The Beauty Heroes These Trend‑Setting Brides Swear By

Words by Maya Avram

A wedding look is never just about make-up – it’s a mood, a narrative, a study in personal style. Every detail – from your hairstyle to your manicure – becomes part of a portrait you’ll return to for years. Here, three discerning brides share the beauty rituals that helped shape their celebrations, offering nuanced insight on how to create a radiant bridal look that feels both modern and unmistakably your own.

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Jamie Schneider, senior beauty editor at Who What Wear

“I wanted to look like I did my make-up myself… if I had the skills of a professional make-up artist.”

Thinking about her bridal beauty look, Jamie Schneider went on a soul-searching journey to find what makes her feel most like herself. “A fresh, dewy base, brown mascara with a teeny-tiny wing, peachy blush and a rosy-mauve lip,” were obvious choices for a look that wasn’t too done. Her minimalist approach – inspired, in part, by her boho-style dress, extended to her hairstyle, too. Choosing to wear it down, in soft, romantic waves, came from her realisation that you don’t “have to do something bold to make it ‘special’ – it can be difficult to stay true to yourself when you want to make a splashy statement”.

Schneider recommends trialling your hair and make-up in the lead-up to the big day – for your welcome dinner, for example. “I wasn’t sure how tight the curls needed to be to create soft bends. We tested it out for the welcome dinner, and they ended up falling perfectly towards the end of the night, so we knew to replicate that type of curl exactly on the wedding day!”

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Sarah Allard, digital director at Condé Nast Traveller

“I still looked like myself, but with a little shimmer.”

Sarah Allard saw Harrods as a natural source of inspiration when thinking about the desired look for her wedding day (her make-up trial at Tom Ford’s dedicated lounge was “one of the highlights of the planning process”, she says.) Together with her make-up artist, she created two looks for a weekend of celebrations. While she kept things minimal at the ceremony with “an elevated version of my everyday make-up”, she opted for a bolder look for the party.

“I created a moodboard of the look I was going for,” says Allard. It featured barely there coverage and a delicate, summery glow. Having combination skin, she wore a base that “looked natural without looking too shiny”. For a touch of glam, she elevated the look with “eyeshadow, bronzer and shimmer, which created more of an evening party look”. She took dutiful notes of the lip combo, too, so she could keep reaching for it even after the big day: Tom Ford Runway Lip Pencil in shade Re-See, and Tom Ford Runway Lip Colour in Sable Smoke.

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Giorgina Clavarino, founder at Creative Ants

“The idea was to look fresh, luminous and effortless.”

Giorgina Clavarino describes herself as ‘Italian to the core, Londoner by choice’ – so you know her bridal look is the perfect balance between glamour and elegance. “I wanted my beauty look to feel very natural, radiant and timeless, almost as if it were just the best version of my everyday self,” she says.

Ahead of the big day, her focus was on skin prep. FAQ’s 202 LED Mask and Glass Skin Collagen Face Mask worked together to ensure Clavarino’s complexion was plump and hydrated. It made sense, then, for her make-up look to be pared-back: “We kept everything light and glowing.” On the eyes, she wore Charlotte Tilbury’s iconic Pillow Talk eyeshadow palette. For her base, Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation was a natural choice, thanks to its sheer, radiant finish, combined with delicate touches of Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Concealer. On the cheeks, she wore Rose Hermès Silky Blush Powder, which offered a lively flush.