No makeup bride

I don't recommend going completely bare-faced, but you definitely don't have to wear anything you're uncomfortable in. The thing is that you may look out of place as the bride. I'm assuming you'll have your nice dress and bridesmaids (who will likely be wearing makeup?) and everything, and you may look a tiny bit "off" without makeup. If it's a casual wedding then I'd certainly be wrong. But if you're even doing a simple catered dinner I'd still recommend a bit of dressing up just to make sure you stand out as the bride.

You can always do a simple look, the key is just to even out the skin and maybe apply some mascara and blush. That's all! No reason to do contouring lashes etc. if that's not you! If I was you I wouldn't even mention to the makeup artist that I'm a bride... I'd just be sneaky and tell her I'm a bridesmaid or something that way she'll have a lighter hand with the makeup anyway.

I normally wear very little makeup. Some foundation, blush (light), and mascara. My FH loves it that way.

Now I see everyone is getting HMUA. For one it's not in the budget. So I'm going to YouTube it to see if I can meet a compromise on makeup.

Whether you wear makeup or not is your choice. Some will say for pictures you need to. I'm not sure if this is a fact or a preference.

What I will say is, do what you feel comfortable with.

I am a huge crier! I'm listening to father-daughter dance songs and I'm losing it just thinking about it. I don't think I want more than BB cream, powder, a matte setting spray, highlight, and mascara. For our engagement photoshoot, I wore a full face of makeup and then felt super self-aware when I started crying 2 minutes in. You can see it in this picture -

10000

Also, it'll be a millionty times easier to do touch-ups. Don't worry about having a "washed-out" face. Men don't look bad in professional photos, neither do women without makeup

View Quoted Comment No one is telling men that though, are they, so it’s not exactly stage lighting or television. Of course you can not wear makeup on your wedding day! And you’ll be gorgeous in the photos because you’ll be comfortable and happy.

Whenever I plan on having a wedding, I have vowed to not wear makeup or do my hair. I just feel it wouldn't be who I am. I do have flaws in my skin, I have rosacea, acne scars, dark circles, and eye bags, but I want all of me on display at my wedding not covered up, and that includes all my flaws. I'm non-traditional, and the wedding itself wouldn't have more than my parents his parents and a couple of friends if that or maybe just a court-house wedding/ or elope style. The dress isn't even going to be white more likely an off white or golden champagne.

I have no intention of looking perfect in other peoples terms, just in mine. If your photographer is good then they shouldn't have an issue, I'd let them know beforehand to avoid any surprises/

Bottom line, it's you and your partners day, do whatever you want!

I noticed your profile says just said yes, I'd love to know what you decided and how they came out.
Because honestly I hate make up and this thread gave me horrible anxiety.

I'm a blonde, and this comes with good and bad. Even my eyelashes are blonde and if I wear make-up, it's mascara only. So I learned you can have your eyelashes tinted, it lasts anywhere from 3-6 weeks. I decided to test drive that for my wedding day. The amazing esthetician I saw chatted about my desires to be natural on my wedding day and she recommended just investing in my skin ahead of time! I will be getting my eye lashes tinted as this makes my blue eyes really pop! (you can even get a lash lift!) and getting some facials to work on making my skin perfect. She said "make-up artists aren't fairy godmothers, they can only do so much if your skin isn't at it's best." I'm also nearing my 30s and spent my college years in the sun! Now's the time to invest in the self-love of nourishing my skin. Yes the catalyst is for my wedding, but this is an investment in myself. Be You. Do You. Unapologetically.

I'm feeling the same way. I haven't worn any kind of make-up in YEARS and while I want to look great, and seriously, if there were ever a time to wear makeup my wedding day would definitely be it. But I hatee things/objects near my eye, strongly disliked when my friends did makeovers on me in middle/high school (I sometimes liked the final look but really hated the process). I also have an eye condition called blepharitis and I wonder about crying on my wedding day, especially with make up and how that would affect my sensitive eyes

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Completely agree here. As a man, I think most women look prettier without makeup, and wouldn’t you want your husband to find you as attractive as possible on your wedding day? (Not saying anyone’s unattractive WITH it, just saying that most men I know tend to prefer women without makeup on).

View Quoted Comment Ooo I’m glad you said this. I NEVER wear make up. The last time I wore it was 3 years ago for a friends wedding and I’m taking minimum eyeshadow and mascara. I don’t need to look like a model and I’ll be more comfortable and confident the less I wear. I have been struggling with what I should do as well and I think I’ll go with just the eye make up or only mascara (which I actually feel good wearing.)

I rarely wear makeup in normal life but do put on makeup for special events (usually weddings) or when I want to look more put together or extra nice. I started watching YouTube videos (generally sticking to no makeup makeup, natural, or everyday makeup tutorials) and practicing and actually got really good at doing a quick natural, refreshed look, which is exactly what I wanted on my wedding day. IMO you should look like the best version of your authentic self on your wedding day. There is a reason that all models, actors, TV personalities, etc all have their makeup done prior to being filmed/photographed. You don't need to wear a ton of makeup or hide what you really look like, but a little makeup can have a big impact and make you look more refreshed. I do think its weird when people who never wear makeup suddenly go full face glam for their wedding - even if it looks beautiful it doesn't represent who they are and who their partner and friends know them as.

If you absolutely detest makeup there is no "need" to wear it, but I do think a little makeup can go a long way and if done right can really enhance how you feel and how your photos turn out. It doesn't need to feel like you are wearing a mask or like you don't recognize yourself when you look in the mirror.

In general, I feel like makeup artists tend to use a lot of product and it can feel really uncomfortable to have someone working so closely on your face and can often feel heavy handed to have a professional apply makeup if you never usually wear makeup. I'm sure some are really good at mastering minimalism, but that tends not to be my experience, and I find that "no makeup" girls tend to not love it when they have their makeup done by a pro MUA.

I personally enjoyed learning how to do my own makeup. If you want to go that route, here are ten quick tips for learning to do natural makeup:

1) Watch some YouTube tutorials before you even buy your makeup to get an idea of what they are doing, what products they are using, what you like and don't like on them, etc. If possible, find YouTubers that resonate with and resemble you - those with similar skin tone, coloration, face shape, makeup style, etc. Watching Jeffree Star apply makeup is unlikely to help you at this point.

2) Buy some inexpensive brands (ELF cosmetics offers some great, cheap products) or try a makeup subscription service like Ipsy to get you started. Don't start by buying $30 concealers and $50 foundations until you have a better idea of what is going to work for your face.

3) Learn how to do your brows. They frame your face, and just a touch of brown gel and filling in sparse or light spots can make a huge difference and still look super natural. I'm not saying pencil in a new shape, I'm saying enhance what you have. Products I love: "Boy Brow" by Glossier, or just soap brows and a simple brown pencil from ELF cosmetics, which will cost just a few dollars.

4) Opt for a tinted moisturizer, BB cream, or light CC cream over a heavy foundation. These products feel like they breathe better on your skin and provide a wash of sheer color, so they don't hide your natural skin and don't require an exact color match, but will still help even out uneven color and make you look more refreshed. Maybelline makes an inexpensive BB cream I like that's maybe $7 at Target or the drug store, but there are plenty of brands out there.

5) Consider multi-use products, such as makeup sticks or cream products. I have one shimmer product from Neutrogena in a shimmery champagne pink that I can use on my eyes, lips, and as highlighter. It makes the look more cohesive and means you need less product.

6) Skip eyeliner and use an eyeshadow to frame your eyes. You don't need to be as precise with application and it looks less harsh. Plus it's one less product you need to buy.

7) For eyeshadows, blushes, and any products with color, stay pretty neutral to start. They are easier to blend and precise application is less important with a natural taupe eyeshadow than it is with one that is electric blue. Avoid shimmer, except for highlighter and some eyeshadows.

8) Go for a natural lip color that is similar in shade to your lips, nothing too bold. Bright red requires precise application (and a pencil to set the color and prevent color bleeding), a pinkish nude is more forgiving. You can do something sheer here as well, just a tinted lip balm if you want. The goal is to add a little bit of depth and color, but not something that will need constant touch ups.

9) Curl your lashes. Even if you put zero product on them, curling them will open up your eyes and make them look more awake.

10) Wear a good waterproof mascara that doesn't look too harsh on you, and apply it with a light hand. Skip the false lashes entirely. If you are fair skinned and a blond or redhead, try to find a brown mascara (instead of black).

Its your wedding and you should do what makes you comfortable on your special day. Personally, a little foundation, blush and mascara can go along way. A little pop of lipstick can be an incredible add on as well. But above all else, you should feel your most beautiful on that day, so play around with a few looks and if you feel more beautiful bare faced, then you go bare faced.

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Just wanted to say I totally saved some of this as future advice to myself!