There are approximately one-billion things you could stress about before your wedding day—aka a day of big, monumental, life-changing moments. But one thing that shouldn't bring you anxiety? Your wedding makeup. Because finding your day-of look shouldn't be harder than finding your fiancé.
Sure, it's normal to be overwhelmed—especially if you have no idea what beauty vibes you're going for—but that's where I come in. Instead of rounding up a million beautiful inspo images to inundate you with options, I broke it down into the eight most-requested makeup looks, below, to simplify the selection. Take a quick scroll, pick out your fave for your trial appointment, then get back to that frustrating seating chart.
A NATURAL LOOK
Moisturizer might be enough for your everyday life, but on a day that’s so heavily photographed, you may want to amp up your makeup just a bit so it actually shows up on camera. For a fresh-faced look, stick with a sheer foundation, brow gel, and a layer of blush for a pretty, flushed finish. If you get in your dress and realize your natural look isn't quite enough, pump it up with a light wash of bronze eyeshadow and a strip of false lashes.
A GLAM LOOK
Not everyone wants to be a natural, blushing bride. If you don’t ever leave the house without a sharp contour or a blinding highlight, choose your features you love the most and focus on building those up (even if that means all of them). Love a bold eye? Choose a dramatic false lash. Love playing up your lips? Skip the sheer gloss and try a pigmented liquid lipstick (it’ll last longer through all the kissing and eating, anyway).
A BRONZED LOOK
Bronze tones will always be a bridal favorite, thanks to their slightly smoldering, slightly natural finish. Not only do copper and gold feel expensive and festive, but they also give skin a really healthy, glowy look when dusted over your cheekbones. Try a glittery gilded eye, a metallic lip, or a gilded highlight in powder formulas, versus cream or oil, so your look will last all night.
A SMOKY-EYE LOOK
Quite possibly the most popular way to play up your eyes for a formal event is with a little smoked-out eyeshadow or smudged liner. If you expect to shed a few tears during your walk down the aisle or throughout the maid of honor’s toast, consider a smoky eye, which will work with the waterworks, not against it (the smudgier, the better!) For a bold look, try shadows in the charcoal or gunmetal-gray family, and for a lighter, softer look, play with light browns and taupes.
A CLASSIC LOOK
If you don’t buy into trends and want something that’s going to feel timeless no matter when you look back through your wedding album, you can't go wrong with a classic cat-eye and red lip. If this is already your signature look, stick with it but maybe bump up the lashes or add a cheekbone highlight to glam it up.
A MATTE LOOK
If you’re not a glitter queen, don’t feel like you need to be just because it's your wedding day (it's the number-one day to feel comfortable in your own skin!). A full-matte look can be just as glam and extravagant as its shimmery counterpart—just play up the eyes with shadow and liner, and go a bit deeper on the contour for the ultimate effect. Equally important: Keep blotting papers in your clutch (or, realistically, your maid of honor's clutch) to prevent shine during photos.
AN ~ETHEREAL~ LOOK
If your goal is to feel like a freakin’ goddess at your wedding, then, by all means, look like a freakin' goddess! Iridescent highlighter and shimmery eyeshadow will give you that soft, angelic look—just tap the glow on the inner corners of your eyes, over your lids, along your brow bones and cheekbones, and on top of your Cupid's bow. To keep it from looking like a ‘90s frosted overload, balance out the bright eyes and lips with semi-matte skin.
A COLORFUL LOOK
As with all century-old traditions, weddings—and wedding makeup—can start to feel a little cookie cutter. If ballet-pink lipstick and nude eyeshadow aren't for you, try adding in a bright, lively color, like a maroon-red lip, or ruby eyeliner.
