If your big day is coming up, congratulations! But we all know there’s a lot more to wedding planning than just choosing a date and a venue. There are so many intricate details that nobody thinks of, but a good wedding planner will take the stress off of your shoulders to ensure those decisions are made. But what about your wedding look? Who is there to help take the weight off your shoulders regarding that? Luckily, I’m going to break down the top chic wedding makeup looks of 2022 to make you and your makeup artist's lives a little easier!
Wedding makeup traditions have evolved just like anything, but there seems to be a lot more similarity between looks then and looks now than we may think. Wedding makeup has always had a consistent theme to it: innocence. Weddings have several aspects to them that are meant to symbolize innocence. For example, the basis of the white dress tradition comes from the idea that white represents purity. The notion of purity for a bride is a standard we don't care to enforce, but we can still recognize that weddings celebrate the union of two lovers, and they also symbolize a fresh start for both parties involved and a send-off to their new life together.
Depending on your traditions, many wedding makeup looks involve very light, rosy, and flushed cheeks. They also typically incorporate a light champagne or even white eyeshadow to bring light to the eyes. And to top it all off, a near natural or clear lip color. The basic idea is to make the you look and feel like beautiful your beautiful self.
This is a debate that comes up in all of cosmetics but is especially prevalent when talking about wedding makeup. Some people love to keep it all-natural and very simple, using a few products to accentuate. But, on the other hand, some like to go a bit more bold with their makeup look. They are all about the glitter and the eyeliner and the sculpting and even sometimes a pop of color on the cheeks or lips.
These two looks are very clearly on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to wedding makeup. But, it’s important to remember that a spectrum exists; so while you may not be the au natural girl or guy but you’re also not the full glam type, there is a wedding makeup look for you that can give you just the perfect amount of enhancement to make you feel that much more beautiful and confident on your big day.
Let’s begin with one end of the spectrum: full glam. These wedding makeup looks are absolutely stunning and some may say a work of art within themselves. If you love makeup and find yourself wearing makeup often - glam looks may be for you. The best part is, you can tweak any and every wedding makeup look to your specific taste and comfort level.
For a full glam look, we often start with a full coverage foundation. If you are someone that struggles with acne, scarring, redness, irritation, or you just love a full beat, a full coverage foundation is going to give you that flawless base and canvas to begin your makeup look. One of the cult classics and critically acclaimed full coverage foundations is the OG Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation ($46). This is a classic for a reason, it is the fullest of full coverages and it has such a long-lasting aspect which is crucial for your big day. One of the reasons this foundation is so widely loved by so many different people is because it works with almost every skin type. Whether you have dry, moderate, oily, sensitive, or mature skin, Double Wear will adapt to your skin type and give you a beautiful finish whilst staying put throughout the ceremony, the pictures, and especially the dancing at the reception!
Another aspect of a full glam look is an emphasis on contour. Contour is meant to mimic shadows on your face in order to enhance your natural bone structure. Contour is extremely specific to each face shape but serves the same purpose on everyone. A cream contour in combination with a powder contour can give you that chisel for a full glam makeup look.
Similarly, a cut crease is supposed to enhance the natural structure of your eyes. It is essentially a harsh line of a darker eyeshadow shade that follows the natural curvature of your eye and draws attention to your gaze. These are extremely simple to do yourself or for any makeup artist. It really only requires one deeper shade such as a dark brown or taupe and a lighter color for the eyelid. Some people prefer to use a shimmery champagne shade on the lid while others opt for a matte bone shade. Eyeshadow is one of those things where if you buy a quality neutrals palette, you’re pretty much set to create any eye look you can imagine. The Makeup By Mario Master Mattes palette is relatively new but has quickly become a makeup artist’s staple. This palette was designed to produce any eyeshadow look using core neutral matte shades.
And lastly, the key component to a glam wedding makeup look is lashes. Lashes and eyebrows frame your face, they have the ability to draw attention to your eyes without any color or tweaking. And on a typical day, your natural eyelashes are very noticeable and probably look very long and luscious. But on your wedding day, when you already have your full glam on with the foundation and the cut crease, your lashes can kind of get lost in the mix. False eyelashes or lash extensions are here to save the day.
There are so many different kinds of falsies ranging anywhere from natural to extra-long mink. Or, if you prefer eyelash extensions, those are also a great and popular alternative. For me, I like individual falsies. They come in tiny clusters and you can use them to strategically place emphasis on certain parts of your eye. If you want a brighter and more doll-eyed effect, place the clusters in the center of your eye to bring focus and make your eyes look wider and more awake. If you want a more sultry look, apply the clusters to the outer portion of your eye only to create a cat-eye effect. False eyelashes are definitely one of the items you can save money on; the drugstore has several amazing options. A drugstore classic is the Ardell Wispies ($5.00).
If you are a lover of no-makeup days and really despise the feeling of makeup on your skin, a soft, natural look is perfect for you! Wedding day makeup is meant to enhance your natural features, so you don’t necessarily need tons of makeup to consider it a wedding look. Personally, I don’t love the feeling of makeup on my face, especially foundation. Instead, I would opt for a tinted moisturizer. My personal favorite is the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Skin Tint ($32). This is a natural tinted moisturizer that gives the perfect amount of coverage while still allowing freckles to peek through! And the best part is it’s lightweight and feels like nothing on your skin. When properly set with powder, this skin tint can definitely last all day.
With a natural look, there’s more of an emphasis on bronzer than contour. The goal is to simply highlight and enhance, not sculpt and mold, so there really isn’t a need for contour. Instead, reach for a warm or neutral-toned bronzer to add that sunkissed glow to your skin without the damage of UV rays. You can even use the bronzer as an eyeshadow and brow powder. My favorite bronzer is Benefit’s Hoola ($30). This is a matte bronzer that has the perfect amount of pigment and the best part is they have several different shades to choose from based on your skin color and undertone.
Natural looks always emphasize glowiness. Nothing screams natural more than being dewy and having a healthy glow. Highlighter is another key component of the natural look. There are so many different types of highlighters from powder to cream to liquid. Depending on your skin type, different formulas will work better with your skin. If you have oily skin, opt for a powder highlighter, if you have moderate to dry skin, cream and liquid highlighters will work best. You can also choose between a variety of undertones. Some highlighters have a gold hint, others a pinky hue, and some are true champagne. My favorite highlighter is the Benefit Watt’s Up! Cream Highlighter ($30).
And last but not least: the lips. Your lip shade and lip formula are both personal preference products for your wedding day look. Oftentimes for full glam, add lipstick with a matte or satin finish. For a natural glam, try a gloss or a tinted lip balm. But regardless of what makeup look you choose, the classic lip shade for the big day is literally your lips. If you’ve ever heard someone mention a “your lips but better” shade, this is what they’re referring to. Choosing a lip color that is almost the exact color of your lips but a bit more potent is a choice that you will never regret when looking back at photos. So really take the time to try out different lip colors, undertones, and finishes to see what lip product will give you the perfect pout on your perfect day.
Remember, makeup is personal and specific to whoever is wearing it. You don’t have to decide between a full glam or a totally natural look, it’s a spectrum, and every look on the spectrum is beautiful. I recommend testing out products, colors, tones, and formulas months in advance to see what you like, what works best for you, and to make sure your skin doesn’t have a reaction to any of the products. I’d also recommend doing a trial run of your wedding day look if you choose to hire a makeup artist. That way you can see exactly how the look fits your face, how long it lasts, and if any aspects need to be tweaked or changed. Whatever look you decide on, you will turn heads on your wedding day!
Written by Jordan Hammaren
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