Today we are coming at ya with some wedding makeup and skincare tips, to ensure that you look flawless in all of your wedding day photos! Huge thanks to Lia Croke with Lia Croke Makeup Artistry for sharing her insight with us! Lia is a super talented makeup artist specializing in weddings in the Jacksonville, Florida and St Augustine area. We met Lia a couple of years ago through a mutual bride, and instantly hit it off. Lia has done my own makeup before as well as many of our Nikki B Brides. If you’re still in search of a makeup artist for your wedding, we highly recommend her! So as promised, here are our best tips for a flawless wedding day look!
Number One – Spray tans. Lia’s biggest tip about spray tans is to make sure that you are committed to the process. If you’re not able to follow every instruction the spray tan artist gives you, just forgo the tan all together. Lia also recommends only going a shade or two darker than your natural skin. It will still give you a nice glow for your portraits, but you won’t look like a different person. The last tip when it comes to spray tans is to make sure that you try out a spray tan before you get too close to your wedding. Trying it out for your engagement photos is a great option, because you can see how it will photograph, and you can see how it will look with your whole makeup look if you also do your makeup trial for your engagement session!
Number Two – Eyebrow Waxing. The first tip on eyebrow waxing is to make sure you don’t do this too close to your wedding day. If you’ve never had your eyebrows waxed, you may not realize that your skin will not (typically) hold makeup well the first couple of days after being waxed. Additionally, some girls experience breakouts after waxing. So simply put, if you’re not used to waxing, give yourself plenty of time to try it out. If you are, still make sure you have your appointment at least three days before your wedding! Lia also recommends trying eyebrow threading if you haven’t considered that option. 
On to number three… One of the biggest things we hear from brides is that they are worried about their lip color rubbing off on their groom. To avoid this, Lia recommends a lip stain, or matte color. These options are typically more dry, so you may not use them on a day to day basis, but they are more long lasting. It’s also a great idea to purchase your own lip color so you have plenty to touch up throughout the day, however, Lia also leaves a touch up kit with her brides before she leaves on the wedding day, because she’s great like that! 😉
The next tip is about facials! First of all, skincare is SO important not just for our wedding day, but every day! Your skincare routine can greatly affect the way your makeup applies. Lia’s tip about facials is to make sure you start this process months before the big day, because skincare is something that is going to work overtime, rather than a quick fix. As soon as you get engaged, start working on a skincare routine for your specific needs rather than just a facial the day before your wedding. Like anything else, never experiment with something new right before the big day.
Another question that is pretty common about wedding makeup is for girls who don’t typically wear much makeup. They want to look glamorous, but they also want to look like themselves and still be a bit “natural”. One of Lia’s best tips is to bring photos to your makeup artist of people who have the same features as you. When you bring in inspiration photos for your trial, try to make sure the people in these photos have similar skin tone, eye color, etc. Also remember that communication is KEY. Many brides are nervous to speak up in fears of hurting their makeup artists’ feelings, but they are there for you and want you to feel flawless. Everyone has a different preference when it comes to makeup, and they want to make sure you feel beautiful on this special day, so don’t be afraid to tell them what you like!
Lastly, remember that your makeup will photograph differently than what you see in the mirror. This is why we always love false lashes, even if they are more natural. Many brides believe that false lashes are going to make them look “fake” but this is not the case at all. False lashes help your eyes stand out in photos, and really make a difference in the overall look. Again, this is why it’s so beneficial to have a trial when you get your engagement photos done, so you can see how your look shows up in photos.
If you want to hear Lia and I go more in depth on this discussion, head on over to Instagram and check out our IGTV video HERE! Thanks for joining us on the blog today, we hope these tips were super helpful for you!
Love this post? Check out more tips from a fellow wedding professional HERE!
