Decoding Common Wedding Hair and Makeup Terms

Wedding Hair and Makeup Terms, Explained

When you start booking your bridal hair and makeup, you run into a lot of industry words that nobody bothers to define. Airbrush, balayage, HD, matte versus dewy. It can feel like everyone is speaking a language you were supposed to already know. We put this glossary together so you can walk into your trial knowing exactly what to ask for and what you’re paying for.

The Terms Worth Knowing

1. Airbrush Makeup

Foundation applied with a small air compressor instead of a brush or sponge. It goes on light, it lasts, and it holds up against shine and long days. If you want a look that makes it from the first look through the last dance without a heavy feel, ask about airbrush.

2. Contouring

Using darker and lighter shades to define your face and play up your bone structure. Done well, it lifts your cheekbones and gives you dimension without looking like makeup at all.

3. Highlights and Lowlights

Coloring techniques that add depth to your hair. Highlights bring in lighter strands, lowlights add darker ones. Together they give your color dimension. If you’re wearing an updo, this is what keeps it from looking flat in photos.

4. Updos and Downdos

An updo pulls your hair off your neck, which is a great call if your dress has a neckline you want to show off. A downdo leaves it loose and soft. Neither is better than the other. It comes down to your style and the feel of your day.

5. Trial Run

A trial run is your test drive. You sit in the chair before the wedding, try different looks, and sort out what you love and what you want changed. Do it here, with zero wedding day pressure, so the morning of holds no surprises.

6. Waterproof Makeup

Built to survive happy tears, a warm day, and a little rain. Mascaras, sealers, the works. You’ll cry. Waterproof makeup means it doesn’t cost you your look.

7. Matte vs. Dewy

Matte is a soft, no-shine finish, and it’s a smart pick for oily skin or a warm outdoor wedding. Dewy gives you a fresh, lit-from-within sheen and tends to be the favorite for evening celebrations. Both photograph beautifully, so it really is about the finish you love.

Pro tip: If you get shiny partway through the day, press blotting pads (like these) on the oil. They lift the shine without lifting your makeup.

8. Lash Extensions vs. Falsies

Lash extensions are individual lashes glued to your own, and they last for weeks past the wedding. Falsies are a strip or clusters applied the day of and removed that night. Extensions are the low-maintenance route if you want lashes for the honeymoon too. Falsies give you drama for the day and nothing to manage after.

9. HD Makeup

Products formulated to hold up under high-definition cameras. They smooth your skin and soften imperfections without ever looking heavy in person. With how sharp wedding photos and video are now, this matters.

10. Balayage

Color hand-painted onto the hair for a soft, sun-kissed look. Because it grows out gently, you’re not stuck with an obvious line, and you won’t need a touch-up the week you get back from the honeymoon.

11. Primer

The first step your artist puts down. It smooths your skin, helps everything go on evenly, and makes your makeup last through a full day of hugs, kisses, and photos.

Pro tip: A good setting spray (we love this one) keeps your makeup fresh from the ceremony through the last song. No melting, no fading.

Walk Into Your Trial Knowing the Language

Once you know these terms, talking to your wedding hair and makeup artist gets a lot easier. You can describe what you want and actually get it. At Elwynn + Cass, we translate your inspiration photos into a real plan and a look that feels like you. Come speak the language of bridal hair and makeup with us.