Wedding Day Makeup Part I

I am so excited to introduce our first guest blogger, Karina Miller! Karina is a self proclaimed "beauty product addict" and will be informing us of all the wonderful products and how to tips out there. In our first session with Karina, she will go over how to do your make-up for you wedding day, along with her product recommendations. This segment will be featured in two parts so make sure to check back later today for part two. So without further ado, I give you Karina!


When doing your own makeup for your big day, remember to practice doing your makeup several times before your wedding day so you get the perfect look down.

1. Start with a washed, exfoliated, and moisturized face (I like good ol’ St Ives Apricot Facial Scrub).

2. Apply makeup primer. It really will help makeup go on smoother and stay on longer. I LOVE Smashbox Photofinish Primer—it’s so silky! If your skin tends to be oily, they have a lighter version, too).

3. Dot concealer where needed. To eliminate dark circles, apply dots of concealer under each eye and gently pat with your ring finger to blend. For really dark circles, try a yellow cream under concealer. My favorite concealers are Benefit Boi-ing or Benefit It Stick (I feel like they stay better than liquid formulas) and a tiny bit of Bare Escentuals Summer Bisque powder on top.

4. Choose a foundation that matches your skin tone well. If you choose a liquid foundation, apply it with a damp makeup sponge for a more natural, dewy look (You don’t want your face to scream, “HEY! I’m wearing foundation!”). I personally like Bare Escentuals mineral powder foundation applied with the handy Kabuki Brush. Don’t forget to blend onto the neck.

5. Time for my favorite: eyes! Start by curling your eyelashes (you can’t beat Shu Uemura eyelash curler) by squeezing at the tip, middle, then base of your eyelashes. I can’t tell you what color shadow to choose, but purple shadows look good on green eyes, bronze shadows bring out blue eyes, and green shadows make hazel eyes stand out. I put MAC Shadestick in Shimmersand under almost all my eye shadows because it does not budge—perfect for your long day! Stay in the same color family and start by putting the lightest color from lash line to brow. Put the medium shade on the whole eyelid. Then, blend the darkest color into the crease. Apply a soft pencil eyeliner (I use brown—black) by making a dotted line as close to your eyelashes as possible and then lightly smudging it with smudge brush (or your finger). If you really want liquid eyeliner, I can’t stop you…Just make sure you are not Eyeliner Lady instead of the Natural Beauty Bride you should be. Take a white or light shimmery shadow and brush on the brown bone, just under the eyebrow, to make your face look brighter and eyebrows more lifted. Dab a bit of the same shimmery shadow on the inner corners of your eyes; it will really open up your eyes (you can also use white eyeliner pencil for this)! Finish with a couple coats (make sure you get every lash!) of black mascara on your top lashes; I am currently obsessed with Cover Girl Lash Blast and Volume Exact mascara.

Thanks so much Karina for all the great tips and product recommendations!
Be sure to check back for part II later today!