THE BLOG
June 29 2021
The Best Makeup Tips and Looks for Summer Wedding Guests
Summer means outdoor weddings.
Going to at least one summer wedding is almost inevitable. It’s finally warm and gorgeous outside. What better time to tie the knot?
But celebrating the happy couple in the hot sun and humidity isn’t super fun for your makeup. Melting foundation, smeared mascara, creased eyeshadow… we’ve all been there. And we all know it’s not a cute look.
Plus, there are some dos and don’ts that you have to know when it comes to wedding guest makeup. Trust us — there’s nothing worse than accidentally upstaging the couple of the day.
So we made you a summer wedding guide to help you get through the 2021 summer wedding season.
With these sweat-proof makeup hacks and low-key makeup looks, you’ll be ready for anything these weddings throw at you.
First things first: how to make your makeup last in the summer heat.
1. Always use a primer.
TBH, your makeup doesn’t stand a chance in the summer without a primer.
Primer grips your makeup and helps it stay in place. It’s also a sort of barrier to protect your makeup from your skin’s oil and sweat.
Eyeshadow primers are especially important. Most people’s eyelids are oily enough without the intense summer heat. Our Eyeshadow Primer brightens up shadow colors, helps prevent creasing, and protects your eyeshadow look. The best part? It’s only $8.
Psst — try using your sunscreen as a face primer. You’re gonna need it anyway, and this way it won’t mess up the rest of your makeup!
2. Set your look with powder.
Next to primer, setting your look is the most important step.
Skin tends to be on the shiner side in the summer. Whether it’s because of sweat or oil, a lot of us find ourselves glistening in the sun — and not in a good way.
Tapping on our Perfecting Powder ($11) at the end of your routine keeps your look fresh and gorgeous all day. It’s super lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about caking or creasing. Use it over foundation or on bare skin to clear up some of that shine.
Pro tip: use this powder to mattify any shine from your sunscreen for flawless and protected skin.
3. Go for matte finishes.
We all love a good dewy glow. But make sure you’re not going overboard with glossy, satiny products during the summer.
Like we talked about before, skin is usually shinier in the summer. To combat it, use as many matte products as you can.
Not only do matte products stay on better in the heat, but they’ll also make you look less oily and sweaty. By choosing matte finishes, you can be sure that your products won’t bring out any extra shine on your skin.
4. Use thin layers of product (and wear less product overall).
Yeah, this seems like a no-brainer.
The more product you use, the more likely it is to melt right off. Basically, caking on layers is a recipe for disaster.
Our suggestion? Stick to tinted sunscreen, a lightweight powder, a luminizer, minimal eyeshadow, light lip color, and waterproof mascara. If you go for foundation, keep it as thin and light as possible.
When it comes to makeup in the summer, opt for the “less is more” mindset — especially as a wedding guest.
What makeup should you wear to a wedding as a guest?
Choose a neutral matte lipstick.
As a summer wedding guest, go for a subtle matte lip shade.
Nudes and light pinks are the perfect way to add color to your lips without going overboard. You don’t want to take the spotlight off the ones getting married!
Browns, beiges, or soft pinks are the way to go. Not only will these neutrals pull your entire look together, but they’ll also make you feel totally gorgeous and confident.
Our Matte Lipsticks ($76) and Matte Liquid Lipsticks ($8) have extensive shade ranges so you can find the best color for your skin tone.
For light skin tones, try:
● Matte Liquid Lipstick in Bare (sandy beige) and Spring (rose quartz)
● Matte Lipstick in Crème Brûlée (warm beige) and Strawberry Milkshake (pale pink)
The best shades for medium skin tones are:
● Matte Liquid Lipstick in Elizabeth (taffy pink), Milk Tea (peachy beige), and Soho (blush pink)
● Matte Lipstick in Queensboro (toffee brown) and Pink Pink Pink (watermelon pink)
And for dark skin tones, use:
● Matte Liquid Lipstick in Soho (blush pink), Cookie (latte brown), and Coffee (cocoa brown)
● Matte Lipstick in Pink Pink Pink (watermelon pink) and Delancy (caramel brown)
Go light on the eyeshadow.
When it comes to eyeshadow, keep it natural.
You want to make sure you’re not stealing the show with a dramatic shadow look. Stick to soft, neutral shades and keep it as simple as possible.
If your skin has cool undertones, use our BKB Eyeshadow Palette ($12). Its six cool-toned shades go beautifully with pink, blue, and neutral undertones.
For those with warm undertones, like yellow and peach, try our Uptown Downtown Palette ($12). These soft, sunset shades blend seamlessly with warmer skin tones.
The easiest shadow is our Eye Crayon ($6), hands down. All you have to do is swipe the creamy crayon on your lids, and you’ll have a beautiful shimmer that looks like diamonds in the sun.
Psst — remember to use our Eyeshadow Primer before putting your shadow on!
Get a soft glow on.
Right now, everyone’s all about the glow.
Using the right highlighter is a must for summer weddings. Remember, you don’t want too much shine — it’ll only make you look more sweaty.
This year, try a luminizer. Powder highlighters tend to be a little too glittery, which doesn’t work on all skin types during the summer. Liquid luminizers give a more subtle, natural-looking sheen to your skin, without making you look greasy or oily.
Our Luminizer ($7) gives skin a dewy glow that everyone’s raving about. The fine shimmer mixed with the liquid format creates a pearly finish on the skin that catches the light in all the right places. And it’ll give your face a more youthful and healthy look overall.
A little goes a long way, so you only need a thin layer to get radiant, sun-kissed skin.
Let’s face it — attending a wedding, even as a guest, can get stressful. But without worrying about constant touch-ups or outshining the soon-to-be newlyweds, you can finally have a stress-free summer wedding season.
With these makeup tips, you’re ready for anything.
So go celebrate with your friends and family (and look amazing while you do it).
We can’t wait to see the summer wedding looks you create using M2U NYC products! Don’t forget to upload pics to socials, tag @m2unyc and add the hashtag #m2unyc
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