How a bride looks on the wedding day is usually one of the most popular topics among guests. It’s right there next to such classics as the weather or that uncle that got way too drunk. And one of the key components of their appearance is bridal makeup. Based in Prizren, Kosovo, beauty and makeup artist Arber Bytyqi is a man of many traits, and one of them is exactly that; accentuating brides’ facial features.
The best way to examine Arber’s makeup ideas is through his prominent online presence. So far, the makeup artist has amassed over 262k Instagram followers by regularly uploading pictures of the beautiful brides he’s worked on. Other fashion and beauty projects aside, a big part of his feeds consists of before-and-after pics of the brides he worked with and their striking transformations.
More info: Instagram | Facebook
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
It’s also worth remembering that every bride is different with their own style and personality. Some love natural makeup, others want the full-on glam, and some brides request alternative bridal looks that are quite rare even on Pinterest. There are rarely rules when it comes to their big day, but throughout history, makeup trends have come and gone.
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
“I got interested in makeup when I was just a child,” Arber told Bored Panda. “The first drawings that I did were of eyes, girls, or dresses. I used to take my mom’s make-up and play with it when I was only five years old, so I knew that I’d become a makeup artist pretty early.”
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
“When I finished high school, my family didn’t want me to continue my studies in the beauty industry because in our culture it’s considered taboo if a male works in this industry. So, at first, I got a master’s degree in economics, and only then did I follow my dream and started working as a makeup artist.”
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
“When I meet my client, the first question I ask is what kind of occasion are they getting their makeup done for. I also ask my clients if they have any specific requests. For example, if they want a natural or dramatic look. Then I ask them [to show me] the dress that they are going to wear. The design of the dress and its details reveal the style of the look the client is going for. Then, I analyze their facial features.”
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
“We serve more than one thousand brides in a year. The summer, in particular, is a very demanding season for wedding makeup. During this period, my team and I serve as many as 60 or more clients daily.”
Image credits: arber_bytyqi_mua
“Makeup is like jewelry for the face,” Arber said to everyone experimenting with makeup. “Play with colors and shapes. Don’t be afraid to transform yourself. At the end of the day, you can just clean it.”
People had a lot to say about this makeup artist’s work
Am I the only one who thinks this is really overdone? They look like different people. I understand doing a little extra makeup on your wedding day but good grief....
no... you're not alone!
All of them look kardashian-esque. Target: insta-friendly AF. No doubt that the "artist" knows her/his craft, its just a too one-sided-approach to make up. Might as well use airbrush and add some 3D- 3rd eye on the forehead :D -I need a "mininal-french-girl-make-up-thread" to wash this down with....
I am sad to say that they all look the same. It kind of reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where Homer starts inventing things and one of them was the make up gun...
This is really overdone. You aren't wrong. The makeup is way over the top, the colours are wrong for their skin, and she's made them look hard, somehow.
You may now kiss the doll
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Sadly, the makeup artist was a male. I guess we know what his "type" is....
Sho! and quite frankly not even a very pretty version of the same girl. The skin tone is so synthetic! They look like they're made from plastic. Surely the function of make-up is to compliment your individual natural beauty? I would think especially on your wedding day. Not transform you into someone the groom doesn't even know! Haha. Actually what a weird thing to do!?
Yes, wedding dresses and makeup are traditionally supposed to evoke a sense of purity and youth.
That was my first thought, too. The make-up artist has her style and she uses it on the woman. Their look is always the same and their personalities are gone
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The artist was a male, sadly....
Photoshop. It's visible on their chest, teeth and hair color for some of them. Just look at the area of the last picture where the neck meets the hair, it's all blurry while on the before pic the cut is neat.
They slimmed down her neck to look more doll-like
I agree. Many of these girls look much better without it
Not alone. I don't want to offend anyone, but they look plastic-y, like dolls, not real women.
Yes, their natural beauty is not coming through.It looks all caked on...I would pass.
I agree. Let's be clear : I think they look good with and without makeup, but now it's personnal tastes, I prefer lighter makeup. I'm getting married in the next months, and I will ask a professionnal makeup artist cause I never put makeup on, but I want to be recognizable on my photos.
You've hit the nail on the head there;, recognisable. None of these women are recognisable, if they didn't have the same hairstyles and the photos weren't side by side, I wouldn't have even thought it was the same person.
As a hairdresser and an EX drag queen believe me, they look more like drag queens than real women! LOL
Completely agree. I think drag queens are fabulous but the look doesn't tend to say 'bridal'.
Rich McCormick -
Not only do they look like "different people", but frankly they all look very similar with their makeup on! It's the 21st century & we're still focusing on women looking like Barbi dolls, while the men look fine just cleaned up?!
Well said!!
Yup. He hasn't accentuated their facial features, he's obliterated them and replaced them with someone else's.
I like to think my to-be-husband would want to me to look like me on my wedding day. No thank you.
SOOOO overdone oh my lord
Agreed!
My thoughts EXACTLY. I get that you'd want to look pretty for your big day, but really... they look like Barbie-dolls!
I agree except in one respect, they don't look different in the after pictures, they all look the same after. But this might be a cultural preferance for a heavier made up look?
Well I mean it's in the East, they like a strong makeup look! (I mean Eastern Europe)
there's Photoshop involved as well...
Yes - ordinarily I'm not good at spotting Photoshop, but some of these pix shout it!
No. Waaaay aging and even now the trend is moving away from the heavy, perfect, full coverage. Unclockable in 2D, but in person, wow, must look heavy
What would a woman think if her groom turned up to the wedding caked in make-up so much he was unrecognisable. Dont mean the red lipstick - just the level of slap
They chose that makeup artist because that's the look they wanted. Different strokes for different folks.
But none of them are different... that's part of the problem. Identikit make up. Thick, personality-free. The expression 'less is more' exists because it is true.
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I thought HEll no I want to look like me on my wedding day not some glammed up imposter... those women did not look like the same people at all!
This comment has been deleted.
That was my thought on the first picture, and it was confirmed in each new pic.
Nope you're not alone. I was thinking the same thing.
I am with you on this!
They all look like Bratz dolls the wedding edition.
right. too much makup. doesn't look real at all
Who said they wanted to look like your version of "real"? How dare they not ask your opinion on their wedding day.
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@bored moogle: sad but true...
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If they didn't wear makeup, most men wouldn't even consider them. When men say they want a "natural-looking woman" they mean they want a woman who naturally looks like she wears makeup even when she doesn't.
Right, look like plastics. Some are ok, but majority are not.
@bored moogle. Who are these men??? I really don't know them. The men I know are a bit more down to earth than that.
@bored moogle. I wouldnt want any man who preferred me to wear that much make up.
Yeah, men like makeup that makes it look like the woman isn’t wearing makeup. I have never seen a positive reaction to this sort of look from a heterosexual man, although makeup is pretty low on the list of things they notice in general.
Bratz dolls, or BRAZZER dolls...?
I am not sure I like this. They were just as pretty before, maybe they needed just a little make-up to look more radiant and fresh, and not a cartoonish amount that makes them look like Bratz dolls. Problem is how is it still in this society totally acceptable for man (groom) to be totally natural and fresh, but bride has to be painted over a look like a cartoon? Sorry but I totally find them beautiful without make-up. Sure, women like to make up a little but this is too much. They look like different persons.
It's also not just make up. Some of them have slightly different shapes to various parts of their faces - that isn't just make up. Photoshop. One has a dip on on the bridge on her nose that isn't there in the 'after' photo. Lines on the neck don't disappear with make up. They look plastic. All lovely anyway.
On closer look - all but a couple have had their necks trimmed by photoshop - to look more doll-like
Maybe they used putty? Sure looks like it.
Know a bride needs slightly heavier make-up than every day to stand out in the photos - but hard to magine what these girls would look like face to face. Scary
I agree. I've been watching a lot of "RuPaul's Drag Race" and this is the kind of makeup many of the Queens do. It is a lot of contouring and very heavy.
They just are not thinking - they can always have the wedding pics photoshopped afterwards to their own wishes. But if everyone who attended in person thought they looked ridiculous and unrecognisable - possibly even their own family and the groom - cant really undo that.
Yeah, all these girls were beautiful to begin with. How hard is it to make perfect features and bone structure look good?
Yeah, nia. But seriously, is it worth it to spend that much amount of time on that? A woman can spend 30 minutes of her time doing so many other things than being drowned in makeup to the point where she looks like Kim Kardashian and a Barbie doll fused together. Beauty stereotypes are basically made by makeup and fashion companies wanting to make money. I'm scared what this beauty obsession is going to do to the women in our society in the future...
Yael - And I quote..."What do you think ?" I don't see anything about not expressing negative opinions if that's what you have.
This sort of makeup is far from easy. It's intensive and takes at least 30 minutes to as much as an hour. This is basically painting a whole face on top of her face.
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Why are you putting down these woman for how they want to spend their time? Or how they want to look on their wedding day. If you'd rather spend 30 minutes playing fortnite before your wedding than getting a makeover, then go for it. We all have different interests and we all have different personalities. That's what makes us unique. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Biljana, sure the makeup looks a tad overdone and in my opinion it looks incredibly thick but that's what these brides chose for their big day. Why are so many people bashing them? Ok that's not our personal preference but is it really necessary to pick apart these bride's fades on something they personally opted for.... and they did not all look just as pretty before. Come on now... that's a bold faced lie. There is no need to say that to seem like a nice person.
Some of the girls have bad skin, most have one pretty feature and the rest is average. But they all look normal. A little bit of make-up would have made them beautiful but still look themselves. The negative reaction is the result of a time where we try to break free from a Beauty standard that claims women have to look like Barbie-dolls. Most of the girls ended up looking like ads for generic computer games - all the personality, that you can see in the original pics, is just gone. That is not beautiful, that's depressing. And while it'S great if the girls are happy with their looks and have a good wedding, I think it's understandable that many have an adverse reaction to these pics.
Lethe, I think people forget that these are in fact real women, who will eventually read these comments. Iuno, I just think it's pretty nasty for hundreds of people (mostly women) to drag their appearance on the biggest day of their lives. You aren't being forced to give an opinion. If you haven't got something nice to say, keep it moving.
It's on a site where people's opinions are keenly encouraged!! No one is saying anything bad about the way the girls look in real life, just that the make up is way too heavy. If anything it's the male make-up artist getting a roasting.
The biggest day of their lives? Seriously? The sooner we get away from this idea the better. It's not the wedding day that matters, it's the marriage that follows, and if the wedding day is the BEST day of their lives it's not saying much about what they expect the days of their marriage afterwards to be like.
Nah. I'm going to give my opinion. This makeup artist should be embarrassed.
No-one is criticising the women - they didn't make themselves up that way. These are mostly/all the pre-wedding day make-up trials. Who knows if they even went ahead with that look on the big day or not.
Am I the only one who thinks this is really overdone? They look like different people. I understand doing a little extra makeup on your wedding day but good grief....
no... you're not alone!
All of them look kardashian-esque. Target: insta-friendly AF. No doubt that the "artist" knows her/his craft, its just a too one-sided-approach to make up. Might as well use airbrush and add some 3D- 3rd eye on the forehead :D -I need a "mininal-french-girl-make-up-thread" to wash this down with....
I am sad to say that they all look the same. It kind of reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons where Homer starts inventing things and one of them was the make up gun...
This is really overdone. You aren't wrong. The makeup is way over the top, the colours are wrong for their skin, and she's made them look hard, somehow.
You may now kiss the doll
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sadly, the makeup artist was a male. I guess we know what his "type" is....
Sho! and quite frankly not even a very pretty version of the same girl. The skin tone is so synthetic! They look like they're made from plastic. Surely the function of make-up is to compliment your individual natural beauty? I would think especially on your wedding day. Not transform you into someone the groom doesn't even know! Haha. Actually what a weird thing to do!?
Yes, wedding dresses and makeup are traditionally supposed to evoke a sense of purity and youth.
That was my first thought, too. The make-up artist has her style and she uses it on the woman. Their look is always the same and their personalities are gone
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The artist was a male, sadly....
Photoshop. It's visible on their chest, teeth and hair color for some of them. Just look at the area of the last picture where the neck meets the hair, it's all blurry while on the before pic the cut is neat.
They slimmed down her neck to look more doll-like
I agree. Many of these girls look much better without it
Not alone. I don't want to offend anyone, but they look plastic-y, like dolls, not real women.
Yes, their natural beauty is not coming through.It looks all caked on...I would pass.
I agree. Let's be clear : I think they look good with and without makeup, but now it's personnal tastes, I prefer lighter makeup. I'm getting married in the next months, and I will ask a professionnal makeup artist cause I never put makeup on, but I want to be recognizable on my photos.
You've hit the nail on the head there;, recognisable. None of these women are recognisable, if they didn't have the same hairstyles and the photos weren't side by side, I wouldn't have even thought it was the same person.
As a hairdresser and an EX drag queen believe me, they look more like drag queens than real women! LOL
Completely agree. I think drag queens are fabulous but the look doesn't tend to say 'bridal'.
Rich McCormick -
Not only do they look like "different people", but frankly they all look very similar with their makeup on! It's the 21st century & we're still focusing on women looking like Barbi dolls, while the men look fine just cleaned up?!
Well said!!
Yup. He hasn't accentuated their facial features, he's obliterated them and replaced them with someone else's.
I like to think my to-be-husband would want to me to look like me on my wedding day. No thank you.
SOOOO overdone oh my lord
Agreed!
My thoughts EXACTLY. I get that you'd want to look pretty for your big day, but really... they look like Barbie-dolls!
I agree except in one respect, they don't look different in the after pictures, they all look the same after. But this might be a cultural preferance for a heavier made up look?
Well I mean it's in the East, they like a strong makeup look! (I mean Eastern Europe)
there's Photoshop involved as well...
Yes - ordinarily I'm not good at spotting Photoshop, but some of these pix shout it!
No. Waaaay aging and even now the trend is moving away from the heavy, perfect, full coverage. Unclockable in 2D, but in person, wow, must look heavy
What would a woman think if her groom turned up to the wedding caked in make-up so much he was unrecognisable. Dont mean the red lipstick - just the level of slap
They chose that makeup artist because that's the look they wanted. Different strokes for different folks.
But none of them are different... that's part of the problem. Identikit make up. Thick, personality-free. The expression 'less is more' exists because it is true.
This comment has been deleted.
I thought HEll no I want to look like me on my wedding day not some glammed up imposter... those women did not look like the same people at all!
This comment has been deleted.
That was my thought on the first picture, and it was confirmed in each new pic.
Nope you're not alone. I was thinking the same thing.
I am with you on this!
They all look like Bratz dolls the wedding edition.
right. too much makup. doesn't look real at all
Who said they wanted to look like your version of "real"? How dare they not ask your opinion on their wedding day.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
@bored moogle: sad but true...
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If they didn't wear makeup, most men wouldn't even consider them. When men say they want a "natural-looking woman" they mean they want a woman who naturally looks like she wears makeup even when she doesn't.
Right, look like plastics. Some are ok, but majority are not.
@bored moogle. Who are these men??? I really don't know them. The men I know are a bit more down to earth than that.
@bored moogle. I wouldnt want any man who preferred me to wear that much make up.
Yeah, men like makeup that makes it look like the woman isn’t wearing makeup. I have never seen a positive reaction to this sort of look from a heterosexual man, although makeup is pretty low on the list of things they notice in general.
Bratz dolls, or BRAZZER dolls...?
I am not sure I like this. They were just as pretty before, maybe they needed just a little make-up to look more radiant and fresh, and not a cartoonish amount that makes them look like Bratz dolls. Problem is how is it still in this society totally acceptable for man (groom) to be totally natural and fresh, but bride has to be painted over a look like a cartoon? Sorry but I totally find them beautiful without make-up. Sure, women like to make up a little but this is too much. They look like different persons.
It's also not just make up. Some of them have slightly different shapes to various parts of their faces - that isn't just make up. Photoshop. One has a dip on on the bridge on her nose that isn't there in the 'after' photo. Lines on the neck don't disappear with make up. They look plastic. All lovely anyway.
On closer look - all but a couple have had their necks trimmed by photoshop - to look more doll-like
Maybe they used putty? Sure looks like it.
Know a bride needs slightly heavier make-up than every day to stand out in the photos - but hard to magine what these girls would look like face to face. Scary
I agree. I've been watching a lot of "RuPaul's Drag Race" and this is the kind of makeup many of the Queens do. It is a lot of contouring and very heavy.
They just are not thinking - they can always have the wedding pics photoshopped afterwards to their own wishes. But if everyone who attended in person thought they looked ridiculous and unrecognisable - possibly even their own family and the groom - cant really undo that.
Yeah, all these girls were beautiful to begin with. How hard is it to make perfect features and bone structure look good?
Yeah, nia. But seriously, is it worth it to spend that much amount of time on that? A woman can spend 30 minutes of her time doing so many other things than being drowned in makeup to the point where she looks like Kim Kardashian and a Barbie doll fused together. Beauty stereotypes are basically made by makeup and fashion companies wanting to make money. I'm scared what this beauty obsession is going to do to the women in our society in the future...
Yael - And I quote..."What do you think ?" I don't see anything about not expressing negative opinions if that's what you have.
This sort of makeup is far from easy. It's intensive and takes at least 30 minutes to as much as an hour. This is basically painting a whole face on top of her face.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why are you putting down these woman for how they want to spend their time? Or how they want to look on their wedding day. If you'd rather spend 30 minutes playing fortnite before your wedding than getting a makeover, then go for it. We all have different interests and we all have different personalities. That's what makes us unique. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Biljana, sure the makeup looks a tad overdone and in my opinion it looks incredibly thick but that's what these brides chose for their big day. Why are so many people bashing them? Ok that's not our personal preference but is it really necessary to pick apart these bride's fades on something they personally opted for.... and they did not all look just as pretty before. Come on now... that's a bold faced lie. There is no need to say that to seem like a nice person.
Some of the girls have bad skin, most have one pretty feature and the rest is average. But they all look normal. A little bit of make-up would have made them beautiful but still look themselves. The negative reaction is the result of a time where we try to break free from a Beauty standard that claims women have to look like Barbie-dolls. Most of the girls ended up looking like ads for generic computer games - all the personality, that you can see in the original pics, is just gone. That is not beautiful, that's depressing. And while it'S great if the girls are happy with their looks and have a good wedding, I think it's understandable that many have an adverse reaction to these pics.