Please help a useless bride with makeup

[cluelessv]

I am getting married in 6 weeks. It is a tiny wedding with tiny budget. As such I have gathered some new/some old makeup and I will be doing my own on the day.
I don't wear a lot most of the time but just for this day I want to look pretty.
I am fairly confident I have the right shades of foundation and powder.

I have four things I am really confused about. I have no clue if it is me or if it is makeup but could someone give me some tips/ point me in the right direction of good tutorials to fix the following:

My lipstick won't stay on for 5 minutes. It looks and feels nice but when I check a mirror it is gone. Totally gone.
My eyebrows are nearly non-existant. I have a brow kit but then I look a bit Barbara Cartland. Or maybe I just think I do as I am new to it.
My eyeshadow looks nice, but my eyes still look really hooded.

The last one is just age I think but is there a way to minimise wrinkles under the eye ?

As I said tiny budget, no way for a make up artist and even if I came into a bit more cash there are other things for it to go on, so any help for a make up idiot would be lovely!

The cheapest, easiest way to familiarise yourself with cosmetics is practice, practice, practise. Start in the evenings just playing around with what you like. Take photos of yourself in different lighting to look back at. If you're fair, less is more with brows, follow brow kit instructions and apply a small amount. Leave it go back to the mirror in half hr and see what you think. Maybe apply more if you want more definition. Don't forget, you don't want to look like a stranger on your wedding day and in the photos. If you're normally understated, just enhance what you have with subtle blush for a healthy glow, some eye definition. I'm sure others will have advice to add to this. And congratulations!

And have a day trial run, to see how your make up lasts! Lipliner and long lasting lipstick will aid stay-ability.

If your lipstick's only lasting a few minutes it sounds like it's a very sheer formulation? You will probably need something more opaque. It doesn't last long though unless you use a specifically long lasting one or do the whole pencil/powder shebang.

Also, it's hard to make hooded eyes not look hooded-I would go with what you've got! Gisele has hooded eyes. They're beautiful

Congratulations

Some quick tips:

For lipstick, don't apply lip balm first if you are doing that as this will make it more likely to slip off. Apply lipstick, blot with a tissue, apply again, blot again. This should increase the staying power. If you have any lipliner try putting a light coat of this all over the lips first before doing the above.

Are your eyebrows just fair, or are they actually sparse? If fair, I'd recommend a brow mascara for a natural look. Maybelline and L'Oreal do ones that are about £7 each. The L'Oreal one has fibres so if you are a bit sparse this would help with that too.

Have a look at Wayne Goss on YouTube. He has loads of eye makeup tutorials focusing on different eye shapes, including hooded. You will still look like you have hooded eyes, but as he shows, that's not a bad thing!

Keep your under eye area well hydrated. If you use a serum, take it under the eye, or just buy a cheap under eye cream. And make sure you drink plenty of water.

Have a look on YouTube and type in 'bridal make up tutorial' . I'm actually a trained beauty therapist but I've learnt more from YouTube tutorials than from my course (awful tutors)

Oh, and if you wanted to purchase a longer lasting lipstick on a budget, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets and NYX Matte Lip Creams are good.

I took a photo of myself after I did the first run and the eyebrows did look good. It is just when I am eyeing them suspiciously in the mirror! I am probably not used to it. I have pale skin but dark brown hair. The eyebrows are a genetic gift from my eyebrow challenged fair mother.
I think maybe the lipstick will need changing then, although I have not tried lipliner and powder with it ( I do have both)
I appreciate not looking like a stranger but honestly, I look a haggard mess both days. Does not bother me day to day as I am not confident vain really, but for my wedding day I really just want to show people I can look nice.

Brows - Benefit Gimme Brow. Does not require skill. Get the paler shade if you do not want to look Barbara Cartland.

Lipstick - Lipcote. Makes you lips feel awful but your lipstick will not move. Is worth it just for this day.

Hooded eyes - you can't change your eye shape. Love what you have - perhaps look at some youtube videos of people with similar eye shapes to you. Ditto wrinkles - you may be able to moisturise your way out of some of them.

Also watch Lisa Eldridge. I almost never wear makeup. I did one of her video looks for my wedding only using far cheaper products and stuff I already had and I got loads of compliments and people asking me 'who did your makeup. She's very clear and makes it look obvious. She has loads of looks esp wedding ones.

Slow typing, more responses! The eybrows are solidly there closest to my nose but virtually non existant further out. They have a decent shape though.
I will get on you tube for the recommendations above thanks.
I am using cream on my face daily, I take it I need a specific one for under eyes too!
I am not sure how I got to 35 so clueless about makeup.

Thanks for all the congratulations!

Lisa Eldridge would really suit you as she does tend to do looks that suit herself and she has pale skin and dark brown hair. She also has shorter videos about making lipstick last with liner etc.

It's also amazing seeing how much she is transformed as she does herself up.

Don't feel you have to do everything on your wedding day - I can't for the life of me apply eyeliner so I didn't bother. You generally want something fresh and better version of you.

A few of my friends are the same as you - but I LOVE makeup and everything to do with it.

So I have done 4 of my friends wedding make up now - for free - because I love doing it and they are my friends :)

Have you not got a friend like me who could step in?????

Eminemily, no they are all bog standard bit of lippy, dash of mascara people.

have a look at Stephanie Lange on you tube for tutorials on hooded eyes. She does a few videos on hooded eyes do's and don'ts. I love her videos.
here

I would suggest to look for some insipration and help on youtube channels. I would recommend this lipstick, stays really long and it's a budget one. Eyebrows - buy Collection Eyebrow kit, it's brilliant and cost just few pounds.

Try Lipcote for your lipstick :-) it's a lipstick sealer which will help to keep the lipstick on your lips longer. Make sure you are lining and filling in your lips with a lip pencil in a similar shade to your lipstick before you put on lipstick. It could just be down to the lipstick you are using too, I have ones that come off after 10 minutes and others that last for hours on end.

As for your eyebrows, you probably feel strange because you're not used to doing them. I'd practice each day and watch tutorials. If you're still not happy with how they look you could just stick to how they are and get a coloured eyebrow gel to go over them and make them stand out more. I use a Rimmel eyebrow gel in brown most days when I can't be bothered doing them properly and it works really well.

I have hooded eyes too and there isn't really much you can do to make them look not hooded. I'd advise just searching for hooded eye makeup looks online and trying out some different looks in the shades you want until you find something you're happy with.

As for under your eyes, skincare is important so make sure you are moisturing daily. I'd also try a primer that aims at smoothing and filling in lines; I think Rimmel has one for around £4.00 which is meant to be pretty good. I've heard it's best to gently pat the foundation/concealer under your eyes when you have wrinkles to build up coverage without it being too cakey and it should help to stop the makeup creasing and creating more lines. Maybe you could give that a try?

Congratulations! You'll look lovely no matter what you wear on your face :-)

Tip 1

For lipstick that stays on for ever try Maybelline 24hrs - sold in most Boots/superdrugs. Lots of colours so you may need to try a few to find one that suits you.

When you put it on, you must let your lips dry properly - keep them apart and enjoy looking like a fish. The other end of the tube is a lip balm thing that you then put over the top of the lipstick.

www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Superstay-24hr-DualEnded-Lip-Color_1150622/

Tip 2

Go to a make up counter in a department store and get them to do your makeup. They'll try to get you to buy stuff but you don't have to. Tell them you are new to make up, getting married and want to do your own make up, need to buy some products but have no idea where to start. Ask for help and get them to show you what they are doing. Then at the end of it say you want to have a think about it and you'll come back.

You can visit a few counters like this - preferably in different dept store or on different days and you'll get lots of tips and ideas. Get them to give you a mirror to hold so you can watch what they do.