The last thing you want to worry about when going to a funeral for a loved one is what to wear, how to style your hair, and what kind of makeup look to go with.
Many people find themselves worrying about these details despite the fact that they’re already dealing with sadness, grief, and other strong emotions.
At the end of the day, a funeral is a very important event, so you want to make sure that you are doing everything right to show your respect.
You probably already know that appropriate clothes include conservative dresses or business casual looks that are grey or black in color. When choosing clothes for a funeral, it’s important to wear something that won’t be distracting and won’t show too much skin.
A similar strategy can be applied to hair and makeup.
So, what are the appropriate makeup looks and hairstyles for a funeral? Less is more. At a funeral or wake, you want to keep both your hair and makeup neat, simple, and non-distracting, as the ceremony is all about your loved one.
In this post, we will go over some easy hairstyles you could go with, as well as a few good makeup tricks that will keep you looking appropriate and put-together during this emotional event.
Easy Hairstyles For Funerals
A good rule of thumb when choosing a hairstyle for a funeral is to stick to simple and neat looks. You definitely don’t want to choose a hairstyle that’s overly glamorous, so avoid big bouncy curls or elaborate updos. Save those for happier events like weddings and graduations.
You might also want to avoid leaving your hair down, especially if you have very long hair. For a funeral, your hair should be clean, well brushed, and pulled away from your face, if possible.
Below are some easy hairstyles that will look good and appropriate at a funeral depending on the length of your hair:
Neat Bob
If you have shoulder-length hair or shorter, it might be hard to pull it away from your face since it’s so short. But a neat and well-styled bob will work just as well.
- Make sure you wash your hair the morning of the funeral.
- Use a leave-in conditioner (we like this anti-frizz one from Living Proof) in your hair.
- Use a blow dryer with a round brush to dry your hair and style it into place.
This will ensure that your hair is frizz-free and holds a nice shape throughout the day.
If your haircut is asymmetrical or shorter than a bob, you can still try styling it in the same way – using frizz-reducing products, and applying some heat to make the hair behave.
In cases where you might have distracting bangs or threads of hair that fall over your face, you might consider pinning them back. But make sure not to use any flashy or glitzy hair clips and opt instead for simple and minimalist hairpins.
Half-Updo
If your hair is long enough to pull some of it back, a great hairstyle for a funeral is a half-updo.
The reason this hair works so well for a somber event is that it makes it look like you put in some effort without looking like you went overboard.
Here is how to achieve an appropriate half-updo hairstyle:
- Wash your hair the morning of the funeral.
- Blow dry it and use heat styling products if needed to give the hair a straight or slightly wavy appearance.
- Pick the section of your hair that is above the ears and pull it back gently.
- Use a simple clip to secure those sections of the hair back behind the crown of your head.
- Finish off with a small spritz of hairspray to keep everything in place.
Make sure that the clip you choose is not brightly colored. Ideally, it should be close to the color of your hair or black.
Neat Bun
A slick bun is another great hairstyle for a funeral. It is simple, non-distracting, and very chic at the same time.
For a neat bun, it’s important that your hair is pulled back tight without any loose hairs sticking out. Here’s how to get that look:
- Start by brushing out and detangling your hair.
- Part your hair in the middle.
- Spritz a little bit of hairspray all over the top of your head.
- Using a brush, pull your hair back into a ponytail at the nape of your neck with a hair tie. If you want the bun to sit a little bit higher, you can raise it by a few inches.
- Once the ponytail is secure, twist the hair and wrap it around the ponytail. When it takes the shape of a bun, put another hair tie over it.
- Use invisible hair pins to pin any loose strands around the bun and anywhere else on your hair.
- Spritz a bit more hairspray to secure everything in place.
If your hair is particularly unruly, you can use hair gel instead of the hairspray in step 3. This will make the hair really stay slick. The neat bun looks good with a slightly wet hair look anyway.
Loose Chignon
A chignon is similar to a bun but it’s a little less slick and a little more romantic. It sits at the nape of the neck and looks like a loose knot. A chignon would work well at a funeral because it’s classy yet effortless.
For a chignon, wavy or curly hair works best to accentuate the texture:
- Start with loose waves.
- Tie your hair in a loose ponytail at the back of your neck using a simple hair tie.
- Make a little hole just above the hair tie and pull your ponytail over and through the hole.
- Continue wrapping your ponytail over itself and pulling it through the hole.
- Once it resembles a big knot, use invisible pins to secure any loose hair. A chignon is an art form, so don’t worry about it looking a specific way, just get it to stay at the nape of your neck.
- If you have any loose hair around your face, make sure it’s lightly curled, neatly positioned, and secured in place with a little bit of hairspray.
Appropriate Makeup Looks For Funerals
Now that you have your hair figured out, let’s talk about makeup for funerals. There are a few things to consider when doing your makeup before a funeral:
- It should look simple and appropriate
- It should be waterproof and long-lasting
As with clothes and hair, you want to keep your makeup looking simple and non-distracting. Think neutral and natural tones that accentuate your face. No blue eyeshadow or bright red lipstick, please!
We will go over how to do makeup like that in a few moments. In the meantime, let’s talk about waterproof and long-lasting makeup, and why you should consider it.
Waterproof And Long-Lasting Makeup
If there’s a chance you’re going to be crying, you should definitely invest in waterproof mascara. Other waterproof products that may be helpful are eyeliner and eyeshadow if you can find them.
There’s nothing wrong with crying at a funeral, of course, but you don’t want to have black streaks lining your face for the rest of the day.
Another great product you’ll appreciate is a long-lasting foundation. Foundations that have a strong hold will stay put, even if you’re crying or standing in rainy weather. You won’t be afraid of using tissues to wipe your face because your foundation won’t be sticking to the tissue.
If you usually use setting powder on your face, you might want to reconsider. Water, tears, and rain on top of setting powder can create a streaky and cakey mess. Skip the setting powder and use a long-lasting foundation instead.
Even if you’re not the crying type, with so many funerals taking place outdoors, you might want to wear waterproof products in case of rain or snow.
Minimal Makeup
The best way to create a simple and appropriate makeup look for a funeral is to think like a minimalist. You don’t want to use any unnecessary products that add too much color or glam.
Instead, try to accentuate your features in a subtle way.
Skin
The most important thing you can do to your skin is keep it looking natural.
- Start with clean skin and apply a moisturizer with SPF. This will give your skin the protection it needs from any outdoor UV rays while moisturizing and softening it.
- Once your face is dry, apply a primer. This will help hold onto the foundation and avoid any streaking.
- Dab a little bit of concealer under your eyes, especially if you’ve been crying already.
- Put your long-lasting liquid foundation over your face using a blender brush. Use no more than two layers to avoid looking too cakey.
- If you feel like your face needs a little bit of color, add a subtle hint of blush on your cheeks. Make sure to use a soft brush so that it’s totally blended.
- Contouring is not necessary for a funeral, but if you are feeling like it would add a little bit of fresh color to your face, you can add a tiny amount of bronzer and fluff it out from your cheekbones towards your ears. Make sure not to use a bronzer with any glitter or sparkles in it – stick to matte only.
Eyes
You don’t want to go for glamour eyes or dramatic eyeliner. Keep things simple by accentuating the natural features of your eyes.
- Fill in your brows if needed by using a soft pencil in the color that matches your hair. Be light with the pencil and avoid dramatic edges or lines.
- Use matte eyeshadow in the shade closest to your skin to cover the eyelid. You can use a slightly lighter color over your brow bone and in the inner corner of your eye. Eyeshadow colors should all be in the taupe or brown family as those look more natural. Avoid blue, green, red, or violet eye shadow tones, as well as metallic or pearlescent finishes.
- If you choose to wear eyeliner, make sure it’s waterproof and avoid putting it directly on your water line. Instead, glide the eyeliner over your top lashes to add a little bit of thickness. The eyeliner should be either brown or black.
- You can use a white eyeliner on your waterline to neutralize any redness if you feel like it’s needed.
- Use waterproof mascara on your lashes. Choose between brown or black.
Lips
It’s generally appropriate to have natural-looking lips at a funeral. This means you should avoid bright reds, mauves, browns, blacks, or pinks on your lips.
- Use a nude lip liner to gently line the lips. This will prevent your lipstick from smearing.
- Use nude lipstick or lip gloss to fill in the lips. Look for a satin or slightly dewy finish to give your lips a healthy look. Make sure the color isn’t unnatural looking for your complexion.
As an alternative, you can simply wear lip balm without any lip liner or lipstick – that would be appropriate for a funeral, too.
Tips For Looking Appropriate At A Funeral
In addition to wearing appropriate hair and makeup, there are other things you should consider when getting ready to attend a funeral.
A good rule of thumb is to look conservative and slightly professional. Although many funerals don’t take place in a church, you should aim to look like you’re going to a church.
Even the most casual people usually dress up for a funeral. This is because it’s such an important event and you want to show your respect towards the deceased and their loved ones.
Here are a few additional tips you might not have considered:
No Shorts Or Short Skirts
Shorts are simply too casual for a somber event, so men and women should avoid wearing shorts to a funeral. If you wear a skirt or a dress, make sure it’s not too short. Anything above the knee is a bit revealing for a funeral.
No Sportswear
Athleisure is appropriate in many contexts these days, but it’s best to leave it at home during a funeral. If you need a jacket, opt for a blazer rather than a hoodie.
If you want comfortable pants, wear relaxed slacks instead of your favorite leggings. If you want shoes you can stand on all day, pick a pair of loafers instead of sneakers. You get the idea.
Go Light On The Perfume
A funeral takes place in a room full of people, so to be respectful of everyone and their sensitivities, it’s best to avoid wearing perfume.
If you insist on wearing perfume, spritz it into the air and walk through it rather than spraying it directly on yourself or your clothes.
Clean Nails
Wondering what your nails should look like at a funeral? It’s best to have modest and clean nails. Don’t opt for long acrylics with bright colors and gemstone appliques. You should also avoid black nail polish.
Instead, choose a simple gel manicure in nude or light pink colors.
Minimal Jewelry
Keep jewelry simple. Studs or small rings in your ears, a simple pendant, and a wedding or engagement ring (if you have one) are more than enough. Stick to the same type of metal in all of your jewelry – either silver or gold.
If you have visible body piercings, switch those into simple metal rings or studs.
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself worrying about what you’ll look like at a funeral, we hope that this article helps you by taking one more thing off your plate.
Keeping things simple and respectful is easy once you know what is expected: clean, simple looks that aren’t too bright or fancy do the trick.
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