Ask a Wedding Expert: How Can I Keep My Wedding Makeup Looking Flawless All Day Long?
Makeup artist Dani Wagener shares her top tips and favorite products.
Welcome to Ask a Wedding Expert, a series where local pros answer your most pressing wedding-planning questions. Have one of your own? Email rkashdan@bostonmagazine.com.
Photo via iStock.com/CoffeeAndMilk
You’re guaranteed an immaculate visage when you’re sitting in your makeup artist’s chair, but keeping your look intact through all the tears, hugs, and dancing that come along with a wedding celebration can be a challenge. Fortunately, Fort Point-based pro Dani Wagener, who has worked with A-list celebs (including Anna Wintour) and many a blushing bride, is here to help. With the right products and a bit of preparation, your makeup will last from the moment you say “I do” through your send-off at the end of the night.
The Question:
What can I do to keep my wedding makeup looking flawless all day (and night) long?
Wagener’s Answer:
My number one tip for making sure your makeup lasts is keeping your skin hydrated and in good condition before the big day. Moisturizing, regular light exfoliation, and sun care are of utmost importance. All of my brides get the sun lecture from me, but it really is key. Tanned skin is dehydrated skin, and makeup looks terrible on top of that. I encourage my brides to wear a protective hat and a broad-spectrum sunscreen (my favorite is Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50), and on the wedding day, they usually thank me for it! I’m also a big fan of the HydraFacial, which hydrates and eliminates dead skin cells. It’s a patented treatment offered at several salons across the city, and can be done in a series leading up to your event.
On the morning of your wedding, hydrating eye patches and face masks are great quick fixes for puffiness. Just be sure they’re things you’ve used before, and stay away from “firming” and “toning” products, which tend to leave a residue on the skin for hours and don’t work well with makeup. My personal favorites are Patchology’s “Illuminate” sheet mask and “Rejuvenating Eye Gels.”
As for your wedding-day look, choose lightweight but long-wear products that work well for touch ups. NARS “Powermatte Lip Pigments,” for example, are light, creamy, and wear incredibly well for hours. Throughout the day, forgo touching up with powder and instead use a silicone-based foundation that helps absorb oil, such as Temptu’s “Perfect Canvas.” It’s light (the heavier the foundation, the harder it is to maintain), hydrating, and natural-looking, plus, it lasts for 12 or more hours.
Lastly, I typically teach my brides how to do a quick under-eye touch up if they feel like there will be a lot of tears—which is totally okay! A cream concealer that blends into your foundation well is a must-have for every makeup bag. Using a product such as Clé de Peau Beauté concealer to press makeup back into the skin, spot-touch the inner eye with your ring finger or a sponge. It’ll instantly brighten your look, leaving you looking fresh.
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