wedding day makeup: 8 must follow tips for brides doing their own makeup

I recently got married! Our wedding was in July so as you can imagine it was hotter than heck. I decided well in advance that I would do my own makeup for the big day instead of hiring a makeup artist. I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks I learned in hopes that it helps you or someone you know on their wedding day. 

1. Prep your skin the right way!! This is the most important step of all. Skin that is properly prepped will ease in makeup application and help to hold your makeup longer. I suggest exfoliating the night before by using a mask designed to deep clean and remove dead skin cells like Araza’s Coconut Charcoal + Sea Greens Treatment Mask. The day of, wash your face and then make sure you use a toner. A toner will help to remove even more dead skin cells, dirt and debris. Our Vitamin Boost Hydrating Mist is the perfect tool for this. Made with Organic Bamboo that acts as a natural astringent it’s great to apply a few sprtiz on a cotton pad and gently smooth all over your face. Lastly, make sure to moisturize and do so several hours before you apply your makeup so that it has time to soak in. If you have dry skin, moisturize right before applying your makeup this will help your products blend. 
2. Finishing Powder is your lifeline The day I got married was hot, hot, hot and you can  bet I sweat my tail off. To ease the shiny look in pictures I applied Araza’s Primer + Finishing Translucent Clay Powder to my T-zone. This helped to create a more matte look and absorb sweat and excess oil as well as ‘set’ my makeup so it stayed put all day. Unlike alot of other finishing powders, this one applies smooth and never cakes, even when you sweat. I was confident it would still look good at the end of the night…...and it did! This product can also be applied before foundation to act as a primer. It helps to fill in any fine lines and helps your foundation to go on more smooth.
3. Oil Up! Hours before applying makeup I used Araza’s Citrus Raw Beauty Oil on my neck, chest and shoulders. This helped my skin to look glowy, dewey and soft! It’s so easy to just focus on the face but don’t neglect all of your skin that will be visible in your dress. It really helps you to feel more confident.
4. Blend, Blend, and Blend some more….Avoid any sort of harsh contouring at all costs. You will be able to see everything in photos. Make sure your highlighter and bronzer blend seem-lessly and avoid any harsh lines. Don’t forget to blend foundation under your jawline, neck and chest so everything matches. It will look off if your face is lighter or darker than the rest of your body. 
5. When and where to apply highlighter...For the most part you want your wedding day products to be matte and avoid the sparkle or shimmer. This ensures you won’t have that oily look in your photos. However, using the right amount of highlighter on specific areas can give you that glowing goddess look.  Araza Fruit + Citrus Infused Eye Color works perfectly has a highlighter. Choose the color Lace if you have pale to ivory skin and Champagne if you have olive skin or darker skin. Using the Taper Eye Shadow + Crease Brush applying a soft swipe to the high points of your cheek bones, collarbones and tops of your shoulders. 
6. Creamy Concealer to hide tiredness weddings can be stressful no matter who you are! Cover dark circles and under eye puffiness with a creamy concealer like Araza’s Coconut Probiotic Corrective Concealer. Gently dabbing a few dots around the entire eye in a color that matches your foundation or is just a touch lighter will help to give your eyes a more refreshed and awake appearance. Araza’s Coconut Probiotic Corrective Concealer also contains Eye Bright Extracts which helps to reduce puffiness and soothe the under eye area.  
7. Go a tad heavier than you normally would and try layering- I felt like I was wearing soooo much makeup on my wedding day but then when I look back at the photos it doesn’t look that way at all. If you don’t apply enough makeup on your wedding day you will look washed out. Simply put, you need to apply more makeup so that you show up in photos. My favorite way of doing this is the layering method. For example, when I applied my eyeliner I started with Araza’s Avocado Eye + Brow Pencil in Black on my lower lash line. Then I went over that gently with a dark eye shadow and repeated the process. This ensures my liner wouldn’t slip (even through tears) and gave me the darker look I was wanting on my wedding day. 
8. Do not rush! If you are the bride make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get ready. I am talking atleast 4 hours! Ya it sounds like alot but you are going to want time to relax and casually get ready so you don’t feel rushed. Plus, it’s so fun to take the time to visit with your girlfriends and sip mimosas. It’s the calm before the storm if you will :) The rest of your day will go by so fast that you will be very grateful you blocked more time to get ready than you normally would.

I hope these tips help you feel beautiful on your big day! Have questions? Email us at service@arazabeauty.com 

All the best, Lindsey