Have you ever wondered how Instagram’s most aesthetically pleasing beauty and fashion content creators approach their big day? According to Sydney-based newlywed Mishti Rahman, it’s all about smart planning and paying attention to one’s true self. We asked her to break down all five of her stunning wedding beauty looks, from the unique, vampy lip she wore to her engagement party that would make The Phantom of the Opera‘s Christine Daaé hit a high note to the windswept, tousled curls that complemented her venue’s picturesque garden that looks as if it’s been plucked from a fairytale.
Below, read all the intimate details of Rahman’s take on wedding beauty, then shop her edit of the makeup and fragrances that helped bring her vision to life following a yearlong engagement in the land down under.
Wedding Beauty With Mishti Rahman
Taking a quick look at Pinterest, there’s endless inspiration for wedding beauty, and you happen to be on many of the boards I’ve come across. How did you begin piecing together your unique approach to it?
I wanted to feel like myself! As someone in the makeup industry, I’ve had a hard time finding what works for my features and skin tone, so I was a little scared during my makeup trials. I was struggling to find an artist that knew how to do what suited me well. I wanted to see myself in softer bridal tones but very much stuck to my signature look: a lip liner that helps me create the no-makeup look while also being able to be enhanced.
I’ve worked with Dior Beauty in an ambassadorship, so it was a no-brainer for them to be my bridal makeup. I was also afraid of wearing too many layers, so I keep my makeup soft, light, and comfortable. Our wedding was in the summer, and we had a garden ceremony, so I had to pay attention to the climate we were in. Everything was Dior Beauty up to my lips (using my makeup), which I love and wear all the time.
I’ve been following your wedding journey, from the proposal in Tokyo to a candle-lit engagement dinner, rehearsal dinner, and beyond. How did the ethereal-yet-modern style of your wedding influence your beauty looks?
My wedding designer was Paolo Sebastian, and his gowns are magical and very unique. I stepped into the world of Paolo Sebastian at his atelier and knew it was the best fit. He followed the journey from our engagement up until the wedding, which was such an honor. For the engagement party, my friends told me to wear white, so I ended up choosing a fairy, ethereal swan dress that I decided to vamp up with a plum lip. I wanted to look like a different type of bride!
I knew I was always going to go for a softer look since I would never go for a dark makeup look on my actual wedding day, so the engagement party was a chance for me to have a bit more fun. It all started with [Sebastian’s] dress, which was light, sheer, and sparkly with winglike details. I like that I did something a bit avant-garde with the darker tones in my eye shadow for gothic-style makeup.
I also did a cultural look for my nikah, which was really important to my mom. When it comes to Bengali-style wedding looks, the bride is usually dripping in makeup! When I went over to Bangladesh, I noticed the more traditional bridal makeup drastically changes your skin tone to nearly four shades lighter. It’s not something I’m a big advocate for, and I didn’t like it for my own makeup. I was told that I wouldn’t really look like a bride unless I wore way more makeup, but I was adamant to stick to my natural tones.
My nikah makeup look also changed with the sari and jewelry I wore. (The large necklace was a gift from my family.) Instead of wearing the matching earrings, I asked the jeweler to break them into little studs, and I decided to really cut down the amount of wedding jewelry I was expected to wear—I felt like there could only be a few divas! Since my necklace was the star, [it] also helped me determine what I wanted to do for the rest of my makeup.
I remember scrolling through your pictures and noticing how you still looked like yourself but even more elevated in all of your wedding looks!
I definitely wanted to, but culturally, it’s been a challenge for me. When I released my very nude, brown-toned lip color, I got feedback my inner circle in Bangladesh saying, “Girls love wearing fuchsia pink and really bright colors!” But I’ve been seeing a change in how we, in the Brown community, are thinking about makeup. We’re not trying to disguise who we are but [are] embracing our beauty. I love our skin tones! The melanin in us is beautiful.
For my wedding, I was really big on not wanting to change who I am but focus on enhancing my appearance. Brown is one of my favorite colors, especially when it comes to eye shadows, blush, lips, and eyeliners. I think working with and learning my natural color palette has helped me as a creator and someone who has built a makeup line. The best advice I ever got from Paolo Sebastian was that I shouldn’t try to be someone else on my wedding day. Be 100% yourself to feel like the best version of yourself.
