My Go-To Wedding Guest Makeup Makes Me Feel Like a Movie Star
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Being in your 30s is prime time for attending weddings. No matter what part of the country you live in, it's shockingly rare not to have at least two-to-three save-the-dates covering your fridge for friends' pending nuptials. However, compared to the weddings you might have attended in your 20s, this decade typically sees more glamorous affairs, often in exotic locations around the world (chic), which means that your wedding guest makeup and attire deserves an upgrade. Whether you're your partner's plus one or you're desperately trying to hold it together as one of your best friend's ties the knot, it's the perfect opportunity to dress up and slay your beauty look for an evening.
Recently, I flew to Italy to attend my boyfriend's high school pal's wedding, which took place at a jaw-dropping vineyard in Tuscany. While the affair wasn't black tie, the setting definitely inspired everyone to dress like an Italian movie star, myself very much included. And since I didn't have a makeup artist friend on hand to help me with my glam, I channeled all my beauty editor skills to create the evening's look.
My main requirement for wedding guest makeup is that you don't have to fuss with it too much, and that you're not too over-the-top — it's a wedding, not a Las Vegas bachelorette party. I usually go for neutral tones that will wear well over the course of the night and focus on either a lip or an eye moment, never both. Since I was wearing a drop-dead gorgeous red gown from Interior NYC, I decided to accentuate the crimson shade and pair it with a bold lip with similar undertones. The result? Approximately 647 selfies on my camera and a couple's photo that my mom promised to print out and frame. I'd call that a success.
Looking for fool-proof wedding guest makeup that will help you feel like your most glamazon self? Keep reading for all my product essentials.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Foundation
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation ($48)
Although we're in the heyday of exceptional foundations, I hate the feeling of my entire face being covered with makeup. When I have a fancier event, I turn to this serum skin tint to even out my complexion without any of that heaviness that can set in after five hours of dinner and dancing.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Contour
Westman Atelier Face Trance Contour Stick ($48)
For your cheekbones to really pop in all those wedding snaps, I love a bit of subtle contouring. This cream stick is super easy to blend and melts into the skin for a natural-looking shadow.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Blush
Merit Flush Balm Cheek Color in Après ($32)
Blush is a gamechanger for creating a healthy, lit-from-within glow, and this balm formula can't be beat. The sheer wine shade is just dramatic enough for a fancy evening with all your friends.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Brow Pencil
Revlon ColorStay Brow Pencil ($11)
Full, fluffy brows are essential for any beauty look but especially so when the rest of your makeup is more glamorous than usual. I always keep this brow pencil on hand to draw natural-looking hairs that fill in any sparse patches in my arches.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Highlighter
Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick in Pearl ($42)
I always want my skin to look like it's lit by candlelight and this highlighter delivers every time. I tap on the champagne shade onto the tops of my cheekbones, under my brows, in the corner of my eyes, and above my cupid's bow for a luminous effect.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Eyeliner Pencil
Lisa Eldridge Seamless Glide Eye Pencil in Black Treacle ($30)
When I focus on a bold lip, I don't want my eye makeup to be too overwhelming. A swipe of upper-waterline liner is ideal for accentuating your lashes and giving your eyes a bit of drama. This pencil is super soft and applies like a dream, and the color is super long-lasting.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Mascara
Revlon So Fierce! Big Bad Lash Mascara ($11)
I love a spidery lash for weddings and this formula is ideal to achieve both length and volume. I use two coats on my upper lashes and one on the bottom, and I never have to worry about the color transferring.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Eyeshadow
Chanel Les Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in 308 Clair-Obscur ($68)
For just a hint of definition around my eyes, I use the lightest ombre shade in this palette across my eyelid and the next darkest in the crease. With a small, dense brush I sweep that color along my bottom lashes and blend, cleaning up any spots where there's too much shadow with a cotton bud.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Setting Powder
Tatcha The Silk Powder ($49)
While all-over glow is my typical MO for everyday makeup, I want to mattify my T-zone slightly for photos, so I use this lightweight powder and apply with a super fluffy brush to tone down the sheen.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Liquid Lipstick
Chanel Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue in 49 Ever Red ($45)
Long-lasting lipstick is a must for weddings and this liquid lip never fails me. I love the added gloss to keep the look fresh and modern, without ever drying out my pout.
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Wedding Guest Makeup: Fragrance
Fueguia 1833 Cactus Azul ($371)
A sublimely sexy fragrance that will have every other wedding guest demanding to know your scent? You can't go wrong with this rich cactus flower blend.
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