Contents
- 1 Understated with a Classic Defined Eye
- 2 Fit For a Princess
- 3 Understated Elegance
- 4 Natural Sophistication
- 5 Rustic Beauty
- 6 The Cheeks Take Center Stage
- 7 Barely There Matte Makeup
- 8 Neutral Brown Beauty
- 9 Bronzy and Beautiful
- 10 Minimalistic Makeup
- 11 Sophisticated Elegance
- 12 A Romantic, Ethereal Take
- 13 Mod Glam
- 14 Super Simple
- 15 Au Natural
From sexy smoky eyes to no-makeup makeup.
Deciding on your wedding makeup look for your big day isn't as simple as swiping your favorite lipstick and a coat or two of mascara and calling it a day. Brides search high and low for the perfect wedding makeup ideas and often give the looks they're leaning towards a trial run beforehand.
While every bride has her idea of what wedding makeup should look like to her, there aren't any strict rules. Glowing skin and soft, peachy shades of cheek and lips color are popular, but more dramatic looks have their place too. And, of course, there are no better wedding makeup ideas to draw inspiration from than these timeless celebrity brides.
From bronzy looks to sexy smoky eyes and even heavily contoured makeup, these celebrity wedding looks may inspire your beauty routine for your big day.
Understated with a Classic Defined Eye
Wedding skin is usually either semi-matte but not dry looking, like Nicky Hilton’s wedding day makeup, or with a slight hint of glow but not too much dewiness. “Right now, we’re seeing a heavy focus on flawless skin that looks plump and highlighted, but not shimmery. It’s like natural skin but even better,” says Celebrity makeup artist Nydia Figueroa.
Fit For a Princess
Meghan Markle's sheer natural wedding day makeup echoed more of a no-makeup makeup look rather than full-on glam. She and celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin created the look of glowing fresh skin, a natural flesh-toned subtly defined lip, and a brown smokey eye.
Understated Elegance
Lily Collins went with a classic, understated makeup look to match the theme of her antique-inspired wedding dress. Her peaches and cream complexion lets her eyes and lips take center stage. "Different shades of pink and peach are popular for brides to wear on their lips or cheeks," Figueroa adds.
Natural Sophistication
Supermodels like Jasmine Tookes can easily pull off subdued natural makeup on their wedding day and still look like a million bucks. Makeup artist Elaina Badro says Jasmine is wearing the perfect amount of makeup in the right tones. “There’s color, but her makeup looks super polished and is blended thoroughly.”
Rustic Beauty
To match the outdoor theme of her wedding, Taylor Hill went for an effortless bridal look encompassing earth tones and a natural, ethereal overall feel. "She has great cheekbones, and I love how she wore terracotta-rose hues on the apples of her cheeks," Badro says. "Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Blush in Love is a terracotta-rose tone that applied to the apples of the cheeks will give a glow."
The Cheeks Take Center Stage
For Portia De Rossi's beautiful wedding day makeup look, Badro says everything focused around her contoured cheeks, which further enhances her facial features. To create similar makeup, Badro says to opt for a matte contour shade or bronzer to sculpt the cheekbones. "Sometimes, the shimmer on the face can reflect off flash photography."
Barely There Matte Makeup
Kate Moss can pull off any makeup style and color, but for her wedding in 2011, she chose to go with a more natural matte makeup look via Charlotte Tilbury. Kate's skin is kept clean and simple, and her lips are enveloped in Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Nude Kate.
Neutral Brown Beauty
Rita Ora's bridal look strikes the perfect balance between neutral tones and sophistication. "She wears a subtle winged eyeliner, which really accentuates her eyes," Badro says. For an all-night stay-put eyeliner, Bardro recommends Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, which stays on for eight hours without smudging or fading.
Bronzy and Beautiful
Poppy Delevigne's wedding makeup was about a beautiful, bronzed look created by celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. The blushing bride wore a unique take on the classic smokey eye but with shades of metallic brown instead of dark colors. A pale pink lip is the perfect neutral yet pretty shade to anchor the overall bronzy vibes.
Minimalistic Makeup
"I love Jenna Bush's understated, minimalistic look because a bride should show up as the best version of herself on her wedding day; she shouldn't look like a completely different person," Morin says. "A few products, like a sheer-to-medium coverage foundation, volumizing mascara, and a neutral lip gloss can create this type of makeup."
Sophisticated Elegance
For Mariah Carey’s vow renewal ceremony, she opted for her signature natural smokey eye featuring warm browns and taupe with a neutral-toned lip. To mimic this makeup on your wedding day, Morin says to start with a smoky neutral eyeshadow palette like Chanel Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in 308, concentrating the application at the lash line and outer corner. “Then, apply black eyeliner and smudge it, again keeping the emphasis on the outer corner. Next, sweep on a dusty rose blush like NARS blush in Dolce Vita, and a terracotta lipstick. Finally, apply lashes that are longer at the outer corner.”
A Romantic, Ethereal Take
Draw inspiration from Sarah Hyland's wedding day for a glowy, feminine, and ethereal take on the classic bridal makeup look. "This type of romantic look is one of my favorite bridal makeup looks because the makeup creates a soft-focus effect in real life," Moran says. "Multi-dimensional glowy skin and blurring powder are key for this look."
Mod Glam
"Priscilla Presley's wedding makeup was iconic because of how bold yet stunning it was, especially in its time," Figueroa says. "The graphic liner and pink lips is a look we could see today for a trendy bride who thinks outside the box."
Super Simple
Pippa Middleton went with simple yet ultra-elegant makeup that looks fresh and fuss-free. Her skin is lightly contoured and highlighted in all the right places, and there's a pop of pretty color on her cheeks. A soft brown eye with a light coating of mascara calls attention to the eyes but without them appearing over-the-top or overdone, and a baby pink lip ties it all together.
Au Natural
The theme of Jodie Sweetin's wedding look was natural with subtle color. Her skin is kept fresh and light with baby pink lips and a faint flush of color on the cheeks, making for the perfect low-key bridal look.