Bridal Makeup - My Sister's Wedding

Last month I had the amazing but also nerve wracking job of doing my Sister's wedding makeup. 

Beforehand we did go to a Bobbi Brown makeup trial, which I would highly recommend. The trial gave me a lot of tips and tricks to help achieve a flawless, yet natural base. For the eyes we both preferred a more gold/bronzy look so I got to experiment a little! 

I thought I would share the products I used, along with a few tips and tricks you can use if you are doing your own, or someone else's makeup on the big day!

Can you see the concentration on my face?!

Although we were pushed for time and I did have a major panic that I was going to have to turn up with no makeup on my own face, I was so happy with how Emma's makeup turned out. She looked absolutely beautiful, I may be bias but I don't think I have ever seen a more radiant looking bride! 

I put that down to a combination of my makeup and of course all those sequins!

With Wedding makeup one of the biggest things you have to consider is photography. Flash photos and SPF don't work well together. The SPF causes a flashback and you end up with a really pale ghost face. This was one of the reasons we went for NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. It has no SPF, provides a good medium coverage, lasts well and photographs beautifully.

As we wanted the base to be flawless, I also used the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick on any areas that needed extra coverage. I have never tried these Foundation Sticks before but I was impressed at how well they cover, whilst still looking very natural.

Primer

MAC Prep & Prime Skin (this primer is amazing!) and Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (sprayed before I applied any makeup and again once I had finished)

Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji and Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in Warm Sand in areas which needed more coverage (cheeks, chin, round the nose)

Concealer

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque under the eyes with the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit over the top.

Powder

Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium

Bronzer

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow

Blusher

Benefit Dandelion Blush and Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz

Highlighter

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light

Eyebrows

MAC Eyeshadow in Omega, used very lightly just to fill out the ends of the eyebrows

Eyeshadow Primer

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Eyeshadow

MAC shadows in 'All That Glitters' all over the lid, 'Mulch' in the crease and outer corner and 'Embark' smudged over the top of the eyeliner. I also used 'Blazing Star' from the Bobbi Brown Sand palette for a little bit of sparkle on the centre of the lid. 

Eyeliner

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Caviar Ink. I applied a thin line of this along the top lash line and smudged out with MAC Embark eyeshadow. A tiny bit was also applied underneath the lower lash line.

Mascara

Benefit They're Real and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. I also used some individual lashes by Eylure to add volume.

Lips

Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Peachy with L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in Nude Ballet. Throughout the day we touched up with Bobbi Brown Brightening Lip Gloss in Nectar

Out of everything I used, these are my three must have products for any bridal makeup. 

The Urban Decay Setting Sprays really extend the wear time of your makeup. I was super impressed at how long Emma's makeup lasted and I definitely think this was a big part of that. 

Lashes wise, I think individual lashes are the only way to go. Whilst they are a bit more fiddly than strip lashes, they are so much more natural looking and just add some fullness without anyone knowing you are wearing them.

For the radiant Bride look, a good highlight is a must. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light is my new favourite product and I have to say my favourite part of the whole makeup. This just makes your skin look like its glowing from within and photographs beautifully.

As well as doing Emma's makeup, I also did my Mums makeup. Like my Sister, I wanted her to look natural and radiant. My Mum has always been a big Bobbi Brown fan so naturally we used some of her favourite products. 

For foundation I used the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation, which like NARS Sheer Glow has no SPF. The Marc Jacobs Lolita palette was the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette to use and those Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks give some serious wedding glow! Just like my Sister, my Mum looked beautiful.

Primer

MAC Prep & Prime Natural Radiance in Radiant Pink and Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (sprayed before I applied any makeup and again once I had finished)

Foundation

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Concealer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On Glow BB Highlighter used under the eyes to brighten

Powder

Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder

Bronzer

Bobbi Brown Brightening Blush in Bronze

Blusher

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nude

Eyeshadow

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Sand Dune, I used this cream eyeshadow as a primer with the Marc Jacobs Lolita Palette on top.

Mascara

Maybelline Falsies Mascara (Waterproof)

Eyebrows

MAC Lingering Eyebrow Pencil

Lips

Edward Bess Defining Lip Liner in Natural with Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in Role Play and Revlon Super Lustrous Lip gloss in Snow Pink

I would share with you the makeup that I wore but I honestly have no idea as it was rather hurriedly slapped on! 

It was an unforgettable day and I'm so happy that I got to be a part of it. 

Face of the Night with MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick

If you read my post yesterday you will have seen that my friends and I were all out on the town this weekend for birthday celebrations. I managed to sneak a peak inside all their makeup bags but didn't get round to taking a picture of my own makeup. Instead, I thought I would recreate it for a Face of the Day post.

There was definitely a bit of a 90s theme going on my with my makeup, with lots of brown tones, especially on the lips! For my lipstick I used Velvet Teddy which is probably my all time favourite MAC lipstick and has been for a long time. It is the perfect, matte 90s lip.

Face

Primer

MAC Prep & Prime Natural Radiance in 'Radiant Pink'

This is only a little sample pot but since using a MAC primer for my Sister's wedding makeup and seeing how amazing her makeup lasted, this is definitely on my wish list. 

Foundation

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation

This foundation just makes me happy because the glow it gives makes me look like I've just come back from holiday, when really I've just been to Brighton for the day!

Under Eye Highlighter

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in 'Light Boost'

The bomb!

Powder

Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder

Whilst I wasn't a fan of Charlotte's Film Stars on the Go palettes, this powder is amazing. Another item used on my sisters wedding day, this stuff mattifies and keeps that dreaded shine at bay. Its also so finely milled that it feels really lightweight, not cakey or heavy at all. 

Bronzer

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in 'Aphrodite's Shell'

Contour

"Fawn" from the Anastasia Contour Palette

Blush

MAC 'The Perfect Cheek' Blush

This is from MAC's limited edition Marilyn Monroe collection but its up there in my top 5 blushers ever. If Velvet Teddy is the perfect 90s lip colour, this muted pink is the perfect 90s blush colour.

Highlight

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in 'Luminous Light'

I can't help using this, its my new obsession!

Eyes

Eyebrows

Anastasia Brow Whizz in 'Soft Brunette'

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Its very rare for me to deviate from my beloved Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and I think I'm going to have to go back to it soon because nothing else seems to work as well for me. 

Eyeshadow Primer

MAC Paintpot in 'Layin' Low'

Eyeshadow

MAC Eyeshadows in 'Grain' and 'Embark'

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in 'Taupe'

I have been having a bit of a MAC eyeshadow revival lately, in fact there is a lot of MAC in this makeup look in general! I used 'Grain' all over the lid with Bobbi Brown's 'Taupe' in the crease and blended lightly underneath the lower lash line. Finally I used 'Embark' on top of my eyeliner to smoke it out, the MAC 239 brush makes this a doddle!

Eyeliner

MAC Fluidline in 'Black Track'

Mascara

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

I know two mascaras is slightly excessive but I already have so much makeup on my face, why stop at one! You will definitely be seeing both of these in my monthly favourites.

Lips 

Lipliner

MAC Lip Liner in 'Half Red'

It wouldn't be a true 90s makeup if I didn't channel my inner Pamela Anderson and use a lip liner. Half Red is a muted, reddy/brown shade which I always seem to forget I own for some reason.

Lipstick

MAC 'Velvet Teddy' Lipstick

If you are looking for a good Kylie Jenner lipstick then you really should try this!

Girls Night Out

This weekend it was one of my best friends birthdays, so to celebrate we headed down to Brighton for the day. It was a fleeting visit but we managed to squeeze in lunch at Meat Liquor and grab a box of Bens Cookies before we left! 

I have been to Meat Mission in Hoxton, which is the sister restaurant to Meat Liquor and although the menus are pretty much identical, I have to say I preferred Hoxton. The Hoxton Meat Mission is inside a converted church and the stained glass interior is awesome. If you love a good burger its definitely one to try.

After Brighton we headed back to get ready for our night out. Am I the only one that thinks the getting ready part is sometimes more fun than the actual night out itself?! Back in the day I remember visiting our friends at Uni and we would spend hours getting ready, listening to terrible music, playing Singstar and drinking far too much. We have tamed a bit with age though and the getting ready process is a much more civilised affair these days.

Last year on my blog I shared my love of snooping in other peoples makeup bags. My post on what was inside Chloe and Chefs makeup bag was one of my favourites, so I thought I would take a few sneaky shots of what makeup they wear on a night out.

Chloe

Chloe is the most experimental when it comes to her makeup and when she finishes something, she tends to always try something new. Chloe has the best edited lipstick collection, its small but there is a colour for every occasion. Next time I'm in America I want to try the Ardency Inn Boom Base, its a lip base but Chloe has been raving about it and has well and truly sold it to me!

Base

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Bronzer

Tarte Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer

Contour

MAC 'Sculpt' Sculpting Powder

Highlight

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

Illamsqua Brow and Lash Gel

Eyes

MAC Prunella Eye Kohl

MAC Power Surge Eye Kohl

MAC Prussian Powerpoint Eye Pencil

Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara

Lips

Ardency Inn Boom Base Lip Balm and Base 

MAC Bad Girl RiRi Lipstick

MAC Syrup Lipstick

Chef

The birthday girl! Chefs makeup tastes are a combination of Chloe and Sops. She can be quite experimental but is quite particular. Once she finds a product she loves, it stays (like her No7 foundation which she has used for years). We are both massive fans of the Urban Decay setting sprays and Chef has recently bought their Prep Spray, which I am intrigued to try myself!

Base

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Infused Complexion Prep Spray

No7 Intelligent Colour Foundation

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Rimmel Match Perfection Powder

Kat Von D Lock-It Powder Foundation

Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray

Blush

Kat Von D Everlasting Blush in Lovesong

Highlight

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

Illasmasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Eyes

Chanel Ecriture De Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner

Max Factor Black Kohl Pencil

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Covet

Dior Diorshow Mascara

Lips

MAC Cosmo Lipstick 

Sop

Out of everyone, Sop gets ready the quickest. I always panic when I'm still applying my foundation and she already has her false lashes on! Sop doesn't wear foundation, just concealer and definitely uses the least products out of all us (a natural beauty). She knows what she likes and sticks to it, she also has no patience when it comes to applying makeup but don't tell her I said that!

Base

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer

Blush

NARS Desire

Highlight 

Benefit High Beam

Eyebrows

MAC Lingering Eyebrow Pencil

Eyes

Eylure False Lashes (116)

Lips

MAC Modesty Lipstick

In the mad getting ready rush I didn't actually photograph my own makeup, but I have a post that will be up tomorrow to rectify that! Here is one photo I did get of me.....in the toilets, nice.

The next day was spent indulging in our guilty pleasure, Keeping up with the Kardashians and attacking the aforementioned Bens Cookie Box!

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstars On The Go - All About Eve

The latest release from Charlotte Tilbury's makeup line are her Filmstars On The Go palettes. These are designed to be an easy look in a palette, containing a cream eyeshadow and a lip and cheek tint. 

There are five different palettes to choose from, each named after Charlotte's favourite films.

The packaging is beautiful, the retro, rose gold sunburst casing is pure old Hollywood. I was torn between two shades, Rebel Without a Cause and All About Eve but ended up sticking to the more neutral shades in All About Eve.

The lip and cheek tint is the only multipurpose lip/cheek product I have found that actually works on both the lip and the cheeks. Normally they are too drying on the lips and too sticky on the cheeks, but this felt hydrating on my lips and just like a regular cream blush on the cheeks.

 On my cheeks the blush has really good lasting power and stays on pretty much all day. The lasting power on the lips isn't as good and I found the colour fades within a couple of hours.

The cream eyeshadow is such a beautiful golden taupe shade but I had major issues with this creasing on my eyes after just a few hours. I wore this without a primer and after about 4 hours most of the shadow had worn off, leaving some pretty ugly creasing behind. With an eyeshadow primer the wear time is slightly extended but not by a great deal. 

Its such a shame because I love everything else about the palette but for £42.00 the wear time is just unacceptable to me, especially if I compare it to the Maybelline Colour Tattoos which cost £4.99 and don't budge all day.

After a few hours of wear;

Sadly this is a skip which makes me so sad to say, as when I first applied this I really loved the look and it is so quick and easy to apply. For that reason I will continue to use this but I will just need to make sure I touch up throughout the day.

Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar On The Go palettes are available from Selfridges for £42.00

While we are here, I thought I would do a run down of whats on the rest of my face!

Base

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell

Charlotte Tilbury Air-Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro Powder

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light

Eyes

Soap & Glory Archery

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara