My Wedding Day Hair and Makeup

Hi, everyone! In my last post, I shared with you some shots from my wedding day. I can hardly believe it was a week ago now! Last Saturday and the days to follow were the most lovely whirlwind possible and I'm just now re-adjusting to the regular pace of life. 

Prior to the wedding, I thought I'd use the big day as an opportunity to blog like crazy- to create several posts about wedding planning and makeup trials, to photograph a tutorial, to Snapchat as I got ready. In the end, very little of that happened. As much as I love sharing my experiences with you all (especially as they relate to makeup!) I chose to instead really be in the moment rather than documenting each and every step. That said, my wedding hairstyle really was something special, as was the fact that I got to create my own bridal makeup- so I took just enough shots to share those with you! 

I did my best to design the big day to be as smooth, relaxed, and non-rushed as possible. I think I achieved just that! After a 9:30am breakfast date with my friends who flew in from South Carolina, I headed up to my hairdresser for an 11:30am appointment. I knew that so many brides have 7am call times on their big day and, knowing my nerves would be vibrating even if I slept lots the night before, I decided to not set myself up for more sleep deprivation than I could handle! 

I was beyond buzzing when I arrived for my hair appointment, as I had met with my stylist twice before already- once for a haircut, once for a wedding hair trial. Introduced to me by fellow blogger and buddy Julie (from Swatch and Review), June Croken (Hairdresser on Fire) is all kinds of awesome. Not only is she an utter sweetheart, she has years of experience as a graphic artist and hairstylist and her passion for hair as an art form is truly apparent. When you're in her chair, you not only learn tomes about your own hair and how to take care of it, you will also leave with a cut or style that is perfectly tailored to you. Her aesthetic is totally up my alley- edgy and a bit rock n' roll, but also soft, beautiful, and organic. Plus, she's a huge David Bowie fan, which bonded us right away! 

June started the style by applying a generous helping of dry shampoo and tightly curling my entire mane. We joked that she could just stop there, but luckily, she continued! After the curling, she delved into a flurry of braiding, twisting, and pinning and finished the style by pinning in the headband I'd purchased for the day- an ethereal creation of silver and pearls. 

And here is the end result! I could not have been happier with the unique, stunning blend of braids, curls, and twists. It was architectural, yet soft and a perfect blend of the vintage and modern vibes that we were trying to channel for the wedding. 

And a couple more shots to get the full effect: 

Now onto the makeup! After the hair appointment, I walked over to our wedding venue, Campbell House, to get ready with my Mom and sister. We had access to the House's upstairs bedroom, a perfect antique time capsule that made the moment extra special! The room was largely shrouded with curtains, but I was able to push a corner aside and grab a patch of natural, sunny lighting. Equipped with my makeup bag and a magnifying mirror, I got to work!  

So  what makeup items made the cut for the big day? Let's break it down!

After testing a variety of high-end foundations to wear for the wedding, I ultimately chose a longtime, affordable classic, Revlon ColourStay Whipped Creme Makeup in Buff. For concealer, I used Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral on the areas I wanted some paler coverage (under my eyes, between my brows, down the bridge of my nose) and the new Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Concealer in Fair/Biscuit on other areas of redness and shadow. To set things, I applied MAC Blot Powder in Medium on the t-zone and the new NYX #NoFilter Finishing Powder in 02 Ivory everywhere else for a touch more coverage and a soft glow. I contoured my cheeks lightly with NYX Powder Blush in Taupe and added warmth to my complexion with Revlon PhotoReady Bronzer in 100 Bronzed & Chic. For blush, I used the colour that my sister had bought me specifically for the wedding: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Blushing Bride- a perfect mid-tone cherry pink. To add some extra glow, I used a mix of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop to the high points of my face. 

The brows were a no-brainer: I reached for the product that I've been loving for almost a decade now- Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Taupe, topped with Anastasia Tinted Brow Powder in Caramel. Before applying shadow, I used the Essence I Heart Colour Intensifying Shadow Base as a primer. I went back and forth for ages about what eye shadow palette I'd reach for on the day, but I ultimately chose the beautiful and versatile Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral Eye Shadow Collection. I started by sweeping Nudie and Cashmere Bunny, both neutral taupe shades, in the crease for definition. I then applied a mix of Honey Pot (a shimmery gold) and Push-Up (a shimmery champagne pink) across my lids for some glow. I then defined the outer corners of the eyes with a mix of Erotica (a deeper taupe with silver glitter) and Sexpresso (a deep neutral brown with subtle gold glitter), blending up to the crease. Finally, I used a blend of Heaven (a matte bone white) and Silk Teddy (a shimmery ivory pink) to my brow bones and inner corners of the eyes. For eyeliner, I reached for two plummy faves. I first applied a thick line of Trish McEvoy 24-hour Shadow and Liner in Glamorous, winging the colour up and out. I then defined the outer half of my eye with the deeper, more sultry Chanel Le Crayon Kohl  in Rouge Noir. And the lashes, all Essence! I applied a few coats of Forbidden Volume Mascara to plump things up and finished with a layer of Forbidden Volume TopCoat for some extra va-va-voom! 

After applying the base and eye products, I spritzed my face generously with Tatcha's Luminous Dewy Skin Mist to bring some glow and more of a natural skin-like quality to my complexion. 

Here's a shot of everything I used! 

And the look wouldn't have been complete without the lips, of course! If you've been following my blog for the past several months, you'll know that I was lucky enough to custom make my wedding lipstick at the Bite Beauty Lip Lab in New York City. (You can see my post about creating it, here!). I could not have been more thrilled with the ultra matte, bold, saturated reddish berry that resulted. I actually based our wedding's colour scheme (my sister's dress, my bouquet, our napkins) on the shade. Leave it to me to design a wedding around a lipstick! ;)

And here it is- the final look! After finishing the makeup, I snuck down to Campbell House's Withdrawing Room, the lovely little nook where our ceremony took place, to scope things out and capture the look in some afternoon light. At this point, my expression looked calm, but the butterflies were circling internally, let me tell you! 

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I was really happy with how my makeup came together on the day- I was super nervous and my skin was by no means perfect (leave it to pre-wedding stress to cause an eruption!), but the products I used did an amazing job to keep me looking fresh! I'm glad I was able to create a look that was something special, but also looked like me, not some sort of bridal impostor. Does that make sense?!

In the end, the makeup was just a small piece of the special day, but getting ready with my Mom and sister and being able to sport a lipstick I created myself will always be treasured aspects of my wedding! 

What's your ideal wedding makeup? What kind of look did you wear on your big day?

Thanks for stopping by and have an amazing week! 

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