Blushing Bride Makeup (Naked 3 Palette Tutorial)

On your wedding day, you want to look fresh and feminine, which makes the rosy-toned Naked 3 palette a perfect choice for brides. Though I have a lifetime membership in the dying-alone club, this look is fun for spring or anytime I feel like looking especially soft and pretty.

Step 1: Skin

Prep the skin with a moisturizing toner, a good moisturizer, and a luminizing primer. I like the Makeup For Ever HD primer in the golden apricot tone. If your skin is on the drier side, you can also apply liquid highlighter such as Benefit's Sun Beam on the tops of your cheekbones now. I have oily skin so I'll be using a powder highlight over my foundation later.

You want your skin to look like actual skin for this look, so I'm using a CC Cream applied with a large stippling brush. It color-corrects and has light-to-medium buildable coverage, so your actual skin shows through while your problem areas are concealed, and it's moisturizing to boot.

I then added concealer to my most stubborn problem areas (undereyes, stubborn breakouts) and blended well before powdering with a translucent powder.

Step 2: Contour & Highlight

For bridal makeup, the emphasis is generally on natural beauty and not a caked-on glamorous look, so I chose to use a light powder contour & highlight. I applied Too Faced's Candlelight Glow highlighting powder to the tops of my cheekbones using a fan brush for a light touch. I'm oil-prone so the top of my nose, base of my chin, and center of my forehead are no-go areas for highlighter (only makes me look greasy and large-pored) but if you have a less-oily skin type you should highlight these areas. Using a different fan brush, I gently contoured under my cheekbones with NYX blush in Taupe, a cool brown several shades darker than my skin. If you have a large forehead, you can contour the sides up from your temples; for a weak jawline, contour the sides of your jaw (just be sure to blend it into the neck so there's not a sharp line).

Step 3: Brows

Brows should be naturally defined-- no concealer brows for this look! I'm using a stiff angled brush, slightly dampened, with a cool brown eyeshadow a shade lighter than my actual brows from my Pigment Neutral Palette. I began by brushing my brows into place using a clean spoolie, then outlining the bottom of my brows and extending the tail. Without picking up any more product, I blended the shadow up into my brows using my angled brush in a quick upward motion. I then went over them with a clear brow gel to set. `

Step 4: Eyes

Begin by priming your eyes so your shadows don't crease or fade.

I then highlighted the inner corners of my eyes and just underneath my brows using Strange. I then went over the inner eye highlight with Dust to add some sparkle. All over the lid, crease, and above the crease I applied Limit, blending it out carefully. I then added Nooner into my crease and below my lower lashline. Using a pencil brush, I smudged Darkside into my upper lashline for definition. Clean your lower waterline with a Q-tip, then apply a white or nude creamy pencil to the inner rims. This will open up your eyes and make them look larger and brighter.

I applied individual lashes all the way across the eye, starting with Medium length at the outer corners, Short across the center section, and a few X-Short on the inner eye. Refer to my "Brows, Cheeks, Lips, & Lashes" tutorial for detailed instructions on applying individual lashes. I've also been using this fantastic new product recently-- eyelash trios, which are three individual lashes on a miniature strip. It's halfway between using individual lashes and strip lashes (which look unnatural and dated) and are super easy to apply.

After lashes dry, apply several coats of mascara to blend with your natural lashes.

Step 5: Lips

Moisturize your lips and let it sink in before applying any pigmented lip products. This will eliminate lines and dry patches and ensure a smoother application.

Line & fill in with a nude pink lipliner, then apply a soft pink lipstick using a lip brush. I'm using Mauve on Over by Wet 'n Wild. You can apply a gloss on top if you like really glossy lips (I prefer a matte finish).

Step 6: Blush

I always apply blush as close to last as possible, so that it complements both the eyes and lips. For this look I actually used two different colors of blush to slightly contour the cheeks: a matte deep pink leaning towards mauve on the low cheeks, and a light satin-finish dusty rose on the apples and tops of the cheekbones to make the apples of the cheeks pop.

Step 7: Finishing Touches

For brides I always use a setting spray so their makeup stays perfect throughout the day, and provide blotting papers to mop up any oil without having to add powder. Tissues and a tube of the lipstick you used are always useful to carry on the wedding day. I also added a winged liquid liner after all was said and done because I feel naked without it, and brides should always feel comfortable in their makeup.