So you’ve already found your
wedding beauty inspiration for the big day. Now, we’ve rounded up the easiest steps for achieving a classic and personalized style in the days leading up to it. Melissa Craven, a Vancouver-based makeup artist gives us six steps for creating that happily ever after bridal look even before saying ‘I do’.

Wedding beauty prep step #1: Perform your bridal research duty.

“Look through your favourite magazines, go online and check out Pinterest—these are all great ways for a bride to determine what look you will like,” says Craven. “Also play around with your makeup at home and don’t be afraid to try out new things! Then at your consultation and trial makeup session with your makeup artist, you’ll more easily be able to determine the best look for you.”

Wedding beauty prep step #2: Determine the look you want for your wedding day…

“The style of the dress does have a bit of an impact on the makeup style a bride may choose, but it never determines it. For instance if a bride has a bohemian style dress, she usually leans towards a bohemian-inspired makeup of neutral browns and soft pinks, like Kate Moss on her wedding day. If a bride has chosen a dress with silver and crystal embellishments she may want to mimic that with the use of a shimmer/satin shadow in a similar shade on the center of the eyelids or as a highlight.”

Wedding beauty prep step #3: …But be sure to still look like you on your wedding day.

“It’s important to let your makeup reflect your personality. If you normally do not wear much makeup—if any— on a daily basis, then avoid going too overboard with a makeup look that you wouldn’t normally wear— even for an evening out,” says Craven. “A bride should feel beautiful and comfortable on her wedding day. Let your overall beauty be what people see on your wedding day, not drastic makeup.”

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Wedding beauty prep step #4: Get your best bridal look and keep it too.

“A lot of the focus is on the eyes and making them stand out, like full dark lashes,
black winged liner, peaches, pinks and gold shadows, as well as variations of a beautiful smoky eye using earthy hues. Skin looks luminous with highlights, soft bronzed complexions and rosy-pink blush on the apples of the cheeks, and soft shades of pink and
nude lip colours and glosses on the lips.”

Wedding beauty prep step #5: Your night-before beauty routine.

“Cleanse and exfoliate your face, hydrate yourself and make sure to get a restful sleep. Two to three weeks before your wedding day, have your
brows professionally groomed (or threaded or waxed) then just tweeze any stray hairs that may appear. If your wedding is during the hot summer months, protect your skin by wearing a sunscreen and moisturizer with an SPF 25 or higher. “

Wedding beauty prep step #6: Keep is simple and classy.

“Pick one focus feature that you want to stand out. If the eyes are your focus feature—for example, a smoky eye or winged liner with full lashes— then tone down the lip color with a soft pink or nude shade. If you’d like your lips to be the stand out feature—think
luscious red, coral or fuchsia lips— then keep the eye makeup more elegant and not so heavy: black liner slightly winged and beautiful lashes.”

Read more:
The top wedding dress trends
The best bridal jewellery of the season
Wedding dressing dos and don’ts for guests
Bridal hair styles