How to Design the Perfect Bridal Makeup for your Destination Wedding in France | by Paris Makeup + Hair Artist, Onorina Jomir
As a makeup artist, there is nothing better than showing a bride her finished makeup look on her wedding day!
But having an effortless and relaxing bridal beauty experience involves planning and communication with your makeup and hair artist. To fully sit back and relax for your Paris destination wedding, I highly recommend doing some extensive research on what looks you want for your big day.
For every bride I beautify, I keep an open line of communication from the day she books me, to her wedding day and beyond. Since many of my brides are traveling from all around the world, I make it a priority to have a clear understanding of their vision for makeup (and hair) before their wedding day in Paris, France!
Earth-toned eyes and nude-pink lips bring focus to this bride’s features and complexion while keeping things neutral for her romantic outdoor wedding at Chateau du Vivier in France. Styled by Onorina Jomir.
Photo courtesy of Ian Holmes Photography
Blush pink flowers + blush pink lips create a unified bridal look for this styled elopement wedding photoshoot in Paris. Styled by Onorina Jomir.
Photo courtesy of Wike Zijlstra Photography
My 10+ years of experience as a bridal makeup + hair professional in France have taught me how to seamlessly design a bridal look that intertwines all the elements of a wedding day. From wedding flowers to bridal accessories, I always ensure to create a makeup in harmony with the entire feel of my client’s wedding.
When it comes to bridal makeup design, there is so much to consider, so I’ve put together this handy guide for all brides looking to find their perfect wedding makeup look! Read on to learn how to harmonize the elements of your wedding into the perfect bridal make up look, for your destination wedding in Paris, France, or beyond!
1. Consider your level of comfort with makeup
The first thing I recommend to my brides is to be honest about how much makeup they are comfortable wearing. I don’t mean physically how much product - I mean how intense they prefer to wear their makeup. Makeup intensity refers to the levels of light-to-dark or muted-to-bright colors within your makeup application. Knowing what makeup intensity you feel best wearing is very important to consider and communicate to your makeup artist, to make sure you’ll be 100% comfortable in your wedding makeup look.
Whether you are looking for a “no-makeup” bridal look or a bold & glamorous bridal style, I always apply makeup in thin layers, so that it feels light-weight and natural on your skin. There’s no need to worry about makeup feeling thick or cakey - with a professional by your side, you’ll feel comfortable and your makeup will wear beautifully throughout your big day.
A. Light Intensity Makeup
A “my-face-but-better” look in light neutral tones with a soft emphasis on the lips. Great for outdoor, daytime weddings & weddings with a lot of natural surrounding landscapes. If you’re looking for a minimal, clean, and natural look, or simply don’t like to wear a lot of makeup, this one may be for you.
B. Medium Intensity Makeup
Softly defined eyes and cheeks with a light to medium emphasis on the lips. This is a classic bridal makeup look that works well in most wedding settings. If you’re looking to enhance your features and look timelessly beautiful, without feeling like you’re wearing a ton of heavy makeup, this is the go-to look for your wedding day.
C. Dark Intensity Makeup
Bold emphasis on the eyes, defined cheek bones, and medium to bold lips. This glamorous statement look pairs well with iconic accessories such as tiaras and crystal chandelier earrings and is great for evening weddings and posh upscale receptions. If you love darker makeup and feel naked without it, this may just be your look!
Bridal Makeup Tip: If you are unsure which makeup intensity is for you, remember that you can always start light and build up from there. During your Look Design Appointment or trial, make sure you’re clear with your makeup artist if you’d like to try out a more intense look. Take a photo before and after to help you decide.
2. Consider your wedding color palette, florals, dress, jewelry & accessories
Creating a wedding makeup look that is thoughtful and elegant is all about the details. You’ll want a makeup look that not only compliments your features, but also the aesthetic of your wedding and your overall bridal look. Below are some things to take into consideration when designing your look in its entirety.
wedding Color palette
Warm-toned, Neutral, or Cool-toned color palette? Find colors in these tones that work well with your skin, eye color and hair color and incorporate them into your bridal makeup look.
floral bouquet and decor
For makeup, you can either factor in the florals and decor into your look, through a matching blush and lip color - for example, rose pinks with rose lips - OR, you can omit those colors completely from your makeup look, opting for more neutral tones, so that the flowers stand out on their own.
your wedding dress color + Texture
Does your wedding dress have a lot of texture? Keep the makeup + hair clean, polished and in an overall nude or neutral color palette.
Simple and sleek dress with minimal texture? Bold eye makeup in any tone, or a brighter lip color will complement this style of gown beautifully!
Jewelry + Hair Accessories
Gold, silver, pearl, stone, and colored pieces of jewelry are great wedding accessories that can add so much to your overall makeup look. Choose metallics to match your makeup, such as a pearl necklace with pearl shimmer eyelids, or a gold hair vine to harmonize with your gold and brown smokey eye look.
Bridal Makeup Tip: Planning on wearing multiple dresses? Consider adding a second look to your wedding festivities, and hire your artist to stand by for touch-ups in between your two looks. This way you’ll look picture-perfect every step of the way, and have your own personal beauty assistant to pamper you on your big day.
3. Factor in your hair color, eye color, and natural features
A. Hair Color
Hair color is one of the largest features of your entire natural color palette, and it plays a huge roll in your entire bridal makeup look for your destination wedding. Harmonizing your hair color with your overall makeup will create the most balanced bridal style, resulting in a more striking and timeless bridal look, and photographing beautifully. Below I break down the best makeup colors to opt for, according to different hair colors.
Blonde/neutral-Toned light Hair:
Light toned hair colors such as blonde work really well with pinks, cool taupes, mauves and of course, earth tones and black. Use these colors as a starting point, and see what may coordinate with your overall wedding palette as well as your eye color and skin tone.
RED/AUBURN and Warm brown Hair:
Warm toned hair, such as warm brown, red, and auburn hair colors play well with makeup shades like as pinks, corals, rose gold, and warm earth tones such as brick and sienna. Cool blues and purples are great accents for depth and definition, with black being great emphasizing the lash line for a more striking look.
Dark Brown or Black hair Color:
Dark hair, whether your hair color is brown or black, plays really well with rich colors such as purples, dark chocolate browns, golds, navy blue and black for accenting and defining. Shimmery and matte earth tones can also be used for a more subtle and natural look.
Bridal Makeup Tip: Remember that even though you may be set on an eye shadow color because it looks beautiful in your inspiration photo, your hair color may call for a different tone that will better harmonize with your look. Trust your professional bridal makeup artist in making the right decision for your unique color palette.
B. Eye Color
Eye color is another important feature to take into account for your bridal makeup look. Your final eye makeup look should be in harmony with your eye color, and either softly or boldly define your eyes, depending on your preference. Below I describe the best eye shadow colors to help bring out your eye color, as well as what shades to “avoid” for your Paris destination wedding.
Blue Eyes
If you have blue eyes, brighten them with colors warm colors such as peaches, pinks, caramels, or purple, brown, and black. Avoid grays, blues, oranges, and reds.
Brown Eyes
Highlight your brown eyes using colors like golds, burgundies, deep purples, navy blue, and black. Avoid taupes, whites, silvers, grays.
Green Eyes
Bring out your green eyes with colors such as pinks, corals, mauves, as well as darker colors like purples, earth tones, and blacks. Avoid blues, greens, yellow golds and grays.
Hazel Eyes
If your eye color is hazel, pair it with colors like golds, khakis, red/warm-toned earth tones, chocolate brown, and black for your bridal makeup look. Avoid blues, greens, whites and pinks.
Bridal Makeup Tip: We all have unique features, so be sure to emphasize your most prominent features in your makeup look. If you have strong brows, pair them with a well-defined eye look; if you have full lips, opt for a lip shade that will draw attention to their shape and be recognizable both in person and in your wedding photographs.
4. Think about your wedding location & setting
Every setting calls for different styles in both makeup and hair styling. Your bridal look should fit in with the ceremony and reception space - otherwise you could appear under or over-dressed for your own wedding! In this step I go over common wedding venues in France, and how this translates into designing your bridal makeup look.
A. Classic Chateau, City Hall, or Cathedral
Dramatic spaces with vaulted ceilings and staircases? Your bridal hair style and dress will need to ‘fill’ the space - think dress and veil with a long train and full ballgown skirt paired with a classic updo - and you’ll need an equally elegant and graceful makeup look to match! Focus on clean, crisp, and polished looks that have light to medium intensities for this type of ceremony setting.
Bridal Makeup Tip: If you want a bolder look, find a lipstick that can be applied for the reception. A dark smokey eye and bold lip may compete with the look and feel of a French chateau or cathedral.
B. French Country Abbey, OUTDOOR, OR Garden Setting
Whether your wedding is held at a winery, French garden, abbey, or castle ruins, look for natural earth tones that compliment your hair, eye and floral bouquet colors. For Mallory, we focused on a delicate, shimmery eyelid in earthy nudes to compliment her light complexion, and a thin black eye liner to tie the look together with her dark, rich hair color. While deep purples would work well for her hair and eye color, we avoided these tones as to not compete with her fresh lilac wedding flowers.
Bridal Makeup Tip: Looking for a more colorful bridal makeup look? Use a shade in your floral bouquet as a starting point try to find a corresponding lipstick color - this will ensure your makeup won’t compete too much with the natural elements of these venues.
C. Sophisticated Parisian Hotel, OR MODERN INTERIOR
Rooftop ceremony in view of the Eiffel Tower? Cocktail reception at the Shangri-La? Keep your bridal makeup look medium to dark, and don’t be afraid to play with stronger eye liner, lashes, and extra sparkle. Medium to deep bridal makeup looks will add a level of sophistication and glamour to your France destination wedding. To bring more attention to your face and overall makeup, use accessories such as sparkly earrings, jeweled hair combs, and statement necklaces.
Bridal Makeup Tip: Opulent makeup, jewel tones, strategically-placed glitter, and deep-toned lip colors are all great ways to achieve a posh and modern bridal look.
5. Know your bridal makeup keywords & terms
Knowing bridal makeup terminology will save you a lot of wasted time perusing inspiration images to share with your makeup artist. Plus, it’ll help you better communicate your ideas with your artist so you can both be on the same page about your makeup. Here are the most common terms to know for bridal makeup looks.
A. “No-Makeup” Makeup OR nude/natural makeup
Nude, “no-makeup” makeup, or natural bridal makeup looks are all about softly enhancing your features, but each term has a slightly different meaning. The lightest intensity is a “no makeup” makeup bridal look, which is all about perfecting your skin and looking the most like you. A nude look generally refers to using colors which are close to your natural color palette, so think soft blushes and creams on the lids, fleshy blush tones, and a lip color similar to your own lips. When using the term natural makeup, keep in mind whether you’re referring to the level of intensity in the makeup (light, medium, dark) or the color palette within the makeup (earthy tones such as beiges, caramels and browns).
B. Earth-Toned/NEUTRAL Makeup
Earth-toned makeup - refers to the makeup and generally eye shadow color palette, and can be played up from a light to dark intensity.
Neutral makeup - can be earth-toned, and overall the color choices will fall within the same range as your natural color palette.
C. Bold/Deep-Toned/Colorful Makeup
Both ‘deep-toned’ and ‘colorful’ makeup are considered to be ‘bold’ makeup looks. Colorful bold makeup, for example, can be bright colored lips or eyes. Deep-toned is about depth and intensity, but could still be colorful or more naturally toned, such as a dark mauve or berry lip color. See Dana’s bombshell bridal look, featuring deep-toned eyes and a semi-bold lip for her Paris elopement wedding in winter, at the Shangri-La Paris Hotel.
D. GLOWY VS. Matte SKIN
Do you like your skin to look fresh and glowy, or do you prefer a more matte finish? If you’re unsure, start with a soft glow and either add more highlighter to intensify your glow, or more powder to tone it down and mattify your skin. If hot/humid weather is expected on your day, or if you have an oily complexion, a matte finish to your foundation is a better way to go for your wedding day in France.
E. SHIMMER VS. GLITTER Eye Shadows
Both types have shine, but shimmer is finely milled, producing a more subtle glimmering pearl finish, while glitter is more opulent and captures more light, which works well with dramatic looks and weddings in glamorous settings, such as a posh Parisian hotel.
F. COOL VS. WARM TONEs
Warm-toned makeup can be earth tones such as sand, brick, coffee browns, and russet-like reds, or colorful pinks, corals, oranges, and burgundies. In metallics, gold, rose gold, and bronze are all considered to be in the warm tone family.
Cool-toned makeup can be natural earth tones such as taupe, clay, and stone, or colorful mauves, purples, blues, and greens. In metallics, silver, gun metal gray, and any purple, blue, or green shade would be considered cool toned.
G. Contour VS. Bronzer
Contour is all about defining the planes of your face, pushing them forward and back. It is primarily applied to the lower portion of your cheek bones, and occasionally the sides of the nose. Bronzer is used to add warmth to the skin, and is primarily applied around the perimeter of your face, and layered over blush. If your skin is more of an alabaster, bronzer may appear muddy, but the right shade of contour could elevate your look. Be sure you are clear about both these terms because they mean very different things and will yield very different results in your makeup application.
H. Matte, Satin, Glossy, and Metallic Lips
Matte lips - long-wear, kissable finish, but can be very drying. Brides choose it to keep their husband-to-be lipstick free, and this is a great choice for reds and bolder lip colors.
Satin lips - natural-looking finish that feels moisturizing and has medium staying power. This means you may need to re-apply your lip color 1-2 times throughout your wedding festivities.
Glossy lips - adds volume and shine to the lips, and feels very moisturizing. Re-application is needed throughout the ceremony to ensure lips feel fresh. This look appears most ‘healthy’ and youthful in photographs due to the plumping effect of lipgloss.
Metallic lips - a ‘statement’ lip texture that adds volume to the lips, and can have a matte, satin or glossy finish.
Bridal Makeup Tip: Remember that most brides in your inspiration photos have more makeup on than you can tell, and once their look gets filtered by the camera lens and post-production, the makeup appears softer and more natural. Therefore, ask your artist to take photos of you in front of a window during your Look Design Appointment, so you can see how your bridal makeup look will translate into the camera.
Last tips for choosing + designing your bridal makeup
Search for inspiration looks showcasing women with similar features to yours
Search smart using keywords to find women in the look you want with similar features to yours - “blonde haired fair skin bridal makeup looks” or “earth toned bridal looks for brown hair brides” are some examples. You’ll want to make sure that your hair color, skin color and eye color are all accounted for!
Save makeup inspiration images to an album on your phone, or make a Pinterest Board
When you are ready to discuss your looks with your artist, send these within one message (it helps your artist stay organized), and have them handy on the day of your appointment.
Find elements you like in different looks to convey your dream look, and be clear in your requests
Do you want a natural, matte, or glowy finish to your foundation? Do you prefer a soft smokey pencil liner, or the look of a sharp liquid eye liner look? Your artist may make some suggestions as well, so be open to other ideas, even if they may not have been your first thought. Remember, her/his goal is to help you look and feel comfortable and confident on your wedding day, both in person and in front of the camera.
Don’t ask for too many opinions - Your own opinion matters most!
Limit yourself to bringing only ONE friend or family member to your Look Design Appointment or trial, and refrain from asking too many of your close ones for their opinion. The most important is that YOU love your look, and you feel amazing wearing it. Having too many opinions will only confuse you and make you feel insecure about your makeup, so trust yourself and your beauty professional in this process.
Medium-toned bridal makeup look in warm browns and peach lips for red-haired bride, for Chateau Wedding in Paris France. Styled by Onorina Jomir
Photo courtesy of Kristine Grinvalde Photography
Congratulations!
YOU’VE LEARNED HOW TO DESIGN THE PERFECT BRIDAL MAKEUP FOR YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING IN FRANCE!
You are now full equipped to show your makeup artist exactly how you want your makeup to be for your luxury French destination wedding! It takes a bit of time to make sure the pieces align, but pin-pointing your overall vision, considering your wardrobe, and selecting a makeup look that harmonizes with your features and level of comfort with makeup will ensure that your wedding look is HARMONIOUS and MEMORABLE, so it’s definitely worth taking the time to research and plan accordingly!
For more makeup look inspiration and ideas, check my PINTEREST profile, or click below and start pinning photos directly to your Pinterest board - it’s super fun, you’ll see!
Ready to design your hairstyle for your destination wedding in France? Check out my Bridal Hair Design Guide and follow my Instagram for daily inspiration!
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