A bride’s wedding day makeup is something she spends a lot of time thinking about and creates a look she will remember forever. Every bride deserves to look and feel her best and assembling a glam squad can achieve the ultimate flawless look. Jennifer Holmes, owner of Kiss & Makeup, specializes in wedding day makeup and loves making a bride and her tribe feel absolutely gorgeous on her wedding day. She shared with us what she feels defines the ‘Tahoe Bride’ and the top makeup trends for her gals. 

Who is the Tahoe Bride? With extensive experience in this field, Jen can confidently define Tahoe Brides in three words: outdoorsy, adventurous, and playful! These brides love to play outdoors and a natural look is what they desire for their wedding day. As a makeup artist, Jen finds it important to get to know her clients first and then create a makeup look that reflects her personality. “By getting to know your bride you can create a look that reflects her and accentuates her natural beauty,” she explains. Being in the industry for over 20 years, Jen has seen trends come and go and put together her current list for the top ten trends she sees for the Tahoe Bride. 

1. Dewy Skin: A dewy, youthful complexion is so hot right now!  This healthy glow is all about hydrated skin and moisture, not shimmery highlights.

Tip: I lean toward minimal foundation for a more airy look. Try a luminous foundation or a B.B. cream.

2. The Bronzed Goddess: It’s hard to resist a healthy-looking tan when everyone else is looking pale. A sun-kissed glow reflecting Tahoe’s natural light is exactly what Tahoe brides want to emanate.

Tip: I like to use a warm, golden brown bronzer applied to the face, like the sun kissed you from above. 

3. The Natural Flush: Blush is the easiest way to liven up a complexion and soften the face.

Tip: I like to use a touch of neutral pink blush applied to the apples of your cheeks, close to the nose for a natural-looking flush.

4. Barely There Makeup: Tahoe Brides have a tendency to lean towards a makeup look that shows their natural beauty over the Hollywood “glam” look. We love this look because it enhances the client’s natural beauty. 

Tip: Focus on a clean, fresh makeup look instead of an overly made-up studio makeup look. Almost all Tahoe weddings are outdoors. Put the emphasis on bringing out the clients’ best features.

5. Soft But Present Brows: The super-strong brow is definitely on its way out, but brows that frame your face are still a hit.

 Tip: Go for a slightly darker, but not overly arched brow. Brush out to soften the hairs and you will look stunning! 

6. Voluminous Lashes: It’s all about the false eyelashes these days! I personally am not a fan of obvious lashes, but I do like customizing false lashes for the most perfect eye-opening effect.

Tip: Try cluster lashes or multiple layer lashes. Feel free to custom blend and have fun with it.

7. The Classic Wing: You can’t go wrong with a touch of winged eyeliner. It’s a timeless makeup look that can add a little glamour to your wedding day look. 

Tip: Pair a slight winged liner with a dewy complexion and a color wash of pinky gold eyeshadow across the lid.

8. Pops of Color: Adding pops of color to either the eyes, cheeks, or lips is a quick and easy way to add some playfulness to your face.

Tip: Use a slightly warm peachy, pink lip sheer, dab onto cheeks and lips for a touch of romance.

9. ILLUMINATOR: Illumination provides a fresh, natural no-makeup makeup look and is extremely popular among Tahoe brides. 

Tip: Apply a strobe cream or powder illuminator to the center of the forehead, the tip of the nose and high on the cheekbones.

10. Glossy,Nude, and berry lips: Glossy lips are undeniably sexy and make the lips look moisturized and lush. Nude or Neutral lips are a hit with Tahoe brides because oftentimes these brides don’t wear anything on their lips other than chapstick. Berry lip tones usually are the most flattering. They tend to work with all skin tones and make the teeth look pearly white!

Tip: Choose gloss if you want the appearance of fuller lips. When going for nude, choose one or two shades darker than the natural pigment in the lip to assure that the client won’t look washed out. Light to dark shades of berry work in all seasons.

The most important tip that Jennifer shared with us was to be yourself and let you natural beauty shine through. Makeup will only add to the gorgeous bride you will be, so relax and enjoy your special day. Kiss & Makeup specializes in wedding day beauty in the Tahoe basin – learn more here.