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With every bridal season comes a set of standout trends that shape conversations around weddings. This season, we saw soft glam, slicked-back buns, and minimalist manicures. But of all these beauty moments, it was the no-makeup makeup looks that had my attention. As I went further down the rabbit hole of my algorithm, I realized that these women may have been influenced by an even less talked-about movement that put it all into motion—brides who decided to walk down the aisle with no makeup at all.
Suddenly, I found myself coming across dozens of newlyweds who had ditched makeup in favor of skincare that enhanced their natural beauty. Admittedly, I couldn't help but notice the mixed reactions. While some people deemed going makeup-free socially unacceptable, others found themselves inspired to follow suit. Early in my research, it was obvious that there isn't a single "type" of woman who makes this kind of choice. Ahead, see how two brides with vastly different relationships to makeup came to the decision.
A true veteran in the beauty space, Stephanie Santana, known widely on social media as Glamzilla, has dedicated the last 15 years to creating beauty content. Spoiler: It paid off big time. The Toronto native engages with over five million followers across platforms daily, sharing her thoughts on the latest beauty launches and beyond.
Most might assume that going full glam on their wedding day would be a nonnegotiable for a beauty creator, yet for Glamzilla, it was a true game-time decision that came after months of makeup trials. "My dream was to have the best celebrity makeup artist do my makeup," she says. "I did trials with everyone from Patrick Ta and Danessa Myricks to Beyoncé's and Cardi B's makeup artists, and it was the most beautiful experience ever because I got to see myself through different artists' lenses."
At the time, Glamzilla had been sharing content around her bridal journey and had even pitched her wedding story to several media outlets. "A month before my wedding, I was so stressed out about it, and I looked over at my husband in the middle of the night, and I realized I was missing the whole point," she says. "[This] was a moment to celebrate the love that I have with my partner that I've been with for the last 19 years." The next day, she made the decision to cancel all the major media plans.
Then, on October 1, 2025, just hours before her wedding, she had another change of heart that left an impact not solely on her but also on the people around her at the wedding and online. She wanted to go makeup-free. Although her husband didn't know about her decision in advance, he encouraged her to do whatever made her feel like herself earlier in the wedding-planning process. "I decided to do my own makeup, but when it was time to get ready, I looked in the mirror, and I was like, 'I'm going to marry him the way I wake up to him every morning. This is the version of me my children will see in the morning.'"
Leading up to the event, Glamzilla booked Hydrafacial, brow-lamination, and lash-lift appointments. But for her wedding day, she used skincare that she knew would deliver the glow she was after. Her key products included Caudalie's face mist, Glow Recipe's Prickly Pear Serum, and Tatcha's Dewy Skin Cream. For her final touches, she applied a bit of OleHenriksen's lip treatment, L'Oréal's Infallible Brow Lamination Gel, Huda Beauty's Easy Blur Primer, and Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip Dewy Setting Spray.
Ultimately, Glamzilla found that going makeup-free didn't simply eliminate an extra step in her bridal routine. It completely transformed the way she experienced her wedding. She didn't worry about her makeup smudging or transferring throughout the ceremony, and there was liberation in being able to feel every emotion on her special day without limits or a second thought. "I was so empowered, and I felt so beautiful just being loved," she says. "It wasn't about me—it was about the moment we were going to share together. It goes beyond full-coverage makeup, eyelashes, and lipstick. It was just a celebration of the journey and the love that we are celebrating."
As a former bridal makeup artist herself, Glamzilla knows a thing or two about what drives the preferences of nearlyweds, but her own journey unlocked a new perspective. "At the end of the day, you're going to cry and laugh it off," she says. "What you want to be able to capture in those photos is the joy, the love, and the happiness." She adds that brides would come to her wanting to get the perfect makeup look, hoping it would translate flawlessly on camera for others to see. "The reality is the moment is already perfect," she says. "People saw me because I was loved and joyful, and I think that's what every bride should focus on—the feeling, not the look. I would do it over and over again, and it was really the best decision of my beauty journey."
Samantha Wills, from Ongarue, New Zealand, felt similarly about her experience. However, her relationship with makeup prior to her February 1 wedding last year was much different. The question wasn't if she should go without makeup. It was the opposite. "I'm not a makeup person, and I never have been," she says. "The thinking behind it was more of a 'Should I maybe wear some makeup because it's my wedding?'"
As a farmer, Wills was already used to skipping makeup, and in some ways, it influenced her outlook on getting glammed up to begin with. "Living this lifestyle is so raw and natural, and that's how I wanted to be walking down the aisle," she says. "I wanted my husband to see me for me."
Similar to Glamzilla, Wills booked a pre-wedding hydrodermabrasion treatment to prep her skin. For her wedding day, she stuck to skin-loving products such as Monat's Be Gentle Creamy Cleanser, Skin Revitalizing Essence, and Be Balanced Lightweight Moisturizer, to name a few. "I didn't want to be any different when I met him at the altar, and that was why I didn't wear any major makeup," she says. "I put on some fake lashes, lip gloss, and brushed my brows."
While her decision felt natural, Wills also received support from her family and bridesmaids. "I actually went to put a little bit of foundation on, and they all looked at me and said, 'No, you don't need that. You look beautiful as you are right now," she says. In hindsight, Wills believes that, had she decided otherwise, it would have added stress and made her more prone to overthinking.
Her choice didn't just create the comfort she needed. It also made it possible for her to be fully present. "It was the most amazing day," Wills says. "I didn't have any expectations, and I suppose that has a lot to do with the people I have around me. But they really allowed me to do that so that I was stress-free on the day that I'm supposed to be."
It's not uncommon for some people to look back on their wedding day and think about what they would've done differently, but for Wills, being a makeup-free bride remains one of the best choices she made. "I'm only filled with joy every time I look at the photos," she says. "There's no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision."
It's clear that the conversation around bridal beauty is evolving not only within the online community of brides-to-be reconsidering their approach but also among makeup artists. Bridal hair and makeup artists Olivia Lo and Melanie Herriot, who specialize in natural makeup, have noticed an uptick in women ditching heavy layers for light, effortless looks. "I've definitely noticed a significant shift over the past year or two," Herriot says. "Previously, foundation was part of almost every bridal application, but throughout 2025 and into 2026, I've found myself reaching for foundation less than ever before."
Lo has had a similar experience, noting that it seems less about wearing less makeup and more about wanting makeup that feels authentic to the individual. "Ultimately, I find that my brides want people to notice them before they notice the makeup," she says. "I know I've done my job well when my brides hear 'You look beautiful' rather than 'Your makeup looks beautiful.'"
Both experts have heard a wide variety of reasons for less makeup, ranging from clients not wearing it in everyday life to having a spring or summer wedding. "For years, brides were told they needed heavier makeup to ensure it showed up in photographs, but modern makeup artistry has completely dispelled that myth," Herriot says. "We now have products and techniques that allow skin to look fresh, luminous, and incredibly natural while still photographing beautifully." She also calls out that celebrity influencers such as Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie have heavily influenced the pivot to skin-focused bridal beauty.
Whether it's worth investing in a makeup artist for a full no-makeup look is truly up to each person. "I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that hiring a makeup artist is only about applying makeup," Lo says. "In reality, it's about having a professional assess your features, skin type, lighting conditions, and overall wedding aesthetic to help you feel like the best version of yourself." In addition to finding the right skincare products, Lo points out the usefulness of treatments such as facials, lasers, microneedling, and Botox early in the process so that your skin feels healthy and ready the day of.
Across the board, there's an undeniable emphasis on the importance of feeling. How do you want to feel when you're getting ready to walk down the aisle? When you're standing across from the person you'll spend the rest of your life with? When you're surrounded by your friends and family or even when you're looking back on your photos years later? There's no right answer, but whatever you land on will always be your most reliable guide.
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