How to Do Bridal Makeup: Tutorial and Inspiration

Your wedding day makeup look is likely the most important look you will ever sport. Every little speck of shimmer and swipe of lipstick needs to be in perfect placement, your face needs to photograph beautifully, and your bridal makeup needs to last through crying, celebrating, and a long night of dancing. The stakes are high, and you want your makeup to look its best so you can feel your best.

The truth is simple. When you want your makeup to go the distance, you start with your primer and base because those determine the rest of your makeup look. To help you perfect your makeup look for your big day, we’re sharing a bridal makeup tutorial that covers every step of your routine. Plus, we’ve gathered lots of wedding makeup inspiration, which you’ll find below.

Long-Lasting Bridal Makeup Tutorial

Our wedding makeup tutorial, includes every product you need to achieve a long-lasting, gorgeous wedding beauty look.

1. Prime for your skin type

It’s important to start with a solid base to ensure your makeup look will last through a full day of wedding activities. The best way to achieve that is with makeup primer. Even if you forgo primer on the other 364 days of the year, your wedding day is not the time to skip it.

Taking an extra moment to smooth on primer before breaking out the rest of your face makeup could make all the difference in how long your look lasts and how easily your makeup applies.

Choose a primer that targets your unique skin concerns. We love the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer. This viral TikTok favorite is also a tinted illuminating moisturizer for face and body. It is lightweight and infused with shea butter and glycerin.

Then it’s time for concealer. One of those makeup products has been used for generations of brides to cover pimples, disguise under-eye bags, color-correct pigmentation, and temporarily cover an array of blemishes and marks. So it’s a must for a picture-perfect look. We suggest the double benefits of L'Oréal Paris True Match Radiant Serum Concealer, which acts as a serum and a concealer at the same time. It’s a hyaluronic acid infused with medium coverage that neutralizes dark circles and visibly depuffs under-eye bags.

2. Apply a long-wearing foundation

To look just as free of imperfections when your wedding ends as you did at the beginning, apply foundation that offers long-lasting coverage. Try the L'Oréal Paris Infallible 32 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation, which has a natural finish and lasts all day without transferring. Another great option is the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder—it’s long-lasting, mattifying, sweatproof, smudgeproof, and heatproof. Both products work for all wedding makeup looks.

Pair your long-wearing foundation with a full-coverage concealer, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer up to 24H Full Coverage, to brighten your under-eyes and conceal blemishes.

3. Set with powder

Long-wear liquid foundations will have more staying power if you set them with a face powder. Opt for a lightweight powder to avoid looking like you’ve caked on tons of makeup. Dip a fluffy makeup brush into translucent powder and sweep it onto your face, focusing on your T-zone, where you can get oily as the day progresses. For this important task, we recommend using L'Oréal Paris Infallible Blur-Fection Longwear Loose Setting Powder.

4. Add dimension and color with powder blush, highlighter and contour

Use contour and blush to bring color to your face and keep your makeup from looking flat.

Apply a neutral or cool-toned powder two to three shades darker than your skin tone for contour. We like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer because it melts into the skin, and it never looks gray.

Remember to highlight to add some extra glow to your face. To be quick and precise, use L'Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick. Its reflective glassy finish delivers an instant multi-dimensional glow in one swipe. Swipe the highlighter onto the high points of your face with a light hand (you can always add more), and move on to the next step.

For your blush, look for a blendable powder formula, like the L’Oréal Paris True Match Blush. It gives cheeks a natural flush of color and brightens your overall complexion. If you are more comfortable with a liquid format and want something that you can build on, adding more layers (depending on how intense you want the hue to be) and is even longer-lasting, tryL'Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush.

5. Prime your eyes before eyeshadow

Primer isn’t just for your face, so if you’re planning to wear eye makeup, you’ll want to prime your eyes. A fantastic hack is to take a waterproof eye pencil in a flesh-toned hue and use it to fill your lid with color. Use a finger to smudge the liner all over your lid, and you’ll have a long-wearing, waterproof base for your eyeshadow.

As for your lids, you can’t go wrong with a smokey eye moment. Look for a mix palette with light and dark shades to create the iconic sultry blending. For a shimmery finish, layer on the L'Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick to make your eyes pop.

6. Wear waterproof eye makeup

Let’s be real, your wedding is bound to get emotional. As such, you’ll want to prepare for inevitable waterworks by wearing waterproof eye makeup. We have all your bases covered below:

For mascara, try the L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Original Mascara. Its formula is excellent for lifting and separating your lashes without clumps. It also comes in a waterproof version. This is your first choice if you have sensitive eyes or wear contact lenses.

Try the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner for a great waterproof liquid eyeliner. The precise felt tip is perfect for crafting a sharp cat eye, and the formula is long-wearing, waterproof, and transfer-proof. If you want to wear winged eyeliner for your wedding, we suggest finding the right wing for your eye shape.

When it comes to waterproof pencil eyeliner, try the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner. It lasts up to 36 hours, and the built-in smudger is excellent for creating smokey eye looks.

7. Opt for a matte lipstick

Chances are you’ll have to reapply your lipstick a few times on your wedding day. Kissing your new spouse and sipping on champagne, make touch-ups a must. Whether or not you’ll have to reapply isn’t up for debate, but how often you’ll have to is. You can get a velvety matte finish with the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick. The slim bullet doubles as a lip liner. This way, the application is quick and easy. Plus, it comes in various shades, meaning you can rock a pink, nude, or red lip for your big day—it’s up to you.

For an extra pzazz, top it all off with lip gloss. For plump lips on your special day, use Plump Ambition Hyaluron Lip Oil with Hyaluronic Acid and Tripeptides for instantly smoother, juicier-looking lips.

8. Finish with a makeup setting spray

Wearing many long-wear makeup products is a great way to extend the life of your makeup look. However, it isn’t all you can do. When applying your makeup,

a final step can make all the difference in how it holds up. For the perfect finishing touch, lock in your makeup with a few spritzes of the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist.

20 Bridal Makeup Ideas to Inspire You

The tutorial above has great bride makeup ideas and tips for creating a long-lasting look. But there are so many different ways to do wedding makeup. Below, find 20 options (complete with inspiration photos!) for wedding makeup ideas.

1. Natural glam wedding makeup

This natural glam wedding makeup look features smooth, even skin, shimmery neutral-toned shadow, soft liner, and a satin lip.

First, you should determine if you want a glowy or skin-like finish. For the former, apply the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer to your face, neck, and décolletage. This illuminating formula provides a sheer wash of color and gives skin a radiant finish. As for the latter, try the L'Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation, which adapts to your skin so you can't tell where your foundation ends and your real skin texture begins. After laying your base makeup, subtly contour and highlight your face. Then, add a few sweeps of a rosy blush. We’re partial to the L’Oréal Paris True Match Blush for a natural, complexion-brightening flush of color. Complete your glam with a pink or peach lipstick like our L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Worth It or Fairest Nude shades.

And you can skip the falsies for this timeless look; you don't need them. Instead, define your lashes with the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama Waterproof Mascara, which creates corner-to-corner panoramic volume and lasts for up to 24 hours without flaking, clumping, or smudging— even if you shed a tear or two.

2. Shimmery lids

For those who want their eyes to be the main focus of their bridal makeup, this is the look to go for. The soft, feminine look stars shimmery taupe lids, a lightly defined crease, and a soft wing created with eyeshadow rather than a liner. Add individual lashes to the outer corner of your eyes to get natural-looking definition, and finish your wedding makeup look with a few swipes of your favorite matte lipstick—mauve tones play especially well with the cool tones of the shadow. The product that will help you achieve this glowing effect is our L'Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick.

3. Timeless neutrals

Anyone who has ever thumbed through a wedding album from the 1980s will understand the appeal of a classic bridal makeup look. Today’s hottest makeup trends will eventually become as dated as the blue eyeshadow and frosted pink lips mom sported in ‘85, so opting for a neutral color palette—think nudes, neutrals, and rosy hues—will give your wedding makeup look a timeless feel.

4. Full glam bridal makeup

Your wedding day is the perfect opportunity to go all out with your hair and makeup, which is exactly why we love a full-glam bridal look. To get this head-turning wedding makeup look, full-coverage foundation is a must. Try the aforementioned L'Oréal Paris Infallible 32-Hour Fresh Wear Foundation, and for extra staying power, lock in your look with a setting spray.

5. Classic winged liner

Winged eyeliner is a wedding makeup staple for a good reason: it’s flattering, attention-grabbing, and easily customizable for any eye shape. For this, we suggest allowing your eyes to be the focal point. Pair your classic wing with rosy lips and flushed cheeks for a well-balanced look that’ll photograph beautifully.

6. Dewy wedding makeup

This dewy, skin-focused wedding makeup look is easy to achieve, making it a great option for anyone who wants to do their makeup for their big day. If the goal is a your-skin-but-better finish, we love the L’Oréal Paris True Match Hyaluronic Tinted Serum. The formula, which combines hyaluronic acid with luminous pigments, provides the skin with sheer, lightweight coverage, a brightened finish, and a hydrated feel. Then, add peachy blush, rose gold eyeshadow, and a bit of eyeliner to complete your lit-from-within look.

7. Understated wedding makeup

If you favor a no-makeup makeup look in your everyday life, don’t feel pressured into changing your style just because it's your wedding day. A few tweaks to your usual makeup routine will yield gorgeous results for your walk down the aisle. We suggest swapping your skin tint for a medium-coverage foundation, filling in your brows, and replacing your tinted balm with a nude lip liner and lipstick combo. Bride makeup can be this easy.

8. Soft pink monochrome

Pink practically screams romance, and rosy monochrome makeup makes for a stunning (and timeless) bridal makeup look. Blush and matte pink lipstick are the key elements of this look, but you can add dimension with details like shimmery shadow, champagne highlighter, and soft brown eyeliner.

9. Vintage-inspired wedding makeup

Old Hollywood-inspired makeup can sometimes be too much for daily wear, but the ultra-glam, retro aesthetic is perfect for a special day. This look comes together thanks to a few standout elements, like winged eyeliner and soft matte foundation, but the classic red lip takes center stage. Get a long-lasting lip look with the L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lip Liner, then add a coat of your favorite satin-finish red lipstick (we’re big fans of the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Le Rouge Paris).

10. Soft glam

Soft glam has been all over social media for a few years now. Unlike other viral makeup trends, it works beautifully as a timeless bridal makeup look. It’s glam enough to be worthy of your big day, but understated enough that you’ll still feel like you. Best of all? This elegant look pairs beautifully with any style or dress (and it fits any venue, indoors or out).

11. Glowy peach wedding makeup

Replicate a flattering golden hour glow—even if your ceremony is held after dark—by opting for makeup in sunset-inspired hues like gold, peach, and coral. You’ll want your skin to be the star of this alluring look. Skip the matte foundation and opt for a product with a dewy, radiant finish. Pair it with lots of blush, a bronzer´s touch, and a luminous highlighter for a glowy, natural-looking bride makeup.

12. Boho bridal makeup

Healthy-looking skin with a sun-kissed, bronzy glow is a key element of this free-spirited bridal makeup idea. Swap pink blush for a richer, warmer bronzer, then brush up your brows to add fullness and definition. Complete the carefree look with slightly smudged brown eyeliner—we love the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Bronze.

13. Softly sculpted

Sculpted Instagram makeup looks great in photos, but can feel a bit heavy when paired with a pristine white dress. But that doesn’t mean you can’t emphasize your cheekbones—you’ll just want to take a slightly different approach. Skip the opaque matte bronzer. Instead, lightly define your cheekbones with a luminous, cool-toned contour. Then, apply plenty of blush to the apples of your cheeks and along the top of your cheekbones to make them pop while maintaining a natural-looking, elegant feel.

14. Beachy wedding makeup

Brides getting married by the sea should consider this natural, minimalist makeup look. It’s special-occasion ready but still fitting for a beachside ceremony. If you plan to exchange vows during the day, remember to protect your skin with plenty of sunscreen.

15. Shimmery winter wedding makeup

The best thing about getting married in the winter is that you don’t have to worry about soaring temperatures melting off your look. This means you can go a little heavier with your bridal eye makeup (if desired). Try pairing snowy pearlescent eyeshadow with bold winged liner and a glossy nude lip. The eye-catching and subtly shimmery combo, dreamy bridal makeup look is perfect for cold-weather weddings.

16. Latte makeup

If you want to create your wedding day makeup using products you already have, consider latte makeup (one of the few viral trends we’d argue is perfect for your wedding day). The alluring look forgoes the pinks and shimmers often seen in wedding makeup, opting for a matte, softer neutral palette—think caramels, toffees, and chocolates. Among bridal makeup looks, this is a very affordable one.

17. Grungy glam bridal makeup

On your wedding day, you should feel like the best version of yourself, not like you’re playing dress-up. If you normally favor an edgier aesthetic, there’s no reason you can’t make that work on your wedding day. Pair your signature smudged black eyeliner with fresh-looking skin and a satin nude lip for a balanced look perfect for your walk down the aisle (and the after party).

18. Statement lipstick

A statement lip is ideal for your wedding makeup look because it’s attention-grabbing, customizable, and super easy to touch up after a glass or two of champagne. Classic crimson looks gorgeous on everyone—just make sure to choose the right shade for your undertones. If you have cooler-toned skin, try a blue-red like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Intense Volume Matte Lipstick in Le Rouge Paris. Warmer merlot and burgundy shades are a perfect match for warmer-toned skin. Or as we said before, you can never go wrong with L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Le Rouge Paris,

19. Colorful smoky eye

If you want your bridal eye makeup to make a lasting impression, consider a colorful take on the classic smoky eye. We love the flattering burgundy and purple tones pictured here, but emeralds, sapphires, and even deep ruby hues would work well, too. Just keep the rest of your makeup on the softer side for a well-balanced wedding makeup look.

20. Glittery eyeshadow

There’s a time and place for glitter—and your wedding day is it. Pair sparkly eyeshadow with full, voluminous lashes and glossy nude lips for a look that’ll have you feeling like a princess on your special day.

Next Up: 12 Elegant Bun Hairdos for Wedding Season (and Beyond)

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris