10 Brides Share Why They Chose to Not Wear Foundation on Their Wedding Day

Madison T., 24

"On a daily basis, I usually just put some mascara on to liven up my eyes and moisturizer, and that's it. I went foundation free on my wedding day because I knew I was going to be uncomfortable with foundation on. In general, I hate the feeling of foundation on my face, and sometimes I feel like it can make me look worse and accentuate my dry spots. My family and bridesmaids weren't surprised at all by my decision not to wear foundation and I am glad they didn't try to convince me to wear it. I felt great on my wedding day. I was confident and comfortable with my bare face. I was so happy that I decided to go foundation free because I knew if I did decide to use foundation, all I would be thinking about is the foundation on my face and whether it is getting caked on, if my face looks dry, or if it is coming off. Overall, I was really happy with my decision of going foundation free on my wedding day and it was a great day overall." - Madison T., 24 years old, Illinois

Lishai B., 28

"I really didn't want to look back on my wedding photos and feel like I didn't look like myself. Since I never wear foundation, it just didn't make sense for me to start all of a sudden, when I'm perfectly comfortable without it. My friends and family were totally fine with my decision; it was really the makeup artist that was trying to convince me otherwise! She was very adamant that foundation is a necessity for wedding photos but I stayed strong. She used my Tarte Shape Tape concealer, mascara, eyeliner, a sheer/shimmery eye shadow, lipstick, and highlighter! I was really happy with the final look for my wedding day! I really felt like I looked like myself and loved that my makeup look was basically my everyday routine just with a few added products. The pictures came out great!" - Lishai B., 28 years old, New York City

Alessandra C., 35

"My wedding took place in Hawai’i, and August in Hawai’i is HOT. I thought the best solution instead of sweating off my foundation was not to wear any! So, instead, I wore a little blush, pretty stay-all-day lip, lashes, and eyeshadow. I believe in great skincare. My skin was glowing from my skincare routine and I just needed a little BB cream to even everything out and add protection from the sun. On my wedding day, I did my makeup myself. I wore Maybelline BB cream, Nars blush in Orgasm, and MAC lip pencil in Almost Red with Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in Seductress. I felt gorgeous, but even with so little on, I still couldn’t wait to wash my face. I was grateful I didn’t feel like I had a whole mask of makeup on." - Alessandra C., 35 years old, Princeton, NJ. 

Jessica Moore., 35

"I went no foundation on my wedding day because that's how I look daily. I have very dark freckles I chose never to cover and even tinted moisturizers make me look "off." I take super, super great care of my skin in order to do this, so why not flaunt it? Skincare is key. I always encourage those who want to do this on their wedding day to take the extra mile to nourish their skin. I was most definitely happy with my decision. It was me and it was still bold enough to feel bridal. I am a hair and makeup artist and so I knew what I was going for, ultimately." - Jessica Moore., 35 years old, Fort Worth, TX.

Melissa M., 42

"I generally don’t wear makeup. When I do it’s an Iman-pressed powder or Fenty foundation. It was still early in the pandemic when we got married in a small ceremony. We were all still masked and I didn't want my makeup to be smearing and smudging. My friends and family were surprised that I wasn’t wearing foundation—they said they couldn’t tell. It was over 90 degrees in New York, so it was extremely humid. I guess we were all glowing! I felt beautiful and very happy with my decision. Not wearing foundation and not worrying about any discoloration during the ceremony or pictures was a big relief." - Melissa M., 42 years old, Far Rockaway, NY

Nicole Z., 41

"I don't typically wear foundation so wearing it [on my wedding day] wouldn't feel like myself. I didn't want to be uncomfortable on such an important day. When I was in junior high I remember desperately wanting to wear makeup and not being allowed. When I moved on to high school, lots of girls wore tons of makeup. I remember one of those days a girl who wore makeup showed up without and she looked like a whole different person. That shaped my thoughts about makeup and how I would use it. I never wanted to be the woman who couldn't leave the house without lipstick. No one made any remarks about it, though I did add lipstick, which I don't normally wear. I was happy with my decision and wouldn't have had it any other way!" - Nicole Z., 41 years old, Jacksonville, FL

Gina L., 35

"Since I don't typically wear makeup, I chose to just go with the bare essentials, which didn't include foundation for me. [My friends and family] weren't surprised. As someone who typically doesn't wear make-up, they weren't trying to push me into something I didn't want. On my wedding day, I wore mascara, a little eyeliner, and some powder. I felt beautiful! Just a slightly enhanced version of my everyday self." - Gina L., 35 years old, Coopersburg, PA. 

Lin P., 27

"I was pretty sure from the start that I didn’t want to wear foundation because I’m pretty happy with the way my skin looks day to day, and I didn’t want that heavy feeling on my face. My sister very kindly did most of my makeup. I wore Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF (I love it so much), brow gel, Milk Makeup bronzer on my eyelids, eyeliner, mascara, and the cheek tint as my blush and lip color. I also had on a holographic highlighter from Milk Makeup. I’m very happy with my decision! I’d recommend it to any bride who doesn’t like foundation in the first place. [After] seeing my sneak peek photos from the photographer, I look like myself, which is really all I wanted!" - Lin P., 27 years old, Cleveland, OH

Julie P., 37

"I don't usually wear any makeup on a daily basis. I tend to break out easily, so I wear a moisturizer with sunscreen every day and ChapStick. [On my wedding day] I didn't want to worry about things. I knew I was going to be sweating and I didn't want the foundation to sweat off or be caked onto my face. I wanted to look like myself. No one commented that I didn't wear foundation because I don't think they noticed. I used E.L.F waterproof mascara, L.A. Colors eyeshadow, and Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm in Cherry Me. I felt great on my wedding day! Pretty and relaxed and myself. I was happy with my decision because I recognized myself in the pictures and I didn't feel like I was painted on." - Julie P., 37 years old, Orange County, New York

Cassie E., 31

"I like the natural skin/dewy look so I don’t love foundation—it can look too heavy and noticeable on my skin. I had my own makeup artist, Chanel Cross, and one of the reasons why I chose her is that she does a great 'natural glam' look on brides that feels authentic to my personality. I didn't want my look to be too different than what makeup I normally wear.

She says this about my bridal look: "I used a lot of skin prep to make Cassie’s skin glow on its own. I prepped her skin using a gentle face massage to stimulate a glow and primed her skin using Saie Super Glowy gel to make it radiant without any foundation. I concealed only lightly using the softest brush to gently blur where needed, like under the eyes. I used the Merit Minimalist Complexion stick for this purpose. I did apply a soft-gel blush by Chantecaille which is very translucent to make her skin visible, but it added a healthy hue of rose. I also used Ilia’s balmy lip tint which Cassie already owned and was able to reapply as needed throughout her wedding day. ” - Chanel Cross, makeup artist

I felt amazing! I loved the way I looked and felt glamorous, yet still, like myself. The way I look in photos is great and I’m glad I made the decision not to apply foundation." - Cassie E., 31 years old, Los Angeles, CA