How to Apply Makeup for a Wedding Guest

On the wedding day it is quite likely that a guest will end up hot and sweaty, our faces showing an unwanted glare that spoils our look, especially it's a summer wedding.That is why we should take our time to start the day following these steps for a flawless complexion throughout the whole day:

1. Start with a deep cleansing of the skin, so it is perfectly clean.
2. Next, make sure you apply a suitable moisturizer for your skin.
3. Wait for its absorption and apply primer. This will help your makeup set better and will last longer too.
4. If you notice your skin is dull and loose we recommend you use a flash lifting cream before you start doing your makeup.
5. Use an illuminating concealer that corrects imperfections, reduces redness, blemishes or pimples and hides dark circles.

What to avoid

If you want your makeup to last during the whole wedding, make sure you clean and hydrate your skin beforehand and don't apply primer or foundation directly, this will only make your skin absorb the makeup directly, which is why it won't last long.

Then, apply a resistant foundation, with good coverage and a matte finish to avoid having to tweak your makeup every two minutes. The foundations that last up to 24 hours are ideal for such events, so you only have to worry about enjoying yourself and having fun on this very special and emotional day.

To create a velvety, yet natural tone for your wedding guest makeup look, we advise you to go for mousse foundation, though that will depend on your type of skin. Apply with a brush or sponge gently, without spreading but making sure you get an even tone. Start from the inside towards the outside, making sure you blend at the edges so you can't see any horrible lines.

What to avoid

You don't want your makeup to look like a ghost or a crab's, so make sure you choose the right foundation for your skin tone. Make sure it matches your color so you don't get a mask effect; if you want to look more tanned or lighter, you can do so later by contouring and applying blush, but the foundation should be an even tone.

Finish touching up your makeup with compact powder on the T-zone of your face. If your skin is very pale you can also use bronzing powders, but be careful to avoid creating unsightly, mask-like differences between the neck and chest color.

We recommend subtle shaping techniques like strobe makeup rather than contouring or baking, since those can't look too obvious for a daytime wedding.

What to avoid

It's plain and basic. If you want to apply makeup for a wedding that will last throughout the event, you should avoid skipping this step. Compact powder will help set the makeup and avoid the layers from coming off due to sweat.

Time to apply make up to the eyes. In order to apply makeup for a wedding guest, it's highly important to know what not to do, so stay off the smoky eye effect, metallic colors or simply pitch black. Instead, follow these instructions:

1. Apply a cream eye primer to start with your eye makeup.
2. Use a first soft color on the lid of the eye and fold. Our advice is to use light pastel shades in a range of colors like beige, brown, bronze, pink or light blue depending on the color of your dress.
3. Choose a lighter shade to bring light to your eyes, apply it directly under the brow and in the corner of your eye.

What to avoid

Although you can go for a subtle smoky eye makeup look, we strongly advise you not to go over the top, as this will only draw attention on yourself and off the bride, which is not what you want if you're a wedding guest. Make eye makeup as subtle as possible while still looking beautiful.

If you wish, line your eyes on top by drawing a fine line to frame the eyes naturally, so don't go over the top with the eyeliner or go for a pin-up style cat-eye effect. A very simple way to have livelier, bigger eyes is to make up the inner part of the lower eyelid with a nude or blue-green eyeliner pencil that matches your eyes. If you do so, make sure you don't highlight your wedding guest lips and try to use a lipstick that is pretty close to your skin tone.

Comb and apply makeup to your eyebrows and define them without making them too bold à là Cara Delevigne.

For the final touch, apply a coat of mascara to the top lashes. Choose a mascara that adds volume, does not create nasty and unsightly clots, and is waterproof in case you spill some tears of excitement. Avoid false eyelashes if you don't want to look tacky. Use an eyelash curler if you have short eyelashes and apply a small coat of Vaseline on them once you have applied the mascara.

You can create a slightly more daring look if the wedding is at night. Take a look at our article on how to do makeup for an evening wedding.

Now's the time for your lips. It is best if you have previously exfoliated them and moisturized them with some SPF balm too.

If you want to line your lips to make them look fuller, make sure the lip liner is the same color as the lipstick you are about to apply on it. Make sure it's not any darker, or the result could be disastrous for your whole makeup look.

Color your lips in nude tones, or a little darker and more intense depending on the color you used for your eyes. You can go for matte colors as long as they're not too bold, so colors such as deep red, purple or dark brown are totally forbidden for a wedding guest. Long lasting liquid lipstick can do the job perfectly well, and you won't need tweaking that often. This type of lipstick also dries faster, so you won't need to worry about leaving a mark on everyone's cheek when kissing acquaintances.

Apply a transparent lip gloss to make your lips look fuller and fleshy. The key is to have a natural and elegant makeup look.

What to avoid

Don't wear bright red or a very edgy tone such as black or blue unless it is a very formal event. As we've said before, catching everybody's eye is not the aim of a wedding guest. You can go for a slightly bolder color if you have hardly applied any makeup to your eyes, but keep it simple if you have used a lot of color. It's important to choose just one of these two features to highlight.

Finally, do not forget to add a touch of color to the cheeks with a light blush. Forget about big chunks of bright pink, peach or brown. Use a tone that is more discreet for your makeup look.

Apply from the center of the cheekbone to the temple. It's best to choose a blush that matches the natural color of your skin and especially accentuates and highlights your cheekbones.

If you want to look tanned, it's OK to use bronzer before applying the blush, though you should only use it sparely on the T zone and neck area. You can also use these useful tips to tan your skin naturally.

With these simple tips, you'll be wearing very flattering makeup and you will be one of the most beautiful and elegant guests at the ceremony. Now you have your makeup ready, let's go to the next step: hair. Take a look at how to style your hair for a daytime wedding and the best hair accessories and hairpieces to go with it. You'll look stunning.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Apply Makeup for a Wedding Guest, we recommend you visit our Weddings & Parties category.

Tips

• French manicure is perfect for a wedding guest's nails. Alternatively, you can also choose a neutral color such as beige peach or pastel pink.
• If you are already wearing statement earrings or a headdress that stands out, make sure you keep your makeup as discreet as possible. Remember it's all about not outshining the bride, so go for a total natural makeup look in this case.
• If the wedding is outdoors and in summer, we advise you to take some anti-grease wipes in your handbag to get rid of any possible shine on your face due to sweat.
• Take some essentials in your handbag to make sure you always look picture perfect: Lipstick, gloss and eyeliner if wearing any. If you have applied primer beforehand the rest of the makeup should last throughout the wedding celebration.
• Optionally, as a final touch and in order to make sure your makeup lasts longer, you can use setting spray if you have some at home.