how to achieve the best summer wedding makeup

​OX WEDDINGS SUMMER EDITION IS OUT! 
*FEATURING MY BLOG ON 'HOW TO ACHIEVE THE BEST SUMMER WEDDING MAKEUP'
My blog features amazing pictures from my students at  The Hair & Makeup School Im so proud that after 5 days of Intensive Bridal Hair & Makeup Training by me their work is at an amazing editorial standard. Ox Weddings magazine loved the images and wanted to feature the pictures along with the products that my students trained with to get this flawless inspirational bridal finish.
Check out my Bridal Hair & Makeup Courses...
www.thehairandmakeupschool.co.uk
 

Tying the knot this summer? Congratulations! I absolutely love working with summer brides, creating beautiful ethereal, Boho and classic makeup looks with a lighter, more natural finish that is comfortable to wear in the heat whilst still looking great and providing a flawless finish, with stunning hairstyles to match.

How to Achieve Summer Wedding Makeup
Achieving the ideal summer wedding makeup takes real skill and amazing products, as the ‘less is more’ approach is often trickier to get right than a noticeable full face, and fresh, natural yet utterly gorgeous is usually what my summer brides are after. Prepping the skin correctly is key to applying makeup that looks great and is long lasting – essential for your wedding day, where you’ll need to be ready to look your very best from morning until night, for all weather forecasts.
I adore the fresh-faced look that is set to be the biggest trend with brides this summer, which focuses on a lovely healthy glow, gently flushed cheeks and lips and well defined but natural eyes and brows. A touch of highlighter can go a long way in bringing out an iridescent radiance and individual lashes carefully applied are my go-to for creating photo ready peepers with a ‘I just woke up like this beautiful’ appearance.

My Must-Have Products
As one of the UK’s leading, award-winning bridal hair and makeup artists, I’ve really been through the mill over the last 11 years, trying and testing all the very best products for hair and makeup out there! Finding the perfect products to create that dream look can be a challenge (not to mention an expense!), so I always love to share my must-haves with all of my brides and my students on my 5 Day Bridal Hair & Makeup Course, to make their lives just that little bit easier.
So many people skip one of the most important steps of professional makeup application – the skin prep. Getting the base ready to start applying makeup, by keeping your skin well hydrated and using an exceptional primer to create a smooth surface with minimised pores and wrinkles, makes all the difference to the end result. I love the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer as my best ‘all rounder’ and MAC Prep & Prime Transparent to combat oily skin and beat shine in those wedding photos.
Your eyes should be primed too, to ensure long-lasting eye makeup free from unsightly creases and smudging, but you’ll need an eye primer rather than a face primer for that. I always use MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot for this on my brides in either Soft Ocre, Painterly or Groundwork for darker skin tones.
Having just come out of months of harsh winter weather only to be bombarded with skin-drying air con and damaging UV rays can really leave you with thirsty skin that makeup doesn’t sit well on. For a major hydration boost I turn to my trusty iS Clinical Hydra Serum – a fantastic product suitable for all skin types that is designed to provide an intensive injection of moisture to dry skin. Hair can become equally drab and lacklustre for the same reasons and for this, I love using Mythic oil by L'oreal to promote silky texture and mirror shine.
For those popular ‘Beachy Waves’, you need a fantastic salt spray that creates an undone texture whilst hydrating and protecting your locks. Ocean Spritz by Wella is my number 1 choice for this and works brilliantly every time.
My Personal Favourites:
Budget: Boujour Healthy Mix Foundation
Sensible: Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara ‘A Raincoat for Lashes’
Extravagant: Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun-Dipped Glow Kit (highlighting kit)
Change your look: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof – grey liner
 
DIY Brides: When to buy your makeup and start practicing
If you’re a DIY bride and you’re going it alone with your summer wedding makeup, you can’t start practicing soon enough! Practice really does make perfect, and as that’s what you’re after for your big day you’d better get to it! If you want to apply your makeup like a pro, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to take a course beforehand so you really know what you’re doing. My 5 Day Bridal Hair & Makeup is suitable for all experience levels and will take you through, step by step, how to create amazing Bridal looks.
One big tip I’d have to give is: don’t just do your usual makeup for your wedding day. Of course, you want to feel comfortable and still look like you, but remember, this makeup has got to look amazing on camera as well as in person, so that requires some extra work.
Try different looks out and take photos of each so you can see how they look and refer back to the images later. It’s great to experiment with different styles as you don’t know what you’ll fall in love with until you try it, but whatever you do, don’t experiment on the day! Give yourself plenty of time (months, ideally!) to get really comfortable and confident with creating your desired look.
​
Using a Bridal MUA - why and what to look for
Your wedding day is a pretty huge deal and it’s going to be absolutely spectacular! But there’s no denying that almost every bride feels the pressure on the morning of the main event.
Hiring a Bridal MUA helps take the stress out of needing to get things right to look your best and instead, puts that responsibility into the hands of a professional who you trust and have already trialled your chosen look with. Hiring an MUA allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy a little pampering on one of the best and most special days of your life
When searching for your dream match of wedding MUA, you must of course love their work and the look that they create for you, but it’s equally important to genuinely enjoy their company and feel comfortable around them. You wedding is an intimate day – you’ll be feeling teary, emotional and maybe even a little bit vulnerable! So you want to have someone that you feel in safe hands with.
 
 ​