Wedding preps are tedious but sometimes so are the post-wedding parties. We have to doll up everyday, preen ourselves pretty and live up to our new bridal aura. And even though our outfits are planned months ahead we are never sure of what to do with our face.
My helpful guide will tell you about makeup products a bride-to-be or a newly-wed bride needs to have in her makeup kit.
FOUNDATION
Foundation is the essence of a flawless, smooth, glowing skin. You can always opt for a BB/CC Cream if you are blessed with perfect skin. As for the foundations my personal favourites for a beautiful, natural, yet buildable finish are Bourjois Healthy Mix Fondation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation.
CONCEALER
Hide those unruly dark circles and imperfections that are caused many a times by post-wedding stress with a concealer. Just pat onto areas that need extra attention and you are fit to go. For medium, crease-free, non-cakey coverage I love the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and the Collection 2000 Concealer.
SETTING POWDER
We don't want that flawless foundation to slide off, do we? It is best to dust face powder all over the face with a big, fluffy brush. Or if you have dry to combination skin just dust some onto your T-zone. There is no going wrong with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder although I am currently using the Maybelline Fit Me Powder.
EYE PRIMER
You can go without a face primer, no harm done. But without an eye primer there are chances your eyeshadow won't stay fresh all day and neither will the colours pop. A good affordable option is the NYX Eyeshadow Base.
EYESHADOW
We do sometimes need to give some definition to our eyes. No need to go all bold or colourful, a simple neutral eye does the trick. And the best option is to just get a neutral eyeshadow palette. MUA Undressed Palette is a great drugstore option, dupe for the infamous Urban Decay Naked Palette. Go for the latter if you are in the mood to splurge!
EYELINER
Now for the eyeliner, another essential for an eye makeup! You wanna experiment go ahead get some coloured eyeliners but there's nothing more classic than a simple black eyeliner. You can get pencil, cream, gel, liquid, it's all upto the look you are aiming for. Some of my favourite drugstore options are the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner and the L'Oreal Extra Intense Pencil Eyeliner. I love the latter for smoking the whole look or putting on my tightline or waterline.
MASCARA
No look is complete without a mascara! I cannot live without one. A luscious, lash-defining mascara just dresses up the eyes in seconds. I am currently using the Maybelline Rocket Volum' Mascara and the L'Oreal False Lash Flutter Midnight Blacks Mascara.
BLUSH
Rosy cheeks are a must. A face without a hint of flush looks very plain and that's where blushes come in. Keep a few blushes in your makeup kit, there is nothing more flattering than a pink or peach blush. Some good powder/cream blushes can be found by NARS, NYX, Sleek Makeup and MAC.
CONTOURING POWDER
You can totally skip this step. Contouring is not essential. But if you want to go a little extra, get those defined cheeks and jawline and appearance of a slimmer, taller nose (contouring can do wonders from making your face look slim to hiding your double chin) you definitely want to experiment with contouring. Sleek Contour Kit is amazing with the additional highlighter you get and the Benefit Hoola is a cult-favourite.
HIGHLIGHTER
Now here's how you tell people you are glowing, by making sure light accentuates all your beautiful features. Highlighter doesn't mean to put all that glitter and dazzle. A subtle sheen does a beautiful job for that dewy face. You should definitely have either Benefit High Beam or theBalm Mary Lou Manizer in your kit.
LIPSTICK
I don't think I have to tell you about this part. We all girls are lipstick hoarders and there won't be a bride who wouldn't already have at least 2-3 lipsticks in her collection. Make sure you have a girly pink, a classic red and a flattering nude with you. Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks and MAC has some great lipstick shades.
LIPGLOSS
Some people don't really wear lipgloss. I being one of them. But there are occasions when the glossy lip does illuminate the whole face. If you are not a gloss-wearer like me, just keep a clear gloss at hand to pimp up any lipstick. Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Glosses are something that I'd really recommend!
BROW POWDER
Many of us make the mistake of not tending to our eyebrows. Let me tell you eyebrows make the whole face. Nothing can add blandness to the makeup than undone eyebrows. If you want a quick fix get a tinted brow gel or a dual-sided eyebrow pencil like the Rimmel ones. For a natural brow I recommend a brow powder, with my go-to product being the MUA Brow Kit. If you have unruly brow hair that don't stay in place use a clear gel something like the Catrice Lash/Brow Gel to set them.
MAKEUP BRUSHES
How to put all this makeup on your face without the right tools, right? True for many steps you can use your fingers but fingers don't blends like brushes do. To know the ultimate makeup brushes you will need in your kit, check out my post on Beginner's Makeup Brushes Guide.
NAIL POLISH
We all love wearing nail polishes. And there is nothing more bride-like than a girl with painted nails. OPI The Color of Minnie is a beautiful shimmery red. L'Oreal Color Riche Boudoir Rose is a very flattering warm nude pink to have.Maybelline Colo Rama Mauve Kiss is a nude with a hint of mauve. And Essie Bottle Service is a stunning neon fuchsia for all brides.
Pretty long, I know! But I hope this helps brides-to-be, newly weds and anyone in general looking for product recommendation.
Disclaimer: This post was originally published on BridalLounge.com.
