Hair and Makeup Tips to Highlight Your Natural Beauty on Your Wedding Day

 

Image credit: IPSY

Whether you’ve hired a professional or will be creating your own look for the big day, you’ve probably put a lot of thought into how to style your hair and makeup for your wedding. We spoke to the makeup and hair professionals at personalized beauty subscription service IPSY, to get the scoop on how to highlight your natural beauty on your wedding day.

Many brides say it’s important to them to achieve a natural, effortless look that will stand the test of time. The team at IPSY explains “unlike a glam makeup selfie or a group photo on a friends’ night out, your wedding photos are memories that you will look back on for the rest of your life”. That’s why it is important to find a style that makes you look and feel like the best version of yourself!

Natural wedding makeup

 

Image credit: Marius Muresan

You have the venue, dress and engagement ring of your dreams—now it’s time to find a makeup style to match! Natural wedding makeup doesn’t need to be boring. IPSY recommends choosing one feature you’d like to play up, and letting the rest take a back seat.

Primer

The team at IPSY are big fans of primers in their everyday routine, and if there was ever a time to start embracing primer, it’s your wedding day. Using a primer will ensure your makeup stays put from getting ready, to exchanging wedding rings, and all the way to the dance floor!

For your lids, IPSY suggests trying Stuck On You Eyeshadow Primer from The Beauty Crop. This primer has a slight beige tint to make whatever shadow (cream or powder) you layer on top pop, and it locks in your looks all day and night.

“For your wedding day complexion, you can’t beat The POREfessional: Pearl Primer by Benefit Cosmetics.” says IPSY. It creates a barrier between your skin and your foundation to prevent oils from wearing down your makeup. That means no uneven, splotchy areas, and the subtle pearly pink tint gives you a lit-from-within glow that blurs dark spots, pores, and fine lines.

Primer is important for all skin tones, For darker skin tones, choose a primer that won’t leave a white cast on your skin. A peach, orange or red primer can help even out your complexion before applying foundation.

Mascara

 

Any makeup artist or fellow bride will tell you that waterproof mascara during your big day is a must, and IPSY 100 percent agrees. “Our go-to for a big event like a wedding? Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara by Too Faced. The iconic hourglass-shaped brush unlocks the collagen-fueled formula that thickens, lengthens, and curls for dramatic lashes that even a mid-ceremony sob can’t beat.” they say.

Perfume

They say that your sense of smell has the power to unlock memories, so IPSY recommends setting yourself up for success with a special wedding day scent. Their pick is Not a Perfume by Juliette Has a Gun. “This perfume takes a moment to build and adjusts to your chemistry for a custom scent that’s woodsy and earthy, not sweet or flowery. One whiff will bring you back to your big day for years to come.” Their Pro tip: Break the bottle out each year on your anniversary for a bit of romantic nostalgia.

Natural wedding hairstyles

 

Image credit: Engin Akyurt

From elegant up-dos to bohemian messy buns, there are endless ways to style your hair for your wedding, however, IPSY believes that your wedding day is a great time to embrace your hair’s natural texture.

Working with your hair’s natural texture likely means less styling time, and less stress trying to keep your tresses tamed throughout the day. “Your wedding day is not the time to try out a brand new style like straightening all your curls, curling your stick-straight hair, or even getting a haircut”, says IPSY.

IPSY advises not to fall prey to current Pinterest and Instagram trends. They say, “It can be easy to overdo it when you’re planning a look for such a monumental occasion (have you seen all the epic wedding hair inspo out there?!), but do your best to stay true to what feels right for you.”

How to style fine, straight hair for a wedding

If your hair is straight and fine, you’ve probably noticed that it is difficult to maintain a wave or curl, even with the use of products and curling irons. Your curls may flop by the end of the day, and heavy products can leave your hair feeling crunchy. If this is the case, do not force your straight hair to hold a curl—try one of these beautiful straight hair friendly styles instead.

Low ponytail

 

If you have long or medium length straight hair, a sleek, low ponytail is a classic fuss-free wedding style to consider.

Weave in a french braid for a rustic look, or elevate your pony with statement earrings, flowers or a sparkly hairpiece for a head-turning style.

Polished bun or chignon

A polished bun or chignon is a great hairstyle style for the bride who is going for sophisticated elegance. Buns and chignons pull the hair off your face, which is perfect for those who want to keep the focus on their makeup or dress. They beautifully highlight a high neck or backless gown.

Have your stylist play around with your hair’s part, and adjust the tightness to figure out what works best for your hair type and face shape.

Milkmaid braid

The milkmaid braid involves braiding all of your hair into a crown on top of your head, giving you a countryside chic style perfect for a farmhouse wedding. This hairstyle works well if you have bangs, or consider pulling out a few strands of hair to frame your face for a more ethereal look.

Pro tips for styling straight hair

  • Straight hairstyles work best on fresh, clean hair. You may want to consider washing your hair right before you see the stylist on the morning of your wedding, or if you are getting your hair done at a salon they can wash it for you there.
  • Using a light to medium hold hairspray will allow your hair to move with you, and a light shine spray will ensure you have the perfect glow as you walk down the aisle.

Curly hair wedding styles

Every curly girl knows the frustration of having a stylist straighten your hair, only to re-curl it with an iron to create a formal look. Beat the heat and embrace these naturally curly styles for your wedding day.

Half-up

 

Pull a few strands of hair back to expose your features and draw attention to the natural curls in the back of your head. A small pinned-back braid keeps hair out of the face while still showcasing your natural curls.

Side sweep

The side sweep is a free-flowing style that enhances your curls while showing off your bridal makeup. Sweep the hair back behind your ear on one side, and secure with bobby pins in a criss-cross pattern. Enhance the look with a hairpin or flowers.

Loose curly bun

Simple yet elegant, a loose curly bun at the nape of your neck is paired perfectly with a low veil.

Pro tips for styling curly hair

  • Start with day-old hair for extra texture.
  • Apply styling products to hold and secure your hair in place all day long.
  • Use a one-quarter inch curling iron on the tendrils around your face to tame frizz and enhance some of that natural curl.

Wedding styles for natural black hair

There’s no need to hide or straighten your natural kinks and curls on your wedding day! From sleek, tucked-in styles to free-flowing locks, celebrate the glory of your textured hair on the big day with these hairstyles ideas.

Pineapple puff

 

The pineapple puff hairdo gets its name from its likeness to the tropical fruit. It involves tying your hair into a loose ponytail at the top of your head.

Pull all your hair back into a sleek high ponytail, or leave a few curls out at the front and pin them up to create the illusion of bangs. The pineapple puff can also be styled as a bun by using two elastic bands to bundle the hair together.

Side puff

The side puff is similar to the pineapple, but the ponytail is placed on the side of the head for an elegant formal look. This asymmetrical style highlights your collarbones and looks amazing with an off-the shoulder gown.

The side puff gets bonus points for being a super-easy do-it-yourself style.

Braided mohawk

If you want an edgy look for your wedding you can create a mohawk without the shave by making a high, large braid and clipping it to the top of your head.

Pro tips for styling natural black hair

  • If you plan to work with a professional stylist, find one you like early in the wedding planning process. Black hair is diverse, with a range of textures and thicknesses, so your stylist can tell you what products will work best on your hair to get it wedding ready.
  • Tightly coiled hair can be prone to dryness and breakage, so keeping your hair moisturized is key to making sure it stays healthy.

Be prepared

IPSY believes you should embrace what makes you unique. They support this with unparalleled Glam Bag personalization to help you discover products that express your unique beauty. The Glam Bag includes travel sized products and a makeup pouch, making it the perfect emergency kit for your big day. “Set yourself up for success by leaving a little touch-up kit with one of your bridesmaids or trusted guests. We recommend including blotting papers, your lip color, setting power, and a few other must-haves.” says IPSY.

Your hair and makeup look is not something you want to worry about at your wedding, so IPSY recommends having a trial well before your big day. “Doing an engagement shoot? That’s the perfect occasion to test out your look,” they say.

If you’re doing your wedding makeup or hair yourself, IPSY suggests blocking out some time before the shoot to test your final look out. “You’ll be able to see how your glam looks in photos, different lighting situations, and how it wears over the course of a few hours.”

Embrace what makes you unique

IPSY believes that a sure fire way to guarantee a regret-free wedding day is to embrace your natural beauty. “You want to look like yourself (albeit the best version of yourself), so it’s the perfect time to show off what makes you, you. At IPSY, our mission is to help individuals express their unique beauty, and that definitely includes on your big day.” Cheers to that!

 

About the Author