Guide On Bridal Make-Up By Artist Tanvi Marathe

Following lockdowns, makeup is colourful, expressive, imperfect and meant to be seen. It’s ‘girl gaze’ makeup. In just a few short years, Tanvi Marathe has come to embody the utter joy and liberation of expressing oneself through an individual, highly imaginative style.

In sparing no detail, the 27-year-old influencer, bridal and editorial MUA has become millennial’s foremost makeup disruptor too: both onscreen through her IG make-up tutorials and off-screen as an MUA. From Nushrat Bharucha to Rani Mukherjee to Anaita Shroff, Tanvi leaves no stone unturned.

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Given her cerebral approach to beauty, it’s only natural that Tanvi, who honed her makeup skills in part through learning makeup first and then pursuing her career and bringing out the creative side in her, “It’s a running joke in my family that until I became a makeup artist, I didn’t own any makeup products,” Marathe quotes.

She has her finger on a pulse that’s really artistic and kind of freedom in the sense of approaching makeup with freedom and acknowledgment of yourself and doing what makes you feel good. “That’s really how I like to approach makeup in whatever form that takes, whether it’s something more glamorous or more natural and expressive – I like to bring my brides’ personalities to life.”

1. Moisturiser
2. Primer
3. Liquid Foundation
4. Concealer
5. Foundation Powders
6. Bronzer/Contour
7. Blush
8. Highlighter
9. Eyeshadow
10. Lips
11. Setting Spray
12. FAQs:

1. Moisturiser

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Tanvi quotes, “Skin prep for me is my biggest foundation in make-up, it lays the groundwork for how the make-up looks and lasts for my brides. If that goes wrong – the make-up can melt off your skin or look cakey – depending on the weather.” This step is non-negotiable – whether your skin is oily or dry. Make sure you use a moisturiser that suits your skin type and offers all-day hydration.

One way to apply it is to press the moisturiser onto your skin instead of rubbing it in. Tanvi also recommends prepping your skin in this order – “toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer and if my brides’ skin is on the drier side I finish it off with a few drops of oil and pat it in.” Finish off the routine with a gentle facial massage for the products to properly seep into your skin and stimulate skin cells.

2. Primer

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Primer acts as a protective barrier that prevents your moisturizer and skin’s oil balance from mixing with your makeup. It sets the base for a flawless makeup application. Primer also acts as a barrier to fill in any lines in your skin so that makeup does not crease them.

3. Liquid Foundation

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Too much luminosity in a foundation and you can look a little shiny, almost metallic, whereas totally matte can make your skin look flat. Therefore, Tanvi prefers mixing a liquid illuminator into the foundation and then applying it all over the face. This gives the skin a ‘glow from within’ look and makes the foundation look more natural.

This leads us on to the most key takeaway: always test-run your foundations before the wedding. Even if the foundation looks great in the shop, it’s crucial to wear it for at least a few days to see how different environments can impact the finish.

4. Concealer

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Think of concealer as your little multitasking BFF. When applied, it can brighten target areas, hide a pimple or dark spot, and even out our complexion. But when it comes to your wedding day, you may want a more heavy-duty one, meaning it will stay put from your first look to your evening reception. Whether you need this baby to cover dark circles or just hide a pesky pimple.

“To achieve a minimal base and a healthy-looking glow – I colour correct wherever necessary and then go in with a concealer – again just on the areas where required – not overloading the face with products – under the eyes, around the nose and mouth, keeping the base natural and dewy, not too done up,” Tanvi suggests. Always rock your marks!

5. Foundation Powders

Want your wedding makeup to stay put all day and night long? Then you need a setting powder in your wedding makeup kit! A good setting powder will stop your foundation from rubbing off on your guests, reduce shine (very important for photographs!) and generally keep you looking fabulous into the wee hours of the morning.

Tanvi strongly believes in setting powders, “After doing my base, I always (always) set it with powder – this is one the key facets – especially for Indian brides doing tons of outdoor activities, particularly in places with hotter climates, like Goa and Rajasthan during summers.” She uses a powder puff to set in the powder, not a brush, because she feels that is the only way the make-up stays put, increasing its longevity.

6. Bronzer/Contour

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MUA’s swear by this technique! It’s a way to enhance the best features of your face to make it look sharper. As a bride-to-be or even a newlywed, we are sure you have a lot of functions to attend. Against the backdrop of a monochromatic look, a clean face with a strong contour works best.

7. Blush

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There’s nothing that can take the place of a great blush – it gives your complexion a healthy glow, like the one you had as a child. It’s basically every makeup artist’s staple when working with brides. Cream blushes are great for brides with dry skin; a few dabs patted into the skin are all you need for a dewy glow that won’t flake.

Whereas if you have normal or oily skin, the classic powder blush works wonders. And liquid works for everyone – they’re usually more concentrated and have deeper pigments, so a little goes a long way.

8. Highlighter

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If you’ve ever admired how the light hit someone’s face just right, chances are that they were wearing a highlighter. From subtle radiance to serious shimmer, light-reflecting makeup products are all the rage right now thanks to their ability to brighten up dull complexions, give skin a healthy glow and enhance natural features.

Deciding this for brides is extremely important. You need to take into account your skin type, time of the wedding and weather conditions. Liquid/powder/highlighter sticks – choose your best on-the-go glow friend for the added radiance and glow.

9. Eyeshadow

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Choosing the right colour completely depends upon what the bride is wearing. “If she’s wearing pastels and light colours, you may want to go for a softer glam and pinks – probably a simple liner, medium browns. It also hinges on what function it is and what time of the day it’s taking place. If it’s an evening function, you could play with smokey eyes and go bolder; soft glitter on the eyelids. But if it’s a day event, I like to keep the eyes more natural,” cites Tanvi.

“If it’s a welcome lunch, where the bride is required to go around and meet guests for the first time, I don’t over-do it for such events – keeping it nice and natural. Whereas, if it’s a sangeet with lots of spotlights involved, I like to jazz it up and tell my brides to trust the process. Because a smokey eye in a regular environment for someone that doesn’t wear too much make-up can look quite intense but you put her on stage and she looks phenomenal!” she adds.

10. Lips

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It’s safe to say lipstick serves as the finishing touch to a beautiful face, and for your wedding, you want to make sure you’re making the right decision. Unfortunately or fortunately, there are so many formulas to choose from – matte, semi-matte, satin, gloss, lip satin – it could be difficult to zero in on a favourite. So here’s what Tanvi recommends, “Experimenting is the way to go!

The lighter events usually have lip glosses and lacquers; I mix a lot of colours and consistencies. Sometimes it’s just a lip liner topped with gloss. For the main wedding day, I like to go matte because brides usually wear naths and to avoid any smudging I prefer going matte for those events. You don’t want these mishaps on your wedding day! Matte liquid lipstick stays the longest so I choose that for the big day.”

She also adds, “Now for the reception, since there are innumerable photos involved, I like to top the matte lips with a gloss. For the sangeet, if I’m going bold on the eyes, I balance that with nude lips topped with gloss.”

11. Setting Spray

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Want your makeup to look flawless throughout your wedding ceremony? A setting spray will brave sun, sweat and more for the picture-perfect bride. We spend hours doing our makeup, now what a nightmare it would be for it to fade in a couple of hours on your big day. Setting spray or powder is your solution. Just before you’re ready to step out, give your face a nice drizzle of a setting spray and be worried about it fading.

And voila! You’re ready to own the stage!

The beauty industry can bring drastic developments in the evolving culture of India. A globally relevant look could change the way a society thinks. The opportunity to learn through social media platforms is rising exponentially – thanks to influencers and makeup artists like Tanvi Marathe who believe makeup is an individual way of making yourself feel better about the way you are!

Beauty is in the different features of exciting faces!

FAQs:

Q: What are some tips for bridal makeup?

• Take your wedding season into consideration.
• Drink lots of water before your big day.
• Have a make-up trial.
• Use waterproof products.
• Find balance in your look.
• Keep a few products handy throughout the day.

Q: How long does bridal make-up take?

• 60-90 minutes for the bride

Q: Should the bride get hair or makeup done first?

• Typically, we suggest having hair done first followed by makeup, but I wouldn’t let this stress you out too much! Truthfully, it really doesn’t matter which order you go in.

Also read: Bridal Hairstyles For Indian Brides