Makeup Shortcuts for Glowing Skin

Photo: One Eleven Images

That glowing-from-within skin you see on Pinterest Brides and J. Crew models? We'll level with you here—that starts long before you sit down with a makeup artist. A consistent skin care routine (combined with healthy diet and exercise) is the most crucial component. In the weeks leading up to the big day, incorporate an exfoliant one to two times a week if you aren’t already using one. Schedule a facial one month to two weeks before the wedding for a professional boost, and finally, use a hydrating mask (experts love GlamGlow Mud Mask, $70 at Amazon) before your wedding day makeup application.

All that being said, there are still a few crunch time tricks makeup artists rely on for truly beautiful wedding day skin. Read below for some of their secrets!

1. Hit Up the Highlighter.
Atlanta's Jennifer C. Nieman recommends applying highlighter in these five spots: high part of cheekbones, above the brow bone, down the top of the nose, on the cupid’s bow, and at the center of the chin.

2. Use Blush Under and Over Foundation.
Yana of LA’s Yana Beauty Studio recommends using a cream blush under foundation, then finishing off with powder blush that has a soft shimmer.

3. And Be Sure You’re Putting it On Properly.
When applying blush, “a figure eight motion along the cheekbone tends to hit all the main points for an even ‘glowing’ look,” says Dana of Philadelphia’s Beautiful Brides Philly.

4. Do It all With One Kit.
For an immediate, works-on-almost-everyone look, Saj of Atlanta’s Brides by Saj loves Nars’s Blush/Bronzer Duo in Orgasm and Laguna ($42 at Sephora). “Apply a soft wash of bronzer where the sun usually hits your face (cheekbones and forehead), then apply blush to the apples of the cheek for an instant sunkissed look,” she says.