Lifestyle
Wedding Day Beauty Tips For a Natural Glow
As couples embrace more authentic wedding styles, brides are following suit with fresh-faced makeup that enhances their natural features. Taking cues from celebrity brides like Sofia Richie and Vanessa Hudgens, brides are opting for barely there makeup over the heavily contoured looks that once defined wedding day beauty.
“You don’t want your makeup to look dated in your wedding photos,” said Lisa Eldridge, London-based celebrity makeup artist and founder of Lisa Eldridge Beauty. “When I see photos of someone like Grace Kelly on her wedding day, I think it could have been yesterday.”
Five celebrity makeup artists share some of their go-to makeup products and tips to help you achieve the perfect glow on your wedding day.
“Your wedding day look should be whatever makes you feel the most beautiful,” Ms. Eldridge said. “Also keep in mind that less is more when it comes to makeup application, especially when dealing with perceived problem areas, such as blemishes or patches of redness. Use light, targeted application on the areas with minimal product to keep your makeup looking as natural as possible.”
“This medium-coverage foundation is clinically proven to last for a minimum of 12 hours and photographs beautifully. These types of formulations can sometimes be a little more drying to last all day, so you may need to compensate by adding more moisturizer beforehand and using less setting powder than normal.”
“I always keep this French pharmacy moisturizer in my kit. It’s a makeup artist’s favorite for a reason — it’s inexpensive and works really well as a primer for makeup. I like using it on skin that is drier or if the bride is getting married in a cold climate.”
“Smudge-proof, waterproof mascara is a must for all of those happy tears. This mascara’s flexible formula prevents flaking or running. It’s also buildable for fluffy, fanned-out lashes.”
New York-based celebrity makeup artist, founder of Pat McGrath Labs and the creative director for Louis Vuitton’s new beauty brand
“Brides are embracing lit-from-within complexions with glowing skin, neutral and rosy tones on the eyes and lips and an overall look that feels refined, yet romantic,” Ms. McGrath said. “To achieve this, avoid techniques or products that can overpower your face, such as heavy contouring, overly drawing eyebrows or using ultra-matte finishes, which can look flat in natural light and photos. Opt for more light-handed makeup applications and breathable, long-wearing formulations.”
“I always begin makeup application with this essence to hydrate and prep skin for a smooth base and radiant finish. It’s a lightweight emulsion formulated with floral antioxidants that protect and calm skin.”
“Layering your base is key for luminous skin that looks as stunning in person as in photos. This set includes a makeup primer, lightweight foundation and setting powder to create a flawless complexion. If you’re using concealer to cover imperfections, such as dark circles under the eyes and blemishes, apply small amounts before foundation.”
“I swear by this budge-proof, creamy lipstick. It offers intense color and stays put through every kiss and dinner course without feeling dry. Line lips to define and shape before applying lip color. Then, add a layer of lip gloss over the lipstick to create dimension. Avoid anything too glossy or slippery, as it won’t provide the longevity needed for a big day.”
Celebrity makeup artist and Chanel beauty ambassador based in New York City
“Overly glammed makeup looks have become less popular as more brides seek to feel comfortable and genuine on their wedding day. While dramatic looks have their place, the shift toward more intimate and intentional celebrations has encouraged a preference for makeup that feels fresh, light, and natural,” Ms. Komarovski said.
“This is one of my go-to formulations for lips at the moment. It lives up to what it promises —hydrating, buildable color. It feels incredibly comfortable throughout the day and adds just the right amount of color without looking overly ‘lipsticky’.”
“I’m loving soft and delicate eye makeup in neutral shades with a subtle shimmer to enhance the eye shape. This cream eye shadow is easy to use and the shade in ‘Undertone’ is a great base that works well on all skin tones and looks beautiful either alone or layered.”
“I go for this light-to-medium coverage foundation because it’s very buildable, but allows your skin to shine through. After applying, add a touch of cream highlighter on the cheekbones, brow bones and the bridge of the nose to accentuate your features.”
Celebrity makeup artist based in New York City
“Even if you don’t normally wear much makeup, having a good foundation base and softly defined brows, eyes and lips will make you look polished on your wedding day and enhance your natural features in photos,” Ms. Wiles said.
“Makeup formulations have come a long way since I started in the early ’90s, which is great for weddings and long-wear products. Lips stains are perfect for longevity. Apply a lip liner first then add a little gloss on top of the stain to the center of your lips if you want some shine.”
“Some long-lasting cheek colors can get dry or waxy, but I like the lightweight formulation of this liquid blush that melts into your skin.”
“I prefer very fine-point gel eyeliners for smooth and precise application. This waterproof liner stays in place with without smudging or fading and it’s buildable for more definition.”
Celebrity makeup artist based in New York City
“A flawless complexion is the basis of every bridal makeup look and always remains a top trend. While the rest of the look can be tailored to highlight your unique features, such as your eyes or cheekbones, the key is to keep the overall style timeless, as your photos will be cherished forever,” Ms. Shahzada said.
“For a flawless yet breathable finish, apply a lightweight moisturizer under this foundation stick. I like how it provides impressive coverage and a naturally dewy glow while maintaining hydration.”
“This primer ingeniously creates a smooth, shine-free base, while strategically adding glow to the high points of your face, such as your nose and cheekbones, and prevents an overly matte or greasy finish.”
“This eye primer not only locks in eye shadow, but also has a correcting tint to enhance color payoff and controls oil throughout the day.”
What freedom looks like today.
Getty Images/Viktoriia Miroshnikova/Photo illustration by NPR
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Getty Images/Viktoriia Miroshnikova/Photo illustration by NPR
What does freedom mean today?
Happy Juneteenth! For those not in the know, today commemorates when U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed – a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Since then, Juneteenth has been celebrated all over the country, especially in Texas and across the South, where Juneteenth parades, cookouts, festivals and pageants happen every year. Two weeks from now, the country will celebrate the Fourth of July – and its 250th anniversary. For many Black Americans, there’s always been a tension between these holidays – and their two different ideals for what it means to be free. As voting rights protections are rolled back and Black history is being scrubbed from government websites, what does freedom look like for Black Americans today?
To get into it, Brittany is joined by Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, chair of Africana Studies at Wellesley College.
For more episodes about the quality of Black life in America, check out:
Jesse Jackson & the end of the civil rights superhero
Is the economy slowing? Ask Black women.
What to expect when you’re expecting racism
Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.
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This episode was produced by Corey Antonio Rose and Liam McBain. It was edited by Neena Pathak. We had engineering support from Josephine Nyounai. Our Supervising Producer is Cher Vincent. Our Executive Producer is Barton Girdwood. Our VP of Programming is Yolanda Sangweni.
First released in 2000, the acclaimed film Amores perros, which was produced and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, has been remastered and is returning to theaters.
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Before Amores Perros became widely regarded as a modern classic, it belonged to Mexico. The film premiered at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival in 2000, where it won The Grand Prix, launching a run of international acclaim that has never quite ended. This month, Amores Perros is back in theaters in a fully remastered format from its original Kodak film stocks.
The film’s plot centers on three strangers whose lives intersect at the scene of a car crash. Each story wrestles with overlapping issues of social class disparities, crime and familial betrayal. The release in Mexico coincided with the end of the Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI’s 71-year hold on power. Amores Perros was followed by a period of original, contemporary films in Latin America that would prove the region’s studios could compete with Hollywood in scope and complexity.
One of the film’s lead charachters, Octavio, is played by actor Gael García Bernal.
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The film marked the directorial debut of Alejandro González Iñárritu, who would go on to win four Academy Awards including back-to-back best director awards for Birdman (2014) and The Revenant (2015). In a recent interview with NPR, Gael García Bernal, a lead actor in Amores Perros, called the film’s launch “a new geography in cinema.”
González Iñárritu and García Bernal spoke with Morning Edition’s A Martinez about their early collaboration and the film’s continued resonance with new audiences.
Listen to the interview by clicking on the blue play button above.
The broadcast version of this story was produced by Margaux Bauerlein.
Preparations underway for the Great American State Fair, as seen on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall last week.
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A lot is changing these days in Washington, D.C., with even more on the horizon: 10 city blocks of the National Mall will soon transform into a multi-week state fair spectacle, complete with a Ferris wheel, in honor of the country’s 250th birthday.
The “Great American State Fair” will run from June 25 through July 10, promising to bring state-themed pavilions, movie screenings, musical performances, military flyovers, nostalgic snacks, a daily rodeo — and potentially scores of tourists — to the nation’s capital.
It will feature more than 150 exhibits, with full participation across the United States and several U.S. territories, as well as “businesses, innovators and civic organizations,” according to Freedom250, the White House-backed campaign that is organizing the fair in addition to other semiquincentennial events.
“A master-planned celebration will unfold along the National Mall from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, featuring vibrant pavilions representing every U.S. state and territory,” says the White House website, adding that the beaux-arts style tents will also highlight national themes like agriculture, the arts, faith and family.
Workers started setting up the fair, in view of the U.S. Capitol, in late May.
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However, not all states are sending official government delegations to the fair. Officials in more than half a dozen states — including Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington — confirmed to NPR that they are not participating directly. Most cited financial considerations and a desire to prioritize celebrations in their own communities, though others voiced political concerns.
Rachel Reisner, a spokesperson for Freedom250, emphasized in an email that there is “a vast majority participating” among the states. Additionally, others are being represented by local businesses and organizations — such as two companies from North Carolina and a museum from Illinois.
“Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organization, every community will be celebrated, and every American will see themselves in this once-in-a-generation event,” Reisner said.
The state fair is one in a series of patriotic anniversary events planned for D.C. this summer, including the UFC fight night outside the White House last Sunday and a fireworks-heavy July Fourth celebration that President Trump rebranded as a political rally in a Truth Social post on Monday.
In another post that day, Trump encouraged people to attend the kickoff to the fair on Wednesday — and, by extension, the “summer long Celebration of 250 years of American Independence.”
“We are going to have fun, and celebrate America!” he wrote.
That opening event was originally billed as a concert, though many of the performers originally attached to it — including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Young MC — have withdrawn in recent weeks. Organizers now say the kickoff will feature remarks by Trump and performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio, musicians who have sung at Trump events before.
What to know about the fair
The fair is an all-day, rain-or-shine event. It is free and open to the public, though preregistration is encouraged.
Freedom250 is promising attendees an interactive experience at the state pavilions, from Michigan’s mechanical milking cow to Florida’s re-creation of a Spanish fort honoring explorer Juan Ponce de León.
There will also be activations by a wide range of companies, organizations and government agencies, from NASA and John Deere to Meta and the Washington Commanders.
Each of the fair’s 16 days has its own theme, including two “MAHA Mondays” and a military and veterans’ appreciation day. July Fourth is branded as the Independence Day Celebration, and the fair’s final day is billed as “The Next 250: Innovation.”
The extravaganza will span a wide swath of the National Mall, much of it already blocked off with fences and construction cranes. The fair may also impact air travel in the area.
In a press release this week, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority warned travelers at D.C.’s Reagan National Airport that their flights might be adjusted or delayed due to some of the America 250 celebrations — including the opening and closing days of the state fair.
“Many events will include downtown flyovers or other aerial displays such as fireworks or parachute jumps, which will affect flights periodically at Reagan National,” it said, adding that the most significant disruptions are expected on July 3 and 4.
Why some state governments aren’t participating
Nearly 10 states say they will not be spending funds or sending personnel to the D.C. fair. While all but one are led by Democratic governors, many told NPR the decision not to attend was a financial decision, not an overt political statement.
“The states were expected to fund and to staff a multi-week exhibit in Washington, D.C., which would entail getting staffers down to D.C., housing them, feeding them, and with the booths and everything … the estimated budget was at least $100,000,” said Cathryn Vaulman, a spokesperson for Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
Vaulman said that money would have come out of the state’s budget for its own 250th celebrations — so leaders made a “resource-based decision” to focus on those instead. But she noted that plenty of other blue states, like New York, are still planning to staff the state fair.
Some other states estimated their costs as $100,000, though others were much higher: Sarah Hansen, director of the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission, told NPR that its cost estimates were “half a million dollars or more,” which she said was not feasible for the state, “given the federal government’s refusal to provide any funding.”
Washington Lt. Gov. Denny Heck’s office told NPR over email that the state opted out in large part because of confusion over costs.
The fair will span 10 city blocks on the National Mall for over two weeks.
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“We had heard participating states (whether that was state agencies, tourism authorities, etc.) were generally planning for their costs to be anywhere between $100k to nearly $1m,” Dallas Roberts, Heck’s chief of staff, said in the email.
Each state and territory gets about 600 square feet to build its exhibit, with no set dollar amount required to participate, according to Freedom250. It acknowledges that cost was a concern for many states, which is why some partnered with tourism bureaus and companies.
“Our ask was not your government entity must do this and give money; it was an invitation to the state to represent their culture, heritage, and landscape however they would like,” Reisner, the Freedom250 spokesperson, wrote in an email, adding that the event is funded by “both private and public dollars.”
Officials in a handful of states have been more outspoken in their criticism of how the event is being run.
Speaking to GBH News’ Boston Public Radio earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who also opted out, said Trump “invited all the states to participate and wants to charge us to go down and put something on his exhibit.”
“It’s just ridiculous,” she added. “This is taxpayer money.”
Luke Harkins, a spokesperson for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that the state is not participating “due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.”
Officials from different states told NPR they had different understandings of how representation from their state would work.
Jayette Bolinski, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the Peoria Riverfront Museum volunteered to represent the state with an “Illinois-centric pavilion” featuring a hologram of stories from over 50 residents — none of which was paid for by state funds, she stressed. Vaulman, of Connecticut, said she believes its booth will have photos and posters of some sort, while Hansen of Maine said their inquiries to Freedom250 about this “have gone unanswered.”
What else is on the anniversary agenda — and who’s planning it
Planning for national 250th anniversary events mainly falls to two main groups, which have become increasingly politicized.
In 2015, looking ahead, Congress created a nonpartisan commission to orchestrate anniversary celebrations, which in turn created a nonprofit called America250. It’s composed mostly of private citizens, along with several members of Congress and representatives from federal agencies.
America250 appears to focus mainly on getting Americans involved in celebrations at the local level, such as attending synchronized nationwide block parties. It has gathered — and recently sealed — a time capsule with contributions from every state and is hosting a July Fourth concert in Los Angeles, with tickets selling for $17.76, featuring the Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Stapleton and Queen Latifah.
Freedom250, on the other hand, emerged from a Trump 2025 executive order establishing a task force for celebrating the milestone. Critics — including progressive consumer advocacy group Public Citizen — see this group as Trump’s attempt to bypass America250 after trying unsuccessfully to pack it with loyalists.
Freedom250 describes itself as “the national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.” Another sign of its standing in the administration: The official White House webpage for the 250th links out to Freedom250, not America250.
The group has organized many other high-profile anniversary events, including the White House UFC event, the July Fourth rally on the Mall, a July Fourth tall ship event on the East Coast and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., an Indycar event scheduled for the National Mall in August.
Trump’s executive order says the 250th task force must disband at the end of the year, unless he extends it. And many of the beautification projects his administration is undertaking in D.C. — from restoring fountains to installing statues to repainting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — are tied to the anniversary but could shape the city far beyond it.
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