Bridal beauty: tips and tricks for natural, glowing make-up on your wedding day

Make-up artist Aisling Kelly shares her tips and tricks for natural, glowing make-up on your wedding day. 

“Great make-up begins with great skincare – the healthier you are and the better you treat your skin the easier it will be to look naturally radiant on the outside. My best tip (an oldie but a goodie) is to drink as much water as possible every day and make sure you are wearing SPF 50 on your face and neck (and any other exposed skin) every single day – even during the winter and on cloudy days.”

Beautyblender Classic Sponge, €22

“It is possible to use full-coverage foundation for a flawless, photo-ready finish and still have it look like real skin. My trick for this is to build up foundation in sheer layers: use a damp Beautyblender to apply an almost-invisible first layer across the face and neck to help even out skin tone, adding more product only where ‘needed’ for a second layer (usually down the centre of the face where makeup can wear off faster) and finally build up a third layer of product by using colour correctors and concealer if necessary. I like to apply concealer under eyes and around nostrils – with some light spot concealing (if needed) on other parts of the face to finish.”

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“Don’t feel like you have to cover up freckles, moles or pigmentation. For me, these ‘imperfections’ are (ironically!) what will make any makeup look perfect, because these features are what makes every individual unique. When I finish a makeup, I love to take a damp cotton bud and gently swirl off any excess product over freckles or moles – then I will use a brow pencil or thin liner brush with a little eyeshadow on it to draw over and enhance any freckles or moles. This is one of my favourite tricks for making a flawless base look more natural and like real skin. Think of your makeup as a painting – the lines, freckles and little details are what makes a face look more realistic. If you conceal too many of your unique features your makeup won’t look natural. Embrace your ‘flaws’ and you will look naturally flawless! Meghan Markle’s wedding makeup was a fantastic example of this. Her freckles were out in full force and she looked absolutely, stunningly perfect.”

READ MORE: Bridal beauty: Tips and tricks for dewy, vibrant skin on your wedding day

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops, €35

“My favourite tip for glowing skin is to use liquid products as much as possible and apply product on any visible skin to create a uniform, radiant look. First I will use a moisturiser or lotion on any visible skin, then I love to mix an equal ratio of liquid highlighter (the Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops are my favourites) with liquid foundation and apply this lightly all over the face, neck and across the shoulders, collar bones, chest and shins. Finish with a really light dusting of any leftover product on top of hands and feet for an ethereal glow that looks radiant both in real life as well as in every photograph.”

Check out Aisling Kelly on Instagram at @aislingkellymakeup. 

Featured image: @diormakeup

For more beauty features, check out the July/August issue of IMAGE Magazine, on shelves nationwide now.