5 Makeup Ideas for a Wedding Guest

Determining how to do your makeup when you’re a wedding guest can be a challenge. You want to look good—really good—in case you end up in any photos, but you don’t want to do wear a bold lip color or dark eye makeup that might make it appear as if you’re trying to outshine the bride. If you’re struggling to pick the perfect makeup look to pair with your party frock, not to worry. We’ve rounded up five makeup trends you can rock at all the weddings coming up on your social calendar.

Wedding Guest Makeup Idea #1: Peach Pout

Your family friend’s wedding may not be the place to rock a red lip or break out your bright berry lipstick, but that doesn’t mean you need to forgo lip color altogether. Instead of vamping it up with vibrant lip colors, opt for a soft peach lipstick—preferably one with some shine, to give you pout a plumped look. Try the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Shine Lipstick in Shining Peach, and if you haven’t had your fill of peach products, pair it with a coordinating blush color, like the L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Blush in Barely Blushing.

Wedding Guest Makeup Idea #2: Understated Eyeliner

Save showing off your dramatic winged eyeliner skills for another night, and go for eyeliner that’s barely there. Reach for the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner and hold off on smudging it onto your lids. Instead, use the pencil to tightline your eyes. This “invisible” eyeliner technique is perfect for times when you don’t want your eyeliner to be too obvious. Gently pull up on your eyelid to expose the upper waterline and fill in the space where the base of your lashes is. You won’t look like you’re wearing lots of makeup, but your lashes will instantly appear darker and thicker.

Wedding Guest Makeup Idea #3: Bronzed Beauty

A harsh contour is trendy—no doubt about it—but if we’re being honest, it’s not a look that’s suited to every single occasion. And a wedding might just qualify as one where you should put your contour palette aside. Rather than sculpt your face to new heights, take the opportunity to use bronzer. That way, you can have sun-kissed skin even if the wedding is in the dead of winter. Apply a bronzer that doesn’t look orange in “3” shapes on the sides of your face to warm up your complexion. Your fabulous tan can even serve as a topic of conversation if you get seated with strangers. 

Wedding Guest Makeup Idea #4: Refined Falsies

We have good news for you: There’s no reason you can’t wear falsies as a wedding guest. If you want to sport false lashes, go for it. However, you may want to pay extra attention to which lashes you pick. The longest and most voluminous pair might be cute on Halloween, but at your BFF’s wedding—not so much. To give your lashes a boost of length and volume without going overboard, wear individual lashes. That way, you can choose exactly how they’ll look. And of course, a coat of a fiber mascara, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber Mascara, won’t hurt.

Wedding Guest Makeup Idea #5: Sheer Shimmer

As a wedding guest, you’ll probably skip wearing a tiara or any giant diamonds—leave that for the bride—but you can still be a little glitzy. Just channel your love of shimmer and shine into your makeup, with the help of a highlighter or two. For an easy way to illuminate your skin, use the L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer. And if you’re after even more shimmer, layer just a little bit of the L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Shimmerista Highlighting Powder over top.

Headed to a destination wedding? Find out How to Pack Your Makeup When You Travel.