Your wedding day is, for many, the biggest day of your life. It’s also the day when you’re going to be photographed more than ever, so chances are you’re going to want to find – or are already searching for – the perfect bridal make-up. However, with so many products, looks and makeup artists (if you’re using one) to choose from, it can be overwhelming.
Whether you’re opting for a makeup artist or are doing your own, we’ve put together our top 5 tips, as well as tips from the makeup artists from our recent Cannes Festival collaboration with Chopard, for the perfect wedding look, There's also tips on what to use for your pre-wedding skincare prep the night before and on the morning of the big day, too. You can even follow these tips for a glowy wedding guest look too (just be careful not to outshine the bride!)
Create a blank, exfoliated canvas
Creating the perfect, smooth blank canvas is an essential prep step for wedding make-up. While it isn’t a good idea to deviate too much from your regular skincare routine before your wedding due to the risk of reactions to products, there are certain steps you can add in to ensure you have a flawless base for your bridal make-up, ensuring it lasts as long as possible on the big day. Exfoliation – removing any dead skin and build up – is a key first step. The night before, use our Bee Venom Cleansing Balm. With salicylic acid to unclog pores, vitamin C to brighten and bee venom to plump and smooth lines, skin is left clean, soft and soothed. Alternatively, use our vitamin C-powered Vit C Brightening Cleanser and Vit C Brightening Cleansing Pads are ideal for a gently exfoliating double cleanse in the morning.
MUA tip: Brightening Cleansing Pads
"I use them to instantly cleanse and perk my clients' skin up, they give such a lovely glow, especially if you've had a few too many late nights beforehand!"
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Hydrate and condition with a sheet mask
Sheet masks are a simple yet effective way to ensure your skin is hydrated, nourished and glowing, ready for the big day. Our Pink Diamond Lifting Mask is the ultimate indulgent prep step: formulated with high-performance actives like vitamin C, skin-tightening peptides and our signature diamond powder to help reflect ambient light, skin is left brighter and the complexion even for a flawless make-up base. For something more hydrating, our Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Jelly Face Mask is the go-to, while our Snake Jelly Face Mask is ideal for tightening and lifting the complexion.
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Repeat for your eyes
The flawless base you’ve created for your complexion also needs to be repeated for your under-eyes to reduce any dark circles, dryness or lines and create the best possible base for concealer and/or brightening products. Our Dragon’s Blood Jelly Eye Patches are designed to intensely hydrate as well as plump and smoothen the under-eye area, while our Bee Venom Jelly Eye Patches help to firm, soothe and brighten, and Snake Jelly Eye Patches reduce puffiness and tighten the under-eye area via our signature SYN®–AKE tripeptide.
MUA Tip: Snake Jelly Eye Patches
"When my VIPs need to be ready fast, and we don't have time to ice roll/bath/face mask the skin, that's where the Rodial Eye patches and Face Masks save the day, they deeply hydrate and brighten even the most tired eyes, and my clients always end up taking a few home with them, they love them that much!"
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A note on SPF
SPF is an essential part of any skincare routine throughout the year, but when it comes to bridal make-up, there’s one key thing to bear in mind. SPF in foundation should be avoided, as it can cause ‘flashback’ in photographs, which is where the SPF in the foundation (often titanium dioxide) reflects the light and creates a whitish hue, causing your make-up to look significantly paler than it is to the naked eye. Instead, opt for a moisturiser that incorporates it, like our brightening, energising Vit C SPF30 Moisturiser, or intensely hydrating Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Moisturiser SPF15.
Build your base
When it comes to creating your bridal make-up base, consider what time of year your wedding is. If you’re having a summer wedding, you might want to opt for lighter coverage and a more natural look, whereas if you’re having a winter event, you might want a fuller-coverage effect. You should also bear in mind your skin type: oilier complexions should use a powder to help set make-up, while setting sprays are better for normal or drier complexions.
MUA tip: Soft Focus Glow Drops
"All my clients get a healthy application of these, to make their skin dewy and plump looking, without the oily/sweaty feel. Four drops is plenty and it works great to hydrate/add glow on the body too – no dry knees/elbows around here."
Before any concealer, foundation or skin tint, use our Glass Primer to create a smooth, illuminated base – the glass microspheres in the formula help diffuse light and diminish lines and imperfections. If you’re opting for a more natural look, you can follow with our Glass Powder Pressed or loose, finely milled Glass Powder and lightly dust over skin for a flawless, barely-there finish. These can also be used to help set your finished wedding make-up, or used during the day to help combat any shine.
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Our Peach and Banana Lowlighters are your go-tos for under-eyes to colour correct dark circles and brighten without any shimmer – simply use alternate dots of each product around the eye area and blend outwards with our Concealer Brush in a fan shape.
MUA Tip: Banana Lowlighter
"I don't know what I'd do without this, my VIP clients love the effect it gives, it brightens and lifts and makes the skin look amazing. It's the best coverage but still skin-like. I recommend it to all my makeup artist friends."
When applying any foundation, it’s best to apply in light layers and build coverage. Apply more where you need it and less where you’re more comfortable with your skin. Work with foundation brushes and make sure you blend in thoroughly – you can even use a sponge to press foundation into the skin and remove any excess. Our Skin Lift Foundation is a hydrating, satin-finish, medium-coverage foundation that’s easily buildable. And if you’re not sure which shade is for you, you can email us and we’ll help match you with the right shade.
The Rodial finishing touches
- For a quick, on-the-go oil control and refreshes throughout the day, try our Glass Paper, with oil-absorbing kaolin clay, or take your Glass Powder, available in a mini size, with you.
- For a flush of natural colour, blend in a few dots of our Blush Drops to the apples of cheeks. Available in Frosted Pink, a rosy pink colour, or Sunset Kiss, a warm, bronzy blush shade.
- Give lashes and brows a boost before the big day with our Lash & Brow Booster, with vitamin B5, caster oil and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and boost volume.
