting ready. When my makeup was all done, and my step mother and maid of honor came in the room they said that it came out flawless; that was all I needed to hear. I felt good, I felt confident – I felt like the best version of myself which is what every bride should feel like. You should feel and look like yourself on your wedding day, not like someone else.

Don’t feel pressured to have someone else do your makeup if you don’t want to. Many brides are now opting to just do their own makeup on their wedding day, and I am a huge advocate of that. You know your skin best, you know what you like and you know what you want. I do suggest using certain products though for your wedding and I will list out what I used below because they all were amazing to last all day and they had major staying power! Overall, make sure on your big day you feel beautiful, you feel your best self and that your future husband looks at you and see YOU, not a dolled up version of you that he doesn’t even recognize…remember that is who he fell in love with anyway <3

Makeup Products I used to do my own makeup on my wedding day:

Face Make Up

1. Start with a fresh face and used Benefit Porefessional Primer on entire face to blur pores and make a matte finish – link

2. Undereyes I used Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer – link

3. On eyelids I used Urban Decay Primer Potion to hold eyeshadow all day long – link

4. On t-zone area I used a small amount of MAC Cosmetics Oil Free Lotion to prevent shine – link

5. For Foundation I used 1 drop of Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream Ginger – link

6. Mix it with 2 layers of NARS Luminous All Day Weightless Foundation which is the best foundation I have ever used, it was so flawless and soft – link

7. For blush I used Tarte 12 Hour Amazonian Clay in the color Fearless – link

8. For Highlight I used the Bobbi Brown Brightening Brink in Pinks just on the top of my cheek bones – link 

9. For overall face powder I have to say I loved the Ben Nye Banana Powder and it kept my skin soft, shine free and perfect all day long! – link

10. For contour and bronzing on the temples and in the sunken areas/hallows of my cheeks I used Benefit Hoola Bronzer – link

Eye Makeup

1. For eyeshadow I used a MAC 9 color palette in neutrals to keep the colors toned down but a bit browns and cream colors called Amber Times – link

2. I used a few of the shimmer colors from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Pallete to add some pink and mauve tons as well – link

3. For the top lid I did a thin eyeliner using the Kat Von D. Liquid Tattoo liner which was so easy to apply and lasted all day long – link

4. for the shimmer on my eyes I used a MAC pigment in a rose color

5. Eye liner for under my eye was a black MAC Pencil – link

6. Mascara I used waterproof Luminous by L’oreal – link

Lipstick

1. I used Mac Angel Lipstick – link

2. Bare Essential Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel – link

3. Reception color I used Ben Nye lipstick in Blush – link

Finishing Spray

1. to keep it all in place all night I used the Urban Decay Setting Spray called All Nighter which kept my makeup on literally all night – link

For my eyelashes I did not use false lashes, I had a terrible fear they would loosen and fall off mid ceremony so I had eyelash extensions put on a few weeks before my wedding and got them filled two days before extra thick so they looked great for photos and I never had to worry about them!

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