Being a bridesmaid comes with big responsibilities – assisting the bride, organizing parties, and lending a hand whenever it’s needed. Aside from all of these, you also have wedding details to secure for yourself – the perfect bridesmaid’s dress, matching gorgeous shoes, and complementing accessories.
To complete your overall aesthetic, you also have to plan your makeup. You may think this could be quite overwhelming because there are a lot of bridesmaid makeup ideas available to try. So where do you start? It actually depends on the bride – if she chooses to pay for the makeup, you have to expect that she already has a look in mind for all of her female entourage. All you have to do is sit pretty and let the makeup artist do her thing. Most often than not, though, brides choose to save on costs and give the liberty to their bridesmaids to do their own makeup. This is completely natural and acceptable.
Beauty and the venue
A well-applied makeup instantly casts a beautiful glow on anyone and one trick to achieving a stunning bridesmaid makeup look is to plan it according to the theme and venue of the wedding. This way, you can choose properly the style you’ll go for -- dramatic, simple, minimal, heavy -- and the most ideal type of makeup -- airbrushed, mineral, powder, water-based -- you will use.
A wedding to be held outdoors calls for something flawless and impeccable. Daytime wedding lighting magnifies the fine details in one’s look that is why something with a smooth finish is a must. Remember that your foundation should match your skin tone and everything must be blended perfectly. An outdoor wedding’s biggest threat would be a makeup meltdown (lots of sun and perspiration) and you can avoid this by opting for waterproof makeup and finishing your look with a setting spray. For outdoor spring and summer weddings, go for something bright and fresh with the right amount of shimmer – a natural bridesmaid look. For fall and winter outdoor weddings, go for something dramatic with rich eye makeup and bold lips.
Unlike outdoor weddings, indoor wedding venues are usually dim and rely mostly on artificial lighting. This also means that flash photography will be in use. To achieve the most gorgeous bridesmaid makeup style for this type of venue, make sure that you avoid being too glittery and sparkly as they are quite unflattering, especially in photos. Go for matte eye makeup that translates impeccably with flash photography as well as satin-finish products that give the skin a subtle glow.
For other venues like the beach, go for something with SPF protection. If the wedding venue is up the mountains with cold weather, use products with added moisture like liquid eye shadows, lipstick, foundation, and highlighter.
What’s in your bridesmaid beauty bag?
As a bridesmaid, you should be ready for anything, including makeup booboos and big day beauty emergencies. One way to go by this is by preparing your bridesmaid beauty bag. This bag will contain ammunition of products that will help you breeze through the day as beautifully as possible.
Your bridesmaid beauty bag should have the following must-haves:
- A comfy robe to be worn during the makeup preparation. Brides sometimes give out robes to their bridesmaids so you should be covered. But just in case, you can bring your own.
- Your makeup including brushes and sponges. If you’ll be doing your own bridesmaid makeup, you should have your favourite products with you. This is also more hygienic as you don’t have to share tools with a lot of people. You can also use your makeup for touchups.
- A compact mirror to monitor your look throughout the event.
- Hair products like hair spray, bobby pins, hair ties, and hair clips.
- Personal care products like perfume, mouthwash, deodorant, wipes, and Q-tips.
- Oil-blotting sheets to keep your makeup flawless.
These are just some of the items you should have on hand as a bridesmaid. Other products that could come in handy include pimple patches for unexpected breakouts, a tweezer for flawless eyebrows, nail polish to beautify your hands and feet, and some mint for fresh breath.
Here are some bridesmaid makeup looks you’ll love
As we have mentioned above, choosing the right bridesmaid makeup for you can be a bit overwhelming that is why we have gathered some of the trendiest bridesmaid looks today that you can recreate yourself. Whether you’re after soft bridesmaid makeup or a natural appeal, this list has something that would look lovely on you. Check them out:
Gorgeous and glowing
Go for the glow with this romantic sun-kissed look. One trick to get that glowing from within look is using a highlighter that complements your skin tone.
Dazzling diva
Shine in your champagne dress with some fresh and dewy makeup. Keep the shimmering makeup products to a minimum so as not to clash with your outfit. Finish it off with some gentle blush and classic lipstick shade.
Barely-there bombshell
Look naturally beautiful with an ethereal bridesmaid makeup that suits just about any bridesmaid dress. Go for a light foundation and finish it with light eyeshadows, a coat of mascara, and some matte lipstick.
Nice and natural
Deep and bold-coloured bridesmaid dresses call for more natural and sophisticated makeup. Skip heavy foundation and eyeshadows, highlight your cheeks with a subtle blush and bronzer, enhance your brows, and wear some nude lipstick.
Glorious gloss
Glossy lips are always a good idea. The trick to recreating this look is picking the lip gloss that suits your lip shade. Pale skin tones pair well with pinks and nudes, medium tones are great with peaches, while warm tones go well with reds.
Sultry gaze
A good bridesmaid’s eye makeup can make a big difference so give your eyes some attention when finalizing your look. Find the perfect eyeliner shade to open your eyes, bring definition to your brows, apply a nice coat of mascara to your lashes, and pick the perfect eyeshadow colour.
Chic and simple
Bridesmaid makeup doesn't always need to be all out and over the top. Sometimes you need to tone things down a bit – simple makeup shades, light hues, and some understated elegance.
Minimalist maid
Put the focus on your natural attributes with a no makeup look. Use a light concealer to mask blemishes, rock dewy cheeks with a highlighter, apply a touch of blush, and finish the look with some nude lipstick.
Glitter and glam
For something more formal and high fashion, glamourous bridesmaid makeup is what you need. Go all out with the glitters and bling. Do a bold look with a well-contoured face, some luscious false lashes, daring lips, and shimmery eye shadow.
Genuine goddess
Simple yet superb, this makeup look highlights all the important parts of your face – plump and lush lips, glowing skin, bright eyes, and natural brows. Your beauty will definitely shine through.
Sexy and smokey
A smokey look has always been a favourite because it instantly adds a sultry and edgy charm to the wearer. To nail a quick smokey bridesmaid eye makeup, create a line across your upper eyelid using a black pencil liner. Next, blend the line using a sponge-tip blender to create a soft blur. Lastly, sweep some mascara on your lashes and you’re done!
Pretty in pink
This sweet bridesmaid makeup idea is perfect for those with light skin tones. This delicate look highlights your best assets, gives you a fresh aura, and suits you well for daytime affairs.
Dewy and divine
This bridesmaid look is popular because it’s soft, light, and simply beautiful. No heavy eye makeup or bold lips – just soft brows, stunning eyes, natural lips, and some sublime glow.
Pretty perfect
Just the right mix of natural and glam, this bridesmaid makeup idea suits just about any type of wedding celebration. The overall look is not too heavy for the outdoors but not too light for affairs indoors.
Dainty darling
Flaunt your fresh and pretty face with this natural bridesmaid makeup idea. Emphasize your lips with matte lipstick and some pastel eyeshadows.
Subtle sophistication
You can never go wrong with a classic look – dark eyeshadows that emphasize the eyes, rosy brush that brings life to your face, and glossy lips in complementing hue.
Whimsical wonder
Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with your bridesmaid makeup. Take inspiration from fairy tales and try unusual styles that will make you stand out – colourful highlights on the eyes, bold lips, and unique-coloured eyeliner.
Breathtakingly bold
Take your look to the next level with bold and artistic makeup. Drop the usual smokey and glitters and go for fun and daring colours like yellow and oranges for your eyeshadow and bold cat eyes with winged black liners. Unleash your creativity!
Found a bridesmaid makeup idea that you like? Before you decide, ensure that the bridesmaid makeup looks will come out cohesive by asking first the bride if she has a specific look and palette in mind that you can use as inspiration. Another thing to do is talk to all the bridesmaids to ensure that you’re gunning for a specific bridesmaid makeup look. And if you’re not too confident in doing your own makeup, you can set up a date and practice with the girls or watch makeup tutorials online. Have fun!
