another wedding-related question: makeup this time - YouLookFab Forum

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another wedding-related question: makeup this time

Diana

Veteran

Sorry for all the wedding-related posts lately!

A lot of the stylists I am researching right now offer airbrush makeup for weddings, supposedly it is more natural, less caked looking while still heavy enough to last. I have pretty much NO experience with professional makeup and when I do my own, it's just mascara, eye shadow, powder and lipstick. No foundation at all. So can someone tell me about airbrushed vs. regular makeup (pros and cons) and which you would recommend?

Also, yay or nay on false eyelashes? ETA: I should add that I have really sparse eyelashes normally, and almost nothing on the bottom eyelid.

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from T-Rex

abc

Veteran

Don't know anything about airbrushing but if you do false eyelashes, I would suggest doing individual lashes rather than a whole line (whatever you call it). The individual lashes add a lot of punch without looking too OTT, IMHO.

Diana

Veteran

Bumping...

Abc, I had no idea you could do individual fake lashes! I agree, it would probably look a lot more natural.

MsMary

Veteran

My only note is that I had professional makeup for my engagement photos, and I didn't like it because although it looked fine, I didn't feel like myself. I think it's definitely more than worth the money to have a full trial run with the makeup artist so there aren't any surprises on the Big Day!

dizzys

What Mary said. You don't want to be surprised for the big day.

AJ

Veteran

I haven't had any personal experience with airbrushing, but my sister did it for her wedding. She really liked it, but she is more glam than I am with her make-up. I do have to say that it lasted all day with very little powder touch-up.

Whatever method you choose, do invest in a trial-run. Remember it's going to feel like more, since you don't do the whole make-up application routine. The main point is does it make you feel beautiful?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

One of my friends used an Urban Decay product called "All Nighter" and did her own makeup - it stayed just fine through the whole day!

Also; if you choose to use foundation with SPF, don't use one with Titanium Oxide because it will reflect light back and make you look pale - unless you want this look, I guess! :p

rae

(website)

Veteran

I haven't tried airbrushing, but I do know that every time I see a "natural" airbrushed look on Pinterest, I really don't think it looks natural at all.

As for false eyelashes - do your eyelashes curl? I have never been able to use falsies because my lashes won't hold the curl. The false ones stay have the curl built in but then my lashes slowly revert to straight and this weird and ugly double eyelash thing happens. I do love the look of falsies on others, though. *envy*

Anonymous

My skin is the epicenter of every issue know to mankind, so I stay away from professional makeup counters. I do my own makeup, even for special occasions. Even a harsh brush would turn thinks into a hot mess.

For "normal" people, I actually think you should have a trial session before the big day, regardless of technique. Also, don't forget to photograph yourself. You will feel like you have lots of makeup on but the result is very, very good in pictures, if the artist did a good job.

You wear glasses, I say negative to the fake eyelashes, They just look weird against the glass.

As far as airbrushing, if you have a good skin tone, which you do, you should not go caking it. I think heavy foundation should be reserved for cases where you actually need to conceal something.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

When I got married, I went to a salon for hair and makeup the morning of - and I didn't like the makeup at all. Unfortunately, I didn't do a trial run, and it was at a salon I'd never been to before. I also felt like the makeup they applied didn't look like "me".

When my stepdaughter got married - we spent some time having fun with bridal beauty related things. I looked up "events" at various local department stores, and there were things like makeovers/makeup lessons at specific brand counters etc. We both got a makeover/lesson of sorts at the Lancome counter in a dept. store. Later, we went looking around/asking at various makeup counters at another dept. store. We learned a lot, and got great advice from some of the better makeup counter SA's. Next was a fun event at Ulta - demonstrating Bare Minerals (a.k.a. Bare Escentuals). Five of us went to this one after brunch one morning (bride, bride's sister, maid of honour, me, groom's Mom). We had a lot of fun! Both bride and groom's Mom bought the makeup kits being demonstrated, but bride didn't use it for her big day. Just liked it for regular makeup, since it was less heavy and worked well to combat oily skin etc.

Later on, I noticed that a very nice salon in the area was having a wedding event - FREE trial runs of updos and makeup (product demos, free giveaway samples and prizes etc). My stepdaughter and I went to this event and the stylists/makeup artists were just excellent. Ultimately, the bride got her hair and makeup done at this salon on her big day, and the rest of us went in to get our hair done there as well.

Also - when my stepdaughter insisted that I go to her so-called "bachelorette" party, I rushed over to my normal hair salon and again, there was someone there who could do my hair nicely AND do an amazing job on a light makeup.

I guess what I'm saying is that a lot of good salons have excellent makeup artists as well.

If that salon where they had the wedding event/extravaganza weren't local - the makeup artist did such a good job explaining everything that my stepdaughter could have easily done it herself. Also - when we got back from the event - bride's hair all done, makeup done - we went outside and took a whole bunch of photos. Inside, outside, close ups, distance etc. to make sure the makeup looked nice in pictures. She looked like herself, just more glamourous, if that makes sense.

I don't recommend getting makeup applied the day of for the first time. If you have some time on weekends, I'd ask around at local salons about makeup, as well as visiting dept. store counters and so on.

I'm not quite sure where you are, but I just went to the Nordstrom site, and clicked on "events" and selected California, and there's a huge list of beauty events over the coming weeks (appointment required). Expert makeup artists and so on:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/esr?.....8;state=CA

The upshot is, I'd be afraid to try something new on the big day without a trial run first.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I was going to suggest going to a few make-up counters in advance and having them do your make-up. Take pics of each one and get them to give you a card with what they used. Practice and decide what you like.

I think it is interesting that what may not look best in real life may photograph well. I am not sure whether I would prefer to look fab in person or in the pics but suspect it would be in person.

Please make sure you are really comfortable with whatever make-up you decide on. This is your big day and you deserve to feel absolutely stunning and gorgeous (which you are).

VC, I loved the story of your step daughters wedding. How wonderful that you have that relationship.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Thank you dianthus, it means a lot to me.

It wasn't always easy (my stepdaughter's Mom passed away when she was just 14 years old). My DH and I met when she was 19, and we got married when she was 21.

Five years later, she'd finished college, started a new career, had moved out etc. When she announced her engagement, my DH and I threw a fabulous engagement party for her that everyone raved about. Several weeks later, we were sitting around, chatting over coffee. She was complaining to me that she really wanted to get into shape and go to the gym (in advance of her wedding) but that she couldn't get any of her friends to go to the gym with her. I spoke up and said, "I'll go with you" and we spent the next 8 months hitting the gym five mornings a week at 6 a.m.

We had a blast! You can't help but become good friends with someone when they see you flat on your face, unable to manage another pushup, or when you're the only two women in the weight room - struggling with little baby-weights - surrounded by a bunch of serious bodybuilder types. I think it was those months in the gym that helped us develop a nice relationship, and because of this - it was "ok" for me to suggest going shopping for makeup and so on.

Weekends were spent looking for dresses, accessories, flowers, venues and so forth. It was a lot of fun, and I'm so glad I could be part of it.

Diana - it might be a good idea to go to some dept. store makeup counters, especially if you can find some special events where they bring in expert makeup artists etc. It's all part of the fun leading up to the big day.

Linda

Having just had a daughter who got married last July, I'm going to put in my 2 cents! Like you, our daughter goes natural most of the time. However, her wedding was quite formal and she did go for the air brush make-up. It looked fabulous. She also did the full false eyelashes which were beautiful. My advice is, this is your day to shine, you probably will never be in the spotlight as much as on you wedding day, so go for it. With that said, she also did a hair and makeup trial about one month before the "big day" which really helped. There were many things she "tweaked" regarding both hair and makeup. The other positive was that she was thoroughly familiar with the hair and makeup people on the day of the wedding.

Diana

Veteran

OK, lots to think about! I really do know next to nothing about makeup. It definitely sounds like I should do a trial of some sort. Most makeup artists offer trial runs, the only problem is that I don't live in CA where the wedding will be. (I am going this weekend, actually, but I think it's too late to plan anything now, plus I still have no idea who I am going to choose.) Dept. stores sounds like a good idea too, although I honestly have no idea when I'd have time to go. (Also, no offense to people who enjoy this type of thing, but honestly I don't. I get bored and don't like having people poke at/look at me, and I also really don't enjoy meeting/talking with strangers. I don't mind going to my hairdresser but I've known her for 10+ years so it's different.)

Mary, AJ, Rae, Zap, etc: OK, it sounds like airbrushing might be too much foundation for me. I think I should probably ask them to take it easy on the foundation anyway. (I don't even own any foundation, i just use powder when I do it myself).

Zap, I do have sensitive skin but it's generally only a problem with cleansers and exfoliants. I have never had a reaction to actual makeup. I am definitely going to insist that they not try to clean my face in any way though.

Rae, hmm, I actually don't know if my eyelashes curl or not! They are pretty sparse and short so I'm not sure they're *long* enough to curl. What I don't like about my natural ones is that a)I have almost NO bottom lashes, and b) they point up on one side and down on the other which accentuates the fact that my eyes are asymmetrical anyway. Not sure I could really fix that with false lashes though. But it definitely sounds like I should ask the artist about whether false ones would even work. Zap makes a good point too that they might be really weird with glasses anyway.

VC, that's such a sweet story about you and your stepdaughter! I'm so glad you guys got to spend such wonderful bonding time together.

T-Rex

Veteran

Definitely give the false eyelashes a trial run or three before the big day. I don't know about professionally applied individual lashes and whether they are easy to wear or not. But I have worn the eyelash strip kind, and I am sometimes annoyed by them because I can feel them. Or worse, I can feel one of them. Or I can't get them even, or one of them moves on me or comes unstuck, or whatever.

Hopefully, the individual ones won't create problems like that. But still, try them on beforehand just to make sure you will be comfortable in them.