How to Make Your Wedding Makeup Last All Day on an Adventure Elopement
Elopements are different from traditional weddings in many ways, and that often creates questions for brides on what to do about things like makeup and hair. When you’re spending most or all of your wedding day adventuring outdoors, how do you keep your makeup looking just as good as when you got it done earlier in the day?
I asked Mary Anne Cleary of Oh Darling Makeup, a professional bridal makeup artist based out of central Pennsylvania, what her best tips and tricks are for making your makeup last all day on your elopement, and she gave some super solid advice! Hint: it’s a lot easier than you think!
How to Make Your Wedding Makeup Last All Day — 3 Tips from a Makeup Artist
1. Use plenty of powder
"A great way to make makeup last all day is to use plenty of POWDER! A base coat aka foundation is usually cream or liquid based. If you don’t set the base with powder, you risk moving the makeup. I sometimes double or triple powder especially with those hot summer months ahead. Some great setting powders on the market are Fenty’s Invisimatte Instant Setting Powder and RCMA No Color Powder (I use both in my kit).”
2. Use setting spray
“Another very important item to use is setting spray. Setting spray goes on when the entire face is finished. The setting spray I have in my kit is Melanie Mills Hollywood Super Lite Long Lasting Setting Spray and it REALLY works. After the weddings, brides have told me that even after some happy tears were shed, the makeup still did not move.”
PS, That’s Mary Anne in action in the photo above! She’s an incredibly talented makeup artist I’ve had the pleasure of working with and she brings the most positive vibes to the getting ready portion of your elopement day. She’s also available for travel, so no matter where you’re eloping, just say the word and Mary Anne and I will be there!
3. Use blotting papers
“I was in my friend's wedding and also did the makeup for the bridal party (that’s where I met the lovely and talented Andrea Doss). There were 6 of us so I had a pretty busy day. I applied my makeup at 7:30am. I was getting a little sweaty and shiny later in the day and all I did was use blotting papers and that did the trick! I didn’t have to do any other touch ups to my face. You can get blotting papers at Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc. They are a lifesaver! I also include that in my bridal package for the day of!
Of course more pro quality makeup brands are always best but if you use powder, set your face with spray and pack some blotting papers, you will be SET (pun intended) for your special wedding day.”
The wedding Mary Anne is referring to was in the middle of July and it was hot. I was so impressed with how amazing the bride and bridesmaids’ makeup still looked after a long day in the heat!
Should you hire a makeup artist for your elopement or do your own?
This is definitely an understandable question to ask, and the answer is it depends. There are many amazing makeup artists across the US who will travel, get up early with you for a sunrise elopement, and hike out to a remote location with you to do your makeup. Whether you hire a makeup artist or do your makeup yourself is really based on two things: personal preference and elopement logistics.
If you’re going on a long hike, traveling to a remote location, or doing a backpacking elopement, for example, it may not make sense to have a makeup artist come all the way out with you. So, you can either do your makeup yourself or find an elopement makeup artist who will join you for the adventure! If you do decide to do your own makeup but aren’t super knowledgable how, or you like to go with a very natural look every day, you can either practice doing your makeup before your elopement by watching videos online or embrace the low-effort makeup look on the day of!
For an elopement day where you’re getting ready in an Airbnb or relatively accessible outdoor location—if hiring a makeup artist would make you feel relaxed and pampered, absolutely hire them! Your elopement day is your own, and it’s all about making sure you have an experience that aligns with what you want and fills your cup to the brim. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you feel beautiful and just like yourself.
Looking your best on your elopement day should feel easy, even when you’re adventuring among the beauty of the great outdoors.
Hey friend! I’m Andrea, a New Hampshire Elopement Photographer, and I’m so glad you’re here. I love helping couples plan elopements in the beautiful region of New England, and this blog is just one of the many ways I enjoy providing information that will help my couples enjoy a beautiful, fulfilling elopement experience.
Ready to begin planning your own elopement? Reach out and let’s get started!
