Every bride deserves to look fabulous on her big day. Whether you're having a small ceremony with close family and friends or a grand event, an elegant yet simple look always carries the day. When it comes to makeup, less tends to be more. That's why a rising number of brides-to-be are switching to a more natural look for their wedding day.

When going for a natural look, finding the right makeup may prove to be quite the challenge. Just because it's a natural look doesn't mean you'll escape the intricacies of makeup application. Achieving the perfect natural look requires the right set of products and a fair bit of skill. Here are a couple of tips on how to pull off the look for your wedding day.

Exfoliate

Fun fact, your body sheds about 40,000 dead skin cells per minute. These dead skin cells often combine with sweat and sebum from your oil glands, blocking your facial pores. This build-up of dead skin cells, oil and sweat acts as a barrier to any layer of makeup you'll try to put on your face.

Exfoliation is an effective way to get rid of the build-up and leave your face in prime condition for makeup application. Think of exfoliation as a way of creating the ideal blank canvas before painting a masterpiece. The process also allows your makeup to wear longer after application.

Prime Time

Now that your skin is clean and free from any build-up, it's time to prep your face for the oncoming layers of makeup. Primers were invented for times such as these. So what is a primer and what does it do?

A primer is essentially a cream that creates an extra layer between your facial skin and makeup. A primer helps to smooth your skin's surface by reducing spots and blemishes, while also making sure your look lasts longer.

Conceal Away

Skin isn't perfect, more so facial skin. Large pores, dark circles, and blemishes are all nuisances you have to contend with. That's where concealer comes in. As the name suggests, it works to hide all those unwanted spots that threaten to ruin your look. Additionally, concealer works to hide any difference in pigmentation, ensuring that your skin tone looks evenly blended.

Add Your Foundation

The foundation is probably the most famous of all steps in a makeup routine. Think of foundation as the base upon which you'll build your natural look. Skipping on the foundation is a definite no.

Foundations come in a variety of consistencies, including powders and liquids. Since you're going for a natural makeup look, avoid thick liquid foundations since they tend to cake up. Also, when applying your foundation, spread the foundation evenly with a sponge. Sponges allow for flawless and easy natural foundation application.

A Bit of Blush

When it comes to working with blush, there's a fine line between an overdone, almost clown-like look, and a natural flush-cheeked look. You don't want to walk down the aisle looking like you're auditioning for the circus. That's why you only need a subtle hint of blush to bolster your look.

While putting on your blush, use a small and fluffy brush to apply the product to the apple of your cheeks. Then, using your foundation brush, go over the blush with a light foundation layer and voila! It is worth noting that blush colors vary, but peach tones tend to work well on everyone.

Eye Shadow

The trick to applying eye shadow is going for a product that's a shade or two darker than your skin tone. Typically, neutral colors offer a muted yet beautiful finish. Colors that are too dark tend to be overly dramatic and create a finish that won't look natural.

When applying eye shadow, start with an eye primer to help create an even canvas. Next, add a bit of taupe eye shadow for a faint wash of color to your eyelids. Finally, shape your eyes with natural-looking eyeliner and finish off the look with a bit of mascara.

Lip Service

Since you're going for a natural look, your best bet is on nude colors. You could also go for peaches, pinks, or sand colors since these tones tend to match natural skin tones. Thankfully, you don't have to break the bank when looking for the ideal lipstick.

Aside from beauty stores, drugstore lipstick is still a great option with the best drugstore lipstick offering a variety of shades while also hydrating and nourishing your lips. Once your lipstick's in place, you could opt for a dab of gloss to give your final look a nice finish.

A Touch of Mascara

When going for a natural look, a thin mascara layer should suffice. If you want your mascara to look more natural, then consider a color that closely resembles your hair color. Having a tone of mascara that doesn't blend well with your hair destroys the natural look. Additionally, when applying your mascara, be sure to coat the entire lashes.

Remember, less is more so avoid the temptation to go overboard. Over coating your lashes tends to make them appear clumped. Apply 2-3 coats of mascara and that's it. Clumped eyelashes are often a giveaway of an overdone look.

Set It All in Place

Once you've achieved your dream natural look, you inevitably want it to stay put. Weddings tend to last a couple of hours, after all. The best way to make sure your look does not fade is to use a setting powder.

If you take a visit to your local beauty shop or drugstore, you can find a plethora of setting powders that should suit your needs. An ideal setting powder should be easy to apply and safe for anyone with sensitive skin. A few dabs of some setting powder will lock your natural makeup look in place while soaking up oil and sweat to minimize shine.

Conclusion

And there you have it, a couple of tips on how to achieve a natural makeup look for your big day. With these pointers, getting ready for your wedding just got a bit easier.