Wedding season is officially here! Well, yes, there are weddings throughout the whole year. Spring and Summer, though, are the most popular times for weddings since the weather is nicer. That being said, planning a wedding can be quite stressful. However, your wedding makeup does not have to be. We've geared this article towards brides, but these tips would apply for anyone in the wedding party and for sure the mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom! Many mothers-of-the I've spoken with don't want to go the makeup artist route that the bride has chosen - so we hope this article will arm you with tips to use when preparing for the big day. Then checkout our two short video courses to learn how to make your lipstick last and look flawless, and how to do your eye makeup to enhance your eyes whatever shape or age they may be!

Many brides choose to go with a makeup artist for their big day, but not every bride wants to get their makeup done by someone else. Perhaps they feel more comfortable doing their own makeup or would like to save some money, after all, weddings can get expensive. Also, with the current situation of being in the middle of a Pandemic, some brides might feel better and less stressed choosing to do their own wedding makeup. With this being the case, we are sharing our top 10 Wedding Makeup tips as well as some great Red Apple Lipstick product recommendations to help you achieve the perfect look for your special day.

Top 10 Wedding Makeup Tips

Tip #1: Skincare

Make sure you are taking care of your skin well before your wedding day comes around. The best way to achieving flawless-looking makeup is by having healthy skin. Makeup cannot cover up all skin imperfections, but when you have a good skincare routine tailored to your specific skin needs you will have fewer skin problems to hide. Have a set skincare routine that works for you a couple of months before the wedding day, and don’t change it, to ensure your skin is as healthy as possible for the big day. If you struggle in this area, check this post out to start your research.

Tip #2: Practice

Just like how a makeup artist will have a trial run, or two, before the wedding day, you should do the same. Practice doing your makeup several times, try different looks until you find the one that you are happy and feel the most comfortable with. If there are any areas where you feel that you need help, check out some of our previous blog posts and/or videos. If you want an all-inclusive excellent eye makeup lesson, check out RAL All About Eyes Video Course. And if you want to learn how to keep that lipstick in place and looking flawless for hours, check out Lipstick Like A Pro

Tip #3: Keep It Simple

When it comes to wedding makeup it is best to keep it simple. You want your makeup to enhance your features without doing too much. Your wedding makeup should make you feel like the best version of yourself, so if you are not much of a makeup wearer then do not overdo it for your wedding. You do want to wear a bit more than you would wear on a normal daily basis for photography purposes. You want to wear enough where it will show in pictures but at the same time do not over apply. Do apply just a little bit more blush and make sure to lightly sculpt and define the face with bronzer, making sure to blend these products well. A good idea is to take pictures when you practice doing your makeup, that way you will get an idea of how much you need to apply. When it comes to eyeshadow neutrals are always beautiful for wedding looks, but if you want a bit of color try softer shades like pinks, plums, and even some greens. If you want to rock a smokey eye, stick to a softer smokey look using browns or taupe shades, or even a plummy smokey eye would look beautiful.

Tip #4: Use a Face & Eye Primer

Primers are not always necessary when applying your regular everyday makeup, but when it comes to your wedding day you want to make sure your makeup will last. To ensure your makeup stays in place and lasts all day, you should apply a face primer. A primer can also help your foundation apply smoothly. You also want to use an eye primer to help your eyeshadow last as well as prevent it from creasing, helping it to stay looking fresh as long as possible

Tip #5: Foundation

When it comes to your foundation you want to make sure that it matches as close as possible to your complexion, after all, you want it to look like your skin but better. Avoid anything too shiny or dewy, you want more of a natural finish. If you have super oily skin, a matte finished foundation could work as long as your skin does not end up looking dry. Also, avoid foundations with SPF since these could cause a white cast in photographs. If you must wear SPF, use a moisturizer that has SPF that is not too high. Talking about white cast, if you are planning on using any kind of setting/finishing face powders, choose a tinted one to avoid any white cast in your photos as well. Remember, though, if you are using a face powder do not apply too much so you do not end up with dry or cakey-looking skin.

Tip #6: Define Your Brows

Wedding day is one of the times where the brows must be defined. Defining the brows will give you a complete makeup look, pulling your whole look together and giving you a more polished finish. It will also help your eyes stand out in photos, and if you wear glasses it's super important. Keep it simple though, do not overdo it. Lightly fill in your brows using a pencil or eyeshadow that matches your hair color. For more in-depth details and tips on how to define and fill in your brows, take a look at this post here.

Tip #7: Avoid Glittery Products For Wedding Makeup

For photography purposes, you want to avoid using products containing any sparkles or glitter in them, they do not look flattering in flash photography. This would include face powders, bronzer, blush, highlighters, and eyeshadows. Stick to mattes or even satin finishes. Satin finishes have a slight sheen to them but no actual glitter or sparkles, so they are completely fine to use.

Tip #8: Layer Your Lips

Make your lip color last by layering your products. For example, fill in your lips first with a lip liner that coordinates with your lipstick color and then apply your lipstick on top. This way if your lipstick starts to wear off, you will be left with a stain on the lips instead of absolutely nothing. Another tip, if you want to wear a lip gloss on top wait until after the first kiss to apply it, this way it won't get messy. And always remember to blot, apply more, then blot again. This will help the lipstick really press into your lips helping it last much longer and wear off evenly. And of all the times to use a lip brush, now is the time. You want to make sure and fill in your lips to the very edge of the lip line to maximize your lip real estate. Take your time with your lipstick, and you'll be so pleased with the results. Watch our Lipstick Like A Pro video series to really do this step right!

Tip #9: Apply Your Makeup Before Getting Dressed

To avoid getting any fall out on that gorgeous dress and getting it dirty, apply your wedding makeup before getting dressed. Be careful not to rub any makeup, though, when you are putting the dress on, have someone help you to put it on.

Tip #10: Do Your Eye Makeup First

Similar to tip #9, it is a good idea to start with your wedding makeup with eye makeup first. Applying your eye makeup before your face makeup will prevent getting any fall out on your face and ruining your foundation. This way if you do have any fallout or smudges, you can simply dust it off with a brush or wipe it clean. If you need more guidance in this area, check out our All About Eyes Video Course which will guide you in every step of eye makeup to help you feel confident on the day of the wedding.

*Bonus Tip: In case you need any touch-ups throughout the day, make sure to carry with you your blush, bronzer, face powder, and lipstick/gloss in your purse. If you are having a summer wedding, make sure to carry some blotting sheets in case you get a little too oily or shiny.

Red Apple Lipstick Product Recommendations

Prime Time Eye Shadow Primer- Help your eyeshadow last and prevent it from creasing by priming the lids first. Use just a tiny amount and apply on the entire lid, letting it dry for about a minute or two before applying eyeshadow.

Eyeshadow- There is a variety of shadows to choose from, some great ones for wedding looks would definitely be the new mattes as well as the browns and neutrals. There are also the new palettes for each eye color that have some beautiful color combinations. If you want a bit of color, we suggest trying the pinks (En Pointe, Pixie Dust & Tutu Cute for example) and plummy colors (Made You Wink, Plums Up! & Violet Vixen for example). Just remember to avoid any that contain actual particles of glitter. Eyeshadows can also be used as a brow powder.

Eyeliner Pencils- These are great, simple, and easy to use to line the eyes. They have great pigmentation and glide on smoothly, you can lightly line the eyes or do a bold winged liner. Black and Cocoa are our favorites to line the eyes. Charcoal and Cocoa can also be used as eyebrow pencils for some.

Mascara- The Lash Project Mascara is a great choice to use on your wedding day since it will not smudge or clump. It defines and adds a bit of length to the lashes, and gives them a beautiful feathery dramatic look when you apply 3 to 4 coats. If you are looking for more dramatic lashes, this layers beautifully with other mascaras as well.

Bronzer- Sundrop Bronzer is the perfect shade for adding natural-looking warmth to the complexion as well as to define and sculpt facial features. It is a warm matte, buildable shade that is perfect for all skin tones.

Blushes- Red Apple Lipstick has a great selection of blushes available for all skin tones. I love that they are nicely pigmented and super easy to work with, blending beautifully on the skin. You are sure to find the perfect shade that will be right for your wedding day. Some personal favorites are Gotta Glow, M’Lady, and Coy.

Lipsticks- We have to include lipsticks in our list of recommendations, they are a must! With a vast selection available, everyone can find their perfect lip color for their special day. Pinks, Nudes, and Reds are great options when it comes to wedding makeup. Of course, though, you can choose whatever color you feel best in as long as it coordinates well with your eyeshadow colors and blush. If you need help finding the right shade of pink for your skin tone, make sure to read this post here. Or if you need help picking out the right shade of red, check out this post.

Lip Glosses- There is also a good selection of glosses available if you wish to top your lipstick color with one. Remember that it is a good idea to wait to top your lip color with gloss after the first kiss.

Lip Liners- And of course, we recommend using a lip liner to fill in the lips first to help make your color last longer. Many of the lip liners available will work with multiple shades of lipsticks. So, you are sure to find one that will work with whatever lip color you decide to go with.

We sure hope you find these tips and recommendations very helpful, especially if you are a bride-to-be. Or if you know someone who is getting married and is planning on doing their own makeup, please feel free to share these with them. Hopefully, they too find them useful. For those who have already had their special day.