beauty

'19 products I wore on my wedding day because they're just that good.'

We did it. After nearly two years of planning, my husband (that still feels weird to write) and I said the big 'I do'.

Our ceremony was an intimate one, nestled away in the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy. The backdrop, the dress, the flowers, the food, the people, the makeup­ — it was all *chefs kiss*. A dream. I felt so lucky!

As we planned the big day, I pondered how to prepare for my makeup look — for arguably one of the most important days of my life — from all the way on the other side of the world. As I ummed and ahhed, and proed and conned, I decided I was going to do my own makeup. I really wanted to feel like myself, and the thought of trying my bridal makeup look for the first time on the big day didn't sit quite right with me.

Watch: Leigh Campbell and Kelly McCarren on how to hide a breakout. Post contiues below.


Video via: Mamamia

So, I researched, skin prepped (think: profresh peels, facials and LED), roped in some makeup artists pals to help me practice, and packed up all the products I needed into my trusty makeup bag to make the long-haul flight over to Italy.

What exactly were those products? Let's get into the nitty gritty of exactly what skincare and makeup goodies made the cut for the big day.

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Before we dive in, a quick reminder that everyone's skin is unique, so be sure to patch test goodies you haven't tried before and seek advice if you're unsure if a certain product is right for you. I'm not a dermatologist and these are just my own experiences with beauty products.

Skin prep.

The on-the-day skin prep was all about trusty faves that I knew worked hard, played hard, and always made my skin happy. I travelled with my LED mask, so my morning started with a quick LED session. I then obviously called in the queen of party prep skin, Go-To Transformazing sheet mask, $11.

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Next up, I applied my current fave vitamin C serum, Sunday Riley C.E.O 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, $141 for 30ml, followed by barrier-protecting hero tbh Rebound Serum, $59.95. Sunday Riley CEO Afterglow, $108, was my moisturiser of choice, followed by SPF (it was an afternoon wedding, so duh!).

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Acing the base.

Once my skincare had the dewy down pat, it was time to start with the base. I've used Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, $99 for 50ml, for years (it's my MVP of primers), so naturally she was a wedding pick.

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Next was foundation: I knew I didn't want to use too much, so I just dabbed on a little of the Napoleon Perdis Stroke of Genius Liquid Cashmere Foundation, $79. I absolutely adore the finish of this foundation — it provides my skin a truly flawless glow with just the right amount of coverage — but two notes: 1) the current shade range needs serious improvement 2) I don't use the in-built brush applicator. 

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I then used just a touch of concealer where needed – my trusty, cheap-as-chips Revolution Beauty Conceal and Define Concealer, $12, did the trick. Another favourite was a no-brainer for the look — the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light, $93, was a fail-safe choice to dust on top to help set the base and add even more radiance.

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When I was planning the wedding makeup, I had gone through some of my previous looks to pinpoint what made me feel my best. A warm, peachy cheek was a common denominator, so that's what I locked in. I dabbed both the MCoBeauty Highlight & Glow Beauty Wand Peach Glow, $24.99, and a tiiiiiny bit of Glossier Cloud Paint in Spark, $37 (it's so pigmented!) onto my cheeks for a warm, shimmery glow. I also picked up the stunning Chanel Baume Essential Multi-Use Glow Stick in Transparent, $74, at the airport as a little wedding treat, so I swiped this across the high points of my face and my collarbones. No such thing as too much glow when you're the bride!

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I needed this look to last through a beautifully teary ceremony, a photoshoot, aperitivo, three courses of delicious Italian food, tiramisu cake, and some serious dancing, so I locked it down with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, $49.

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Eyes and brows.

Eyes were something I practiced a few times to make sure I felt well equipped on the day. I opted for a soft bronzy eye using a combo of Mecca Max brown shadows. I decided against eyeliner and instead used a fine-tip brush and dark brown shadow to lightly line. The real hero was the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chamelon eye pencil in Champagne Diamonds, $54. These pencils are SO pigmented and packed the perfect shimmery punch all night long. A couple of swipes of the MCoBeauty Xtend Lash in Brown, $23.99, and the eyes were finito.

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Brows were a walk in the park as I just used one of my go-to duos, Mecca Max Brow Guru Micro-Matic Pencil, $20, and Revolution Beauty Brow Fix Gel, $12.

Lips.

After I did #AllTheResearch on the best wedding lipstick options, I decided that I wanted something with enough colour to pop in photos, but not so much that I'd be worried all night if I'd smudged it. So, I needed the perfect slightly-tinted nude.

The winning wedding lip combo was a touch of Morphe Colour Pencil, $10, in Bae (which looks to be discontinued – sad! – but Sugar Pie appears similar) and the Chanel Coco Rouge Balm lipstick (the same range Sofia Richie used on her big day) in Sweet Treat, $63. This was the PERF wedding lip for me – it was hydrating and easy to re-apply, and just the right colour. I know I'll end up having this one in permanent high rotation long after the big white dress event.

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With all the wedding jitters and excitement, the makeup only took around 30 minutes! I slowed it down here and there to get a cheeky #GRWM picture with our photographer (got to do it for the content and the mems, y'know) but having products I was comfortable with, and a well-planned look made all the difference.

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I was very happy with how it turned out, and was so glad that I looked like me!

Have you tried any of the above products before? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

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