#BeautyBar: 5 Tips on how to do your wedding makeup yourself!

wedding-makeup

I know what you’re thinking.

Who on earth would attempt to do their own makeup on their wedding day?? I repeat, their  w e d d i n g  day. Not birthday, or prom night or even graduation, but wedding day.

Answer: ME! And if you’re interested in doing the same for your big day or just happen to be curious about what it takes, read on.

Very rarely did I ever truly recognise the woman staring at me in the mirror

I don’t remember the exact moment I knew I wanted to take on the task myself but when it popped into my mind, I knew it was the right thing for me. I just… I wanted to look like myself and honestly, even though I’ve worked with incredibly talented makeup artists in my lifetime, very rarely did I ever truly recognise the woman staring at me in the mirror.

There was one makeup artist I had desperately wanted to work with but when it came down to it, our schedules clashed as he wasn’t based in Kenya. And from then on, I knew I wanted to take it on myself.

Whenever I’d get asked about who I’d chosen as my makeup artist, I’d proudly respond with “I’m actually doing it myself” to which I’d expect either a shocked face or one of admiration. Most of the time it was the shocked face and it would also be often followed by “But are you sure you want to do that?”

I even had someone totally advice me against it because they were certain I’d be too nervous to get my cat eye just right or put my eyelashes on. I’ll admit that that did make me reconsider for a sec but after thinking about it, I decided to stick to my original plan.

makeup

Wedding Makeup Tips

Here are some of the things that helped me do my own makeup for my wedding day!

  1. Make the Decision. I know this sounds quite obvious but if you’re not entirely sure about your decision then even the slightest nerves of negative comment will leave you incredibly anxious on the big day. You’ve got to decide that this is what you want for yourself and decide that you’re going to be great and do great! Tell yourself over and over again that you’ve got this and believe in yourself. This truly is the most vital step.
  2. Practice. I’ve been playing around with makeup for about six years now and in that time I’ve watched enough YouTube tutorials to last me a lifetime! By no means does this qualify me as an expert but it did mean that I had learnt a few tricks over the years and understood what worked on me. This definitely helped give me courage but I still did practice over and over again on what kind of look I wanted for the big day. If you want something complicated (like a cut-crease or an elaborate cat eye) then it means you’ve got to practice, practise, practise.
  3. Stock Up. I made sure I had bought all the products that I’d required and wasn’t running on just one more squirt of foundation or a lip liner the size of a jelly bean. If something was running out, I restocked. And if there was a product I wanted to try out for the day (be it powder, eye primer or finishing spray) I bought it well in advance and tried it out beforehand as opposed to giving it a try on the actual day.
  4. Give Yourself Time. Now if you know it usually takes you 45mins to do your makeup for a night out, schedule double that time (if not more) for your wedding day! I think I gave myself 2hours to do my makeup and I just took my sweet time with it all listening to music, chatting with those who were in my room and re-doing anything that I wasn’t 100% happy with. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than feeling rushed for time when you’re halfway through your makeup.
  5. Have a Trusted Friend Close By. It’s so important to surround yourself with people who will encourage you and make you laugh and smile on that big day! There’s nothing like some good energy going round hours before you get to walk down the aisle as this will help get rid of any nerves. Bonus point? If you do happen to need a hand placing your fake lash on, these friends will definitely come in handy!
Sharon Mundia photo by Tatiana Karanja
Sharon Mundia photo by Tatiana Karanja

 

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