15 Best Cocktail Makeup Ideas for Brides
You are now a newly-wed bride officially. We felicitate you! Although you tied the knot yesterday with your special someone and have successfully earned the ‘Mrs.’ tag, the festivities aren’t over yet. Your in-laws might have kept a reception party to welcome you so get ready to unwind from all that wedding-related frenzy. Make the best of the day by sporting your designer cocktail dress with flattering makeup. Before you indulge in hors d’oeuvres, make sure to have a look at these cocktail makeup ideas.
1. Smokey Eye Makeup Look
A smokey eye look is a perennial classic and ideal for a nighttime cocktail reception. Even if it’s a daytime event, this look can be reworked to deliver the best. Well, to achieve the ‘smokey’ effect, choose the eyeshadows that best match your attire. If you are donning a sequin gown, opt for neutral shades like black, grey, or brown. For a bride who chooses to wear red, rust, orange or pink lehenga, a single coloured smokey eye is sure to spark joy. A golden or silvery smokey eye makeup is also great for shimmery dresses. Balance the smokey eyes with a slick of lipstick colour that best complements both your eyes and outfit!
Pro Tip: Smokey eye makeup looks best on big eyes. But if you possess small eyes and still want this look, do not highlight your entire eyelid with dark colours. Choose lighter eyeshadow shades and line your upper eyelid with a thin eyeliner.
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2. Pop of Colour Makeup Look
If you want to add drama to your overall look, do that by experimenting with fun colours. Something like neon eyeshadows will instantly grab attention. You can try coloured eyeliner or mascara to make your eyes pop. One of the effortless ways to create a dramatic look with colours is to get an inner corner highlight. Flushed cheeks and bright lips drenched in cool colours like electric purple will also engender a look people will remember for longer.
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3. Nude Makeup Look
Accentuate your sharp features by endorsing nude makeup look. This minimal makeup look allows you to simplify the makeup color palette and opt for only those colours that best resonate with your natural skin tone. The best part of this subtle look is that it enhances your visage while blending well with cocktail outfits. Even if you have got smaller eyes, you can’t easily create an Instagram-worthy nude makeup look.
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4. Arabian Nights Makeup
Wanna sport an incongruous makeup look that will let your guests laud you till the end of the party? Then settle for Arabian Night makeup. Inspired by Disney’s famous series, this look uses regal shimmery shades like blue, golden, purple, and black. The look is reminiscent of a smokey eye that lets your eyes stay front and center. Although there’s no hard and fast rule in creating the eyes here, the main aim is to make the eye area look bigger and darker with the recommended eyeshadow colours. If you are getting ready as Disney’s Jasmine or wearing a blue or purple outfit, this look can help you dress to the nines.
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5. Metallic Makeup Look
If we have to name one look that is both attention-grabbing and statement-making, it would be metallic. Think of metallic as glitter’s low-key cousin. Well, metallic eyeshadows, bronzers, and lipsticks are highly on-trend in this day and age so you can’t go wrong with them. Dip your toes into the world of metallic by adding shimmer to your eyes with metallic silver, gold, copper, brass, or bronze colour. Depending on the colour of your outfit, you can wear rose gold, copper, or silver eyeliner. Make sure to highlight your inner eyes too with a touch of metallic. Also, add a metallic glow to your cheeks with a shimmery highlighter. Do not forget to paint your lips with metallic lip colour in the end.
Pro Tip: Metallic makeup look blends well with dark-colored outfits on reception!
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6. Shimmer Eye Makeup
Unlike metallic finishes that resemble actual metal, a shimmer eyeshadow palette can have almost any colour imaginable. If you do not want an extreme foiled effect, you can settle for eyeshadow shades like pink, champagne, rose, mauve, brown, blue, or red. You can allow your eyes to shine brighter with a swath of glittery eyeshadow. Or choose to add only a touch of shine by just dabbing the glistering colour on the eyelid. So, get the ball rolling and shine in all your glory with this oh-so-stunning eye makeup.
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7. Warm Brown Eyes with Brown Lips Look
A slight tint of brown eyeshadow and matte brownish lips is great for those who want to do the bare minimum. Wear strong mascara and ultra-thin eyeliner to create a gorgeous aesthetic. If you aren’t a minimalistic bride, you can cover up your eyelid with more colour. Do add a hint of blush for an unmatched look to perfectly complement your beige or ivory dress.
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8. Glitter Eye Makeup
Women who don’t mind wearing flattering makeup can opt for a glittery eye makeup look. Apply a double colour eye shadow like you usually do before applying a glitter pigment on your lids. Extend sparkly glitter beyond the outer corners to add more drama to your eyes. Keep the rest of the look minimal – wear light lip color and blush that match your outfit. Choose to wear colourful kohl on your lower waterline to make the sparkly eyes stand out.
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9. Kay Beauty By Katrina Poster Makeup Look
If you think B-town’s Katrina Kaif always has her makeup down pat, why not take inspiration from her skills and look as stunning as her? How about creating her brand Kay Beauty’s poster makeup look that looks simple yet elegant? To recreate the diva’s look, simply wear a matte base on your skin. Contour your face for a little sculpted look. Apply a light brown tinted eyeshadow on your natural crease and lower lash line before creating a cat-eye-like effect with a darker brown shade. At last, draw winged eyeliner, apply kohl, and wear a slick of nude lipstick. Don’t forget to darken your brows in the end.
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10. Dreamy Pink Makeup Look
Pink makeup is currently having its moment. That look with naturally rosy cheeks and freshness on the face is sure to garner extra attention from your party guests. Opt for a dreamy pink makeup look that strikes the right balance between contemporary and traditional. You can settle for pink smokey eye makeup and neutral pink lips. Or sport pink and gold makeup. For something crème-de-la-crème, get dewy pink cheeks or hot pink inner corner highlight.
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11. All-Red Makeup Look
Red is a festive colour and of course, bridal too. So, if you are donning a gorgeous red gown, nothing will make you look more whimsical than the matching bold pout. Also, dust your cheeks and lids with similar shades for a look that marks perfection. Complete your look with a winged liner.
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12. Gem-Inspired Makeup
The thought of teaming up ruby lipstick with violet or blue eye shadow can initially keep you wondering whether to go on with this look or not. But let’s tell you – wearing jewel tones all at once will make you feel like the entire Universe is looking at you. The gem-inspired makeup is not only eminently colourful but also sophisticated and heavenly. To get this look, pick the gemstone shades that match the colour of your outfit. For instance – If you have a blue or green outfit, you can easily complement a ruby or red lip colour with pink or blue sapphire shades on eyelids.
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13. Floating Eyeliner Look
Let the black cat-eye be the thing of the past. Switch things up a bit by wearing floating eyeliner look. Also called invisible eyeliner, floating eyeliner is a colourful option that creates a flicked look. Try something extraordinary by drawing a cat’s eye above your lid. Do not connect it to the lash line but rather apply a silver or gold eyeshadow between the space. Wear a colourful eyeshadow on top and coat the cat eyeliner with matching sparkle eyeliner.
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14. Pearls-on-the-Eyelid Look
Pearls have been a beloved jewelry staple. Those little iridescent white bulbs have an unparalleled charm and can make anything royal in seconds. In 2002, pearls entered the world of makeup with the stick-on pearl trend that quickly became a hit. This is why many makeup junkies do not shy away from putting them on eyelids to achieve a fanciful look. So, how about achieving a pearl-embellished eye look on your reception? Those pearl-studded eyelids will add dimension to your eyes while truly offsetting your simple ivory lehenga or gown.
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15. Red Lips with Soft Eyes
Take your glam quotient several notches up without overdoing anything by painting your lips in red. Pair up that bold pout with XL lashes. Decide to wear minimal eyeshadow like soft golden or brown for a barely-there eye makeup look. If you want a festive look, you can apply a swath of dark golden shade on the lids and complement it with bold winged eyeliner.
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Look your best at your cocktail party by opting for a timeless makeup look from this list or picking something unique to be a trailblazer.
