Brides! I’ve got a really good blog post fresh off the press just for you!
Makeup.
One of the most important things to check off your wedding to do list. You want to look your best, but not fake. You don’t want to feel a heavy coat of makeup on your face, but at the same time, don’t want your skin to sweat up a storm within the first hour of the day. Do you match your wedding colours? The style of your dress? Should you go for a trial ahead of time? How should you prepare your skin leading up to the wedding day? Do you really want that Kardashian look?
Honing in on the perfect makeup look is arguably one of the most vital aspects of your wedding day. So, I’ve sat down with one of the best makeup artists in Ottawa, Klava Zykova, to give us tips and juicy secrets on how to channel the perfect wedding makeup look just for you!
Q: Are there certain things brides should consider when choosing wedding makeup styles? Facial features? Wedding style?
A: There are so many things to consider when choosing wedding makeup styles! Here are three:
Style, colours and timing of wedding: What I always ask my brides to tell me is the theme and colours of their wedding, their florals, their dress and hair style as well as their complete bridal style (natural vs glam, boho vs classic, etc). Makeup for an evening wedding can be bolder then an earlier one. Same with venue - if it's an outdoor venue then I generally recommend going with lighter makeup, because bold makeup can look out of place in the natural light but so lovely inside a ballroom, for example.
Makeup: Natalie Peachy
Comfort level: If you don't usually wear lots of makeup then as much as you like pictures of dramatic makeup, you’ll probably not be comfortable with it.
Facial features: Look for makeup inspiration photos that are done on features similar to yours. For example, if your are fair with blue eyes, don't look at pictures of tanned olive skin women with browns eyes, the same makeup will look so different on you!
Q: What do you think if a bride gives you a pinterest board for inspiration? Can you really make her look like a Kardashian?
A: Kardashian used to come up a lot! I think a pinterest board is exactly that - INSPIRATION. I love inspiration pictures, it gives me an idea of the direction of the makeup that the bride is thinking about and possibly certain elements of it that are important to her, like winged eyeliner or contouring, etc. And then it's up to me to translate that inspiration into a beauty look that actually suits the bride.
Makeup: Klava Zykova
Q: Do you recommend trials?
A: Definitely! I actually get nervous when a bride doesn't want a trial haha! Makeup is such a personal thing that it’s not a question of my skills (thank you for trusting me) but more of your personal style and your comfort zone. Having a trial may give you the chance to experiment with styles and looks before committing on the day of your wedding.
Q: How much time should a bride allot for her and her bridesmaids makeup to be done?
A: I set aside an hour for a bride and 45 min per bridesmaid. I also like to schedule 30 min buffer time to account for all kinds of distractions. Sometimes people don't think about it, but things like talking to others, using the phone, all makes harder to do makeup on someone and therefore prolongs the time of application.
Q: Should bride go first or last and why?
A: My preference is actually second to last! I used to do brides’ makeup last so it's the freshest, but what I often found is that the hour before go time is the most hectic one and everyone has tons of questions for the bride.
Makeup: Chelsea Precop
Q: How should a bride handle touch ups throughout the day?
A: There are two options. Have lipstick and powder with you for touch ups. Even the most long wearing lipstick and foundation will wear off after all the kissing, talking, eating and drinking. Also, people who have skin types with oily tendencies will need powder for touch ups to get rid of the extra unwanted shine. Glowy skin is good, greasy skin... not so much. ;). For the bride who is really particular about her face looking flawless in every picture can hire a makeup artist for the day to follow her around and provide touch ups as needed. I do offer this service too!
Makeup: Beauty by Allaha
Q: How should the bride prepare her skin the week of or night before?
A: Most women can use extra moisture, so definitely moisturizing is very important. I recommend also to exfoliate their face the night before and do a treatment mask that is appropriate for their skin type. Also important not to use any skincare products the night before if they never tried it the night before the wedding, especially if they have sensitive skin, to avoid irritation.
Makeup: Meredith Lyman
Q: What is your favourite part of bridal makeup artistry and why?
A: Great question! So many reasons really! First of all because how special the day is, of course! It's such an honour to be a part, though small, of such an important day! The makeup becomes this special thing that completes brides look, brings her vision to life of how she wanted to look like on her wedding day, makes her feel confident that she is looking her best, it's not just a pretty thing. I also love the environment on the day of - sure it's a bit hectic, but there is nothing like girlfriends getting ready together! Often by the end of the day I feel like a part of the group!
Makeup: Glamour on the Go
My personal makeup style is fresh, radiant, elegant and effortless and I find that bridal makeup is often all that, so it perfectly aligns with my preferences.
Q: Are there any general pieces of advice you offer brides when they choose their wedding makeup style?
A: I think they arrive at that themselves when they answer my inspiration questionnaire. If they have a hard time figuring it out I always start a conversation with how much makeup do they usually wear everyday and for special occasion. Because their wedding makeup style has to first of all reflect their personality, so that the person on the other end of the isle is not wondering: "Is this my girl?"
A big thanks to Klava for taking the time to prepare these super useful tidbits of info! Make sure to check out her work here.
Here's Klava's previous guest post on how to achieve effortless, natural wedding look that is true to you.
