A natural, neutral bridal look achieves ‘your skin, but better.’
New Hampshire-based makeup artists say brides here seek a fresh-faced beauty on their big day — and maybe a pop of glam if they’re feeling adventurous.
Janna Wojtas, owner of JW Artistry, said New Hampshire brides prefer a natural look.
“People want to look like themselves. They don’t want to wear heavy makeup. And they don’t want to feel like they’re wearing a mask,” said Wojtas.
Lyndsey Dwyer, owner of Lyndsey Marie Beauty, agrees that brides here simply want to look fabulous.
“A majority of my brides are more natural. They want that glowy look, to look like themselves, feel like themselves. A lot of my brides don’t wear makeup at all,” Dwyer said.
Freelance makeup artist Beckah Mitchell of Beckah M Beauty agrees many brides like a pared-down style.
“A lot of the clients that want the natural look don’t usually wear anything other than Chapstick,” said Mitchell.
Trend setting
This natural, glowing, fresh look stems from celebrity bride Hailey Bieber when she married Justin Bieber a few years back. It’s a clean, radiant look with subtle shadows, an understated eye and a nude but glossy lip tone, an attention-grabbing combination for its simplicity.
Mitchell said the Bieber look can be found on social media sites like TikTok, where images of women with “dewy, beautiful, glowing faces” abound.
“(Bieber is) definitely very natural, very neutral. That’s what I think a lot of people want,” Wojtas said.
Bieber’s face conveys the message that she “just woke up. (It’s) like your skin, but better,” said Dwyer.
One way to achieve this glowing and youthful appearance is by using rosy tones on the apples of the cheeks to give a soft, yet “flushed” look.
“We’re definitely going more towards blushing brides,” said Mitchell.
Popular eye shadow shades include champagnes and shimmery pinks, or an overall “nude-toned lid.”
Regardless, feeling comfortable is always on trend, they say.
“It’s really important to make sure that the bride feels like herself, and that she doesn’t feel like I just turned her into a whole different person,” said Wojtas.
“Most of my brides are like, ‘I want to look like me. I don’t want to look back on these photos and not recognize myself,’” said Dwyer.
Glam touches
But if you want some glam, consider elevated eyeliner, smoky eyes, glittery shades, and bold lips.
“We’re seeing a lot more of a smoky eyeliner. That very heavy winged liner seems to be fizzling out, at least with my brides,” said Wojtas.
“The smoky eye is definitely more glam, as it’s a heavier look generally, but you can do more neutral-toned smoky eyes for a ‘classic’ look as well,” agreed Mitchell.
Embellishments, like little pearls or diamonds that frame the hair or face, add playfulness.
“A couple rhinestones on the inner corner of your eye or some pearls in your hair give it a little pop” while maintaining a “soft, minimalist” look, said Mitchell.
Glam looks can also include metallic eye shadows, graphic cat-eye or winged eyeliner, dramatic false eyelashes for volume, and deeper lipstick colors.
“I’m more known for the glammy bride, but I do get a lot of clients that still come to me for the natural, soft look,” Mitchell said.
There are also lighter lashes for brides who might feel uncomfortable using them for the first time.When adding a bit of glam, consider a dramatic eye with some graphic eyeliner or a wing liner, glitter, or a smoky eye, as well as a bold lip color.
“I found a couple that wanted like a nice dark red lip. It looks so old-Hollywood with a great nude eyeshadow with a winged eyeliner and a bold red lip. I love it,” said Mitchell, though she added it may be too much for some.
Eyelash treatment
Another pressing question: Should you go with false lashes? Some say yes.
“I am pretty insistent on everyone (in the bridal party) doing lashes,” said Wojtas, and the look can stick.
“I’ve had brides reach back out to me and be like, ‘yeah, she won’t stop wearing lashes. She wears lashes all the time,’” Wojtas said.
A light lash, not necessarily a heavier one, can bring the right amount of attention to your eyes.
“You’ll see these photos and you say ‘oh my gosh, my eyes are so open. And I look so awake and happy,’” said Dwyer.
Lip looks
For New Hampshire brides who want a natural lip look, stick with nude, fair shades.
“I do try to match very similar to whatever their natural lip color is — usually a light, fair shade with nude undertones. Every once in a while, you get the girls that want the deeper colors on their lips and that’s a lot of fun,” said Mitchell.
For example, Wojtas’ brides often aim for an ombré effect for the lips, a ’90s throwback achieved by outlining the lips, applying a nude lipstick shade that’s several shades lighter than the lip liner, then blending. Top it off with lip gloss. This makes the lips look fuller and create depth.
Lip tint, which stains your lips and stays put, is another winner.
“You don’t have to worry about it coming off later when you kiss your partner at the ceremony,” said Dwyer.
Bride testamonials
Olya Weddell, of Bourne, Mass., got married at Eagle Mountain House in Jackson last October. Weddell, who likes a natural, bareface look, was worried too much makeup would make her feel uncomfortable.
Days before her wedding, she was conflicted.
“I was having second thoughts about my makeup look, and whether I wanted liquid or airbrush,” she wrote in an email.
Liquid foundation may provide better coverage, while airbrush foundation creates a seamless base from which to add blush, shadow or bronzer.
Dwyer knew just what to do.
“(Lyndsey) was able to do the liquid look and added the airbrush as a top/finishing coat and it came out flawless,” wrote Weddell, who chose sparkly pink eyeshadow to make her eyes stand out.
Dwyer added false lashes and used a “boldish” lip.
“My skin looked glow-y and radiant, and still so natural,” Weddell added.
Bride Assunta Torzala, who got married last May in Manchester, said she wanted to look “natural with a spice of glam.”
And purple was her favorite color.
“She wore purple eyeshadow day-to-day, and wanted to bring that into her wedding look, as her bouquet would complement the look very well,” said Dwyer in an email.
Instead of creating a smokey eye with browns and blacks, Dwyer used purple and lavender shades.
For lipstick, she chose a complementary berry shade. To incorporate the natural look, Dwyer minimized blush and highlights, which helped her eyes stand out.
False eyelashes added glitz and glam.
“I had soft features but only the eye area was bold. She gave me the perfect balance of both worlds, which made my photos come out absolutely stunning. I looked like me but with a pop,” Torzala said.
Emergency kits
Mitchell, Wojtas and Dwyer all give the bride a little “emergency touch-up” bag of products for their wedding day, like lipstick, powder, mascara, and blotting sheets.
Dwyer’s kit includes a makeup wipe, lash glue (“in case you cry a lot”), and sometimes translucent powder for a troublesome T-zone.
Wojtas provides an oil-based makeup remover, a mint, bobby pins, a lipstick sample, and eye masks, “for when everybody’s hungover and they don’t feel good the next day,” she said.
It’s recommended that brides use waterproof, smudge-proof products, including lash adhesive and finishing spray, which seals everything in. Products with silicone allow moisture from tears or sweat to bead up instead of drip down the face.
“It essentially adds an additional layer of water resistance ... that extra layer of insurance,” said Wojtas.
Skin care
Finally, one tried and true way to look your best on your wedding day is to simply take good care of your skin.
“They should have a great skincare regimen beforehand to give their makeup artists a really great blank canvas,” Mitchell said.
Dwyer, a licensed esthetician, said clean skin is essential. “Make sure you’re moisturizing and you’re cleansing. It makes your skin glow even more if it’s healthy.”
Getting a facial before your wedding can also combat stress.
“Self-care is such a big trend right now. You’ll stand up taller on the altar. You will smile more when people are looking at you,” said Dwyer.
Whether you want to look like Hollywood royalty or simply the best version of yourself, your wedding look is still all about personal expression and having fun.
“There’s no set-in-stone rules with makeup, and you should just live your life however you want. I love doing extra makeup on my face or gluing rhinestones to my hair or whatever,” Mitchell said.
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Beckah M Beauty is in Salem and can be found at beckahmbeauty.com.
Lyndsey Marie Beauty is in Belair Hair Studios,19 Nashua St., Unit 2, Milford, and at lyndseymariebeauty.com.
For JW Artistry, call 813-460-4337 or visit jw-artistry.com.
