Will My Hair and Makeup Last on My Wedding Day?
Lydia at the Gote Barn. Photo Credit: Will Fuller
‘Will my makeup and hair last?’ is one of the most common questions I get asked as a hair and makeup artist! It's important to recognise that various factors can impact the longevity of your hair and makeup; from the weather to your skin and hair type, even to how much dancing you're going to be doing! I feel there are very mixed opinions on this topic. Often my clients have been told they ‘have’ to wear a full coverage or matt foundation, which doesn’t feel like them, but I don’t believe this to be the case. I'd like to shed some light on how you can ensure your hair and makeup will last from the ceremony to the last dance.
Time and Organisation:
Ensuring there is a plan for the wedding morning is absolutely crucial. Being stressed and rushing around will not help your hair and makeup application. It’s important to give yourself enough time to do all your wedding morning tasks, getting as many done as possible in the lead up to the day or delegating to your family/bridal party. I always like to create a schedule to ensure there is plenty of time for skin prep, hair styling and makeup application so you can enjoy the morning as much as the day! I also recommend having a very clear vision of the look you want to achieve. There’s not the time on the day to experiment and make lots of adjustments - taking makeup on and off won’t help the longevity. For hair, different prep may be needed depending on the style. The more hair is played with, the more likely it is that curls will start to drop out as well as a frizzier finish.
It's All in the Prep:
The foundation for long-lasting hair begins with the right products to suit your hair type. If you have fine hair using a product to add hold and volume will help, such as a mousse. Whereas, naturally curly hair is more likely to need products with hydration to refresh the curl. For a quick refresh the Davines Curl Revitalizer is perfect.
When using heat to create curls, the key to ensuring they stay in tact is taking the time to tong each section meticulously. It’s also essential to let the curls cool down before styling them further. Finally, once your hair is styled it will be secured in place with a good supply of pins, grips and hairspray. Believe me when I say you will likely find hair pins days after your wedding (I used to pin wigs on stunt men and dancers doing backflips on stage, so I like to make sure things are ‘shake proof’)!
Creating the Perfect Canvas:
For your makeup to stay fresh throughout your wedding day, it's essential to start with a well-prepped canvas. I believe skin prep is one of the most important things you can do. Having a good and consistent at home routine, started long before the wedding day will help massively.
On your wedding morning I often:
Exfoliate your skin, use a hydrating face mask, followed by a hydrating serum and finish by massaging in a moisturiser.
These products not only help your makeup last longer, but also provide a barrier between your skin and the makeup this prevents it being absorbed and counteracts any dry skin that can cause makeup to crack or flake, which is the last thing you want!
The application of the foundation and concealer is super important. I like working in lots of lightweight layers to allow me to build coverage over areas where it is needed. This requires a little extra time compared with applying a full coverage foundation everywhere.
My Favourite Long Wearing Makeup Products:
These are a few of my essential products I couldn’t be without. They have been tried and tested to ensure that your makeup remains fresh throughout your wedding day:
Eyeko Waterproof Mascara: Wedding days can be an emotional time and often with tears of joy, so waterproof mascara is your best friend in such moments.
Delilah Gel Eyeliner: Whether you are after subtle definition or a ‘cat’ style eye, this liner is absolutely budge proof.
Coola Setting Spray: Is my favourite way to finish a makeup. Not only does it lock your makeup in place, but it also adds sun protection, which shouldn’t be missed even on your wedding day.
Touch-Up Kit:
I always like to be totally transparent to ensure you have realistic expectations. Drawing on my experience working on film and TV sets where we used portable tongs and touched-up makeup between takes to help keep everything looking fresh under hot studio lights or in gail force winds. To my knowledge of achieving red carpets looks where they have dedicated hair and makeup stations for touch-ups. It’s a good idea to be prepared and have a touch-up kit with you. Here's what you should include:
Powder and Blotting papers: Blotting papers to absorb excess oil and a translucent setting powder to mattify any distracting shine.
Hair Pins and Hairspray: These are must haves for quick fixes and securing any stray hairs that might escape throughout the day.
Lipstick: Keep your chosen lipstick shade for touch-ups after eating, drinking, or kissing.
Concealer: With lots of hugging on the day (and consequential shirt rubbing), sometimes a few touch up particularly around your jawline, will help keep your skin looking fresh.
Hydrating Mist: An hydrating mist can rejuvenate your skin and makeup (particularly if you are prone to dry skin), making it look fresh and radiant.
With the right preparation, high-quality products and a touch-up kit to hand, you can ensure that your hair and makeup will look beautiful from ceremony to long after the champagne and speeches. And if you would like the extra star treatment, I offer a ‘staying beyond the wedding morning’ service to help with any makeup and hair checks, standing by on photos, as well as veil removal.
*Disclosure: please note some links included are affiliate links which mean for some sales made I get a very small percentage of the cost which goes towards supporting my business.
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Written by: Naomi Spurr Studio