Wedding makeup may likely be one of your biggest beauty milestones in life. While winter brides don’t need to worry about sweating off their makeup, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure gorgeous glowing skin on the big day. Here, we tackle the tips you need to troubleshoot any winter skin issues so you can seamlessly nail that “glowing bride” look!
Meet the Experts
Ali Tobias is an aesthetician in New Jersey.
Mansi Somani is a bridal makeup artist in New Jersey.
1. Treat dehydration
Dry skin isn’t the best canvas for makeup; dehydrated, flaky skin will cause makeup to look patchy. When skin is optimally hydrated, your foundation will look much smoother and more undetectable because hey, you want everyone to say your skin is glowing — not so much your makeup.
“For dryness, the first and most obvious thing is to maintain a good skincare routine with moisturizer of course,” says New Jersey-based aesthetician Ali Tobias. Her favorite ingredients? “I have had good winter results with moisturizers that include ceramides, which are the lipids that compose the skin’s natural protective barrier.” We suggest trying Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream.
Another remedy for dryness is “slugging,” the TikTok viral trend is essentially “a thin application of an occlusive, like Aquaphor, on top of your moisturizer to lock it into your skin,” says Tobias. She adds, it’s important to note that occlusives are often comedogenic, they can clog pores, so a very thin layer is essential, and always as the very top layer after every other step of your skincare routine. If you notice any clogged pores or general irritation, discontinue immediately, she advises.
Mansi Somani, a bridal makeup artist in New Jersey, also suggests creamy cleansers for all of her brides. “A gentle cleanser doesn’t leave the skin feeling dry or stripped of its natural oils,” she says. She then applies a creamy moisturizer that helps the skin look healthy and hydrated. (Her favorite is Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre). Using an eye cream is also a really important step during skin prep, she adds. We love Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening & Depuffing Cream which helps you look like you got all your beauty rest.
2. Disguise redness
You don’t want to look like Rudolph heading down the aisle. For redness and inflammation, “prevention is a big key,” says Tobias, adding, “Make sure your face is covered up when you’re going to be out in the elements, especially if it’s windy out, but even when it’s not.” Helping to avoid inflamed skin is much easier than repairing it (and less painful to endure). “A scarf or even a balaclava is a must-have for the winter in any cold climate,” she says. If you do suffer from redness, some good remedies include red light LED therapy (Tobias notes she’s a big fan of the Celluma device for this!), a good humidifier (especially in your bedroom), and taking lukewarm showers to avoid having too much temperature volatility on your skin. Seriously, skip the hot water even if you’re feeling cold.
“The temperature volatility that we face in the winter months — going from sub-freezing outdoor temps to the cozy warmth of indoor environments — tends to activate an alert for sensitive and red-prone skin in particular. Using lukewarm water helps to reduce some of that inflammation in the same way that you might physically soothe a sunburn in the summertime with cool water,” says Tobias.
She also recommends trying a microcurrent to combat redness; the most effective treatment is with a professional facial device, such as Neurotris. “While the microcurrent is most commonly associated with giving skin a more youthful appearance by tautening the face, it also accomplishes this by energizing the skin cells themselves. That mini-jolt of energy gives your skin the strength it needs to relieve some of the redness you might be suffering,” says Tobias.
On the big day, Somani recommends using a green color corrector to cancel out any redness before applying a medium- to full-coverage foundation.
3. Combat flaky lips
For chapped lips, make sure to gently exfoliate lips the week of the wedding to help remove that flaky skin. You want to ensure smooth lips so that lipstick adheres properly without any flakes or cracking. “A mixture of olive oil and sugar makes for an easy lip scrub. On the day of the wedding, I apply a lip mask when I prep the skin so that they are hydrated and don’t feel dry under a longwear lipstick,” says Somani. Her current favorite is Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. Tobias notes, “please avoid camphor, which actually dries your lips out even worse than using nothing at all.”
4. Reach for waterproof formulas
“Winter winds usually cause eyes to tear up so I use waterproof eyeliner and waterproof mascara to prevent tears from moving makeup around the eyes,” says Somani. She recommends Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel and L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara for smudge-proof definition.
5. Avoid harsh ingredients
Yes, we know acids are super popular but loading up on them before your big day is not the move. “Harsh exfoliants tend to leave your skin exposed with the outer barrier stripped away — this is a major no-no in the winter. That includes physically abrasive exfoliation tools as well as harsh ingredients in an exfoliant product,” says Tobias. She also recommends skipping strong astringents in the winter. “Products that include ingredients such as witch hazel and/or alcohol (as many astringents and toners do) can often strip away the naturally protective oils that your skin produces,” she adds.
Beyond that, in the last couple of months leading up to the wedding, “try limiting experimenting with too many new products or treatments,” says Tobias. She adds, “I always like to work with my bride clients to set a treatment plan that includes a testing phase for any products or treatment modalities that they want to include in their wedding preparation.” If you’re in the last few weeks before the wedding, focus on keeping your skin soothed, hydrated, and above all else, protected.
We only recommend products we have independently researched, tested, and loved. If you purchase a product found through our links, Sunday Edit may earn an affiliate commission.
