Bride of the summer Julianne Hough wanted to look as natural as possible on her wedding day to Brooks Laich, so she made that specific request ahead of her makeup trial. “Brooks prefers her with little-to-no makeup,” Hough’s longtime makeup artist Spencer Barnes tells The Knot. “Since I’ve been working with Julianne for over a decade and [we’ve done] so many dramatic looks, we wanted to tone it down and let her natural beauty shine for their special day.”
The celebrity makeup artist for GreatBeauty.com and the bride—best known for her role in movies like Safe Haven and Rock of Ages, in addition to her long-running stint as a judge on Dancing With the Stars—settled on a fresh-but-sophisticated presentation. “The look was simple-yet-radiant and had a classic vibe–while playing up her natural features,” Barnes continues. Below, he gives us the exclusive step-by-step breakdown of Hough’s wedding day makeup.
Step 1: Prep the Face
Using clean and dry hands, Barnes used a damage rescue serum to pat down Hough’s bare face before applying any kind of makeup.
EMK Rescue Serum, $195, GreatBeauty.com
Step 2: Mix Illuminator to the Foundation
Barnes blended Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation Illuminator in the Sheer Beige color with Hough’s foundation to give her face an added ethereal element.
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Illuminator, $39, GreatBeauty.com
Step 3: Highlight Your Features
Barnes then used the Lord & Berry Luminizer on the bride’s face, sweeping the product on the spots accentuated by natural light: Hough’s cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, and her cupid’s bow above the lip.
Lord & Berry Luminizer, $22, GreatBeauty.com
Step 4: Prime the Eyes
Barnes used a flat round concealer brush to apply Piret Beauty Eye Silk in Naked to the entire lid. The expert says the cream-based product serves as a great base before applying any eyeshadows, by brightening and smoothing the eyelid. Plus, it preps the eyes for waterproof purposes. “Which I knew would be important if tears of joy were shed,” says Barnes.
Beauty by Piret Eye Silk in Naked, $35, GreatBeauty.com
Step 5: Apply the Shadow
The beauty expert used a hodgepodge of hues from Lorac ‘Pro’ Palettes for Hough’s eyeshadow color. They were a combination of matte creams, peachy-toned nudes, mauve-type pinks, and soft browns. Barnes then used a champagne color to highlight Hough’s lids.
“For the reception, I intensified Julianne’s eyeshadow slightly by going a little deeper into the bronze tones with added shimmer to catch the light in the evening hours,” Barnes says. “I added and smudged a little bronze eyeliner to her lower lash line and outer uppers using Merle Norman Soft Touch Eye Pencil in Copperized.”
Lorac ‘Pro’ Palette, $44, Nordstrom.com
A post shared by SPENCER BARNES (@spencerbarnesla) on
Step 6: Use a Barely-There Liner
The bride wanted clear and bright eyes on her wedding day, so Barnes went with Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘n’ Kohl Eye Cheat for Bigger Brighter Eyes to the lower inner-waterline. “No eyeliner was used other than that to help her eyes,” he says.
Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Kohl Eye Cheat Iconic Liquid Eyeliner Pencil, $27, CharlotteTilbury.com
Step 7: It’s Mascara Time
The makeup artist used Kevyn Aucoin’s Lash Curler to accentuate Hough’s lashes, and then he opted for two different types of mascara—an intense, waterproof black shade from Lord & Berry’s Scuba Pro line for the top lid and a more subdued brown color (Benefit’s They’re Real) for her lower set. Finally, Barnes applied Ardell Individual Flare Lashes in short black to add volume and fullness as opposed to length.
Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler, $21, Sephora.com; Lord & Berry Scuba Pro Mascara, $23, GreatBeauty.com
Step 8: Frame the Face
The makeup artist values precision, and one tool that helped him achieve that was Brett Friedman Brows’ Laser Brow Pencil. “You can get laser fine hair-like strokes that completely finesse the brows with great subtlety,” he says.
Barnes topped Hough’s brows with Benefit Gimmie Brow in 05. “It’s the perfect finishing brow gel with a touch of added color,” says the pro. “We brushed up the fronts and then smoothed her brows into place.”
Step 9: Line and Color Those Lips
Barnes first used Nude Envie Natural Lip Liner in “Perfect” to seal the color, and then applied Lord & Berry’s Crayon Lipstick in 201 to secure a perfect berry pout.
“Then, later in the evening, I switched to Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner in Dolly Danger and Confidential for the second look at the reception,” says Barnes. “I used this all over the lip more like a crayon.” He followed that color with Rimmel’s Oh My Gloss in Go Gloss or Go Home.
Nude Envie Natural Lip Liner in Perfect, $26, Greatbeauty.com; Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner, $17, Sephora.com
Step 10: Set Everything
It was hot at Lake Coeur d’Alene on Hough and Laich’s wedding day. Plus, the scenic Idaho lakefront ceremony took place outdoors, so Barnes prepped for the humidity by using both a setting powder and a setting spray on the bride’s face.
“Throughout the [occasion], I used Merle Norman Ultra Powder Foundation for touch-ups,” he concludes. “It has an ultra-fine texture, doesn’t get too heavy, and leaves skin looking super flawless.”
Merle Norman Ultra Powder Foundation, $65, Amazon.com
For more on Julianne Hough’s bridal hair color and style, click here. Visit The Knot 2017 Beauty Awards for more beauty tips straight from the editors.
