A few weeks ago, I was pushed to shake up my typical routine in many ways when I traveled to Oregon with my husband and baby for my brother’s wedding. I was so excited when my sister-in-law asked me to be one of her bridesmaids! The occasion called for a more full-coverage, high-glam makeup look than I usually wear, so I knew I needed to start practicing a few months in advance in order to nail the look and not be left with breakouts afterward.
Typically, I’m a natural makeup girl. I love a five-minute makeup routine consisting of a tinted SPF, my Annadea Glow-To Trio, and a little brow gel and mascara. When my acne was at its worst, I often shied away from wearing heavy makeup out of fear of making my breakouts worse.
But after lots of trial and error with skincare and makeup, I’ve found a handful of go-to products that I can wear on high-glam days without worrying about acne flare-ups. When I’m getting dressed up and know lots of photos will be taken, it’s fun to do a glam look to make special occasions feel even more celebratory.
I love watching people do their own version of a full-beat glam (if you do too, you will LOVE Shay Sullivan’s wedding makeup routine) and hearing what products they use when they want to look their best. I started practicing this look a couple of months in advance and was so happy with how my makeup turned out.
Here’s an overview of the products I used to achieve my high-glam bridesmaid look (with links!) as someone with acne-prone skin.
This is the perfect serum base to prep your skin for a full glam look, adding a radiant, healthy glow under foundation. My makeup artist uses this on me, and her other clients, and every complexion product added on top melts effortlessly into the skin for the most natural, luminous finish. To Dew is a staple for both my no-makeup makeup days and full-beat glam days!
m.ph Le Skin Weightless Serum Foundation
This is the most gorgeous foundation I’ve ever used, blending effortlessly to give a flawless, second-skin finish. It doesn’t break me out, doesn’t appear cakey, and when paired with the To Dew Glow Serum, the finish is so radiant and natural, it practically looks like my own skin.
I love this medium-coverage concealer that has a luminous, skin-like finish. It layers perfectly over the m.ph foundation to spot conceal and brighten the under-eye area.
m.ph Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette
I primarily used the cool tone in this palette as a cream contour. For a full-day event like a wedding, where I want my makeup to hold up through many hours in the sun and through a night of dancing, I like layering cream products like this that adhere nicely to the skin to last all day.
This contour stick in the shade “Biscuit” is a tried-and-true staple in my makeup bag. The stick packaging makes it so easy to place the contour precisely, and it blends out smoothly for a natural, medium-coverage finish, adding the perfect cool-toned shadow to sculpt my cheekbones and nose bridge.
Annadea PTO Glow Bronzing Serum
After applying a cool-toned contour, I like adding some warmth back to my face with the Annadea PTO Glow Bronzing Serum. I love blending this bronzing serum on the high points of my cheekbones and temples for a buildable, sun-kissed glow that doesn’t appear overly orange.
Annadea Power Walk Blush Serum
The Annadea Power Walk Blush Serum gives a radiant, rosy glow to the cheeks that holds up through a full day of wedding festivities. I used the shade “Rose Trail,” a neutral, slightly cool-toned dusty rose that pairs well with so many different lip colors and eyeshadow looks.
This brow gel is a cult favorite beauty product for a reason. The smaller brush makes it easy to comb through the brows precisely, and it holds the hairs in place all day without flaking.
Makeup Forever Artist Color Pencil Long-Lasting Lip Liner
I love the richly pigmented, blendable formula of this lip liner. I wore “600 Anywhere Caffeine,” a nude, pink color in a matte finish — it is my go-to lip contour shade!
m.ph Lip Ciggy Sheer Lipstick Balm
This lipstick balm keeps my lips hydrated and nourished all day and gives off a sheer, natural shine that lays beautifully over the Makeup Forever lip liner. I used “First Base,” a slightly cool-toned, mauve shade that matched my Power Walk Blush Serum shade perfectly.
Refy Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid
To add even more shine to my lips, I layered this Refy Lip Gloss over the lipstick balm in the shade “Rosewood,” a slightly warm-toned pink shade. This also added so much moisture to my lips all day, so I didn’t have to worry about dryness or flakiness in photos.
Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Talc-Free Vegan Powder
For full-beat, long-wear makeup days, it’s so important for me to set everything in place with a translucent powder. I love that this powder sets all my makeup in place, adds a smooth, soft-focus finish to my skin, and keeps my shine at bay without getting rid of my glow.
If you have acne-prone skin like me, I totally understand the feelings of uncertainty when it comes to wearing full-beat glam makeup. But with the right combination of nourishing, non-comedogenic products, I’ve found a good routine that allows me to get glammed up without fear of breakouts. Let me know if you try out any of these products for your upcoming special occasions!
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