Avoid these 20 common beauty blunders on your big day:
Tall Talons: “Nobody needs super-long, artificial nails, unless they work in a cheese-grating factory,” advises Andrea Claire Walmsley, makeup artist for Life Network’s So Chic With Steven & Chris. If you want to extend your naturally short tips, choose an active length finished in a neutral hue, so your wedding guests keep an eye on you—not your nails!
Matte Mouths: Matte lipsticks have longevity but they tend to make your lips look dry in photos. For a softer and more natural look, Walmsley suggests applying a sheer gloss or balm over your favourite matte lipstick to add desired sheen.
Illustrated Lips: People will notice if your mouth is a cartoonish version of its former self on your wedding day. Always use a lipliner that matches your natural lip colour and stay within your lip lines to avoid overdrawing your pretty little pucker into a Bozo-esque grin.
Too Much Makeup: Big day doesn’t necessarily equal big makeup. While you do need a bit more makeup for photographs, the goal is to be a slightly glammed up version of yourself, not someone else entirely.
Forgoing the Trial: A trial hair appointment is essential if you want to sport an updo down the aisle. Book a hair trial, complete with headpiece, at least one month before the wedding.
A Trial for the Jury: According to Jessica Tebby, advanced stylist and educator at Edmonton, Alberta’s Swizz Salon and Spa, most brides are cool as cucumbers on the big day until their friends and moms start complaining about their own personal hair traumas. The solution? Book trial runs for all your gals to avoid any last-minute grumbling.
Bad Booking: Book your spa appointments wisely. Adele Chan, of Absolute Spa in Vancouver, warns that scheduling a self-tanner application right before a pedicure can spell disaster. “We just end up scrubbing all that tanner off,” she says.
Acute Zebra-it is: Make sure your face, neck and chest are all the same colour. Many people apply self-tanner everywhere but their faces, leaving an alabaster head floating atop a bronzed goddess’ body.
Trendy Puppy: Don’t let your wedding day become a memory (with photos!) filled with trendy purple eyeshadow and dramatically outlined lips. Think of Princess Grace or Princess Di. The classic and subtle beauty exhibited by these royal divas is timeless.
Botched Bobby Pins: One of the biggest hair faux pas is when a blond wears black bobby pins. Bobby pins come in different colours precisely so you don’t see them.
Hiding a Pimple—Badly: Cakey pimple makeup is often more obvious than the zit itself. If a gargantuan pustule greets you the morning of, don’t fret. Walmsley suggests dabbing the offending spot with a Q-tip saturated with eyedrops, designed to “get the red out.” Once the redness is reduced, apply a light layer of concealer and set it with powder.
Seeing Double, or Triple, or… The same dress for your bridesmaids is enough; don’t make them have the same hair too!
The Way Too Much Blush-ing Bride: If your skin veers towards the red side of the spectrum, steer clear of blush. A camouflage foundation will even out skin tone and conceal redness.
Colour Crisis: Don’t make a sudden change to your hair colour just before your big day. Walmsley recounts the story of a bride who went a bit too blond before her wedding then found out that any colour correction might turn her gold locks green. “She always notices her platinum hair first when she looks at her wedding pictures.”
All Grown Out: If you watch Cinderella enough times I guess you start to think you need long hair to attend the ball. For ultimate updo versatility, hair should be just below the shoulder blades—any longer and your skull might be crushed beneath that mega mane.
Teary Eyes: If you’re the kind of girl who cries at long-distance commercials and greeting cards, you’re more than likely going to shed a tear or two at your wedding, so invest in some waterproof makeup.
Smeared Eyeliner: The waxy stuff in eyeliner that makes it such a breeze to apply also makes it a breeze to smudge off, leaving you looking like, well, a raccoon. For a longer-lasting line, apply your favourite eyeshadow with a thin angled brush.
Roaming Lipstick: You’ll probably kiss more people on your wedding day than on any other day of your life. Call in the big guns to keep your lipstick where it’s meant to be—on your lips, instead of on Aunt Martha’s cheek or YOUR teeth.
Letting Them See You Sweat: If you suffer from hyperhidrosis (mega sweatiness) invest in some heavy-duty antiperspirant to stop sweat in its tracks. It’s also a great way to avoid a soggy, wet, wedding-day disaster.
Slipper-less Cinderella: Just because she lost her shoes at the ball doesn’t mean you should. Seeing a beautiful white-clad bride with filthy bare feet is just so unpleasant. Leave your Choos where they belong, on your prettily pedicured feet. Invest in some super-soft insoles made specifically for high heels if you suspect your glass slippers are going to crimp your W-day style.
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