‘Tis the season to… attend weddings! With wedding season now in full swing we all want to look our best (without upstaging the bride of course!) – after all, chances are we’ll end up in a photo album for eternity – so here’s the low-down on how to look beautifully fresh-faced and radiant for a daytime ceremony, and how to easily (and tastefully) vamp things up a little for the after-party (without bursting the seams of your clutch bag).
Longevity is key, so prep skin with a radiance-enhancing primer such as BECCA’s {Shimmering Skin Perfector} which grants skin a lit-from-within lustre – or Sunday Riley’s {Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer} – a smooth, velveteen tinted primer which leaves things a little more matte, but still dewy. Follow with foundation – I’m a fan of Stila’s {Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer} for a long-wearing, totally flawless look. The formula’s enriched with oxygen and potent botanical extracts which combine to correct skin whilst perfecting – and the concealer (contained in the lid) is ideal for disguising dark circles and blemishes.
And if you’re having a great skin day, or just prefer a lightweight finish, choose a tinted moisturiser – Pixi’s {H2O SkinTint} has a cooling, gel-texture – while Jouer’s {Luminizing Moisture Tint} is beautifully barely-there.
A cream blush is ideal for summer time and can be a good multi-tasker for cheeks and lips. I love Stila’s {Convertible Colour} in ‘Lillium’ (a universally flattering peach-pink), which gives the perfect, just-pinched flush to the cheeks and a subtle stain to lips without looking overly made up.
For a defined but natural eye make up look stick to browns for the day time – blacks and greys can look a little too harsh. Blend a matte, neutral taupe all over the lid, then apply a mid-brown shade to the crease and a darker, chocolate shadow (with an angled brush) along the top and bottom lash lines to define the eyes in a soft, flattering way. BECCA’s {Ombré Nudes Eye Palette} or Stila’s {Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette Soul} are perfect for achieving a subtle, smudgy daytime look.
Shape and fill in any gaps in your eyebrows with a shadow or a pencil (Anastsia’s {Brow Wiz} is brilliant) – it’s amazing the impact this simple trick has. Then to really ‘open up’ the eyes, apply a powder highlighter along the brow bone, and to inner corners of the eyes. You can also dust a little on your cupid’s bow, to create the illusion of a fuller top lip. A nude eyeliner along the lower water line also works wonders, and is one of my make up bag staples – try 3 Custom Color’s {Clarifying Pencil}. Finish with a slick of waterproof mascara (all of {Eyeko’s} are totally tear-resistant), et voila!
Then as dusk approaches and the reception is about to get underway, you can nip to the loo and give yourself a quick makeover in minutes with the following make up magic wands. Carry one or two shades of Nudestix’ super-slim {Magnetic Eye Colour Pencil} for a day-to-evening transformation that takes less than fives minutes. You can either run the tip of the pencil along the top and/or lower lash line and smudge with a cotton bud for a slept in/rock chick look, or if you’re feeling a little more daring, draw along the eye crease with a deeper shade then smudge with fingertips to soften. Follow with a line along the upper, lower or inner eye and blend for some seductive, after-hours smoulder.
Another easy-to-carry product to take you from daytime chic to ‘evening pizazz’ is lipstick. If lips are your thing, then choose a bolder hue for evening that will complement the colour of your outfit. If you have an olive or darker skin tone, opt for a flattering, bright coral shade such as Lipstick Queen’s juicy {Jungle Queen}. Or, for classic vibrant va va voom, go red – Julie Hewett’s {Lipstick Noir} collection has a shade to flatter your colouring – perfect for channeling a Hollywood, screen siren look. If you’re more of a ‘pink’ girl try {Frog Prince} – the bullet is green but the pigment reacts with your skin’s own pH to create a bespoke shade of ‘your lips but better’.