DIY wedding makeup...what are your must have products

Here's what I used for my wedding makeup:

Smashbox green primer - brings down my redness a treat. If you don't suffer with redness, their regular photo ready primer is very good.

Grimas anti-shine - theatrical primer which is the only thing to ever stop my nose getting greasy. Needs a light hand and careful blending but it's like magic.

Bourjois healthy mix foundation - I tried lots of samples of expensive foundation but liked this the best. For me, its all in the application - once I learned to apply it with a damp sponge, it looked SO much better.

Bobbi Brown concealer stick - just on red areas around my nose and chin.

Urban Decay eyeshadow primer - my eye makeup never shifts with this on!

Lorac Front of the Line eyeliner - sadly only available in America, but it's amazing, never moves.

Mac Mineralize skinfinish powder - looks nice and light and natural.

Urban Decay setting spray - just to hold it all together.

I had LVL lashes so I didn't need mascara.

Oh and I bought Bobbi Brown under eye corrector and concealer, but don't really like them. They are heavy and don't last as well as my usual concealer, L'Oréal Touche Magique. I only switched from that cos it's light reflecting and would have bounced off the camera flash. I do like the under eye setting powder that comes with the concealer, but I don't think you can buy that separately.

Hi jennybob,

try the no7 counter in boots and discuss that you're looking for make up for your wedding day, they have products that stop any shine for your wedding photos and they have a service to match your skin to the right foundation and even lipstick! They have foundations that have no spf too.

They will sit you down and put the products on your face like a mock wedding make up trial and you can decide whether you like the products then.

also my favourite for nearly everything is Benefit products!

the only other thing from a separate company is smashbox photo finish primer, wow does it work! Seriously my skin went from uneven and you could see my pores to literally flawless like baby skin, it's amazing. They do a trial kit on boots online which not only includes the smashbox photo finish primer but also the under eye primer and the top lid primer which is brilliant because it stops your eye makeup from creasing or getting oily and because smashbox can be pricey at least with the trial kit you're getting a really good deal and you would have plenty of product for your wedding day make up and the whole of your honeymoon too!

Hope this helps!

Ooo, where did you get the Grimas primer from?

I think I got it from stagedoormakeup.co.uk. There are a few UK stockists, postage tends to be on the expensive side for a tiny tube, but worth it for me.

Ooo fab got lots to go on here, thank you x

Inked doll? What did you use for your eyeshadow? xx

I used a Revlon pink on my lid and a l'oreal grey in my crease - I can't remember the exact shades. One thing I will say is that on the day the pink seemed much more glittery than I had realised, and I wasn't very happy with that. The lesson to be learned here is test eyeshadows in different lights - it hadn't looked glittery at all in the shop! Also, I used brushes from eyeslipsface which are really cheap and I love them.

Fantastic thread, thanks Jennybob, you sound similar to me and your wedding date is just after mine. I am planning to go to some make up counters to do some trials but unsure which ones?

I read a tip elsewhere - say that you have very sensitive skin even if it's not true and that for this reason you don't want to purchase any products on the day. I'm not sure if it would work at all but when I asked at clinique they said that was fine.

InkedDoll, great tips, thanks. Can anyone suggest what brushes to buy? I never use brushes - was thinking about learning how to do foundation with a brush and eyeshadow and brows.

I've never used a foundation brush - my mum uses an Estee Lauder one, but I'm sure that was horrendously expensive! I just use a cheap teardrop shaped sponge, damped down with a water spray. For eyeshadow I used the elf small crease brush and small precision brush. I neglect my brows cos I have a heavy fringe that covers them completely - but I'm thinking of growing it out a bit,so I'll need to learn soon! Benefit Brow Zing is supposed to be very good for taming and colouring brows.

Avoid No7 foundation. Ime it oxodises really quickly and your wedding day is usually a looooong day.

Kryolan Ultra Foundation is excellent and will easy last all day but it does need a good powder. You can build it up to your required coverage too. From a sheer look to complete tattoo coverage.

Unless your normal look is super heavy heavy drawn brows; shade in your brows with powder rather than pencil. It's much softer and prettier.

especially on camera.

As a double wear wearer, illamasquas rich liquid might be worth a try for you?

Urban decay eyeshadows can be lovely, illamasqua does some great ones but my fave (although pricey) are the ben nye ones

Kryolan cake liner wont budge all day

I trialled Ben Nye cake liner with Kryolan sealer, but it still smudged on me. Haven't tried Kryolan liner yet though!

You may have needed less sealer. Kryolan cake works fine even with just water

Be im planning to do my own makeup to

Done loads of research and written down some stuff but haven't got that with me at the moment so will try and post asap, have the bridesmaids over tonight for dress try on so may not be tonight.

Brushes..... Done loads of research and found a company called royal care cosmetics (rc cosmetics) there American based but do copies of sigma and Mac brushes at amazing prices and have really good reviews so I got some for my birthday and love them, use them all the time and haven't had any issues.

Those sponges that expand in water are meant to be good too so I'm going to try one of those

I had trials at a couple of shops because I never wear makeup normally but wanted to have some on for the wedding.

I had never worn primer, but ended up buying the Elizabeth Arden Good morning skin, and would definitely recommend it for a dewy look on older skin (not knowing how old you are obviously but I'm late 40s and outdoorsy so my skin's a bit tired!).

Very useful post and great suggestions from InkedDoll, I have to always use a primer, my nose and forehead gets very shiny after a few hours.

I'm going to do bridal make up trial runs on myself, I wear make up all the time, so instead will go for a softer look and will just practice the colours and brushes, so that I don't get in a flap when I do my makeup on the big day.

: )

This is a great post! Having just seen the prices of makeup trials and artists, I think the girls and I will be doing it ourselves! Luckily 2 of my BM's are aspiring MUAs so they're pretty darn good at it! I have very sensitive and red/blotchy skin so I'll have to be very careful about what I use. I swore by double wear for a long time until my skin started going so dry that I looked like a lizard!

I've heard great things about Dior Star, has anyone tried it? I'm 24, but always get recommended foundation for anti ageing for the moisturising properties of it!

I'm using bare minerals foundation, bronzer, primer, mineral veil and eyeshadow

bougiour (can't spell it) blusher

ted baker bronzer for a bit of sparkle

no7 Kate moss lipstick

maybellene gel eyeliner

urban decay fixer

apolcolips lipgloss

plus a white eyeliner and black pencil and brown eyebrow pencil all maybelliene

Pen and paper in hand i have written down all your fantastic recommendations...Thank you so much for this guys xx

Regarding foundation

Have you tried MAC Face and Body foundation? I currently use this day to day and its fantastic. It doesn't have SPF (as far as I know) , it is a light coverage that can be built up without looking "cakey" and doesn't feel heavy or like a mask, It also photographs well. It comes in a WIDE range of shades and it can be applied with a brush or with your fingers and they both turn out beautifully

Just had a quick browse at this thread though I'm having a professional do mine on the day, now I'm worried as I'm sure she said she used double wear ester lauder foundation for my trial. Is that not good?

I love double wear and always wear it without thinking ofspf/ camera flashes etc.. but looking back at pictures today, every picture that had a flash my face is like a beacon. I never realised this was due to my makeup before now. To be fair, in the day it would be unlikely aflash wouldbe needed so we would prob be fine to use it but if your having an evening do like mine any pictures in the evening will prob be ruined by your face (in the nicest possible way hehe!) I have read that on some people it doesnt flash back but its a risk. A couple of people have recommended the mac face and body so i might give that a go xx

Inked Doll. what colour was your BB concealer and highlighter?

The concealer (actually called a face touch up stick) is porcelain, the under eye corrector is extra light bisque and the under eye concealer is ivory. My under eye circles are very purplish so I actually think a more yellow corrector would be better but BB don't have one in that sort of shade. I notice Max Factor have new corrector pencils and there is a yellow shade, so I may try that next week under my regular l'oreal concealer.

Mac is a good bet I feel as lots of pro make up artists use their products so you know the quality is there. Just remember that make up comes out heavier in person than it does on camera, so if you go too natural it can look washed out. I think some of the huge outlets like Bicester Village and the one up in York have Mac outlets (basically all the Elizabeth Arden owned brands like EA and origins and bobbi brown) so that's a great place for cheaper brushes.

I must say I trialled Dermablend foundation and really liked the coverage but the palest shade was just too dark for me. If you aren't too pale and like a fairly full coverage, it's worth trying.

I decided against doing my own make up in the end but my new years resolution was to look after myself a bit more, This thread has really helped me stock up my make up bag! (also bankrupt me a bit haha.)

2nd the smash box stuff, I bought the brow kit and a blusher and had a tester of the primer and they are lovely products

I hate wearing lipstick (I just lick it all off) and H hates it too, so my mua used this amazing stuff that just sinks into your lips. Finally found out what it is, benefit posie tint poppy pink tinted lip and cheek stain. Its fantastic, but I bought some yesterday, £24.50! Ouch. I can see why mua's have to charge a lot!