Bridal Beauty: How to Prep Your Skin for Makeup Application

When you make your grand entrance walking down the aisle, a clean and fresh-looking complexion is a must, so proper skin preparation is important to ensure your wedding makeup stays put. The summer months especially can be brutal on your beauty efforts, so if you don’t already have one, a good skin care regimen is ideal to establish so you can get your skin in pristine condition before the “Big Day” and making it the perfect canvas to be painted upon.

• A good cleanser appropriate for your skin-type in the mornings

• Make-up remover and cleanser at night

• Daily oil-free moisturizer

• An exfoliant once to several times a week.

If it’s within your budget, at least six months out would be a good time to consult with a Dermatologist or licensed esthetician where you can discuss any concerns you have with acne, scars, or other skin care problems. They can create a skin care plan that will help ensure you look beautiful for your wedding makeup and have picture perfect skin.

Try to start your skincare plan at least six months to one year before your wedding day to ensure your skin is properly cared for and looking its best. You don’t want to wait until the month of your wedding to start using new products because you could develop an allergic reaction to some products which could take up to two months to clear. Or the opposite can occur and it could take 30-60 days for new products to really work their magic.

On the morning of your wedding, skip the lotions, toners or any products that will be between your skin and your makeup before you get your wedding makeup done. This step will help your makeup adhere to your skin better with less chance of slippage when you start to get hot and sweat, because there is a fine line between a sweaty shine and a dewy glow. Be sure to let your makeup artist know about your skin concerns so that they may use additional products if necessary to help achieve the best application. At any time when you do start to sweat or cry, never wipe anything off your face because your wedding makeup will just go right off with it; instead blot, blot, blot.

Avoid the temptation to apply pressed or loose powder to absorb shine because you will only cake on the powder, so use blotting sheets (oil absorbing papers) which are the best way to eliminate shine and not smudge your makeup.

Sometimes even adding the simplest efforts to your routine can help your skin look more luminous; like drinking eight glasses of water daily, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol consumption, not stressing out about the little wedding planning details before your big day and getting plenty of rest the week of will help your skin glow and allow your wedding makeup artist to make you into the beautiful blushing bride.

Christina Kazadzis is a professional airbrush makeup artist, eyelash extensionist and owner of Touch of Color Airbrush Makeup Artistry. She has been a makeup artist for over 10 years, and has experience working with brides and editorial for print and television.