Natural Wedding Make-up: Your One-Stop Guide

6 minutes read

Whatever make-up colours and inspo you find for your wedding day, experts agree that it’s about staying true to yourself. So, whether that’s high-octane glamour or a minimal, neutral make-up — you’ll be less likely to cringe in years to come when perusing the album.

According to Google, ‘natural wedding make-up’ is one of the most popular. So, here’s your one-stop guide on achieving a pretty bridal look that will stand the test of time and make you feel fabulous.

First of all, trial your wedding make-up look; even if you don’t have the budget for a make-up artist on the day, head to your department store counter and book in for a consultation.

Then take pictures of the step-by-step application process. Take notes on the products and how they are applied. Once happy, do not make any sudden changes.

Take pictures of the final look to know how this make-up reacts to a flash, lens, and lighting situation, plus the dress or outfit for your big day.

Tip: To prep your skin before the big day, make sure you’re using the right skincare. Clarins is currently offering three free skincare minis, plus your choice of Lip Perfector if you spend £90 or over on the site. Just use the code WEDDING at checkout. Find more details here.

8 most popular natural bridal make-up styles

What is natural bridal make-up? It probably shouldn’t swing in either direction, so it’s not too bold or minimal. But, then, you decide how ‘natural’ you want it to be — from a full face of neutral tones to a “no make-up” make-up, there’s something to suit everyone.

Every make-up artist knows that natural, effortless make-up is way more challenging to create than it appears. So, before starting, you must choose the type of natural make-up and prepare your references. For example, do you want to emphasise your lips, eyes, or glowing skin?

Let’s see what you’d like best!

1. Natural bridal make-up: a power accent on lashes

Fluffy and long false lashes can be used in natural wedding make-up, but only if they are the focus feature of your look. If your lips are neutral and your skin appears natural, that keeps your look simple and elegant.

wedding make-up afro woman — @signaturebride

2. Natural wedding make-up: a glowing skin

To achieve a long-lasting glow, make-up artists advise layering your highlighter and blush under your foundation and then over the top too.

Also, avoid highlighters with too much oil as these will break down — especially if you’re in a warmer environment like a beach wedding setting.

blonde woman wedding make-up — @makeup.dinara.kzn

Another secret to a flawless look with longevity is using a light mist — like the Fix’ Make-Up. This refreshing mist is enriched with aloe vera, and helps to secure your make-up and moisturise your skin at the same time. In addition, it’s convenient to keep in your bridal beauty bag throughout the day for instant refreshment.

Fix' Make-Up

3. Bride natural wedding make-up: a pinky blush

A light pinky blush is a very western aesthetic. So, if the inspiration is an English rose — a pretty cream blush will undoubtedly add a glow. But, again, the pros suggest a layering technique. So cream blush, set with a very light powder and then go over the top with more creamy blush or a powder blush. Be prepared to re-apply some cream blushers as they will wear down much quicker than their powder counterparts.

brunette woman blush wedding make-up — @angelikabaklaha

Try long-lasting colors of Joli Blush, that smooths your skin texture, and its unique ‘tint’ pigments give an ultra-pigmented boost and glow.

Joli Blush

Hot pinks, fuschia, fiery corals and berry tones add a realistic flush to melanin-rich and olive skin tones for darker skin tones. Don’t be afraid if they look super-bright almost day-go in the pan — depending on the formula; this is what will give your cheeks vibrance and health.

4. Natural bridal make-up looks: a smoky wing

A soft wing liner is a classic of bridal make-up. If you keep your eyes as the focus and everything else natural, you can achieve a dramatic but still natural look.

wedding make-up on a blonde model — @bogatovastyle

It is also one of the best natural wedding make-up styles for brown eyes — because the darker your eyes are, the more natural a smoky effect will look on you.

wedding make-up model with brown wavy hair — @gossipandgloss

5. Natural bridal eye make-up: a sharp eyeliner

In a natural make-up look, there is an option for a sharp eyeliner and long lashes. But then your eyes must be a single power player in your make-up. It’s perfect when teamed with a vintage or retro themed dress or location.

wedding make-up asian model — @yolandapras

6. Natural make-up looks for wedding: “no make-up” make-up

Do you want to look like you are wearing almost ‘nothing’ make-up? There’s still some prep. A decent primer will smooth skin, and then a sheer foundation will look natural and not powdery. Next, try a foundation a few shades darker than your natural tone to get that monochromatic look. Next, a brush of brow mascara will add oomph to your arches. Finally, a light touch of waterproof mascara — maybe brown instead — will gently define. Then a non-glittery glow patted onto cheekbones will give the face some structure.

blonde woman natural wedding make-up — @irinarouge

7. Natural bridal make-up: natural glam

Natural glam is not a very light make-up, but it’s achieved in natural colours. So, on the one hand, it will give a feeling of confidence to those who like to wear make-up. And on the other hand, it won’t make you look like a completely different person.

brown wavy hair model wedding make-up — @makeup_heraklion

8. Natural bridal make-up looks: bare eyes & bold lips

If you want to emphasise your lips and not on your eyes, it’s still one of the chic variants of natural make-up. The darker your skin is, the brighter lipstick will look natural on you.

brown hair ponytail model wedding make-up with bald lips — @angelikabaklaha

Natural mother of the bride make-up

Natural mother of the bride make-up can repeat the bride’s look but adapted to a mature skin, which means using brighter colours and smoother creamy textures. Check out our guide to using contouring and our ultimate foundation guide for mature skin.

wedding make-up and mother of the bride make-up blonde — @dreambridalaccessories

For mothers of the brides to feel more comfortable, staying true to themselves and trying to create chic yet sophisticated looks is recommended.

mother of the bride make-up asian model — @viyannmakeup

Natural bridesmaid make-up looks

The ultimate advice for a bridesmaid: not to overshadow the bride but to subtly shine themselves. You can also stick to natural make-up but express your personality too.

You could try a small accent like a creative eyeliner wing, a shiny eyeshadow, or a lip gloss in neutral colours.

bridesmaid make-up blonde model — @duszynska.makeup

Natural wedding guest make-up

You’ll never go wrong if you choose timeless natural make-up as a wedding guest. To achieve this, don’t choose too dark lipstick; avoid hard contouring and bold eye make-up.

redhead model make-up quest make-up — @makeup_be_hot

FAQs on natural bridal make-up

Here are the answers to the most popular questions that make-up artists receive.

How do you do natural wedding make-up?

If you decided to create your wedding make-up by yourself, there are some professional tips from make-up artist Liz Fuller:

Take your time to practice before the big day.
Give yourself enough time (usually 1-2 hours) and space to create a perfect look.
Take care of your skin properly before the wedding.
Do not use SPF with a physical barrier to avoid white layers on your skin.
Use primers and fixation products.
Choose the best foundation shade for your skin tone.