The makeup artist looked like the real deal, and she was super-nice. But after she applied your makeup and you looked in the mirror, you didn’t recognize yourself. Now what?
As a makeup artist who works heavily in the bridal field, I can tell you that this happens, and it will all be OK.
Be honest with the makeup artist.
Don’t panic! It’s just makeup. But this is your face, and you need to feel comfortable and like yourself. So first, just communicate your concerns to the makeup artist.
Bridal makeup artists who are good at their job want to make you happy. It’s not about the artist telling you what you need and what they want to express on your face. Their job is to make you feel the best you can on this special day.
Simply say, “I just don’t feel like myself,” and point out what’s different. Did she forget to pencil in your brows? Do you not like the brows she penciled in? Can you see the lip liner? Just ask her to fix it. You will not be punished. You will only benefit from speaking up.
Pre-application tip: Show the artist a photo where you felt you looked great. It doesn’t matter where or when it was taken -- it will show her how you feel most confident. Are you an eye girl, a lip girl, do you like glowy skin or matte, etc.
Ask your friends.
Weddings are emotional, even when you aren't the bride. I see women get stage fright all the time: You remembered that you'll be seeing your ex at the wedding, your dress doesn’t zip up easily, nothing about your hair and makeup looks right and you want to wear a sweater over your face.
Ask your friends and other members of the bridal party -- they may have a different opinion of how you look. Instagram a selfie and get some likes. You probably look awesome! But if you don’t feel awesome, find out why. Is it something, like I mentioned above, that is fixable? Or is it emotions?
Take control.
Is your foundation not matching? Did the makeup artist completely ignore you and put glitter on your eyes? Are your false lashes too obvious or falling off completely? If you have brought these problems to the artist's attention and they still aren't solved, you have to take matters into your own hands. Go into the bathroom and fix these things.
If the problem is lashes, remove them. Keep Tarte’s multiplEYE Lash Enhancing Primer and Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara on hand for the best lashes in the universe. If you don’t like how your eyeshadow turned out, remove it and just stick with great lashes.
If your foundation doesn’t match, buff it out with a brush. By that I mean, just circle a blush brush all over your face, and the foundation will blend into your skin tone. Use some muscle! If the shade was too dark, use bronzer on your neck on either side of your throat to blend and distract from the difference in color.
Too much blush? Actually, you really can’t have too much blush for wedding photos! You just can’t. So if you think you have too much on, I’m just going to have to disagree with you.
Remember: you are gorgeous, and this is about having fun on an awesomely special day. Don’t be afraid to speak up! Makeup artists are being paid well to do a great job, and believe me, you feeling badly about how you look would keep the artist up at night.