Natural Beauty

Makeup tips to create a look that is fresh and alluring for your big day.

It’s the most important day of your life, and you want to look stunning. You also want to look like yourself—natural, soft and beautiful. “Brides just want to be the best version of themselves,” says professional makeup artist Marcella Cardinal of Unbridaled Beauty. However, since photography can potentially wash out your makeup, a natural wedding makeup look should be more intense than one you would apply on a regular day. So what does Cardinal recommend? Number one, play up the eyes. “The eyes are full of expression—where the bride’s real happiness is visible,” she says. Also remember to groom your eyebrows and fill them in for density, using very light brushstrokes. When you accent the eyes, Cardinal adds, go for a lip shade that is neutral with either a beige or pink undertone, depending on your coloring. And finally, “a touch of gloss on the lips adds to a bright and polished look.” Read on for more of Cardinal’s tips.

EYES
	MAC Chromagraphic Pencil, $15, MAC and major department stores “This is a great pencil to line the waterline of the lower lashes for a bright-eyed look. It also makes the eyes look bigger.” Color: NC15/NW20.
	Naked 2 Palette by Urban Decay, $50, Sephora and Ulta “You can create any look from very natural, barely-there makeup to beautiful smoky eyes.” Colors shown on model: Bootycall (base), Chopper (in eye crease), Pistol and Busted (to create a smoky look).

LASHES

<< L’Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara, $8.99, Ulta and CVS “The shape of this brush helps in making the eyelashes look fuller. Apply more than one coat and begin at the base of the lashes and wiggle the brush upward to get the most out of your mascara application.” Color: Blackest black. Ardell DuraLash Naturals, $3.49, area drugstores (not shown) “Dip the knotted side in eyelash glue so there’s only a dot of glue on the end. Begin applying on the outermost corner of the eye, working your way in.” Style/color: Flare short black.

BROWS

MAC Paint Pot, $17.50, MAC and major department stores “Take a small angled brush and gently fill in the brow with short, light brushstrokes—almost as if you were painting individual hairs.” Color: Quite Natural.

LIPS

	Jordana lip liner, $1.99, Walgreens “This is an inexpensive line, and the colors are great! The nude lip liner is one of my favorites.” Color: #22 Natural
	MAC Crèmesheen lipstick, $14.50, MAC and major department stores “This is a great lipstick for keeping your lips moist.” Color: Ravishing

SKIN

	MAC Studio Fix C5, $27, MAC and major department stores “The powder will give your skin a matte finish. I recommend applying it with a Kabuki brush, rather than a sponge, for more natural-looking coverage.”
	MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Power, $23, MAC and major department stores “This is a great powder for touch-ups. It almost buffs the skin to perfection.”

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