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“I’m not very good at doing makeup,” confesses newlywed Whitley Caviness, who was married earlier this month in her Dallas backyard. “I just do the bare minimum on a daily basis.” Yet for her nuptials on April 4, which were scaled back from a 150-person black-tie affair into an intimate Zoom celebration due to COVID-19, the bride needed to pick up a few new beauty skills. With a “wing it” strategy in mind and no prior practice, Caviness focused on soft, shimmering neutrals around her eyes and added a sheer pink Chantecaille lipstick for a pop of color. “I definitely looked like myself,” she says proudly, after basing her look off of inspirational Pinterest photos. The job took her a whole of 10 minutes before she slipped on her Mira Zwillinger gown and FaceTimed the big reveal with her virtual bridal party. The look worked so well, Whitley says she’ll definitely be doing her own makeup when the couple host a “just hitched” party later this year.
While wedding plans are being upended, some couples are still choosing to have a ceremony that takes place with a mostly virtual audience. And considering the usual wedding crew—florists, caterers, makeup artists—can’t be present due to social-distancing measures, brides are D.I.Y.-ing more than they expected to. When it comes to wedding-makeup strategy, the look has to work both in person and onscreen. Here, celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin, the pro behind Meghan Markle’s royal-wedding makeup (which was broadcast to millions), shares his top tips for doing your own makeup ahead of a walk down the aisle.
Start With Skin
Ensuring a clean canvas is Martin’s first priority before any makeup is applied. “You want a little radiance, but you don’t want to be too shiny,” he explains. Start with a blurring primer, like Tatcha’s featherweight oil-free formula. Next, the pro recommends “knocking out” any redness by dotting a full-coverage concealer on any spots that need tending to—including the under-eye area and the sides of the nose. “It’s all about balancing out your skin tone,” he says. “This isn’t the time to show off your contour skills.”
Define Your Brows
“If you’re not great at doing eye makeup, having a nice brow finishes off the eye area,” Martin says. Never plucked or filled in your brows? “Now is the time to get on YouTube and learn how to do that real quick!” For a full set, the pro advises brides to first gel the hairs back the opposite way to thicken them up. “When the gel dries, brush them back to their original state and then fill in any holes,” he says. “It’s the easiest way to get defined brows without them looking too Instagram-y.”
Go Light on the Eyes
“A wash of color or shimmer on the eyes can really open up the lid,” he says. “But if you’re not adventurous, stick to a coat of waterproof mascara.” For a no-fail shadow strategy, take your blush or bronzer and apply it all over the lid with a fluffy brush or your finger. “It creates a natural contour and harmonizes the colors on your face,” Martin says.
Sculpt, Slightly
A light flush on the cheeks is nonnegotiable for brides. Martin advises clients to find the area at the center of the cheek just below the pupil and swipe outward with a pinkish formula. “You don’t want the color to come too close to your nose,” he says. “Focus the sweep back toward the ear.” And when it comes to finding the perfect shade, almost anything goes. “Just make sure the color doesn’t clash with your lipstick shade,” he notes, since opposing brights may “fight each other.” Martin’s top choice is Charlotte Tilbury’s universally flattering Pillow Talk, which has a hint of rosy shimmer.
“If you want to build out your face shape, add a little matte bronzer,” says Martin, recommending brides (and everyone!) to shade the areas where the sun would naturally hit their face. And if you mess up? Stay calm and start over. “The wedding is starting on your own time!”
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Take Care of Finishing Touches
No matter the client, Martin always finishes with a spritz of setting spray before swiping on a neutral lipstick (the pro’s current favorite is Dior’s shimmer shine stick). “It’s all about longevity,” he explains, “whether you’re Zooming in with five people or 500, you want to look finished.”
