When I was a bride, I wanted to make sure I was on top of absolutely everything. Including any beauty emergencies which may have hit!
Having a bridal beauty touch bag is an essential part to ensuring your makeup stays camera perfect all day and all night long! I would recommend to my brides to consider investing in some must-have products for their beauty bag.
The Must-Haves
♥ Blotting Paper – These are great for a quick shine touch up. They are super easy to use during the wedding day. If you have combination or oily skin, I cannot recommend these enough – No one wants a shiny face in photos!
♥ Lipstick / Lip gloss – Lipstick is usually the first to fade on a makeup look due to eating, drinking and all those kisses brides end up dishing out to guests. If you want to touch up before photos and between meals, I would definitely invest in a full size lipstick of your colour choice. This way you will always have the lipstick colour on hand as well for your future anniversaries.
♥ Lip Liner – If you are wearing a brighter or bold color on your wedding day, having the matching lip liner is a must (especially with a red). Lip liners makes lipstick last far longer and when reapplying, you can get that razor sharp line which a lipstick by itself just can’t achieve.
♥ Pressed Translucent or Blotting Powder – My go-to is setting powder is the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Power for my initial makeup application. I would avoid a loose powder for your bridal beauty bag as the last thing you want is loose powder all over your dress! For touch ups when you have your dress on, I would recommend the MAC Blot Powders – they have hardly any pigment but can tone down any shine and keep that flawless finish for hours. I would recommend using the blotting paper first if you are quite oily to remove the excess oil and then top off with the blotting powder to really set and mattify.
♥ Facial Spray – If you are dry skin prone, having a refreshing facial spray will help keep any dryness at bay. Or if you are getting married in a hot summers day, a spritz of spray can make you feel rejuvenated! My go-to facial spray is MAC Fix +. If you want to know all the versatile ways to use this beauty check out my blog post on 10 ways to use M.A.C Fix+. Another spray I love is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray.
♥ Tissues & Q tips – These are great to have in your touch up bag for happy tears. Q tips are amazing for cleaning up the inner corners of your eyes where there is a likelihood of makeup build up by the end of the day. Also q tips are an easy way to clean up any makeup smudges – you will be surprised at how smiling so much can cause creasing!
♥ Compact Mirror – This is must in any bride’s beauty touch up bag. You can always check to make sure you look great even when you are on location for your photos!
♥ Mints – Mints to freshen the breath are discrete and great to have before your lip touch up.
I like to help all my clients feel pampered so with every makeup application I do (not just bridal), I provide a little top up kit containing a voucher for your next appointment, a top up of your lipstick applied on the day, a lip applicator, blotting paper and a cotton bud. This all comes in a small silk pouch that can easily fit in your clutch or makeup bag.
A go to pro product for all makeup artists are the MAC pro longwear paint pots. When working with my clients I often get asked what this product is and how to use it. To be honest, until my makeup training I too had no idea what this product was, how to use it or the power it has.
Paint pots are versatile and can be used on their own and in conjunction with pressed eye shadows or loose pigments. They are often described as a pigmented cream eye shadow that truly last all day long.
Personally, my favourite way to use paint pots are as an eye shadow primer. I have such confidence that the eye shadow on top will last the full day so I use this product on every single client. My go to shades for eye shadow primers are “Painterly” and “Groundwork.” I also have some darker shades for a super quick smokey eye or to enhance my mauve and burgundy eye looks.
Application tips
♥ The most important thing that people tend to forget with this product is that is it SUPER fast drying, so you need to work quickly and ensure you blend it properly.
♥ My favourite brush to apply a paint pot with is My Kit Co. 1.23 All Over Shadow. The easiest way I have found is to work the product with my brush and then I blend blend blend across the eye lid where I want the colour.
♥ You only need the smallest amount of this product to get the pigment you need and remember, you can always apply more! A light handed approach is always best.
♥ Once you have blended the paint pot out – you are done! Boom – it is that easy! If you want to wear the paint pot as an eye shadow primer, simply apply and then proceed with the eye shadows/loose pigments of your choice.
For me, I can’t do a clients makeup look without these babies! I have the utter most confidence that my brides eye looks will stay put all day long and my event makeup girls cut crease will look amazing!
The market is saturated with makeup artists, both professional and self-taught. How do you find the right one for your big day?
Below are a few questions to ask your makeup artist at your initial meeting, call or even your first email correspondence. The more information you have at the start the less chance there is for surprises later down the track.
♥ What is your background as a makeup artist? This is always a good question to start with (if this information isn’t already on the makeup artists website). Knowing you are getting someone who qualified and who has a few years’ experience under their belt will help you to feel assured that your bridal makeup will be stunning and stay flawless all day. It is also good to know what type of makeup your artist specialises in – stalk their online portfolio, which should give you a good indication.
♥ What makeup brands do you carry? For your wedding day, you want to have trusted, high end and established brands (especially if you have any skin concerns). Generally speaking, high end brands have more pigment and less ‘filler’ product so the makeup finish is generally better – which for your big day, is so important. Having your makeup artist use brands you have not heard of may impact your skin the longevity of the makeup that you need. I only stock premium brands such as MAC, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox and Anastasia Beverly Hills in my kit and always ensure to have tested the products on myself before using the product in my kit.
♥ Preparation for the trial? The trial is where all details should be discussed. Everything from the wedding theme, colour of the bridesmaids’ dress, any skin concerns, hairstyles and of course the ideas for the bridal look. In terms of the actual makeup trial, nothing is set in stone. I like to check in with my brides at the end of the trial day to see if they are still 100% happy their looks or if there is anything they would like to change. The bride should feel comfortable enough to change her makeup look up to and even on the day with her makeup artist. This is why it is important to get to know your makeup artist at your trial and decide whether she is the person you want there at the morning of your wedding.
♥ How long will the makeup take? This is an essential question. It will assist with knowing when everyone needs to start and also when everyone will be finished with the glam process. Generally, I allow 45 minutes per person (including lashes). Make sure to discuss any special requests, such as tattoo cover up with your makeup artist, as more time may need to considered.
♥ Should I worry about skin care? I am a huge fan of skin care and I always tell all my brides to start their skin care regime at least 6 months before the wedding day. Your makeup will only look as good as it’s canvas. I have a post dedicated to bridal skin care prep, so feel free to get a full load down there. I share all my tips on giving yourself that natural glow from within.
Your makeup artist should be a fun person that you want to keep around on the morning of your wedding – make sure to choose someone you trust and someone who you connect with.
Mural Beauty 