You have received a wedding invitation? How exciting! Let us help you create the perfect makeup style and look your absolute best, without outshining the bride.

You’ve bought a gift for the newly-weds and you’ve decided what to wear, but are still not sure which makeup style to go for? From natural hues to trendy metallics and juicy berry shades, ombre or smoky eyes and bold eyeliners, there are so many chic styles you keep seeing in magazines and on Instagram. Your safest bet is to go for a look that suits your complexion and complements the dress, but don’t forget that it has to be 100% appropriate for the occasion.

Is it a summer garden party, a boho beach wedding, a rustic country affair, a casual luncheon or a glam black tie event? If you are not sure which level of glamour is proper, stick to the basic rule and choose subtle makeup for a daytime event or go for a more dramatic look if the party starts after 8 PM. Or perhaps it is a daytime to evening wedding? Start with an understated look and then add a few extra touches later in the day, such as a stronger lipstick, another layer of mascara and a sexy cat flick to accentuate the eyes.

Fashionable Styles for Daytime Events

You can’t go wrong with an effortless, natural makeup look for any daytime wedding. Trendy hues include peachy pinks and creamy blushes for the eyes, cheeks and lips. Keep the contouring to a minimum to achieve the perfect fresh-faced look, but do consider sporting subtle false lashes and groomed, feathery eyebrows to add more definition.

Natural & glossy is another smoking hot look for this year. How to do it? Use pale, natural hues with a hint of shimmer for the eyes, be a bit more generous with the highlighter and finish off the look with a creamy and shiny lip gloss in a soft shade.

If you want to go for eyeliner, draw a subtle, thin line to frame the eyes. You can go into the waterline to make a bolder statement too. And if you want to be playful with your eyeshadow colour palettes, try the oh-so-fashionable ombre look and go from lighter to darker shades of yellow, pink, brown or mauve.

On Trend Evening Makeup Looks

If the dress code is formal eveningwear, you can opt for a more dramatic makeup look. The ultimate trend this season? Definitely glittery eyes – a look that has been seen at many catwalk shows and on numerous Instagram pages. Since wedding guest makeup should always be subtle and sophisticated, stay away from over-the-top disco diva glamour and achieve the look with a pop of glittery eyeshadow or with a gleaming metallic eyeliner.

If you want to go for a bold lip colour such as classic berry red or the fashionable deep plum, the makeup on the eyes should be subtle. A rich and pigmented matte lipstick will do the trick and it is really worth investing in a quality one. For the eyes, stick to the calmer shades in your eyeshadow palette.

And if you want a smoky eye or a smudged eyeliner look, then let the focus be on your eyes. Add a bit of drama with false lashes, make sure your brows are top-notch and finish off the look with a nude lipstick and just a dab of shimmery lip gloss.

How to Get Ready for the Wedding?

Even though you are not the bride, you still want to look your best, which means you may need some pre-wedding preparations. Especially if you are invited to more than one wedding in one season! The first step is to invest in quality skin care products and establish a good beauty routine which includes exfoliating and moisturising your skin. If you need a facial, book it well ahead to give your skin some time to recover. Closer to the wedding date, you should trim and style your eyebrows. If you want to ensure that you have the perfect shape and the trendy feathered look, consider getting semi-permanent brows. This will cut down the time you need to do your makeup and make you look much more put together. Specialising in creating natural-looking brows by combining microblading and the powder brow technique, Contour by Sherise will help you prep your brows just in time for the wedding season.

How to Create a Look That Lasts All Day?

Wedding guest makeup should be long-lasting and high quality because you don’t want a smudged look a few hours into the day. Start by prepping your skin. Exfoliate it and moisturise it well before you go any further. Then apply a face primer and eyeshadow primer to ensure your makeup stays fresh a lot longer. Use an oil-free foundation as it will keep your makeup in place, and pick a long-wearing one that will keep your complexion smooth throughout the day. If you want a long lasting blush, try making one by mixing primer with liquid lipstick. Another great trick is to dip your eyeshadow brush into a setting spray before you start working on your eyelids. Waterproof mascara and eyeliner will stay intact for hours, and the proper way to apply your lipstick is to dust a bit of setting powder in between layers of lip colour. Finally, use a setting powder or a setting spray to seal the makeup and ensure it really stays fresh all day.

Items You Need in Your Bag

No matter how sturdy and long-lasting your makeup is, you still need to pack your emergency beauty kit. Your makeup bag should contain some essentials such as your lipstick or lip gloss, so that you can top up whenever you need to, and a setting powder just in case it gets too hot and your face starts looking a little bit too shiny. To apply the powder, you can bring a mini version of your favourite powder brush. You can also bring mascara, eyeliner, blusher, bronzer and eyelash glue (if you are wearing false lashes). Finally, don’t forget your favourite perfume, because you will definitely want another spritz of that fabulous fragrance during the day!