You’ve booked the venue, said yes to the dress and sent out the invitations. But don’t put off figuring out your beauty game. Not sure where to start? Think seasonally. The date of your big day can help guide you into a makeup color palette that’s not only right for you but on-point for the time of year. Makeup artist Karen Siat, owner of Sparkle & Shine Makeup Studio in Mentor, and Maggie Paridon of MKleinmanArtistry give us their playbook for each of the four seasons.
Spring: Paridon leans toward a palette of dusty blues, pastels and washes of warm brown. “Try a transparent, soft pink lip with a stained-glass effect so it’s almost see-through,” she suggests. For cheeks, go defined but dewy. Siat says coral is a nice transition color between seasons for the lips — and has become the new pink. “On camera, it gives a nice pink hue for girls who don’t really like pink,” she says. Another option: a raspberry lip balm that lends a pouty appeal.
Summer: Pinks and nudes pair well with a tan that’s faux or natural. “On the eyes, it’s great to do a matte taupe lid, contour with a shimmery purple and a flesh-toned highlight,” Siat says. She says to avoid highlights on cheeks, brow bones and other parts of the face because the camera can make these areas look too shiny, and that can be tough to edit out of a great picture. Paridon offers another approach for summer with a navy, sage and peach palette with a bronze eye. “No eyeliner and a darker bronze color smudged on the lower lash line will suit the season just right,” she says.
Fall: A bolder color scheme in fall can include a cat’s-eye effect with eyeliner and a matte, taupe lid. “You can go for more golden eyes and more liner, more smudging,” Siat says. She always suggests false eyelashes, as well — but not if the bride already has lash extensions. A merlot or burgundy lip — a stained berry look — is ripe for fall. Or, an alternative to taupe eyes is purples, grays and a charcoal contour.
Winter: Siat has noted that many brides go for an “old Hollywood” look for their winter weddings, with celebrations planned around holidays. Go for a natural eye with white or cream shadow as a highlight — and play up the lashes with a bold winged or cat’s-eye effect on top and a clean look on the lower lashes. Punctuate lips with a deep, blue-based red or burgundy, she suggests. If a monochromatic look is more your taste, Paridon points to a pink lid, mauve crease and deep purple liner with some shimmer smudged into the upper and lower lash lines. Soft pink blush “mimics rosy cheeks in the cold,” she says. “Top off the look with a mauve lip in a satin finish.”
