Best wedding guest makeup tips to make your look last

Apr 23, 2023

It's already peak wedding season, which means you’ll likely spend more than a few weekends watching friends and family exchange vows — and then dancing well into the evening. And while makeup touch-ups are inevitable for an hours-long event, the last thing you want to be doing in the middle of your favorite song is rushing off the dance floor to fix your lipstick. Luckily, it's easy to get your hands on the best beauty essentials you need for your wedding makeup looks.

"There are a number of ways to help your makeup stay in place all day," says Stacey Triplow of Triplow Beauty, based in Southern California. "Skin prep is probably the most important step in this process. Don't overload your skin — too many products can actually make your makeup slip — but make sure your skin is well hydrated to lay a solid foundation for any makeup," she says, adding that a primer is a great way to lock in moisture and keep makeup in place.

Makeup artist Sohal Grewal of Blue Rose Artistry in Vancouver, BC agrees on the importance of skin care: "I like to start by exfoliating my clients’ skin using exfoliating pads first, and then going in with serums, moisturizers, under-eye patches and a lip mask before any makeup application."

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Even more, the wedding makeup look you choose might dictate how many touch ups you’ll need throughout the night: A red lip might look great with your black dress and finger curls, but if you don't want to be bothered to check it every 20 minutes, a smokey eye might be a better choice. In fact, every expert we asked said that if long-wear is your goal, you’re better off playing up your eyes than your lips.

"A bold lip naturally will need more touch ups as there is more use and movement of the mouth when you’re eating, talking and drinking," says makeup artist Erica Beukelman of 10.11 Makeup and Hair. "Using long-wearing or water-resistant products will help with longevity — and if you use the right products and take the time to set them well, you can get away with a long-wearing eye and lip."

Finally, Grewal also recommends staying away from liquid highlighters or anything with a dewy finish: "If you want your makeup to last, skip cream and liquid products and stick to matte or powder-based products instead."

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We spoke with the experts — makeup artists who specialize in weddings, both for brides and bridesmaids — to find out their go-to products and tips for keeping makeup in place all night long. Find their picks ahead.

"In order to keep touch ups to a minimum, do the minimum — especially if you’re a beginner," says DC-based makeup artist Kendra Bliss. "You don't need several layers of foundation to look good. If you’re looking for even skin, try a complexion cream or a tinted moisturizer for a natural wedding makeup look. You can also try mixing foundation in your SPF even better for an outdoor wedding," she says, adding that anyone who prefers full-coverage should use a setting spray, then go in with loose powder by pressing it into the skin rather than dusting it on. "[It] makes a difference!

"A long-wear primer is important," says Grewal. "I love the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer for making sure your makeup doesn't move, especially in warm weather."

A great budget-friendly primer, this one's a favorite of Bliss’.

"Most people believe setting spray only goes on top of foundation, but using a setting spray before can provide a tacky base that helps foundation adhere to your face for hours," says Bliss. This one from Milani is a pro-favorite.

"Using a foundation with a silicon base will help with prolonging the wear of makeup, creating a heat and water-resistant barrier, while also adding moisture to the skin to create a flawless appearance," says Beukelman."For special events and red carpet looks I love to use Face Atelier Ultra Foundation."

"This stays on all day, gives amazing coverage, photographs well and looks good in all settings — whether it's day or night, indoors or outdoors," says Grewal. "It's such a perfect essential foundation that works well for all skin types, so it's a definite staple in my kit!" (This one's also a favorite of Torres’.)

"Setting the makeup with a long-wear powder is a must," says Xiomara Torres, a makeup artist based out of Sunnyvale, CA. She loves the One/Size Finishing Powder "especially for the summer."

"I adore this foundation if you want a most luminous finish," says Triplow. "It's medium- to full-coverage, but can also be thinned down with moisturizer if you want a more sheer coverage.

Every expert agrees: If they had to choose between a bold lip or a bold eye for an hours-long event, they’d choose an eye look for romantic wedding makeup every time. "For minimal touch-ups, I would definitely recommend the bold eye," says Grewal, who adds that it's should be less maintenance throughout the night. "With a bold eye, you can let it be and don't need to touch it up."

"MAC paint pots are cream eyeshadows that dry down as a matte base, holding eyeshadow in place for hours," says Bliss.

"It's important to use waterproof liner on the eyes," says Torres, who loves this one from KVD.

"It's the blackest liner on the market, it stays put and it's even great as a base for a smokey eye as well," says Grewal. "It's one of those products that isn't going anywhere, so I highly recommend it."

"A new launch from Victoria Beckham, these long-wear eyeshadow sticks come in limited, but thoughtful and fashion-centric, colors," says Triplow.

"Lise Watier's waterproof liners are incredibly pigmented and go on so beautifully smooth," says Beukelman, who loves that it's water-resistant. "This will help the product stay in place, especially when placed close to the water line."

"Using a water-resistant mascara on your bottom lashes is also a great way to prolong the wear of your mascara and will help with eliminating fallout from the product on the lashes," says Beukelman, who loves the brush on Dior's cult-favorite mascara. "Just make sure to gently remove the product at night to prevent damage to your lashes."

If you’ve decided lipstick is absolutely crucial to your look, don't worry: It's not impossible. "Keeping the lips nude or as close to your natural skin shade is easier to touch up throughout the day," says Torres. And if you really love the shade of a glossy or hi-shine lipstick, Bliss recommends sealing it in with a similar matte shade, sort of like a finishing powder for your pout.

"The formula is amazing and they stay in place, so you can apply it and forget about it," says Grewal.

"I also really love the MAC liquid lipstick formula," says Grewal. It features a longwear matte finish that comes in 10 classic shades, from nude hues to bright reds.

"I’m more of a lip stain over matte liquid lipstick type of girl," says Triplow. "These YSL lip stains are buildable so you can control the opacity of the color and stay on forever! Remember the more pigment in the color the longer the staying power.

This drugstore pick is one that almost every makeup artist has in their kit. It comes in tons of shades so you can coordinate with your wedding makeup look.