I never thought I would say this but.... "stop using Pinterest to find your Bridal Makeup Inspiration

As a bridal makeup artist in North Wales and Cheshire, it used to be one of my go-to recommendations for brides-to-be. I'd encourage them to hop on, pin away, and build inspiration boards—from florals and dresses to table styling and wedding signage. And yes, even makeup. It used to be a brilliant place to spark ideas for your bridal beauty look.

But things have changed....

I'm Cathryn Kerwin-Rawlinson, founder of Made Up By Cathryn, and I've worked in the wedding industry for over 18 years. I offer bridal makeup across North Wales and Cheshire, and in that time, I've seen trends come and go—but this shift is different. It's about how we're finding our inspiration, and what that's doing to our expectations.

The AI Experiment

A few weeks ago, I ran a little test.

I asked ChatGPT by describing to it a "classic bridal makeup look." Then I used that prompt to generate an AI image of a bride. Within two minutes, I had a flawless, glowy, Pinterest-worthy image—complete with perfect lighting and immaculate skin. No pores, no shadows, no real texture.

I also created the other image in this blog the boho bride and look what returned..

Out of curiosity, I uploaded the classic blonde bride image to Pinterest.

Pinners are this week saving it with an upward spike in pins since Friday.

But here's the thing: she isn't real.

That image—like so many others flooding Pinterest right now—isn't of a real person with real skin, real emotions, or a real makeup artist behind it. And that's where the problem lies.

Perfection Isn't the Goal

I'm not here to knock AI—I use it myself.

It helps me write content like this, stay organised, and plan my day as a busy makeup artist across North Wales and Cheshire. But when AI-generated images become the benchmark for how a bride thinks she "should" look on her wedding day? That's when we need to press pause.

Because:

AI doesn't have a humid wedding morning in July.

AI doesn't have texture, fine lines, hormonal skin, or tears of joy.

AI doesn't have the beautiful uniqueness that you do.

So if you're pinning these flawless images and feeling like that's the goal—you're chasing something unachievable. And as your makeup artist, my job isn't to replicate perfection. It's to celebrate reality. It's to bring out the best in you.

So Where Should You Look for Inspiration?

Here's what I recommend to my brides:

Look at real people

Scroll through my portfolio on Instagram. Browse the makeup I've done for real brides—ones who laughed, cried, danced, and hugged their guests on their wedding day.

Follow trusted artists

I work with a lot of brilliant makeup artists worldwide who, like me, create elegant, timeless bridal looks on real skin with real products—under pressure, in real time. You will still find many on instagram and you can save their work and mine into folders.

Use Pinterest for the rest

It's still fantastic for venue styling, flowers, table-scapes, colour palettes, and mood boarding. I use it myself when I'm decorating my home and choosing outfits! But when it comes to makeup? Let's leave that to real-life artists doing real-life work.

Final Thoughts

Pinterest used to be a brilliant resource for bridal makeup inspiration. But with the rise of AI imagery and photo manipulation, it's now full of visuals that set unrealistic expectations.

If you're a bride planning your wedding in North Wales or Cheshire, I'd love to help you find a makeup look that works for you—your skin, your style, your story. At Made Up By Cathryn, I focus on makeup that feels like you, just elevated. And it lasts all day, through every tear, kiss, and dance floor moment.

Let's leave perfection to Pinterest, and create something beautifully real instead.

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