17 Expert-Approved Bridal Beauty Hacks We Bet You’ve Never Heard Before
From tricks to make you look wide awake, to the easiest way to do perfect eyeliner flicks, these are the pre-wedding beauty hacks you need to know, for your best skin and makeup of all time
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When you’re planning a wedding, any beauty tips - or as the TikTok generation call them, ‘hacks’ - that save time and actually make a difference are a godsend.
Whether you want to know how to help your foundation sit better, how to make your lipstick last longer, or how to apply your blusher for that perfect romantic flushed look, we tapped beauty and skincare experts for the hacks they use for perfect skin and makeup every time. Start using these now, and you'll feel like a pro when it comes to your wedding makeup!
Take notes!
The 17 Best Beauty Hacks That *Actually* Work
1. Have An Ice Facial
If you’re feeling hot and bothered on your wedding day, an ice cube will be your BFF. “Rub an ice cube all over your face before you sit down for your skincare and makeup,” advises wedding makeup artist Nisha Rajput. “This will help tighten your pores and leave your skin smooth.”
Nisha’s not the only fan of this trick - supermodel Bella Hadid recently shared a video of herself dunking her face in ice to ease puffiness ahead of a shoot.
No ice to hand? Try Fraicheur Paris Ice Globes, £59.99, for a similar (yet less drippy) effect.
Charlotte Tilbury is a fan of ice for toning the face too - her Cryo-Recovery Face Mask, £49, was created to help reduce signs of tiredness and puffiness, as well as tone down redness and dark circles for a fresh complexion.
It’s a reusable sheet mask that has cooling metal beads stored in little gel pockets above the brows, along the cheekbone and the jawline - put it in the freezer for half an hour before use for the full effect.
Makeup artist Mira Parmar is another fan of icy facials, telling us: “It not only gets the blood flowing, but depuffs the skin, tightens and contours and gives you an incredible spa-like glow. Combine it with a little gua sha or facial massage and you'll be glowing all day long!”
2. Layer Your Lip Liner
If you find your lipstick never lasts, makeup artist Aimee Connolly has a special tip for you.
“Apply your lip liner all over your lips rather than just outlining them, then layer your lipstick on top,” she advised. “Next, place a piece of tissue over the lips to blot them, before dusting some loose powder on top. This will slightly mattify your lipstick without altering the colour, giving it more staying power.”
READ MORE: The Best Wedding Lipsticks to Shop Now
3. Match Your Face To Your Body
Makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto told us that she sees many nearlyweds that have paid huge attention to getting the skin on their face picture perfect, but have neglected the skin on their bodies.
“Apply the highlighter used on your face onto the parts of your body that are on display, such as your collar bones, shoulders and down the centre of the legs.”
For added lustre on your body, try Sunday Riley’s Fairy Godmother Shimmering Body Oil Gel, £42. It feels silky, smells like holidays and adds a heavenly glow to your body.
4. Exfoliate ASAP
We’re sure you’ve heard the benefits of exfoliating your face, but let us fill you in once more. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells so that only the freshest skin shines through.
Exfoliating will make your complexion look clearer and brighter, but there are makeup benefits too.
“Exfoliating helps your skincare to absorb effectively and for your makeup to apply smoothly and look its best,” says Lisa, who recommends the Dr Dennis Gross Daily Alpha Beta Peels, £18 for five.
“It's a two step pad that works in two minutes with no mess,” she explains. “For best results, use the pads in the morning for seven consecutive days in the lead up to your wedding. Like any skincare, test at least two to three months before the wedding to avoid any reactions.” You can see the best exfoliators to use pre-wedding here, as chosen by our beauty editor!
5. Use Blue-Toned Blusher
Yes, it sounds scary, but this is a pro-tip from trusted wedding MUA Sophy Jane. “When it comes to creating a classic wedding look, I love to use a pink blush that has an undertone of blue,” Sophy says.
“It will give any skin tone a fresh, pretty and well rested look and will also make the whites of the eyes appear brighter too.”
Sophy loves Bobbi Brown’s Pale Pink Pot Rouge, £23.50.
6. Blend Makeup Formulas
It’s likely that you’re either a cream or a powder formula fan, but layering the two is a secret hack used by professionals, and it makes so much sense.
“Layering will make your makeup last longer,” says Nisha. “Cream blush with a layer of powder blush on-top works so well.”
7. Use White Eyeliner
This trick comes from beauty oracle Victoria Beckham, who always looks fabulous. She spoke about her love of white eyeliner for making you look wide awake on her Instagram, saying it makes her look “much more awake than she feels.”
Drawn in the waterline of your eyes, it opens up your peepers for a bright-eyed look - ideal if you haven’t been sleeping well ahead of your wedding.
VB of course sells her own Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil for £22, but we rate Kim Kardashian’s MUA Mario’s offering, the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Brightening Pencil, £17.
8. Apply Blusher To Your Hands First
If you’re using a cream or liquid blusher and find the shade looks a bit dramatic, apply it to the back of your hand first, and then press it onto your cheeks.
The shade might look too bright on your hand, but once it’s dabbed onto your cheeks it’ll lift and brighten your complexion for a light and natural look.
9. Hydration Is Key To Long-Lasting Makeup
If you want your base to last all day (of course you do, it’s your wedding!) make sure your skin is hydrated prior to applying makeup. “The minute your skin is dehydrated it’ll drink anything you apply onto it,” cautions makeup artist Rose Gallagher.
10. Prepare For Your Ring Shot
More photos of your hands are going to be taken than you can possibly imagine - cutting the cakes, signing the register and the obligatory newlywed ring shot, to name but three. But if you’re feeling hot, chances are your hands might be puffier than usual.
Remedy this by holding your hands above your head for ten seconds before the photo. It’ll depuff your hands and make veins less visible.
READ MORE: The Best Wedding Nail Ideas
11. Forget About Blotting Papers
Kate Middleton reportedly keeps blotting papers in her handbag to take down shine, but who wants to spend their wedding day dabbing at their face? Instead, use a skincare product that blots for you.
YSL’s Nu Blotting Lotion, £27, controls shine and oil production all day without dehydrating the skin. “It’s truly blotting paper in a lotion for the 21st century that can be used either under or over makeup,” says YSL Beauty’s national makeup artist Fred Letailleur.
12. Mix and Match Primers
Makeup artists always say that primers are key to making your makeup last, but there’s more to it than applying one and hoping for the best, as Nisha explains: “Use different primers on different parts of your face,” she recommends.
“If your skin is oily in the T- zone, use an oil free primer. On the rest of the face use a glowing or radiance-boosting primer.”
READ MORE: The Best Eyelash Growth Serums for Longer Lashes
13. Maximise Your Manicure
If you’ve treated yourself to a gel manicure for your wedding, you’ll likely want it to last beyond the big day and into your honeymoon. Give it a helping hand by applying cuticle oil before you shower or have a bath.
This will stop water penetrating your nail, preventing your gel polish from lifting.
14. Use Water When Applying Foundation
This sounds confusing, but it’s a tip courtesy of Rihanna’s makeup artist Hector Espinal, so you know it’s worth listening to.
He says that to create a flawless base for makeup, apply your foundation with a damp sponge, soaked in cold water.
He explains that warm water makes pores open up, causing foundation to sink in, whereas cold water makes pores tighten up so your foundation will look more natural.
15. Shimmer Will Make You Look More Awake
Shimmer eyeshadow is a godsend if sleepless nights are catching up with you - but not applied to your eyelids.
Rose Gallagher suggests applying the tiniest bit of shimmer eyeshadow under the highest point of your brow and in the inner corners of your eyes to widen and brighten and add luminosity to tired eyes.
Rose also points out that shimmer eyeshadow should be applied with your finger for a more pigmented finish - the more you know!
16. Pat Rather Than Rub Foundation
If you struggle to get your foundation to last, pat it onto your skin rather than rubbing it in to help you build more coverage. Rubbing it in will just make it sink into the skin and disappear. Discover the best wedding foundations here.
17. Apply Mascara Before Eyeliner
Winged eyeliner is something that even makeup experts struggle with getting perfect, and if you can’t seem to get your flicks to align how you want them to, apply your mascara first and use your lashes as a guide.
“When you apply your mascara first you have something to lean on once it has dried, and you can also base your liner shape on where your lashes naturally kick out to,” Rose Gallagher says.
Still after wedding beauty inspo? Our round up of the best natural wedding makeup ideas will inspire you.
