Wedding make-up: starring Bobbi Brown, Benefit and me!

After contemplating the idea of getting a make-up artist to do my face on the big day, I’ve decided to screw that idea and just do my bloody make-up myself.

When it comes to make-up and products, I’m quite an addict.  I like trying new things and LOVE LOVE LOVE going shopping for make-up more than clothes.  The Bobbi Brown counter is my mecca and on my lunch, people think that I’m checking my emails when in fact, I’m either having a nosey at a make-up website or a sneaky glance at a youtube tutorial.  I love make-up and I do favour the lux brands. My basics like foundation, powder, bronzer and blusher are all from Bobbi Brown, then my other products tend to be a mix of other high end and high street brands.  Looking at the price of a make-up artist, I would be paying for someone to put good quality make-up on me. Since I own the good quality make-up anyway (I’d probably need a second mortgage if I had to replace the contents of my make-up bag) I might as well put it on myself!  Also, using my own products with my own hand means that when I walk down the aisle to my hubby to be, he realise it’s me and not some overly bronzed and contoured Kardashian. I have had my make-up done before professionally for a wedding and whilst it looked awesome on the photos, in daylight I looked like I’d been left with a full bottle of Mac’s thickest foundation and a shovel.

So, little old me is doing my wedding make-up.  The wedding isn’t until July, but I have already chosen my products, colours and have been having a fortnightly practise with them.  When I’ve had all of the wedding slap on, my hubby to be has told me that I look good (as he always does anyway because he’s a babe and all) and hasn’t recoiled in horror thinking that there’s a 6foot 2 umpalumpa wandering around our house.

When I was choosing my products, I decided to stick with my Bobbi Brown staples of Long Lasting Even Finish foundation in ‘sand’ and the Bobbi Brown pale yellow powder. Yes, you read that correctly. Yellow powder.  You have to try this powder to believe it because rather than making you look like you have a chronic case of jaundice, all of the Bobbi Brown powders and foundations have yellow based undertones, which means that you won’t look chalky and washed out- essential for any bride being photographed on the big day.  I also use the Bobbi Brown bronzer in No1 Golden Light. This product is just divine. It doesn’t make you look ‘brown’ or orange for that matter.  When you put it on across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin, it completely lifts your foundation and just gives you real colour that looks completely natural. It’s a much better option as well instead of buying a darker foundation to give you more of a colour (big no, no, for the love of god, please get a foundation that matches your skin rather than in the colour we all wish we were i.e. tanned and golden).

Oh Bobbi Brown, how i love you and your yellow stuff!

A rough idea of the finished look.

What also impressed me with the Bobbi Brown counters are their free bridal make-up lessons. Book in at the counter and they will show you how to apply the make-up for the big day. They’ve told me to go back as often as I like meaning I have professional make-up artists willing to show me how it’s done. I was also offered a free bridal eye make-up lesson on the Clinique counter which led to me finding my perfect earthy gold/champagne colours for my eye make-up.  I’ll also be using a plum shadow liner with this, some Benefit ‘They’re Real’ tinted primer followed by a few coats of old faithful- Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara. I’m not a falsie kind of girl, so it’ll be natural lashes only which is why the Benefit primer is so important- it really makes a difference and gives you a nice little flutter! Cute.

Bambi lashes without the glue and falsies!

Clinique duo eye shadow in Starlight Starbright.

I’m still a bit undecided on my blusher, but I’ll either be using my Benefit Dallas blush (below) or my Bobbi Brown everyday blush in Desert Rose.  Then I’ll finfish off my cheeks with a bit of shimmer. Me and shimmer always have the potential to go very wrong.  I’ve found that a lot of highlighters actually take away the colour of my blusher and make me look a little washed out, which is why I love the Body Shop Shimmer Waves block in Blush Rose.  It gives a dewy glow and ISN’T glittery at all.

Then on the lips, I’ve opted for the Bobbi Brown lip colour in Sandwash Pink. It tones in perfectly with the other colours, looks natural and was the same colour that Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day. If it’s good enough for royalty, then it’s good enough for this queen! Plus, it won't go everywhere when we have our first smooch. Nothing is worse than a bride who looks like she's been on the Ribena.

I have really simple tools of the trade too. My brushes were quite an expensive set from The Body Shop but are the best investment ever.  I’m also a fan of the fluffy H&M eye shadow brush which is THE perfect brush for blending your eye shadow.  The brush at the top is the Bare Minerals Full Flawless face brush which I got in a set one time when I dabbled with mineral foundation. This brush is the brush of dreams. I use it for everything, from buffing my make-up as you would with a kabuki brush, to applying bronzer and blusher. It always gives perfect results. Be warned, it does shed when you wash it but this by far is my most essential brush.

Thinking of doing your own bridal make-up then?  If that’s the case I’d say get out and about shopping around. Take advantage of any free lessons but don’t feel obliged to buy products if you’re not sure. If you dislike any look, tell the girls on the counter and they will happily try something else. This is your big day and if you’re investing good money into your products, they have to be perfect.  Also, since I’m a cheeky fucker, I always ask for a small sample of product to take away with me. That way, I can try the product myself at home and see how good it looks in natural light, how long it lasts and how easy it is to apply. I always have a stash of little sample jars at home and I will always squirt a bit of product into these to try before I buy.  Make-up is expensive business, so taking a sample and holding off buying the product until you’re sure is a good tip. Remember though- enjoy the experience and pick the products that make you look and feel your best on your big day.