Beauty editor and professional makeup artist Lavinia Maties gives her top tips for the perfect wedding day pout.
So you’ve picked the perfect partner, you’ve chosen the perfect dress, and the day is fast approaching. As your Pinterest dreams come together beautifully and colour schemes start to come to life, it’s important to not forget about yourself in all the madness. Your inner and outer beauty will radiate on the day if you make sure to take care of yourself as well as everyone else. To help you out, we’ve chosen our list of iconic lip shades so you can focus on that perfect kissable lip! Before we dive into our favourite shades, there are two important things you need to know.
1. Understanding your skin's undertone
Finding out your skin’s undertone is the first step in selecting the ideal shade of lipstick for you. It’s simple; all you need to do is look inside your wrists and determine the colour of your veins. If your veins appear blue, this means your skin has cool and pink undertones. If they appear green, you have warm and yellow undertones. You’re in luck if you have both blue and green! This means you have a neutral undertone and almost every shade of lipstick will look great on you.
Cool-toned brides should opt for lipstick shades like pinks, plums, or blue-based reds. Those who have warm undertones can choose from peachy or rose shades. It’s important to remember that in professional photographs, cheeks and lips tend to fade and appear less visible.
A great tip is to always use a brighter shade of lipstick and blush than you would normally. Blush is also the first to fade throughout the day, so it’s always best to layer a cream blush underneath a powder one. This technique, along with applying a good setting spray at the end, will guarantee that your makeup stays in place all day long.
2. Exfoliating your lips
It’s important to prep your lips before your wedding day. Exfoliating your lips removes dry and flaky skin and restores shine and softness.
Many brands have lip scrubs you can choose from, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own at home, using basic ingredients you already have in your pantry. Our favourite is mixing granulated brown sugar and honey; if you’re feeling extra boujee you can even use manuka honey for an extra dose of vitamins and minerals.
Step 1: Use a cotton swap to place the emollient on your lips.
Step 2: Use a damp tea towel to gently scrub your lips.
Step 3: After wiping off the exfoliator with water and a clean tissue, apply a moisturising lip balm.
As the saying goes, too much of anything is good for nothing, and exfoliating your lips is no exception. You should aim to only exfoliate your lips, once a week.
Now that your lips are prepped and ready, check out our top picks for an unforgettable wedding day pout.
Mac Matte Lipstick Velvet teddy
Velvet teddy by Mac is one of those iconic lipsticks that everyone knows and loves. It’s no surprise that it made the brand famous. Its rich and creamy formula is comfortable to wear and provides a great colour payoff with a matte finish.
It’s the perfect shade of dark beige shade with warm nude undertones, that seems to suit everyone’s skin tone. If you’re a nude lipstick fan, then this is definitely one to keep in your bridal makeup kit.
Lip Duos in the shade Naked from Sculpted by Aimee
This universal soft-pink nude from Sculpted by Aimee is a crowd favourite. Offering brides to be the perfect combination of both liner and lipstick. The lipstick end is a lighter neutral shade of pink, while the lip liner is a rich rose-brown shade. It gives you the freedom to play around and create various, looks. You can create a statement lip by lining the edges of your lips generously with the lip liner and applying the lighter lipstick right in the centre. Giving you a soft ombre effect.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution lipstick in Pillow Talk
This magical Matte Revolution lipstick in the shade Pillow Talk from Charlotte Tilbury is perfect for your wedding day. Adored by celebrities worldwide, this lipstick comes in a universally flattering nude-pink shade. Perfect for creating sumptuous, pillow-y, lit-from-within lips in seconds! Pair it with the Lip Cheat lip liner from Charlotte Tilbury in the matching shade, and you will have a match made in heaven.
Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in 500 Blush
Giorgio Armani’s Lip Maestro in the shade 500 Blush is perfect for brides who prefer a pinky nude. This deep, rich, and long-lasting liquid lipstick is comfortable to wear and doesn’t dry out your lips. It has a velvety, gel like texture that makes lips appear fuller, and the matte finish will appeal to those who prefer to shine without a shimmer. The formula is also non-sticky, perfect for your first kiss as newly-weds.
Ruby Woo by Mac
If you want to rock a red lip on your wedding day, Ruby Woo by Mac is the perfect shade for you. This iconic lipstick is so famous that four are sold every minute around the world. It has a matte finish and looks fantastic on every skin tone, but especially on extremely pale or very dark skin, and the tinge of blue makes everyone’s teeth look celebrity sparkling white.
Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick-shade 01 Le Rouge by YSL
If you still want to rock a red lip on your wedding day bt are not a fan of the matte finish, try YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick in the shade 01 Le Rouge. This best-selling lipstick is highly pigmented and has a radiant satin finish. The colour is a vibrant, rich, strawberry-toned red that can brighten up any complexion. The result is a silky, luminous and luxurious look.
MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in the Shade Peach Blossom
Mac’s Peach Blossom lipstick has a creamy texture, and feels more like a moisturising lip balm on your lips than a regular lipstick, which is perfect for wearing for long periods of time. The coverage is medium but is easily buildable. It has a peachy nude undertone that suits all skin tones, but is especially great for brides who have fairer skin.
You can match it with MAC’s Boldly Bare lip liner for a natural look, or the Lasting Sensation lip liner for a peachy look.
MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Lipstick in Cherry Chili
MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Lipstick in the shade Cherry Chili, is a
wonderful option for those looking for a darker shade to wear on their wedding day. The shade has burgundy and dark purple hues. It has two of the most vital qualities in a wedding lipstick: lasting strength and hydration. It also provides twenty-four hours of moisture while also feeling very pleasant on your pout, guaranteeing your lips will never look cracked or chapped.
