Practical Bridal Beauty Tips I Learned from Muriel Vega Perez

When I got engaged, one of the first details that I immediately settled on was my makeup artist. Even before my now-husband decided on anything else regarding our wedding, I already knew that I wanted my good friend Muriel Vega Perez to glam me up on the big day. Wala pang date, I already booked him!

I first worked with Muriel for a magazine photoshoot when we were both still relatively new to the industry. He has always been so great to work with that he became my go-to makeup artist for pretty much anything through the years. Whether it be professional projects or personal events, I could rely on him to achieve any peg—all while he shares his amazing energy with everyone! (In this case, I can say nauna ako kay Pia Wurtzbach. Char! I love you, Queen P!) 

Apart from his amazing talent, I admire his sense of humor and his work ethic the most. It’s no surprise that he’s one of the most successful makeup artists in the industry, working on pretty much everything from brides to celebrities, advertising campaigns to TV shows. He now has an amazing team of makeup artists and hairstylists who work with him at #TeamMVP, too.

That said, I already booked him a year before our wedding to make sure he’s available. The upside is that I didn’t even have to set a trial makeup session with him anymore. (A must if you’re working with the makeup artist for the first time, though. Read more on that below!) He’s already done my makeup and hair enough times to know what works for me, so all I really had to do was send a photo from my Pinterest board. He even sourced hairpieces for me during his trips abroad.

On the day of our wedding, Muriel and his team (who we booked to glam up our friends and family in our entourage) arrived bright and early. While getting ready, I talked shop with him a little bit to make sure I do my part to make sure his work lasts until I have time to touch up. He was also an invited guest at the reception, so I wanted him to enjoy. 

Here are just some tips he gave me about achieving the perfect bridal makeup:

Do a trial. If you’re working with your makeup artist and hairstylist for the first time, don’t skip this step. “This is the chance to meet the client and talk about their expectations,” Muriel says. “As well as to see allergic reactions.” For repeat clients, he says doing a trial to set the look is still advisable. “Generally, I try not to overdo the look as it might conceal the natural radiance of the bride. I don’t experiment on the look, especially on the wedding day. I avoid using new products, too, because it may cause allergic reactions.”

Just in case, I still brought my own makeup kit as well. I made sure to bring my favorite foundation, but Muriel had everything covered. To be sure, though, I asked him to use my liquid lip of choice: Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Voyager. (I swear, y’all, this formula does not budge.)

Get enough sleep. Everyone will tell you to get enough sleep, but you really won’t get enough enough. In my case, I was still printing and cutting our D-I-Y bar list until 2:00 AM. I also had to ask my friends at a little past midnight because we forgot to get anyone to be readers and lectors during the mass. (Yes, we were this chill.)

By the time Muriel was working on my under eyes at around 9:00 AM, it was so dry that my base wasn’t applying smoothly. This is why we hire professionals, though. “When I choose makeup products for my brides, I always consider their skin condition,” he says. Muriel pulled through, of course. He managed to make me look like I slept more than I actually had. He used a mix of RMK Beauty and TEMPTU primers and foundations—et voila! “Get a good night’s sleep, have a soothing and relaxing bath, moisturize, and eat a quality meal,” he adds.

Be ready ahead of time. “If you can, be ready on time or maybe even earlier,” he says. “It gives us a chance to accommodate quick and minor changes in case you have last-minute requests.” In my case, I opted to not wear any headpieces with my veil. I also had highlights in my hair that Muriel hasn’t worked with before, so it took a bit of extra time on his part to make sure it looked perfect before sending me out.

Work with your makeup artist. Apart from sending Muriel the peg and asking him to use a specific shade of lipstick, I didn’t really care what he did the whole time I was sitting on his makeup chair. There were so many things happening at the same time (both in my head and around me) that I just sat there and relished the whole process.

Muriel has one important reminder, though. “Try to avoid texting, calling, standing, or doing anything else,” he says. “Sit still, so you can also enjoy the makeup session.” Agree, since you already paid for it! Plus, it lengthens the time for your makeup artist to do his/her and can delay your schedule for the rest of the day.

Pack your own touch-up kit. While your makeup artist should take care of your makeup, you should also do your part in ensuring everything stays in place. I couldn’t help crying, so I had my maids of honor, as well as the bridal assistant (care of our wedding coordinator), bring a “wedding go-bag” with facial tissue, my lipstick, and perfume.

“You can also bring colorless pressed powder and lash glue,” Muriel adds. A facial mist helps, too!

Everything stayed put through the day, except for my falsies. (Understandable; thus, the eyelash glue for your go bag!) Here’s a full list of products Muriel used, which I must say are HG, just in case you’re scouting for products to use during your own wedding: Embryolisse moisturizer, Blistex lip balm, Benefit eye primer, RMK Beauty primer, Mario Badescu facial mist, TEMPTU primer and foundation, Marc Jacobs contour, Hourglass Cosmetics highlighter, NARS blush, Huda Beauty eye shadows, Bobbi Brown eyeliner, MAC Cosmetics and K-Palette eyebrow pencils, Artisan Pro lashes, Duo lash glue, Maybelline liquid lipstick. (I was also wearing AirOptics Colors contact lenses.)

“We focused on achieving dewy, glowing skin by using airbrush application. Contours and blushes are all shaded, even the eye makeup. The focal point is the bold blue-undertoned lipstick, which reflects a fierce but romantic look,” Muriel says.

Like I said during my speech at our reception: the whole day was such a happy blur—including working with Muriel again after so long. If you have any questions about bridal makeup or want to book a trial session for your own big day, you can reach out to Muriel on Instagram.

Good luck and best wishes to all the brides out there who are planning their own weddings!