Here Comes <i>The Great Gatsby</i> Bride: Get the 1920s Wedding Makeup Look

Whether you want the perfect authentic complement to your 1920s influenced wedding gown or simply want to make a strong, chic statement with your makeup, this 1920s look is a sophisticated way to ensure all eyes are on you during your big day.
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It's impossible to ignore: Great Gatsby fever has hit in full force. Although many brides focus on the dress and accessories to achieve 1920s-inspired glamour, one look at the movie posters from Baz Luhrmann's new movie shows that the Gatsby era was really all about the girl -- in the case of the film, Carey Mulligan. And what better way to showcase a bride's beauty than through makeup that adds drama to her best features? Here's how to channel Gatsby glamour in your wedding makeup.

1920s Makeup Trends

Gatsby-era women had a lot of fun with makeup; maybe that's why we love emulating their spirited approach to beauty. Deco women turned to cosmetics to play up their femininity as men returned home from WWI and to empower them as they began to enter the workplace. With powders, blushes, shadows and lipsticks hitting the mainstream, the 1920s was the decade in which beauty culture was born.

On the cover of Vogue, Carey Mulligan emulates the key features of Gatsby beauty: a creamy complexion, high-drama eyes, and that iconic cupid bow lip. The look doesn't only do well on newsstands or the big screen; it's also a sophisticated way to give your wedding day look a clear beauty point of view that's chic and sophisticated.

1920s Complexion Trends

Flapper beauty starts with a creamy complexion, a makeup style that's also perfect for the bride who wants to exude au naturale grace on her wedding day. To get this look, start by applying concealer. Then, put on a powder that matches or is one shade lighter than your skin tone. Deco beauties loved powder because, unlike many foundations, it removes the sheen from the skin, creating the era's iconic matte look. Resist the urge to apply bronzer or foundation darker than your natural skin tone.

To finish your fair, flawless flapper skin, apply a pale pink blush to the apples of your cheeks. After the invention of the compact, the era's leading beauties fell for subtle peaches and powdery pinks, which gave them a hint of color while still ensuring the eyes and lips took center stage during their big entrance. Use similar hues to ensure a beautiful walk down the aisle.

For the most authentic 1920s wedding day look, use a blush with no luminescence or sheen. Love sparkle? Don't worry -- you can incorporate that into your dramatic Art Deco eye makeup.

1920s Eye Makeup Trends

In the 1920s, the eyes had it. Dark, sooty eyes were a sultry beauty staple among flappers, who loved experimenting with mascara to get the era's coveted dark, full lashes. Even before mascara hit the beauty market halfway through the decade, Gatsby women were satisfying their desire for dramatic lashes using household items such as petroleum jelly mixed with coal or soot -- after using the era's indispensable lash curler, of course.

To get the sooty 1920s eye that Vogue recreated for Carey Mulligan, apply a charcoal grey eyeshadow from the lash line to the brow line, extending your shadow horizontally from one corner of your eye to the other. Finish your look by extending black liner slightly up and outward from the outer corner of your eye and applying heavy mascara, curling your lashes beforehand if your favorite mascara doesn't give you a dramatic curled effect.

Prefer a softer eye look for your wedding day? Try swapping charcoal grey eyeshadow for a softer metallic grey or pastel. Simply apply the shade to the entire lid, and underneath the lower lash line to achieve a pastel smoky eye as seen in Vera Wang's Spring 2013 Bridal runway show.

1920s Lipstick Trends

Between the big kiss and all your smiling wedding photos, the lips are an undeniable focus of any bride's wedding day beauty look. For a dramatic, memorable lip with a feminine edge, finish off your Great Gatsby wedding day makeup with the iconic 1920s cupid bow lip. This style, popular among the era's leading beauties, gave the lip an exaggerated feminine look just in time to lure troops coming home from the war. Entice your husband-to-be by recreating this vintage lipstick style.

To achieve a cupid bow lip, start by tracing your lip with a liner, creating dramatic arcs to emphasize the bend in your upper lip. Fill in the area you've outlined with your favorite lipstick. Flappers flocked to rich, flat hues such as deep reds, wines and plums, which provided a stark contrast with their fair complexions. Choose a rich red to soften this look for your daytime wedding.

Whether you want the perfect authentic complement to your 1920s influenced wedding gown or simply want to make a strong, chic statement with your makeup, this 1920s look is a sophisticated way to ensure all eyes are on you during your big day. And if your wedding guests haven't yet caught Great Gatsby fever, they undoubtedly will after catching a glimpse of your Gatsby glamour.

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