South Asian makeup, especially bridal makeup, is different because it needs to be in order to compete with the lavish clothes and jewelry. Brides often ask why they cant have a natural look on their wedding day as Western brides do. Well, you can but it’s tricky. The key element here is that you don’t want your outfit and accessories to empower you so that you’re almost unnoticeable. Simple makeup doesn’t go with an over the top outfit and heavy jewelry. However, your makeup doesn’t have to exactly match your outfit. In fact, it should match your skin and more so yourself, your personality, and who you are. Your wedding day is not the right time to try something new and over the top that you’ve never done before and wouldn’t even normally think of doing. It’s important that you feel comfortable in your makeup. After all, your husband is marrying you and not someone else so why do you need to look like something you’re not.

If you’re thinking about doing your own wedding makeup I’m here to convince you otherwise! There are a many reasons a bride may choose to do her own makeup. South Asian bridal makeup can be expensive but it’s definitely worth paying a professional who does this job for a living than trying to figure it out for yourself. Even if you’re great at makeup it’s still not a good idea. Another reason a bride may want to do her own makeup is to achieve the look she wants. The modern South Asian bride does not want that old-fashioned plastered “whitey” look and prefers something more natural. The great thing about makeup artists these days is that they are willing to work with you. They are accustomed to working with other modern brides such as yourself and will work with you to achieve the look that you want. For this reason it is very important that you have a trial makeup session. At the trial you can bring in your outfit, dupatta, and any accessories to help your artist match your look so that everything comes together professionally and gracefully. In addition, you should also take any pictures with you of brides from magazines or printouts to show the artist exactly what you’re looking for. After all, it is your big day and there is no reason for you to fear that you will turn out looking like someone else. It’s very important that you choose the right makeup artist whom you feel comfortable with and is willing to work with you to create the perfect bridal look. Times have changed and there is no reason for a bride to have to settle. Don’t let a friend or aunty do your makeup either! They may know how to make you look good but not for the camera! I also advise against going to a makeup counter such as MAC. I know people who have had horrible experiences from there. It’s not that they don’t know how to do makeup but South Asian makeup, especially bridal, is very different. (I will talk more about that later). So start your hunt early. Even six months before the big day isn’t too soon. There are so many great artists out there who are willing to work with you at reasonable prices by offering you great packages that include makeup, hair, dupatta and jewelry setting, and even sari styling that you don’t need to stress yourself out on your wedding day. After all, you have so much more to worry about!

People often comment on our articles asking where they can purchase a particular necklace, sari, etc. In order to make a purchase you can email us directly at info@arzoomag.com. Before contacting us to order something or leaving a comment read the article. Sometimes we post designs that are available only from a particular retailer or designer and we post their contact information in our article. If this is the case you cannot purchase that through us and must go through that retailer yourself.

Also, as a friendly reminder, we are not an online store, we don’t have a catalog, and nor do we have a physical location where you can come in to make purchases on clothing and jewelry. We are an online magazine dedicated to preserving culture. Our primary focus is on bringing informational articles to our readers. Our main topics are fashion, beauty, weddings, and culture. In addition we also have lifestyle, Bollywood, and food sections. Check out the BLOG! for daily updates.

If you are interested in advertising with us please contact us at info@arzoomag.com. We welcome comments and suggestions. Arzoo Mag is always looking for new writers. If you are interested in writing for us or would like to submit something for review please do so at the above email address.

At this time Arzoo Mag is an online magazine only and we do not have a print version. We hope to bring you a print version some time in the future. Here’s some of the services Arzoo will be offering in the near future: bridal hair and makeup, mehndi, and wedding planning. For more information please email Arzoo at info@arzoomag.com

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