Create the Look: Pride and Prejudice Inspired Make-up

Hello,
this is a post that I wrote a few weeks back for a make-up website who wanted a Pride and Prejudice bridal make-up look, she later decided that instead of a tutorial she wanted information instead. Rather than let this original post go to waste, here it is :)


Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austin was set in the turn of the 19th century, a time where subtlety was the key to beauty. Only the more well off could afford cosmetics so the look that I have created is soft and neutral; designed to simply enhance your natural beauty whilst looking effortless and elegant.

Creating the Look:

Face: Wedding day complexion plays a big role in how you will appear in your wedding day photos. A good base will look smooth and blemish free without looking caked or unnatural. Here I have used a primer all over the face to create a smooth surface to apply foundation over. Using a primer in your bridal makeup is important because not only will it even out complexion and create a smooth canvas for the rest of your make-up, but it will also increase the longevity meaning that you will be able to enjoy the day without worrying about touch ups during the day. Instead of using a heavy foundation I opted for a BB cream which sits more softly on the skin and gives a more dewy finish. Dab a small amount of concealer over any blemishes and then blend in carefully. Use a light dusting of powder to set the face, taking care to focus on areas you know are prone to breakthrough shine. Finally, using a blush that is similar to your natural flushed colour (for me this is Dandelion from Benefit which is perfect for a very fair complexion) lightly sweep across the apples of your cheeks and up towards your ears to create a soft rosy glow. Make sure not to be heavy handed and instead build up the colour slowly.

Eyes: The aim of the game here is to brighten your eyes without looking as if you are wearing make-up. Use matte shadows for the most natural effect. First, use an eyelid primer to ensure that your eye make-up is long lasting and stays smudge free during your wedding. Use a nude shadow that matches your skin tone to cover the whole eyelid. This will even out the skin tone and make the look more polished. Next, use a slightly darker shade to contour the fold of the eyelid and along the lash line. This will add depth to the look. I then used a soft pencil liner to faintly line the lashes along the lid, although this is an optional step and is only advisable if you have dark hair and lashes. Smudge the liner softly into the lashes to soften the effect. Finally apply one coat of waterproof mascara. As Bryony has mentioned in a previous wedding makeup post, waterproof mascara is a must in bridal makeup because you are almost definitely going to shed a few emotional tears and a normal mascara just wouldn't be up to the job. In my experience, waterproof mascaras are less effective when it comes to giving lashes volume so you ladies with shorter lashes may benefit from using eyelash curlers to maximise the look. However, remember that we are going for a natural look so don't go mascara mad!

Lips: Lipstick can be a nightmare during the wedding day as it requires a lot of maintenance. Instead, my recommendation is to use a lip stain. A stain is perfect for this look as the effect is much more subtle and doesn't have the same heavy finish as many lipsticks, instead leaving you with "just bitten" looking lip colour. First of all, use a lip scrub to remove and dry skin on the lips (if you do not have a lip scrub then gently buffing with a soft toothbrush will work well too). Next, using a stain that is of a likeness to your lips when gently bitten, dab across the entire lip gently, making sure to blend using a finger to avoid a hard line around the edge and let dry. To make lips look fuller I have also dabbed a small amount of a darker lip stain in the center of the bottom lip which just fills the look out. Finally, top with a little lip balm to lock in moisture.

And there you have a Pride and Prejudice inspired bridal makeup tutorial. One last step that I always advice, is to set the look with a spritz of makeup setting spray because this will seal the look for longer.

As for popular hairstyles, during that period, it was the height of fashion to sweep hair into an updo, full of furls and volume whilst leaving a few strands loose to frame the face. These would be curled into tight ringlets along with the rest of the hair. Fresh flowers made a readily available hair accessory and were often used to add interest to hairstyles.

Natural beauty and purity are key to this look and make you look every bit the blushing bride.

Annie x