How To Do Makeup for a BIG Event
At Liz Makeup * Hair * Skincare, I like to say “Beauty. Every Day. Big Day.” I believe that inner beauty is forever entwined with outer beauty, and that if you like what you see in the mirror, your confidence can build to a crescendo! One frequent question I get is “How do I do my makeup for a big event?” On the flip side, when I have a client in my chair, I often ask “What is your special event makeup routine?”, so that I can get a good idea of whether or not she will freak out if I suggest false lashes, or a red lip. ;-)
So many times, my client says “I don’t really change it up from every day makeup for a big event. I wish I knew how.” Well if you are not going to get your makeup done professionally for a big event, that’s ok. I can suggest a few quick fixes here that will get you on your way from hum-drum to wowza!
The Prep
Just like when you go on vacation, to make the actual day of departure a smooth one, planning is key. Same thing with getting ready for big event makeup. There is prepping your accoutrements, and there is prepping your skin. On the accoutrements side of things, here is a quick list of must haves:
- darker eye shadow that you can use as a liner
- clean makeup brushes (clean them at least a day ahead) including a liner brush and a blush brush
- fairly new lash primer and mascara (both expire at age 6 months)
- foundation / tinted moisturizer / powder
- brighter, racier, more fun lipstick or crayon than you normally wear
- pore cleansing tool
This is just a small list, but, hey, it gets you from 20 mph to 75 mph pretty darn quickly.
Prepping the skin is a must. A few nights before your big event, cleanse your pores. I like a pore cleansing tool. I also highly recommend that you mask, mask, mask. Especially if you haven’t been taking care of your skin. Sensitive? Use a calming mask like this one. Need some nourishment? Use a hydrating mask. Feeling dull and listless? Then this one. Masks can make a huge difference. You could mask three nights ahead and again a day ahead or even day of, say 10 mins before you get in the shower. Lips need to be free of dead skin! Start a few days ahead by exfoliating your lips with a dry toothbrush and applying a ton of lip balm or corrective lip serum throughout the day. Makeup is great covering up blemishes and skin tone issues but it’s rather sad when it comes to texture issues. There is no lipstick that will look good on a chapped lip. Another thing to consider is the sunless tan. This can go a mile in making your skin look much more alive. Here’s a video I did on how to apply self-tanner.
Key Areas To Focus On For BIG Event Makeup
Couple of quick hits when you get going on your makeup. This is not the time to experiment. Do a practice run BEFORE the big day. Why? Because inevitably you will be running late, or you won’t like your dress, or your hair took longer than you thought etc. That’s ok because you’re ready right? Do it right in practice, do it right in life! Yeah baby! Another quick rule of thumb for your game day visage: don’t wear SPF to an evening event. You don’t need it and it could interfere with your makeup etc. Instead, use a moisturizer, even your night cream in a pinch in a small amount. Then, after a few minutes, blot your face with a tissue or blotting papers. This removes any excess skincare that has not absorbed and may cling to your makeup brushes which can make makeup difficult to blend.
Eyes first. Yup, do your eyes first. I did all the eye makeup on the women above before their foundation. Even if you don’t normally do that, try it! And use a magnifying mirror. Here’s why: makeup powder et all drops. So you need to clean it up off your face with a Q-tip. If you have already done your face makeup like a foundation, then you would just be wiping it off. If you rarely wear any eye makeup, or even if you do, this is wear the dark powder and eyeliner brush from above comes in. Now is the time to line your eyes with a darker color than you normally wear. Framing the eyes is a great way to bring them out. Finish with lash primer and mascara. If you use a primer, you won’t be faced with raccoon eyes by the end of the night. The primer gives the mascara something to stick to! Here’s my favorite.
Then head to foundation. This can be your daytime foundation. It doesn’t really matter. I like to amp up my nighttime look with a mix of tinted moisturizer combined with mineral powder for a dewy yet airbrushed look. This is very different than the look I normally wear during the day (tinted moisturizer alone). If you apply your tinted moisturizer or foundation with a brush, you will get a more polished, professional finish.
Lips should be dead skin free (see above, ahem). Apply some sticky lip balm to the lips and blot. This will give the lipstick or gloss or crayon something to stick to. Several light applications of your product, blotted in between, will last longer than one super thick application. Remember, turn it up here. Wear a color or a texture you don’t normally wear. Afraid of bright red, so you always wear a sensible mauve lipstick during the day? That’s ok, but for the big night, try a texture change, like a mauve gloss or a mauve matte crayon. Even the texture change will say “Hey, I’m shaking a bit of leg here! I’m excited to be out on the town!”
Even if you don’t normally wear a lot of makeup, events where there are going to be pictures taken, especially with flashes etc, can really wash you out. Making that extra bit of effort will make a big difference in your look. You will look more polished, and like you tried, even if your makeup is subtle. These brides were very natural women in terms of makeup during the day, but for their weddings, they all recognized they needed to wear a bit more to stand out in the images.
Still have questions? No problem. Just email me and we can get a quick call or dialog going and get them answered!
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