Wedding Makeup on a Budget

Check out this beautiful Bride! I had so much fun doin gher hair and makeup this morning for her big day. It really is such a priviledge to get to be a part of someone's wedding day. I take it very seriously that they have chosen me to make them look their best. Because I take this seriously I try to find the best products for my clients.

I love makeup—BUT it can be really expensive. When I became a makeup artist, I had to invest a pretty penny over many months to slowly build up my kit to include higher end items. I didn’t want to break the bank all at once—so it has been a slow process. Now that I have been working for a little over a year, I have built up enough of a portfolio to start applying for the major makeup brand’s Pro cards. These cards are for Makeup artist and other industry workers, and they carry pretty nice benefits—including discounts on makeup products.  I am so excited to be able to buy those high end products that will make my clients feel super pampered without having to invest half of what I made from that particular job. I mean--$50 for an eye shadow palette is a little ridiculous. It is especially so when you go through them as quickly as I do.

So in the meantime I have learned to pick and choose. While I do have a lot of higher end items—I have also found a lot of gems that get the job done for a lot less. They enable me to keep more of my money in my pocket for that dream home we are saving for.  Here are a few of my favorite drugstore makeup items.

NYX—I LOVE this brand. It is highly touted by makeup artists across the country as having a high end look for a bargain price. I wouldn’t really call it a drugstore brand—because most drug stores don’t carry it. But it is in the drugstore section of Ulta—so I think that counts. Here are my FAV NYX products

·         Eye shadow base in Skin Tone—I use this as an eye primer. I think it is comparable to the MAC paint pot. However, they do not have that many colors.

·         Lip Pencils—while they are not as creamy as the higher end brands—they get the job done, are highly pigmented, and last for hours and hours.

·         Baked Blush—I love the color pay off of these blushes—they are better than most drugstore brands.

·         Matte Lipsticks—they are creamy, yet matte. Many matte drugstore lipsticks look chalky—but these are A-MAZING. My favorite color is Pure Red. It’s intensely beautiful.

·          Mineral Foundation Stick—I use the darkest color they have to contour and the lightest color to high light. Then I just blend, blend, blend. They go on smooth and creamy and melt right into your skin with a dewy finish. I love them just as much as the Bobbi Brown foundation stick, and for a fraction of the price.

·         The Wonder Pencil—This thing is awesome and versatile. I use it to correct brows and high light around brows and inner corner of the eyes. It is great for covering blemishes and even lining lips for bold lip colors such as Reds and oxbloods.

Revlon—This brand is a true drugstore gem. I use several Revlon items each and every day (that I actually put on makeup that is). Many makeup artists use the 24 hr Revlon Colorstay as their main foundation. I use this foundation for weddings because it has great coverage and it stays put.  I also love their Colorstay Liquid Pen Eyeliner for making winged eyes on all my clients (and on myself). I like it better than the high end brands hands down! I cannot live without their lash glue which has a brush for easy application. Squeezing glue out of a tube is just not going to work in a pinch.

Maybelline—I love their eye brow pencils. LOVE them! I use them on each and every client. Even though I do have a discount with Anastasia Beverly Hills (easily the pro favorite for brow products), I haven’t invested in their pro brow palette yet because I am happy with these pencils.

ELF—Elf can be found at most targets and is a great brand. I love their mineralize primer, and their HD setting powder.

Salon Perfect—these lashes are the bomb. I get them at wal-mart and get so many compliments on them from my clients.

This look was achieved with the following products. They are separated by drugstore or high end

Drugstore—Revlon Colorstay Foundation, NYX Mineral Stick Foundation MSF09 for contouring, Salon Perfect Lashes Demi Whispies, Revlon precision Clear Lash Glue, Revlon Color Stay Liquid Pen in Blackest Black, NYX Baked Blush in Wanderlust, NYX Lip Pencil in Peekaboo Neutral, NYX Glam Lip gloss in Do the Hustle, NYX eye shadow base in Skin Tone, NYX eye liner in Black, Mabelline Brow pencil in medium brown.

High end—Benefit Erase Paste in Fair, Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, Too Faced Lip Stick in Spice Spice Baby, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, Bare Minerals illuminator in the Shining Moment, Urban Decay Naked 2 eye shadow Palette, Lorac Unzipped eye shadow palette, Buxom by Bare Minerals Mascara in Black, Lancome eye shadow in Trendy Intense.

P.S. I did the hair in this look as well J