Help! October bridal DIY makeup (pic of me attached)

[peonyponies]

DIY makeup help needed!

I'm reasonable at make up when needed (not much knowledge, not many products in my collection... but able to follow the odd tutorial for a special occasion).

I'm 35, I have light peach-toned (i think) skin but will be lightly 'tan' on the day. I'm leaning towards a peachy/warm makeup look....not too overdone/heavy. I do like the 'dewy' look but also want to hide my large pores so willing to let that one go!

I'm willing to buy high-end products when necessary, but want to choose the 'drugstore' option when there's not much difference.

I'm looking for tips on products/looks/tutorials.

Eyeing up Estee lauder double wear for foundation but worried it will be a bit cakey?
I'm sticking with my trusty lash sensational mascara.
I need to find a decent:
primer,
foundation
Contour (? Nothing over the top though?)
blush
highlighter (subtle?)
transluscent (i think) setting powder, a highlighter (?)
maybe a waterproof khol liner?
Something for brows?

Obviously looking for long-lasting and comes-out-well-in-photographs (think there will be a fair amount of indoor/flash photography).

Photo attached with no make up except mascara - bit of fake tan which will prob be same on the wedding day.

Thanks so much in advance for any help x

I mean you could literally go like that and look lovely. You're beautiful and have very very lovely eyes!

I am no help as sound about the same as you in terms of talent and experience, although actually I once went to the Lisa Eldridge counter in John Lewis to buy makeup and had a free makeover with their products and was shocked by how much I loved it- and was then able to recreate the look (ish) by buying the products they used. I'm a seller's dream. But I liked it!

@addler thanks so much for replying with such a nice compliment. Like probably most of us I have loads of things I'd like to change about my appearance (big nose, big pores, saggy boobs, mum-tum - don't even get me started on trying to find a dress to work around this !)

I did once go to a Clarins make up counter looking for a foundation, she put some on me and I bought it but then decided I hated it! Think I'm better off ordering online to be honest :)

I'm probably also a make-up-counter-sellers dream just because I buy stuff out of not wanting to be rude!

As you have plenty of time, why don't you go to two or three different counters and see if they can do a free session for you. Then pick the look you like best. Agree with PP that you don't need much as you don't want to look overdone. DD has just had her consultation with the make up person for her wedding and she looked fabulous. Very subtle without loads of heavy products. Think she is paying 75 Eur on the day which is probably a lot cheaper than buying the products herself!

You look amazing, do you have instagram? a few local MUA's did tutorials on there via lockdown and they are saved. I tend to follow 1 for a night out makeup look.

I’d recommend getting your brows tinted rather than a pencil. It’s quite long lasting and makes a big difference to me.

Makeup really is a bit of trial and error u fortunately. But you are lovely and will look lovely,

That's a good idea re the make-up-counters.

I did vaguely look at getting a makeup artist on the day, but from what I could see their prices are in the hundreds - is this not standard? Maybe I need to look a bit harder.

I do also worry that with a makeup artist they may give me the overdone (in my opinion) look that seems to have been in fashion for the last ten years.

I came here to recommend Lisa Eldrige. Not necessarily her makeup products, but her tutorials and recommendations are always bang on. Go and binge a load of her videos on Youtube.

My favourite product line is Charlotte Tilbury, their products are good quality, glowy and as simple or as glam as you'd like. Why not go to a counter and ask to test out some stuff? Their Hollywood Flawless Filter and the light foundation are lovely.

Thank you, I do have an instagram!

Yes this is the problem, I have to spend money on some products to trial before the day ££££ 😭
Will look at the eyebrow tint, thank yoU!

Thank you, I will look into Lisa Eldridge and Charlotte Tilbury products - won't be able to splurge on many high-end products but will buy when no suitable 'drugstore' alternative...

Another one here to recommend Lisa Eldridge tutorials. She has a couple of videos filed under bridal make-up on her website: www.lisaeldridge.com/blogs/videos/tagged/bridal-make-up

You have amazing eyes and a beautiful canvas to work with, so I'm sure you'll look lovely!

Hey OP, I did my own wedding make up too, just a word of advice- the dewy look is harder to achieve well so that you get good photos, safer to go with a matte photo finish primer and powder over your foundation. My favourites for these are from Aldi lacuna and they’re amazing dupes for Smashbox. then use a cream blush on cheeks to get that fresh look without too much shine.
I also third having eyebrows tinted and shaped too, get them done as close to your wedding as possible. It doesn’t cost much but makes you feel awesome.
finally, have a look at magnetic false lashes online, easy to apply and really work wonders for photos, lots of styles available so really natural looking and just need a bit of practice before the big day. Goo luck with your planning and have an awesome day!

You look beautiful! Have a wonderful wedding day!

Oh yes the Lisa Eldridge tutorials are amazing, and they're more about techniques than recreating something with products. Although I absolutely adore her True Velvet lipsticks.

She has loads on YouTube, from very subtle natural looks to more party/going out looks. And does them for actual people in their normal lives, and is very clear that what she does for red carpets/shoots is not what people should do in real life.

I even sent my mum some of her videos because she does great ones for women with more mature skin, instead of the horrible look of doing 20yr old styles on a 70yr old I've seen a lot of people do, without taking in to account the changes in skin as we age.

Would it not be easier to just pay for an MUA on the day? By the time you've paid for all the products it's probably not much different in cost, and it's a lot less stress on the day.

I looked into MUAs and they were stating about 300 quid on their websites ...

I did my own makeup for a wedding recently (bridesmaid). I was already happy with a few things (base, blusher, mascara) but I had to buy several eye and lip products and also tinted my brows. The problem with wedding makeup is it needs to stand out in the photos so you need much more than usual. A Charlotte Tilbury counter MUA told me to use twice as much as I thought!

Anyway I ended up spending about £80 on products, which stung a bit as now I need to use them more often and I’m usually quite lazy. So definitely consider that it may be easier and not much more expensive to just get a MUA, depending on what products you already have and how confident you are.

the other thing you will need is setting spray to make sure your makeup lasts all day.

Dude, you're gorgeous.

I'm a fan of revolution makeup, it's cheap as chips. Buy some, try some.

In terms of wedding day stuff, I'd be tempted to get some facials in, in the weeks before the wedding, and get your eyebrows tinted and shaped so there's less to do make up wise.

I'd keep it super natural.

I really like Charlotte Tilbury for higher end. If you book a makeover, you get the money back on products.

Invest in a decent mascara. Nobody wants their mascara halfway down their face on their wedding day. I like tubing mascara nowadays, the red and white Rimmel one is good and cheap. You could buy it now and practice.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

You are beautiful already ! I am considerably older than you and very unadventurous with make up so I went to a local beauty salon for a practice wedding make-up and make-up on the day. I also use Estee Lauder Doublewear and the beautician showed me a great tip which is to mix a little primer into it. I now use 1 blob of Clarins SOS (the colourless one) to two blobs of Doublewear and it really brightens my skin and gives it a glow.

Congratulations on your wedding.

thanks everyone for the tips!

Double wear is fabulous and not cakey with Hollywood flawless that's your base done. You could use benifit pore professional if your worries about big pores, you can buy a mini, use No 7 translucent powder it's like Charlotte Tilbury powder, then use your usual blush and lip. I wouldn't use high lighter. Then enjoy your day

Thank you soo much... I was watching some of the tutorials recommended yesterday - Lisa Eldridge really emphasises the minimal-but-good-quality-well-applied way....part of me nervous it won't show in photos but will trust the experts!!

This is a good article.www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/fashion-beauty/make-up/wedding-makeup-natural-looks-bridal-b1851488.html
Lots of excellent advice already - and Lisa Eldridge’s videos are brilliant. Trish McEvoy also does great wedding make up tutorials if you are near a store.
DIY wedding makeup is absolutely doable, so long as you take the experts’ advice to practise a lot, and take lots of pictures! The best tip I was given for long-lasting lip colour was to use an Estée Lauder lip pencil (good quality and depth of colour) as a base - apply, blot, apply again, then use lipstick or gloss on top.
You will look lovely - have a wonderful day!

The things to splurge on:

Primer (Hollywood flawless filter by Charlotte Tilbury people have mentioned here is amazing. You can get a travel size so it's cheaper!)

Concealer (I swear by Nars Creamy Concealer, its long lasting, good coverage but never matte or cakey)

A good powder to seal everything in, avoid sweaty shine and keep your makeup lasting longer (I love hourglass but it's pricey, Charlotte Tilbury do a similar one)

Things you can buy for less:

Foundation - people swear by Loreal true match and the infallible range

Mascara - Maybelline are great

Eyeshadows - revolution palletes are good, you could also try a creamy stick pencil type thing, rub it in all over the lid and buff out with a brush

Eyeliner - Kiko pencils are fantastic, most 'drugstore' types are fine

Brushes - Zoeva and Real Techniques

Highlighter, bronzer and blush - try cream products, you can build up a beautiful natural look