For a More Natural Wedding Makeup Look, Follow These Tips

  • While bridal makeup tends to veer more glam, many people want a more natural wedding makeup look.
  • We asked a pro makeup artist how to enhance your features on your wedding day instead of covering them.
  • Keep reading for long-wearing tips and natural wedding makeup inspiration.

Bridal makeup is notoriously heavy, and the reasons are understandable: you want it to show up in pictures and last all night from ceremony to reception. That's why it might be your initial instinct to cake on the waterproof makeup and superglue false lashes under layers of setting spray. Still, there are plenty of people looking for a more natural makeup look, and that's just as understandable, too.

We spoke with makeup artist Evie Ry about the techniques and tips to achieve the most natural wedding makeup that also withstands the big day — and whatever it brings. Then, keep scrolling for our favorite natural wedding makeup looks to spark some inspiration.

Tip 1: Know Your Makeup Vision

Before sitting down in a makeup artist's chair, or before beginning your makeup if you plan to do it yourself, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want. "What one person thinks is a natural look, the other person is going to consider full glam," Ry says. "So you need to be very clear on that. The best way to do it is to have one reference of what you like."

Ry says that makeup artists struggle when a client brings in multiple reference photos because what may look like nearly identical makeup looks to the untrained eye can mean different things to makeup professionals. Doing your research to find that one inspiration photo will help the artist get an accurate visual for your vision.

Tip 2: Keep the Day-Of Skin Care to a Minimum

Ry suggests keeping your skin care light before starting your makeup the day-of. Doing face masks or applying heavier creams can increase the skin's oiliness, she says, which can then affect the longevity of the makeup. This is especially true in the case of a natural makeup look when you don't want to have to layer makeup on your face to keep it all in place. Instead, stick to your basics: a gentle face wash, a lightweight moisturizer, and sunscreen — preferably a chemical formula. "Keeping pictures in mind, physical sunscreen isn't always a good idea to use because zinc oxide can cause flashback," Ry says. Instead, opt for chemical sunscreen in the morning, and use a setting spray with SPF in it for touch-ups throughout the day.

Tip 3: Choose the Right Long-Wearing Products

While you might be tempted to reach for a long-wearing foundation, cream contour, and powder, steer clear if you want a natural look. "Most long-wearing formulas are very pigmented, so you need to be very aware of that," says Ry. "I personally like using long-wearing concealer instead of foundations and just shearing it out for the areas that need less coverage."

No matter how natural you want your eye makeup to look, Ry still advises you opt for waterproof products when possible. "Mascara and eyeliner — you want that to be waterproof," she says. "A lot of people don't like waterproof mascara, but this is the day that you definitely want to use it because there's going to be a lot of emotions or there [may be] heat to be considered in some areas, and you don't want your mascara running and ruining the whole face of makeup."

To keep it from budging without layering on more and more eye makeup, try an eye primer. She recommends the Paint Pot by MAC. "It's a cream pot that you can brush on with your fingers," Ry says. "It's a great prep product for your eyelids that doubles up as eyeshadow and the eye base. Apply it very thinly and then set it with a color powder eyeshadow, and that will last your whole day."

Dewy Skin and Pink Shimmer

Natural Smoky-Eye Makeup

Soft Pink Lip

Bronze Makeup

Subtle Cat Eyeliner

Feathered Brows

Peachy Monochromatic Makeup