BFF (Beauty Find Friday): Discovering Natural Beauty for Your Wedding

Woman with makeup photo via Shutterstock

On her wedding day, a bride should look like a timeless, fresh-faced, radiant version of herself. It should look effortless, as if her glow is coming from within. But when a bride says to her makeup artist, “I want to keep my makeup natural,” that can be up for interpretation. “Natural” in front of the camera can mean something different than “natural” in front of your bathroom mirror.

“You want to wear enough makeup so you don’t look washed-out in pictures, but you don’t want to wear so much that you scare away your guests,” says local makeup artist Kacie Corbelle.

Fear not, natural brides. There’s a way to photograph gorgeously and still look like the most naturally beautiful version of yourself.

From the first layer of foundation to the last swipe of lipstick, we get the scoop from Corbelle on achieving a natural look for your walk down the aisle. Here’s her process for achieving a delicate balance between “barely there” and “glam” with bridal makeup.

1. Moisturizers
In order to create a natural look, Corbelle starts with the skin. “When the skin is moisturized, it ensures an even makeup application,” she explains, noting her favorite moisturizer as Embryolisse’s Lait-Crème Concentrè.

2. Eyeshadow
While she allows the skin to drink in all that moisture, she primes the eyes. “To me, the eyes are the most important part of the makeup. It’s vital the makeup lasts all night long,” she explains. “My favorite primers are MAC Paint Pots. They’re actually cream eyeshadows that dry down to a powdery finish, so they lock down the eye makeup.” She adds a light wash of champagne shimmer over the lids and contours the crease with rich shades of brown. “The key to a natural eyeshadow application is blending. You don’t want any hard lines,” she says. “I always start light and build the intensity of the shadow toward the outer corners of the eye to create the perfect gradient of color.”

3. Eyeliner
For the eyeliner, Corbelle believes that natural translates better when you forgo black and opt for a brown.

4. Lashes
You can still look natural with faux lashes when you exchange lash strips for individual lashes—Corbelle fancies Ardell’s. “After curling the lashes and applying a light coat of waterproof mascara, I apply individual false lashes,” she explains. The length, thickness, and quantity should complement your eye shape, natural lash length, and comfort level. “I always recommend my brides try out false lashes, even if they don’t think they want them.”

5. Foundation
Looking natural is all about blurring the line between even-skin-tone coverage and a fresh glow. So after priming the skin, Corbelle applies foundation with a light touch. “My favorite foundation is Motives Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation. It gives flawless coverage, and you can barely feel it on your skin,” she says. “The best way to apply foundation is with a Beauty Blender; you dampen the sponge before you blend so just enough product is left on the skin. It’s impossible to look cakey when you use a Beauty Blender.”

6. Blush
Blush is another product that most brides are wary of, but Corbelle says it’s key for not looking washed-out in photos. “One of my favorite blush colors is Blushbaby by MAC. It has a rosy color that looks like a natural flush on most skin tones.” The last step is highlighting: She uses Hourglass Cosmetics’ Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light on the cheekbones, the inner corners of the eyes, and the browbone for a soft glow.

7. Brows
According to Corbelle, it’s easy to overdo the eyebrows. “I believe that less is more,” she says. “I almost always use a soft shade of taupe, even on darker brows.”

8. Lips
For lips, she loves a soft wash of color, relying on Sugar Petal by Fresh as one of her favorites. “It’s more of a balm, so it feels great on the lips and has the perfect amount of color,” she says.

9. Makeup Setting Spray
The question is: Do Corbelle’s brides look beautiful from start to finish? Naturally! She keeps all that hard work in place with Urban Decay’s All Nighter makeup setting spray.

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