When a bride starts thinking about her makeup, three terms almost always come up: natural, soft glam and full glam. Each one describes a different degree of change, from makeup that barely shows to makeup built for the lights of a black-tie evening. Knowing the difference helps you explain what you want and recognise it in a photograph. Of the three, soft glam is my favourite, and it is the heart of my style: healthy, natural-looking skin, only better.
What soft glam wedding makeup looks like
Soft glam wedding makeup lifts your look without transforming it. There is a change, but a light one, as the name suggests: makeup that is softly blended and sits within the skin, with no graphic lines and nothing that stands out too much. To me it is wedding makeup at its best, because when you look in the mirror you recognise yourself, and you still see yourself at your very best.
How soft glam differs from natural and full glam makeup
Brides often tell me they want something natural, and then show me a photograph of something that is not quite so natural. That is why the first thing I always ask for is a reference photo. Words mean different things to different people, and a picture does not lie. When you are planning from abroad, that photo can be sent by email or WhatsApp well before the trial.
With the photo in front of us, the difference is easier to see. With natural makeup the bride barely changes: a touch of colour on the cheekbones, a light coat of mascara, in brown and never in black, and no lines or strokes at all. Soft glam raises the bar a little without losing that softness. Full glam is something else: makeup designed for the evening, for spotlights, for a red carpet or a catwalk. Spotlights and camera flashes swallow a good deal of colour, so it is done with stronger shades, more graphic lines and more defined strokes. Up close it shows a lot; on camera, far less. That is why it can also make sense for an evening wedding, or for one with elaborate staging and a large photo and video crew.
What is the difference between natural, soft glam and full glam makeup?
Natural makeup barely changes your face; it only enhances it. Soft glam lifts it a little further, with everything blended and no defined lines. Full glam uses strong colours and graphic lines, made for spotlights, flashes and evening weddings.
There is more on natural against full glam makeup in the difference between natural and full glam makeup.
How colours are blended so they look like your own
In soft glam there are no visible lines between one shade and the next. Each colour melts into the skin until it looks like your own, and where each product has been placed should never show. Makeup that gives away where it was applied is a long way from the finish I aim for.
That work is the same on every skin tone, whether fair, olive or deep. What does change is the shape of the eyelid: depending on it, I change the angle and the direction in which the brush carries the eyeshadow, until the eyes look balanced.
Glowy or matte: how the finish of soft glam makeup is chosen
The finish can be matte or glowy, with more light in the skin, and it is not decided by the bride's taste alone. It depends on her skin, on the time of the wedding and on the place. It also depends on listening to her carefully, because many brides find it hard to explain what they want, and it takes attention to small signals to understand what they are really after.
Take a midday wedding in high summer on the Costa del Sol. Even if the bride wants a glowy finish, sweat, humidity and heat will make her skin shine within minutes. That is where I look for a balance with her: the cheekbones keep their fresh glow, and the rest of the face is set and mattified so that it lasts.
Is soft glam wedding makeup glowy or matte?
It can be either. It depends on your skin, the time of day and the venue. At a hot summer wedding, the usual approach is to keep the cheekbones glowy and mattify the rest so the skin does not shine.
Why the aim is not to look transformed
I look for finishes that do not compete with who you are. On your wedding day you should not look transformed, but elevated: yourself, with your skin at its best, recognisable in every photograph and in every embrace.
How to tell if a makeup artist's style suits you
Knowing a technique is not the same as working in your style. Two equally good makeup artists can leave the same bride looking very different. That is why there has to be a real connection between a bride and the person doing her makeup: what you are looking for and what that artist usually does have to point in the same direction.
Most brides have photos saved on Pinterest or Instagram. Put them side by side with each makeup artist's website or Instagram, and look at the skin, at how the colours blend and at whether the brides still look like themselves. If your style runs that way, go ahead. If it is the complete opposite, that artist is probably not the person you are looking for. When you are booking from abroad, this comparison is often all you have before the trial, so it is worth doing carefully.
How do I know if a makeup artist's style is right for me?
Compare the photos you have saved with the artist's published work. If they point in the same direction, that is a good sign. If they are the complete opposite, that artist is probably not the one for you.
If what inspires you looks like what you see in my work, share your references before the trial. With them to hand, it is easier to find the finish that suits your skin and your wedding best.
