The eyes are the window to the soul as they say, so make the most of them on your wedding day. Find out how to apply shadow and liner like a professional to give the illusion of larger, wider eyes and discover which mascara the top makeup artists use on emotional brides.
Image courtesy of Pam Wrigley and Nitin Kapoor
I hope your plan for DIY wedding makeup is coming along nicely!
In Part 1 I mentioned some primers, foundations and powders that I find work very well for DIY wedding makeup. Once you’ve bought the stuff, don’t leave it in the box until your wedding day – get it out and practice!
When you’re happy with your primer, foundation and powder choices, it’s time to think about your eyes.
First thing to remember is that you should do your eye makeup first, before you apply your foundation. This is a trick used by many professionals, so it will definitely work for you. It may seem like you are doing things backwards, but this is how you avoid spoiling your great foundation by dropping eye shadow onto your cheeks. Do your eye makeup first, then clean up under your eyes and then apply the foundation – it works like a treat every time.
Images courtesy of Pam Wrigley and Right Shot
Secondly, a good base for your eye shadow is a must, as it will keep your eye makeup looking beautiful. For this, the professionals recommend using the MAC paint pots, applied sparingly over the eyelid, before you apply your shadow, cream, or powder. It prevents creasing, enables easy blending, and stays put for the entire day.
Now for the colour… your wedding day is not usually the best day for experimenting and being adventurous with bright and never-before-used eye shadows, but if that’s your thing, then go for it! Most brides opt for neutral shades, aiming for a smokey but gorgeous look, so it gloriously highlights their beauty in the photos rather than make the bride look overdone. The most popular shades for this are cool or warm browns, greys, and sometimes beautiful deep violet colours.
Laura Mercier has a gorgeous Wild Violet eye quad, with the deepest shade so smoky it looks fabulously sultry on the eye, with a gentle hint of purple.
Cosmetics a la Carte do a beautiful shade in their Shimmer Eye Define range called lichen. It looks greenish on the palette, but applied to the eye it looks almost like a fabulously neutral brown, which brings out the colour of both green and brown eyes beautifully.
Clockwise from left: Simple Eye Makeup Corrector Pen | Laura Mercier Wild Violet Eye Quad | MAC Paint Pot | Clinique Lash Power Mascara | Cosmetics a la Carte Shimmer Eye Define in Lichen | MAC brushes 209, 210, 211
Generally speaking, you need 3 shades of eye shadow – light, medium, and dark – to create a beautiful effect. Apply the light colour all over the lid as a base on top of the MAC Paint Pot, and then the medium shade just above the socket line to create shape and depth.
Alternatively, for ease of application, you can apply the light shade on the inner half of the eyelid, and the medium shade on the outer half of the eyelid, blending them so they meet seamlessly in the middle. Boots sponge applicators are great for this!
Finally – use the darkest shade along the upper lash line, and optionally along the lower lash line.
For an easier way to line your eyes, gel eyeliners give great depth and definition, and are essential if you’re going for a vintage feel. Try MAC eyeliner brushes no’s 209, 210 or 211 for great application results!
If you make a mistake, Simple do a handy little eye makeup corrector pen – great if you think you might need to correct any mistakes on your big day.
Images courtesy of Pam Wrigley and Neil Walker Photography
Finally for mascara… waterproof is the name of the game, as chances are you will feel emotional at some point during the day. Professionals recommend Clinique Lash Power as it is very reliable and works a treat! It’s not the thickest mascara in the world, but goes on really smoothly, and doesn’t smudge, flake or come off until you want it to.
Many brides opt for false lashes and they certainly deliver what they promise, but buy a few different ones and try them out to avoid the drag queen look – it doesn’t suit everyone!
Remember – practice makes perfect! Let me know how you get on!
Read part 1 of Pam’s DIY wedding makeup advice here!
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