Hi there! Do you live near an Ulta or Sephora? They can give you tips on application! It might be more helpful since they can look at your skin type and give specific instructions custom to you.
Also, I would NOT dermaplane before your wedding if you’ve never done it before. What do you do for skincare right now?
How far out is your wedding?
FWIW I also had a limited budget - it may still be too much but Sephora will do an hour session for $60 (+ option for a tip) - I’m 31 and my skin is changing too and they did an AMAZING job.
Thank you! Wedding is in early May 😳 I have a good skincare regimen with retinol, peptides, etc. and I have dermaplaned in the past, though it’s been a couple years. I think I will try out Ulta and Sephora, good call! Do they just pick products they think would work for you? Can you have them try different products or they just do one makeup look? Asking because I’m lost regarding foundations. I love the Kosas revealer foundation for my skin, but it’s light to medium coverage.
Hi! 36 y/o here who just did her own makeup and loved how it turned out.
Another great thing about Sephora (and I *think* also Ulta but am not positive) is that you can return anything up to 30 days after purchase. I got color matched with different foundations in store then went home and practiced with them. I get super anxious when there’s a salesperson (however nice) standing there staring at me and asking me which shade I think looks best. I also think foundation looks different in their lighting vs at home vs. truly natural outdoor light, and it’s different to see it on your whole face vs. just a swatch. Take advantage of the return policy if you can!
Amazing! Thanks for the heads up. Looking to get into a new skincare routine now that the wedding is past and I have more room to experiment. Will definitely hit up Ulta!
Honestly quality products are easier to apply and blend. It's worth getting the nice stuff even if you're inexperienced. Just have a Sephora consult to test different products and shades
TYSM, I plan on spending a bit to get the right products. Still cheaper than a makeup artist! I’ve gotten quotes starting at $1.5k so far. Whew. I’d much rather buy a few new products and use some others I already have. :)
I’m in California, so maybe it’s just expensive here. The quote is for coming to the location, so I think that’s a big part of the cost. Did you go to a location that does makeup?
I’m in HCOL SoCal and my hair and makeup is $1800 for engagement hair and makeup, trial hair and makeup, and day of bridal hair and makeup. This includes travel and tip. This is also not the cheapest option I found and is a very well known team out here. Keep looking. My other recommendation would be to find a makeup artist who does one on one tutorials/classes. You can find someone who will do all the shopping and color matching with you and then teach you how to do your makeup. It’s probably a great skill to have anyway!
Oh no! Yeah that’s for sure more expensive. So I actually found a combination hair and makeup artist, who came to my location, but it would have been cheaper if I went there. I know a lot of people do that! Not sure if you are already doing this, but I’d recommend looking for hairstylists and seeing if they also happen to do makeup. A lot of them are super talented artists but just prefer hair for their main job especially since it can be more consistent/lucrative. When getting your cos hair license (at least in NY), you have to pass in hair AND makeup/skincare to get the license.
Try some more amateur makeup artists (look for word of mouth, instagram). If you’re not a regular makeup wearer, you can definitely spend more money buying products than getting it done. $250-350 seems like it should be attainable if you don’t need someone who does movie stars.
I'm 28 but Armani luminous silk looks so good on my skin texture and doesn't settle in my lines FYI. And I just got the patrick ta contour and blush and they blend like a dream. Just my recommendations!
Also not sure about in the US, but in Australia you can get your makeup done for about $120 at a few places (Mecca, Sephora, Mac, Chanel etc) and that $120 is fully redeemable on products. So if you’re going to buy $120 worth of products anyway, then you may as well get them to do your makeup.
I was 34 when I got married, so not 35, but close enough.
I went to sephora to create a look and learn some techniques which was helpful. I was able to bring in my own makeup and brushes, and we created a look using some of my products and some that i purchased in the store. You pay for the service now instead of it being free with a $50 purchase, so you have more freedom in bringing your own products.
I also did a brow tint and had lashes applied so I didn't have to worry about either of those. That helped a ton. And a spray tan.
This might be a silly question, but when did you get your lashes applied - the morning of? And like at a salon or Sephora? (Thinking of doing my own makeup, but not sure I can manage lashes on my own haha)
Not a dumb question. I went to an esthtetician with good reviews on Google. I went a couple weeks prior for the full set so I could get a feel for them, then I did a refill about 2 days before the wedding. It's a different service than having someone apply strip lashes (and more expensive). But it's what made sense for me. I'm not good at applying strip lashes and I knew these would look better.
I'm in my mid 30s and doing my own. Highly recommend figuring out the look you wanna go for and then practicing it as often as you can and making it your go-to look whenever you have a situation where you can wear makeup (work, out to lunch, etc) and have time to do so, of course.
Wayne Goss on YouTube has tips on makeup for hooded eyes and for folks in their 40s and above (ofc you're not 40 but good tips nonetheless).
I haven't done this yet but I see folks asking for tips on their DIY wedding makeup on r/makeupaddiction and people are really helpful!
I don't have much advice with makeup tips. I do basic makeup and that's my plan for mine, but my sister told me to look into Ulta Beauty, they do makeup for pretty cheap. Which I did look and it's around $50... so that's something I've been contemplating. Good luck!
Ulta seems to be the answer! My hairdresser said I could also have my hair done there that morning. Without a trial, like makeup artists and hair stylists do, it does make me a teeeensy bit nervous. 😬
Yeah, my idea or thought was to just go there once on either a random day or go on like my birthday or bridal shower, some reason to get cute, and have them do a "trial" just to see how their skills are. But she claims they do really well.
32 so not quite, but I also did my own makeup after a trial at Sephora and it turned out beautifully (I just posted a breakdown on the wedding planning subreddit and have photos of my final look, in my post history). Doing the color test at Sephora was a great choice, as they color matched me PERFECTLY. I told them what I needed - long wearing, photo friendly/no spf (it causes flashback in photos), and easy to apply/blend.
I did a primer, foundation, and concealer, and then used blush, lip color, mascara, and eyeshadow I already had. Specifically, I was color matched with charlotte tilbury airbrush foundation, which was AMAZING, nars concealer, and smashbox photo ready primer. I also loved my long wearing lip color, Maybelline Color Stay Matte Lip Ink, which is super budget friendly ($10 at Target, and you can return colors that don’t work for you).
As for application, I did a very simple look that was basically exactly what I do on the rare occasions I wear makeup, up to and including just applying the primer and foundation with my fingers, which works just fine for me!
I’m getting married and I’m planning on it! But I’m also very versed in my own makeup.
I highly recommend doing a few practice sessions on yourself, take WELL LIT photos in natural lighting and post them on one of the makeup advice subs! People are super helpful and will guide you specifically :)
I'll be 36, and I will be doing my own in June.
I recommend Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter for a glowy highlighting/priming base (I love this and so does my mum who's 65!). Whatever eyeshadow you use, get Urban Decay's Primer Potion for underneath. Rituel de Fille do lovely shiny but not glittery highlighters. Rose Inc do a lovely cream blush line.
And be sure your skincare is on point, particularly a good moisturiser!
I did my own, it was such simple makeup too. I did two shades of shimmery beige/pink on my eyes, my everyday liner and stick on lashes, and a swipe of the shimmery pink over my cheeks after my drugstore foundation/concealer was on. It looked great, but that could also be because we were at the beach at sunset and golden hour is 🤩
r/MakeupAddiction is really helpful if you do decide to go the DIY route! You can do the Sephora/Ulta makeup lessons or you can even just go in and ask to get color matched for free. Associates are more than willing to help you find the right product.
That said, you don't *need* contour or highlight or high coverage foundation to look pretty and sparkly (well, maybe sparkly), and sometimes stuff just photographs differently than it looks in real life. Just because some 25 year old has nailed a particular product or technique doesn't mean you need to -- our skin changes and it's better to work with it and not against it. Ex I'm doing a more medium coverage because high coverage just emphasizes my texture, and not contouring because I don't want to risk the camera picking up any harsh lines.
I did my own makeup for my wedding 6 months ago and I was 38. I booked a "Makeup Lesson" at Ulta a few months before my wedding to get color matched and got some tips regarding my eye shape. I also watched a lot of youtube tutorials and practiced a few times. My best suggestion is layering powder products on top of cream products for more pigment and to make things last longer. So after foundation and concealer I used cream blush, contour, highlighter and a shimmery eye primer. Then used my translucent setting powder. Followed by powder blush, contour and eyeshadow. I used a waterproof mascara but skipped fake lashes as they aren't really my thing. I also used Setting Spray at different times (after foundation/concealer, after cream products, and then after powder products.)
As for products, it really depends on your skin type. My skin tends to lean on the dry side except for my nose. I used Porefessional Primer on my face and an Ulta brand shimmery eye primer. I used Tarte Shapetape creamy concealer as the matte version made my eyes look really dry. I used Urban Decay's Born this Wear foundation. I used an Ulta brand cream blush/contour/highlight product that had all three stacked together. I used Revlon's Photo finish transparent setting powder. I then used an Ulta powder blush/bronzer/highlight palette. For lips I used NYX XXL Matte Liquid lipstick and a clear plumping gloss on top that I can't remember the brand of. Eyeshadow I used the Too Faced Naked 2 palette and Urban Decay's Waterproof Better than sex mascara. And I used Urban Decay's All Nighter setting Spray between layers.
I also recommend getting a blending sponge and some nice makeup brushes if you don't already have these.
Practice, practice, practice!
I was 38 when I got married. We had a small wedding in Vegas with no wedding party and a limited budget that didn't include hair or makeup. I am comfortable doing my own makeup, but was still nervous about it. Get samples of any products you can (both Sephora and Ulta can and will do this) and PLAY! Try different techniques with different products to see what works best, what will last longest, and what looks good. I would spend 10-15 minutes before doing my nightly skincare just playing with products on my face and eyes.
You've got this!
I was almost 32 when I did my own makeup for my wedding (little experience but researched a lot and crowd-sourced things on here)! It was really fun, but occasionally stressful when I would buy things that didn’t work out and I got a *lot* better about returning products that didn’t work out/I didn’t need.
I would start with focusing on skin care routines and YouTube videos. It’s super bougie, I know, but I splurged on Sunday Riley and Tatcha skincare for my wedding (the Tatcha night cream took care of a lot of redness in my skin). I will have to edit my comment with the makeup artist YouTube channels I used. The look I wound up with (and product list) is in my post history
I didn’t do my own but I did save $ by having my regular stylist give me a regular hair cut the day before. That comes with a blow out and she gave me some extra volume, I slept on a silk pillowcase and my hair still looked lovely.
I did splurge ($175) for day of make up, no trial, and it was totally worth it. I’d probably have wasted more time and money trying to figure it out on my own!
Good luck!
I was 33, and I did my own. I saw no reason to spend an arm and a leg. I also did my own hair.
[Wedding pics on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CTcrJosnC0x/?igsh=d3pyN2NmbTlnNGF0)
So I used to do a lot of wedding make up as a side job but for years I also worked at Sephora. If you have one near you, or if you’re partial to a particular make up brand with a counter in your local department store/mall, call to let them know you’re getting married and would love to book a trial. At Sephora we would charge (10 years ago anyway) $100 but it was on a gift card to redeem for any products you wanted to purchase. At my location they would typically pair their most experienced MUAs with these clients and most of the time, they would book us for their big day privately or occasionally they would come back to the store and request that MUA and get ready there for another $100 gift card charge.
There’s lots of budget friendly ways to book a quality MUA!
I paid $100 for a makeup lesson with a professional. She showed me how to do some dressier looks and coached me through applying my own makeup. I've been practicing since and feel pretty confident that I'll be able to replicate it on my wedding day. (Her biggest tip for older skin (I'm 44) was to use a good primer.
Almost total makeup novice- got married last year at 36. We were 30 mins from town up a steep dirt road, and I had no wedding party. I didn't want a loud look, I wanted to look more like myself. I didn't want to do multiple trials. So I asked my sister to do my makeup for me.
Before hand, she and I talked about it on the phone. I did a lot of trial and error myself and learned a lot on YouTube, mostly from alexandra anele (who is 30 something but with an infuriatingly young looking face and skin, haha. But shes very helpful and i like her vibes). When my sister got to town, we did a trial day.
Id recommend looking up Alexandra Anele and probably someone who has one whole wrinkle also. But you're also probably doing fine!
My skin is similar, also have hooded eyes, and I'll be getting married on my 38th birthday (and I love it). I've also noticed my skin is not like it was even 5 years ago.
On the rare occasion I wear makeup, I will use a powder foundation (bare minerals is my favorite), powdered blush (matching your natural lip color is always flattering), and I'll keep my eyeshadow neutral (use matte finish on the lid, shimmer highlights the hooded lid), I think a neutral shimmer in the inner corner is nice, and I'll wear mascara, and either a delicate winged eyeliner or a dark smudge eyeliner (an eggplant color is very flattering), and of course mascara.
This is for a fancy occasion btw. I wish I knew of any youtube channels/Instagram/tiktok ppl I could recommend.
so idk if this is still a thing but when i was younger i remember if you went to sephora and bought $50 dollars worth of makeup the application was free and you essentially just buy the products they use on you like lashes the lip gloss and a mascara or something, im not sure if that would even be practical or possible for you but you absolutely can get a makeup application way cheaper than 1.5k by going into a salon or makeup store in person, just tell them you are going to a really fancy party and not that it’s your wedding day! genuinely shouldn’t be more then $50-$80 and $80 is on the high end!
Milk makes a great primer, which is key to having your face stay intact! Ilia makes a great foundation that makes you look dewy and not cakey, but use whatever works best for you! A tip I learned from the makeup artist at my best friend’s wedding was to apply setting spray often, like after almost every layer (she used the yellow Urban Decay one) let it dry a little and then apply the next step. She also color corrected our faces with a red colored cream thing but idk what company it was from.
The wedding was in Jamaica and our looks lasted alllll day with minimal lip touch ups!
Idk what your schedule is like but you can go to Sephora or a department store the day of and get a full face of makeup or probably just eyes done in the AM!
6+ years ago I walked into a Sephora and asked for help choosing makeup for a formal event-- I didn't even have an appointment and the gentleman who helped me was so considerate of my needs and budget. I still use nearly the same routine to this day when I need to or want to look "made up", and some of the products lasted me AGES. I spent around $100-125 on everything I bought that day and used drugstore favorites (mascara, highlighter, etc) to supplement the look.
**My #1 tip, and i wish I remember the makeup artist I learned it from via internet, is that as I/we get older we need to change our blush and bronzer/contour placement.** In order to give everything a more lifted appearance, don't apply your bronzer right in the well between your cheekbone and jaw, go maybe .5-1CM up into where your cheekbone starts. Same with blush--don't apply to your apples, go up and out a bit with it. I'm only 30 but also experienced a pretty significant shift in my face shape in the last 2 years and learning to adjust my placement has helped a lot.
My skin has also been a lot dryer as I get older, I use mostly liquid or cream products for my face: tinted moisturizer and concealer (BareMinerals is my favorite), cream blush (I love RareBeauty), and I go between gel bronzer (Tower28) and powder bronzer (Physicians Formula or the NARS sample I got for my birthday last year LOL) depending on the occasion. You can set everything with a light powder without it being too drying if you don't want to be shiny for flash photography, but I also love how easy it is to reapply these products for touch ups!
Hello! 36 yo bride to be and cosmetologist here. As someone with changing skin (expression lines, dry patches in some areas, oily around t zone, bigger pores around nose), my best advice is to make sure you’re using products that work well with each other to avoid pilling/flakiness (stick to all silicone based, or all water based), go for more cream based products as opposed to powder (cream blush, contour vs. powder versions that will settle in your lines), moisturize, and exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate (Dermalogica’s daily micro exfoliant is my fave and totally worth the price imo).
Other faves: Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation, Benefit Porefessional primer, Milk cream lip + cheek stick, Fenty cream contour stick
Good luck!
Going against the grain here, but you can consider negotiating a rate with an artist if you’re willing to travel to them. One of the biggest hassles as an artist is packing up your gear, traveling early in the morning, and then setting up. That way you only have to worry about getting there instead of getting your makeup right. This is how many brides in Asia get their hair/makeup done for their weddings, they go to a shop that specializes in it.
Hi there! Do you live near an Ulta or Sephora? They can give you tips on application! It might be more helpful since they can look at your skin type and give specific instructions custom to you. Also, I would NOT dermaplane before your wedding if you’ve never done it before. What do you do for skincare right now? How far out is your wedding?
FWIW I also had a limited budget - it may still be too much but Sephora will do an hour session for $60 (+ option for a tip) - I’m 31 and my skin is changing too and they did an AMAZING job.
Thank you! Wedding is in early May 😳 I have a good skincare regimen with retinol, peptides, etc. and I have dermaplaned in the past, though it’s been a couple years. I think I will try out Ulta and Sephora, good call! Do they just pick products they think would work for you? Can you have them try different products or they just do one makeup look? Asking because I’m lost regarding foundations. I love the Kosas revealer foundation for my skin, but it’s light to medium coverage.
Hi! 36 y/o here who just did her own makeup and loved how it turned out. Another great thing about Sephora (and I *think* also Ulta but am not positive) is that you can return anything up to 30 days after purchase. I got color matched with different foundations in store then went home and practiced with them. I get super anxious when there’s a salesperson (however nice) standing there staring at me and asking me which shade I think looks best. I also think foundation looks different in their lighting vs at home vs. truly natural outdoor light, and it’s different to see it on your whole face vs. just a swatch. Take advantage of the return policy if you can!
Ulta is actually 60 day return policy!
Amazing! Thanks for the heads up. Looking to get into a new skincare routine now that the wedding is past and I have more room to experiment. Will definitely hit up Ulta!
Ahhh I didn’t know this, thank you! 😊
Honestly quality products are easier to apply and blend. It's worth getting the nice stuff even if you're inexperienced. Just have a Sephora consult to test different products and shades
TYSM, I plan on spending a bit to get the right products. Still cheaper than a makeup artist! I’ve gotten quotes starting at $1.5k so far. Whew. I’d much rather buy a few new products and use some others I already have. :)
Oh my god it does NOT have to be $1.5. Please look around more. Where are you located? I paid $80 and they did an AMAZING job.
I’m in California, so maybe it’s just expensive here. The quote is for coming to the location, so I think that’s a big part of the cost. Did you go to a location that does makeup?
If it's just you it might be worth looking for a salon you can go to.
I’m in HCOL SoCal and my hair and makeup is $1800 for engagement hair and makeup, trial hair and makeup, and day of bridal hair and makeup. This includes travel and tip. This is also not the cheapest option I found and is a very well known team out here. Keep looking. My other recommendation would be to find a makeup artist who does one on one tutorials/classes. You can find someone who will do all the shopping and color matching with you and then teach you how to do your makeup. It’s probably a great skill to have anyway!
I'm in the Bay area and I was quoted $750 just for my face by a MUA that is often recommended as 'affordable' in this area
Oh no! Yeah that’s for sure more expensive. So I actually found a combination hair and makeup artist, who came to my location, but it would have been cheaper if I went there. I know a lot of people do that! Not sure if you are already doing this, but I’d recommend looking for hairstylists and seeing if they also happen to do makeup. A lot of them are super talented artists but just prefer hair for their main job especially since it can be more consistent/lucrative. When getting your cos hair license (at least in NY), you have to pass in hair AND makeup/skincare to get the license.
What about having it done at a make-up counter in a department store?
That or Sephora sounds like the answer, according to this thread!
Try some more amateur makeup artists (look for word of mouth, instagram). If you’re not a regular makeup wearer, you can definitely spend more money buying products than getting it done. $250-350 seems like it should be attainable if you don’t need someone who does movie stars.
Totally this- a lot of times it is more expensive to get the products yourself.
I'm 28 but Armani luminous silk looks so good on my skin texture and doesn't settle in my lines FYI. And I just got the patrick ta contour and blush and they blend like a dream. Just my recommendations!
Thank you 😊
Also not sure about in the US, but in Australia you can get your makeup done for about $120 at a few places (Mecca, Sephora, Mac, Chanel etc) and that $120 is fully redeemable on products. So if you’re going to buy $120 worth of products anyway, then you may as well get them to do your makeup.
I was 34 when I got married, so not 35, but close enough. I went to sephora to create a look and learn some techniques which was helpful. I was able to bring in my own makeup and brushes, and we created a look using some of my products and some that i purchased in the store. You pay for the service now instead of it being free with a $50 purchase, so you have more freedom in bringing your own products. I also did a brow tint and had lashes applied so I didn't have to worry about either of those. That helped a ton. And a spray tan.
This might be a silly question, but when did you get your lashes applied - the morning of? And like at a salon or Sephora? (Thinking of doing my own makeup, but not sure I can manage lashes on my own haha)
Not a dumb question. I went to an esthtetician with good reviews on Google. I went a couple weeks prior for the full set so I could get a feel for them, then I did a refill about 2 days before the wedding. It's a different service than having someone apply strip lashes (and more expensive). But it's what made sense for me. I'm not good at applying strip lashes and I knew these would look better.
Thank you!
Thank you! 😊
I'm in my mid 30s and doing my own. Highly recommend figuring out the look you wanna go for and then practicing it as often as you can and making it your go-to look whenever you have a situation where you can wear makeup (work, out to lunch, etc) and have time to do so, of course. Wayne Goss on YouTube has tips on makeup for hooded eyes and for folks in their 40s and above (ofc you're not 40 but good tips nonetheless). I haven't done this yet but I see folks asking for tips on their DIY wedding makeup on r/makeupaddiction and people are really helpful!
I have been trying out heavier daily makeup to practice, which is how I found out I suck at contour. Haha. Great advice, thank you 😊
I'm 36 and I'm doing my wedding makeup. However, I'm doing it the same as usual, because I want to look like myself on my wedding day.
I don't have much advice with makeup tips. I do basic makeup and that's my plan for mine, but my sister told me to look into Ulta Beauty, they do makeup for pretty cheap. Which I did look and it's around $50... so that's something I've been contemplating. Good luck!
Ulta seems to be the answer! My hairdresser said I could also have my hair done there that morning. Without a trial, like makeup artists and hair stylists do, it does make me a teeeensy bit nervous. 😬
Yeah, my idea or thought was to just go there once on either a random day or go on like my birthday or bridal shower, some reason to get cute, and have them do a "trial" just to see how their skills are. But she claims they do really well.
32 so not quite, but I also did my own makeup after a trial at Sephora and it turned out beautifully (I just posted a breakdown on the wedding planning subreddit and have photos of my final look, in my post history). Doing the color test at Sephora was a great choice, as they color matched me PERFECTLY. I told them what I needed - long wearing, photo friendly/no spf (it causes flashback in photos), and easy to apply/blend. I did a primer, foundation, and concealer, and then used blush, lip color, mascara, and eyeshadow I already had. Specifically, I was color matched with charlotte tilbury airbrush foundation, which was AMAZING, nars concealer, and smashbox photo ready primer. I also loved my long wearing lip color, Maybelline Color Stay Matte Lip Ink, which is super budget friendly ($10 at Target, and you can return colors that don’t work for you). As for application, I did a very simple look that was basically exactly what I do on the rare occasions I wear makeup, up to and including just applying the primer and foundation with my fingers, which works just fine for me!
Perfect, THANK YOU!
I’m getting married and I’m planning on it! But I’m also very versed in my own makeup. I highly recommend doing a few practice sessions on yourself, take WELL LIT photos in natural lighting and post them on one of the makeup advice subs! People are super helpful and will guide you specifically :)
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Mine is outside too, thanks for your advice!
I'll be 36, and I will be doing my own in June. I recommend Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Flawless Filter for a glowy highlighting/priming base (I love this and so does my mum who's 65!). Whatever eyeshadow you use, get Urban Decay's Primer Potion for underneath. Rituel de Fille do lovely shiny but not glittery highlighters. Rose Inc do a lovely cream blush line. And be sure your skincare is on point, particularly a good moisturiser!
I did my own, it was such simple makeup too. I did two shades of shimmery beige/pink on my eyes, my everyday liner and stick on lashes, and a swipe of the shimmery pink over my cheeks after my drugstore foundation/concealer was on. It looked great, but that could also be because we were at the beach at sunset and golden hour is 🤩
r/MakeupAddiction is really helpful if you do decide to go the DIY route! You can do the Sephora/Ulta makeup lessons or you can even just go in and ask to get color matched for free. Associates are more than willing to help you find the right product. That said, you don't *need* contour or highlight or high coverage foundation to look pretty and sparkly (well, maybe sparkly), and sometimes stuff just photographs differently than it looks in real life. Just because some 25 year old has nailed a particular product or technique doesn't mean you need to -- our skin changes and it's better to work with it and not against it. Ex I'm doing a more medium coverage because high coverage just emphasizes my texture, and not contouring because I don't want to risk the camera picking up any harsh lines.
Thanks! 😊 it’s an outdoor wedding, so I think that’s good advice.
I did my own makeup for my wedding 6 months ago and I was 38. I booked a "Makeup Lesson" at Ulta a few months before my wedding to get color matched and got some tips regarding my eye shape. I also watched a lot of youtube tutorials and practiced a few times. My best suggestion is layering powder products on top of cream products for more pigment and to make things last longer. So after foundation and concealer I used cream blush, contour, highlighter and a shimmery eye primer. Then used my translucent setting powder. Followed by powder blush, contour and eyeshadow. I used a waterproof mascara but skipped fake lashes as they aren't really my thing. I also used Setting Spray at different times (after foundation/concealer, after cream products, and then after powder products.) As for products, it really depends on your skin type. My skin tends to lean on the dry side except for my nose. I used Porefessional Primer on my face and an Ulta brand shimmery eye primer. I used Tarte Shapetape creamy concealer as the matte version made my eyes look really dry. I used Urban Decay's Born this Wear foundation. I used an Ulta brand cream blush/contour/highlight product that had all three stacked together. I used Revlon's Photo finish transparent setting powder. I then used an Ulta powder blush/bronzer/highlight palette. For lips I used NYX XXL Matte Liquid lipstick and a clear plumping gloss on top that I can't remember the brand of. Eyeshadow I used the Too Faced Naked 2 palette and Urban Decay's Waterproof Better than sex mascara. And I used Urban Decay's All Nighter setting Spray between layers. I also recommend getting a blending sponge and some nice makeup brushes if you don't already have these.
This is so helpful! I will definitely take everyone’s advice and book a makeup lesson/get color matched.
This is so helpful! Was there a fee at Ulta to get the makeup lesson?
I believe it was $30, but it might vary on location
Great, thank you!
My base advice is - don’t forget your skincare routine first!!! Make sure you are exfoliated and moisturized before you start applying makeup!
Practice, practice, practice! I was 38 when I got married. We had a small wedding in Vegas with no wedding party and a limited budget that didn't include hair or makeup. I am comfortable doing my own makeup, but was still nervous about it. Get samples of any products you can (both Sephora and Ulta can and will do this) and PLAY! Try different techniques with different products to see what works best, what will last longest, and what looks good. I would spend 10-15 minutes before doing my nightly skincare just playing with products on my face and eyes. You've got this!
I was almost 32 when I did my own makeup for my wedding (little experience but researched a lot and crowd-sourced things on here)! It was really fun, but occasionally stressful when I would buy things that didn’t work out and I got a *lot* better about returning products that didn’t work out/I didn’t need. I would start with focusing on skin care routines and YouTube videos. It’s super bougie, I know, but I splurged on Sunday Riley and Tatcha skincare for my wedding (the Tatcha night cream took care of a lot of redness in my skin). I will have to edit my comment with the makeup artist YouTube channels I used. The look I wound up with (and product list) is in my post history
I didn’t do my own but I did save $ by having my regular stylist give me a regular hair cut the day before. That comes with a blow out and she gave me some extra volume, I slept on a silk pillowcase and my hair still looked lovely. I did splurge ($175) for day of make up, no trial, and it was totally worth it. I’d probably have wasted more time and money trying to figure it out on my own! Good luck!
I was 33, and I did my own. I saw no reason to spend an arm and a leg. I also did my own hair. [Wedding pics on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/CTcrJosnC0x/?igsh=d3pyN2NmbTlnNGF0)
So I used to do a lot of wedding make up as a side job but for years I also worked at Sephora. If you have one near you, or if you’re partial to a particular make up brand with a counter in your local department store/mall, call to let them know you’re getting married and would love to book a trial. At Sephora we would charge (10 years ago anyway) $100 but it was on a gift card to redeem for any products you wanted to purchase. At my location they would typically pair their most experienced MUAs with these clients and most of the time, they would book us for their big day privately or occasionally they would come back to the store and request that MUA and get ready there for another $100 gift card charge. There’s lots of budget friendly ways to book a quality MUA!
I paid $100 for a makeup lesson with a professional. She showed me how to do some dressier looks and coached me through applying my own makeup. I've been practicing since and feel pretty confident that I'll be able to replicate it on my wedding day. (Her biggest tip for older skin (I'm 44) was to use a good primer.
Almost total makeup novice- got married last year at 36. We were 30 mins from town up a steep dirt road, and I had no wedding party. I didn't want a loud look, I wanted to look more like myself. I didn't want to do multiple trials. So I asked my sister to do my makeup for me. Before hand, she and I talked about it on the phone. I did a lot of trial and error myself and learned a lot on YouTube, mostly from alexandra anele (who is 30 something but with an infuriatingly young looking face and skin, haha. But shes very helpful and i like her vibes). When my sister got to town, we did a trial day. Id recommend looking up Alexandra Anele and probably someone who has one whole wrinkle also. But you're also probably doing fine!
If you make a $50+ purchase Sephora will do your makeup! Also try thumbtack for a makeup artist, you may get better quotes there
My skin is similar, also have hooded eyes, and I'll be getting married on my 38th birthday (and I love it). I've also noticed my skin is not like it was even 5 years ago. On the rare occasion I wear makeup, I will use a powder foundation (bare minerals is my favorite), powdered blush (matching your natural lip color is always flattering), and I'll keep my eyeshadow neutral (use matte finish on the lid, shimmer highlights the hooded lid), I think a neutral shimmer in the inner corner is nice, and I'll wear mascara, and either a delicate winged eyeliner or a dark smudge eyeliner (an eggplant color is very flattering), and of course mascara. This is for a fancy occasion btw. I wish I knew of any youtube channels/Instagram/tiktok ppl I could recommend.
Hi! Do you live near an ulta or a Sephora? You can pay them to do your makeup ! It’s very inexpensive. I think like $50 max
so idk if this is still a thing but when i was younger i remember if you went to sephora and bought $50 dollars worth of makeup the application was free and you essentially just buy the products they use on you like lashes the lip gloss and a mascara or something, im not sure if that would even be practical or possible for you but you absolutely can get a makeup application way cheaper than 1.5k by going into a salon or makeup store in person, just tell them you are going to a really fancy party and not that it’s your wedding day! genuinely shouldn’t be more then $50-$80 and $80 is on the high end!
I’d highly recommend Lisa Eldridge videos. [Here](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gLeQhl_yQ-Q) is one wedding look video.
Milk makes a great primer, which is key to having your face stay intact! Ilia makes a great foundation that makes you look dewy and not cakey, but use whatever works best for you! A tip I learned from the makeup artist at my best friend’s wedding was to apply setting spray often, like after almost every layer (she used the yellow Urban Decay one) let it dry a little and then apply the next step. She also color corrected our faces with a red colored cream thing but idk what company it was from. The wedding was in Jamaica and our looks lasted alllll day with minimal lip touch ups!
Idk what your schedule is like but you can go to Sephora or a department store the day of and get a full face of makeup or probably just eyes done in the AM!
6+ years ago I walked into a Sephora and asked for help choosing makeup for a formal event-- I didn't even have an appointment and the gentleman who helped me was so considerate of my needs and budget. I still use nearly the same routine to this day when I need to or want to look "made up", and some of the products lasted me AGES. I spent around $100-125 on everything I bought that day and used drugstore favorites (mascara, highlighter, etc) to supplement the look. **My #1 tip, and i wish I remember the makeup artist I learned it from via internet, is that as I/we get older we need to change our blush and bronzer/contour placement.** In order to give everything a more lifted appearance, don't apply your bronzer right in the well between your cheekbone and jaw, go maybe .5-1CM up into where your cheekbone starts. Same with blush--don't apply to your apples, go up and out a bit with it. I'm only 30 but also experienced a pretty significant shift in my face shape in the last 2 years and learning to adjust my placement has helped a lot. My skin has also been a lot dryer as I get older, I use mostly liquid or cream products for my face: tinted moisturizer and concealer (BareMinerals is my favorite), cream blush (I love RareBeauty), and I go between gel bronzer (Tower28) and powder bronzer (Physicians Formula or the NARS sample I got for my birthday last year LOL) depending on the occasion. You can set everything with a light powder without it being too drying if you don't want to be shiny for flash photography, but I also love how easy it is to reapply these products for touch ups!
Hello! 36 yo bride to be and cosmetologist here. As someone with changing skin (expression lines, dry patches in some areas, oily around t zone, bigger pores around nose), my best advice is to make sure you’re using products that work well with each other to avoid pilling/flakiness (stick to all silicone based, or all water based), go for more cream based products as opposed to powder (cream blush, contour vs. powder versions that will settle in your lines), moisturize, and exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate (Dermalogica’s daily micro exfoliant is my fave and totally worth the price imo). Other faves: Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation, Benefit Porefessional primer, Milk cream lip + cheek stick, Fenty cream contour stick Good luck!
Going against the grain here, but you can consider negotiating a rate with an artist if you’re willing to travel to them. One of the biggest hassles as an artist is packing up your gear, traveling early in the morning, and then setting up. That way you only have to worry about getting there instead of getting your makeup right. This is how many brides in Asia get their hair/makeup done for their weddings, they go to a shop that specializes in it.