skincare
Not starting with your best skin possible is possibly the biggest mistake you can make while getting ready for any event. For us drier-skinned girls, that means we can start with flaky patches that causes our makeup to stick in strange places, and for your ladies with oilier skin, it can cause your makeup to run off quickly. My preferred mini facial routine is doing the Glamglow mask after getting out of the shower to smooth out my skin, and then I follow up with a sheet mask to moisturize and treat my skin (you guys have seen this routine several times on Snapchat...I do it at least twice a month!). I love that Sephora has their own affordable line of face masks, so at $6 a pop, not only can you do them quite often on your own, but also if you are a member of a wedding party, you can bring some for everyone the night before the wedding and have a little mini spa. Once my skin is in good shape, I go heavy with the primers for longer events (as wedding days seem to be!). It is one of the only times I really use an eyelid primer (I've been using the Urban Decay primer for years), and also my Laura Mercier primer to add moisture and staying power to my makeup.
I see being a wedding guest as a great time to have a little more fun with my makeup than I do with my every day makeup. Typically, I like to go with a heavier eyes, a fresh face, and nude lips. For the eyes I'm still loving my Tarte Tartelette in bloom palette (reviewed here), but I go with the darker colors to bring in some dimension. My trusty Stila eyeliner stays put all day and night, which is obviously important because weddings always mean a ton of pictures. I have really wanted to play around with fake lashes for a while (I just noticed that they have a whole little section now for false lashes in stores!) but CR always teases me about them, so I haven't actually worn them in real life (but for the record, if I were to wear false lashes, I'd be all about these "fluff n' thick" lashes - so pretty!).
For the face, I recently jumped on the baking band wagon - it does make such a difference for days you want your make up to last. I've been using the Laura Mercier translucent powder - I press it under my eyes with a damp Beautyblender, and let it "bake" while doing my eye makeup, and then I brush it away with a powder brush at the end. I stick with light contouring (currently testing out the infamous Kevyn Aucoin powder!), the prettiest pink blush, and of course a bit of highlighter (I'll reuse the damp Beautyblender to apply Becca's highlighter). To finish it all off, a few sprays of Urban Decay's setting spray, and your make up better last until at least the Cupid Shuffle.
Like I said, for lips, I prefer to go with pretty pink nude colors - enough to bring color to my face, but not where I'm leaving lip prints on everyone. The lip glosses I've been reaching for the most are UD's Naked in Liar, YSL's rouge volupte shine in Nude Lavalliere (so pretty and makes your lips so smooth!), and YSL's volupte shine candy (in rose candy). I especially love using the YSL lip glosses for special events like weddings just because they are almost too pretty to use every day, so I love being able to pull them out for weddings. I also think they'd be a great present for a bride - just a little something pretty she can use for all of her upcoming bridal events!
Worth noting is that if you aren't feeling too comfortable with your makeup skills, or just want to try something new, you can book an appointment at Sephora for a 45 minute custom makeover that is free if you buy $50 worth of products (or if you are a VIB Rouge, these are always free!). I have really wanted to try this out because I have friends who tried it and loved it, so definitely worth looking into!
Hair
Hair is always my biggest struggle for going to weddings - especially summers where you have a ton of events, I personally can't justify getting a blow out for every single one of them! Having the right tools and lots of practice over the years has helped though. I generally like to start with second day hair, as it has a bit more grip and texture to it. I use my absolute favorite dry shampoo from Living Proof (review coming soon - this is my second bottle!), which helps soak up the oil but also gives your hair some volume. Then I use my new T3 curling iron (review on that coming too!) to curl my hair in two layers - this curling iron is pricey for sure, but it's been the only one I've found that has actually curled my hair and hasn't left it flat in ten minutes. Then, without touching the curls, I'll spray them with Verb's Ghost hairspray. This hairspray doesn't even feel like you are using hairspray - it just makes your hair keep hold without feeling all sticky (plus it's not too terribly expensive at $14 per bottle). Then I like to tease at my crown, and pin half my hair back - I find that this keeps your hair looking voluminous throughout the whole day and night, and keeps some of your hair out of your face during the dancing parts (...and the eating parts) of the night.
CR's brother is getting married in two weeks, and it's a wedding we have all been really looking forward to (CR is the one marrying them!). With more weddings coming in the next few years (lots of engagements on the horizon!), Sephora will always be my go-to when it comes to getting ready for weddings, which is why I'd like to thank them for sponsoring this post! If you are a bride, in a wedding, or are there just to help celebrate love, Sephora's bridal section has all the prettiest items picked out, from skin prep to nails to bridesmaids gifts (my favorite section!). Plus don't forget that a Sephora gift card is always appropriate for any gifting occasion (seriously, I'll take make up gift cards over pans for the kitchen any day).
Thank you to Sephora and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!
