Planning a wedding is a big undertaking. Between deciding whether to hire a wedding planner, a professional hairstylist or a band (or all three), finding a venue, and finally sending out the invites, it’s a lot. One small step that can make things easier? A line-up of effective skincare and beauty products that you know won’t let you down when the big day arrives. Below, British Vogue staffers share the beauty products they relied on in the run-up to their own weddings.
Funmi Fetto
“If, like me, you have oily skin, you probably know what it’s like to have your make-up melt before lunchtime,” says British Vogue’s beauty and wellness director Funmi Fetto. “This is not the experience you want on your wedding day. And so, make-up-wise, what you begin with and what you end with is everything. I love One/Size Primer – it turns your skin into a fabulous canvas on which to apply your make-up and is formulated to ensure nothing budges through the day. To finish, I also love Benefit’s Pore-fessional Super Setter – it leaves you with a soft focus, blurry finish and keeps everything in check. If you want a super matte – but not dead – finish, Kylie’s Setting Spray is a game changer.”
Louisa Parker-Bowles
“It’s my 14th wedding anniversary this year, which feels quite surreal,” says Vogue’s global operations director, Louisa Parker-Bowles. “My in-laws gave me a scent from Floris to wear on my wedding day, to match my lily of the valley bouquet, and whenever I smell it now, it takes me back to our wedding day. My mum gave me a pale pink Chanel lipstick for the day, which I still think is the chicest thing ever. I didn’t realise at the time how significant these items would feel looking back.”
Jessica Diner
“Mattifying powder is essential to any wedding day beauty kit to powder the face down pre-pictures and post-dancing, or to salvage make-up if tears have been shed,” shares British Vogue’s contributing beauty editor. “On my wedding day, I used the Hourglass Ambient Powder in Diffused Light, which wicked away shine, but still delivered a touch of glow (my preferred complexion combination),” she adds. “Lip oils and tints weren’t a thing when I got married, but if I were to do it all again today, I would be sure to have one on hand for regular touch-ups throughout the day and night. The new neutral shades of the Dream Lip Oil from Summer Fridays are simply perfect.”
Ellie Davies
“While my wedding make-up was predominantly made up of Charlotte Tilbury products (the brief was luminous skin, of course), my wedding MUA introduced me to Stila’s Lip and Cheek Cream, and it’s become a favourite,” says British Vogue’s senior audience development manager. “It’s perfect for achieving that natural glowy flush that all brides want.
“Finding a new fragrance for the big day was no mean feat, but after 15 years with my now husband, I knew I wanted a perfume that I had never worn before. Enter Maison Margiela Replica’s From The Garden. Every time I spritz it, it takes me back to our magical day.”
Georgia Shepheard
“My husband and I both wore Le Labo Santal 33 on the day of our wedding,” says Georgia, who is senior social media manager at British Vogue. “It was a sentimental choice as it was the same perfume that scented the NYC hotel we stayed in on the night of our engagement. One whiff and it took us both right back to that moment and, now, will remind us of that period of our lives forever. A special wedding day scent is no doubt a luxury, but something I would highly recommend all brides-to-be to consider.”
Laura Ingham
“The only product that I needed on my wedding day was my trusted beauty essential – the Dior Addict Lip Gloss – a nourishing, hydrating gloss infused with cherry oil which enhances your natural skin tone whilst adding a touch of fullness to the lips,” says the deputy director of Vogue’s Global Fashion Network.
Dee Acharya
“The biggest wedding glam challenge for me was how to negotiate two separate ceremonies in a day,” British Vogue’s entertainment director, Dee Acharya, shares. “These consisted of a traditional Hindu ceremony in the morning, and a straightforward civil service in the late afternoon – all at the height of summer. To eliminate stress, the prep started about six months ahead of the day itself (yes, really), with regular bespoke facials with the brilliant Teresa Tarmey. We focused on evening out skin texture with gentle peels, masks and a little buccal lymphatic massage. For the hair, the key was in the colour, and I worked closely with Kat Michalakis at George Northwood to ensure that the tint felt sheer, glossy and hydrated from top to tip.
“For make-up on the big day, I had MUA Hannah Martin on hand to work her magic. For the morning, we went for a beautiful, fresh base, with hints of creamy pink blush and a groomed brow. Cue costume (and glam change) for the evening service, where we moved towards a more classic look with defined brows and lashes, as well as a bolder lip.
“If I approached the day again, I would book in with Teresa in a heartbeat (she’s called a superfacialist for a reason). As for products, Augustinus Bader’s Skin Infusion and Westman Atelier’s Suede Matte Lipstick would be at the top of my list.”
Lauren Murdoch-Smith
According to contributing beauty editor Lauren, Dior Skin Mattifying Papers are “great to make sure your make-up stays in place and shine-free for pictures. Also, because it has a mirror, you can quickly check your make-up and hair without having to disappear off to the powder room.” Lauren’s other pick is Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. “It was made for this type of occasion. A lit-from-within glow without shine or shimmer – just healthy skin, which is what every bride wants.”
Morgan Fargo
“I am one of those unlucky few: lipstick makes me look like a child let loose in Sephora,” says beauty and wellness editor Morgan, who got married last September. “I stick to pigmented glosses and balms, the shine giving me the “done” effect I sometimes lose when sticking to salves.
“The Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm in shades Trace 105 and Rise 100 are two of my take-to-the-grave products. I’m never without one of the long golden bullets. The colours look natural but polished, elegant without the effort. They’re comfortable, never drying and don’t need a mirror to apply. For definition, I usually reach for Glossier’s Lip Line Enhancing pencil, which make-up artist Celia Burton used on the big day.
“Surely that’s all you could ever ask on the happiest (most photographed) day of your life? The fragrance I had on hand was a vial of Maison Francis Kurkdijan’s 724 Eau De Parfum. Growing up, I never fantasised about what I’d wear on my wedding day, but I did think long and hard about how I’d like to smell. The first time I smelled 724 EDP, it was as if a gear in my brain clicked into place. It’s clean and breezy with a certain crisp luminosity that evokes bed linen hanging on the line in the middle of a meadow.”
Joy Montgomery
“I was a complete make-up novice when I got married back in 2015, so I struggle to remember which products I used on the day,” confesses shopping editor Joy. “That being said, my predilection for a natural beauty look hasn’t changed over the last decade, so if I were to do it all again, I know I would reach for my favourite Merit lipstick, which I use for both lips and cheeks, alongside the lightest dusting of Victoria Beckham’s golden-brown bronzer. It’s all about that healthy, I’ve-just-been-on-holiday glow.”
Milly Tritton
“I got married in Mallorca last summer and had three days of events to celebrate,” shares Milly Tritton, associate director of integrated planning. “I needed something to keep my make-up in place and opted for the Laura Mercier translucent powder. It’s a staple in my everyday make-up bag and crucially kept my bridal glam smudge-free,” she adds. “For my body, I used the Nuxe dry oil which I picked up in Paris during Vogue World in June – it was a beautiful way to add a touch of shimmer to my collarbone and shoulders, plus the fresh neroli scent lasted throughout.”
Hannah Coates
“For me, bridal beauty is all about a luminous but perfected complexion,” says beauty editor – and former British Vogue staffer – Hannah. “Make-up artist Lisa Eldridge’s new Pinpoint Concealer is super precise, making it perfect for concealing spots, brightening shadows and disguising uneven texture – but in a really subtle way.
“I knew I wanted to walk down the aisle with a natural, glowy summer tan, and this St Tropez number is the product that always delivers the goods. I apply after I’ve moisturised in the evening (avoid using any exfoliating acids just before), and mist liberally to impart an even-toned luminosity. It works! I’m obsessed.”
