We are finding that more and more our clients are asking us, as their photographers, what they should consider with regard to their wedding day makeup. So we turned to two of our favourite makeup artists to work with on a wedding day (Ainsley M and Alexis Miller).
Ainsley M is an award winning make-up artist specialising in bridal make-up. Trained by the London College of Fashion, Ainsley travels all over Scotland ensuring brides look flawless on their big day. She has been nominated for a VOWS award in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, winning the prestigious title for best ‘hair and beauty’ in both 2007 and 2008. In addition to bridal services, Ainsley also does commercial work including fashion shoots (e.g. Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Lindsay Fleming) and make-up for events (e.g. Pussycat Dolls at MOBO’s). She also offers make-up lessons on a ‘one to one’ and group basis plus personal make-up shopping. Bridal lessons are also offered for those who are unable to have an artist visit them on their big day.
Ainsley doing Lauren's makeup at House for an Art Lover
Alexis has been a Professional Make-up and Hair Artist since 2001. Soon after leaving college she started working freelance in the TV and Film Industry, working on TV series like The Book Group, River City, Down to earth, Rebus, Bad Girls among others. She has also worked with many celebrity clients including Westlife, Chris Evans, Summer Glau, Alec Baldwin, Stephanie Beacham, Elijah Wood, James Nesbit, Danny Dyer and many others. She was also nominated for VOWS Award in 2008. Alexis is available for photoshoots, weddings and any other occasions. She also offers make-up lessons and make-up shopping. Alexis is based in Glasgow but will travel.
Alexis doing Claire's makeup at Turnberry Westin Resort
First off, I would like to say that although Ainsley and Alexis have provided great advice for this article, we would always suggest you try and get a professional makeup artist on your wedding day, if you can. Whilst you might be happy doing your own makeup for a night out, don’t underestimate the extra pressure it can put you under when you are nervous on your wedding day. As Ainsley told us “having make-up professionally applied on a wedding day is a comfort for many brides” She believes there are several reasons for this:
- it’s one less thing to worry about on a day when they are likely to be nervous. Being able to close their eyes for half an hour and switch off from the hustle and bustle of the day can be a welcome relief
- an experienced make-up artist will know how to apply the make-up so it lasts all day. They know the pitfalls that need to be avoided to ensure the make-up photographs beautifully
- it ensures continuity with the rest of the bridal party. Ideally the make-up artist should do the bridesmaids and mum’s too. It’s not only the bride’s make-up that could cause a problem in the photographs! For example, being neutral, it’s usually much easier for a make-up artist to convince a bridesmaid that black smokey eyes, lashings of bronzer and red lips is not really appropriate for the day
- any last minute blemishes or skin problems can be dealt with without panic
- it’s fun! Most make-up artists love their job and will be a friendly and calm addition to the wedding morning.
Alexis makes a great point about actually looking like ‘you’ – “It’s your wedding day….you put time, money and dreams into this one day but you will have your pictures for a lifetime. So you want to look a better, more flawless, glamourous but natural version of yourself. Your fiancé fell in love with you as you are so changing your look dramatically is never a good idea. Don’t be too swayed by trends, as after the band has packed up your photos will be around for a long time and you don’t want to look back and cringe because your look was very ‘of the now’. Classic is always best, at the same time you don’t want to ‘underdo’ your make-up as white dresses can be draining, so make sure you have a peachy/rosy blush.”
Ainsley doing Claire's makeup at Glenbervie House Hotel
Alexis doing Claire's makeup at Turnberry Westin Resort
So onto the best makeup tips:
Be careful when using SPFs:
Ainsley warns brides to be aware of the ingredient list in their foundation with SPF. As she points out “although wearing an SPF everyday will undoubtedly protect your skin and keep you looking young, when it comes to photography it can cause some issues. Ingredients such as Titanium Dioxide found in SPF’s work by reflecting light off the skin. As a result, when flash photography is used, a white cast can often be seen, making your face a lighter colour than your body. When choosing a foundation for your wedding, try and pick one which does not contain this at the top of its ingredients list. For example, I use several Laura Mercier foundations and tinted moisturisers which all contain titanium dioxide and these all photograph well. The titanium dioxide with these is one of the last ingredients on the list.”
Pale is beautiful!
From our point of view, fake tan can be the hardest thing to photograph. Some good advice from Alexis is to “keep tans soft and subtle, extremely tanned faces don’t photograph well and your groom will just look pale in comparison.”
Use a Primer:
Alexis tells us “a primer is a must as it helps even out skin tone, helps with open pores and oil and helps everything last for the duration. All of the brands now carry primers but my favourites are Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown.”
Whilst Ainsley points out that “a make-up primer will help your foundation last longer and will also improve the look of your skin. Laura Mercier’s primers are excellent. Apply a thin layer of primer, followed by a few thin layers of foundation to make your base last all day. This is particularly important for summer weddings.”
Try to keep eye colours matte or soft shimmer:
Ainsley mentions that “matte eye colours will show up more than overly shimmery shadows which can sometimes disappear in photography. However a lot of brides prefer a subtle shimmer to a flat matte so a good compromise is a soft shimmer on the lid with a matte colour in the socket line to create depth. Don’t be afraid to experiment with eye colours that you may not have worn before. A lot of women with blue eyes assume grey is the best colour for them. Although this will suit them, a warmer bronze tone will usually look more striking. For green eyes and brown eyes, I love purple tones.”
Alexis advises making “sure your eyes are well defined or they will disappear in your photographs. Defined brows, dark lashes and a nicely defined socket will do the trick. Waterproof mascara is a must.”
Go easy with the highlighter and avoid shimmer/glitter setting powder and blusher:
According to Ainsley, “the key to using highlighter is to use a very small amount on a couple of key areas only. Never use a highlighter all over the face as you will just look sweaty in your photographs. Keep it to the very top of the cheekbone, bridge of nose, under the brow bone and the cupid’s bow. Keep it completely away from the middle of the face, particularly around the sides of the nose, chin and forehead. Shimmer or glitter on the face or body should be avoided if flash photography is being used. It may look pretty in the flesh but the camera will hate it, and in return it will distort your make-up. If you do like a little bit of shimmer then just add it where you would add highlighter i.e. top of cheekbone, bridge of nose, under brow bone and cupid’s bow. In normal day to day life, light reflecting concealers are great for diffusing darkness under the eye. However in flash photography, these can also create the ‘white cast’ effect. I prefer to use under eye concealers such as Bobbi Brown creamy concealer which don’t bounce off the flash.”
While Alexis suggests “keeping shimmery powders to a minimum particularly under the eyes. A little shimmer on the high points of the cheeks, apples of cheeks and collarbone/shoulders is nice but keep it subtle. Mac Strobe cream and Tess Dalys’ Daly Face Glow for M+S are both perfect.”
Liner is your friend:
Ainsley is clear that “the key to beautifully defined eyes is liner. Gel liners such as Bobbi Brown’s are incredible for getting a dense line very close to the base of the lashline. Applying mascara to the very root of the lashes will also help. If you are very fair, consider getting your lashes tinted. This makes a huge difference, but be sure to get a skin test done first. Adding false lashes, whether a strip or individuals, can also help to create definition.”
Apply Powder:
Another tip from Alexis is that “a pressed translucent powder or blotting papers are really handy to make sure your T-Zone isn’t too shiny prior too your photos. Bobbi Brown and Clinique have nice ones.”
Ainsley‘s golden tip is as follows “unless you have oily skin it’s not necessary to powder all over. However it is essential for all skin types that the forehead, nose, sides of nose and chin are kept shine free. If you have a drier skin, keeping the top of the cheekbones a little dewy often looks better.”
Don’t forget the brows:
Ainsley points out that “brows frame your eyes and make the world of difference to your make-up. However a lot of brides underestimate this. Make sure they are neatly groomed (threading is great) and filled in with a natural shadow or pencil to create definition.”
Make it last:
Alexis suggests you “take advantage of long lasting formulas, especially foundations and lipstick. Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and Double Wear Light (slightly lighter coverage) are very good for coverage and long lasting. Double Wear also have lipsticks and mascara in their range. For a lighter coverage, I recommend Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser. It has a better coverage than most tinted moisturisers but looks flawless and natural.The most important thing is getting your base right as it will help everything else just fall into place. A must is your lipstick or gloss for touch ups throughout the day. L’Oreal 6hr gloss is long lasting and not too sticky. Mac and Bobbi Brown have a wide range of lipsticks to suit everyone.”
A huge thank you to both Ainsley M and Alexis Miller for taking the time to share these tips and tricks on making sure your wedding makeup is flawless and beautiful.
Ainsley doing Lisa's makeup at Piersland House Hotel
. These tantalising glimpses are killing me!” and told us that when Allan saw the picture, he just said “the man’s a genius”! Thanks guys! Here’s that image again:
