Hi, I’m Marnel

I’ve been doing this for 16 years, and somewhere along the way I’ve had the privilege of being part of more than 400 weddings — from intimate celebrations in South Africa to weddings further afield.

And I still really, really love it.

The makeup bit

I specialise in bridal beauty, with a particular love for airbrush makeup. For me, good bridal makeup isn't about making you look like you've had a lot of makeup done. It's about creating skin that looks like skin, only better. Makeup that photographs beautifully, lasts through the day, and still feels like you when you look in the mirror.

My approach is very much you, but 2.0.

I want to bring out the things you already love about yourself rather than deciding what I think a bride should look like. I want you to look at your wedding photographs 20 years from now and still recognize - and love - the woman looking back at you.

A little more about me

My husband and I eloped in New York in 2023, which probably tells you something about my feelings towards traditional wedding rules.

He's a musician by passion and an architect by profession, and somehow we make that combination work.

I'm also mildly obsessed with travel. Cape Town is home, but France & the Netherlands has a very large piece of my heart (and no, not just Paris or Amsterdam), with Scotland and New York not far behind.

(Someone needs to carry the burden of keeping the family-fridge-travel-magnet-collection going)

So if you have a travel story, a restaurant recommendation, or a strong opinion about where to get the best coffee, there's a very good chance we'll have something to talk about while I'm doing your makeup.

The professional bit

I keep it simple -I do what I do, and I do it well. Ya gurl is not mathematically inclined and Art class was where I excelled. Like I said, I’m not here to charm you with fancy words and promises, except the promise I’ll do my absolute best to help you.

Over the years, my work has taken me across South Africa and internationally, and has been featured on bridal platforms and in publications including Junebug Weddings, Green Wedding Shoes, Ruffled, SouthBound Bride, The Pretty Blog, Confetti Daydreams, Mooi Troues, SA Weddings, Wedding Inspirations, Sarie Bride and Hochzeitsguide.

I was also named LuxLife's Top Makeup Artist in South Africa in 2024.

Your trial

Your bridal trial takes place at my home studio in Bellville, one of Cape Town's established Northern Suburbs. It's intentionally relaxed. No rushing, no trying to squeeze your entire trial into an hour. On average I book out 3 hrs for the trial, but we can be done after 2 hrs.

It's our chance to meet properly, talk through your plans, look at your dress, and overall aesthetic, experiment a little, and figure out exactly what makes you feel like your absolute best self. Because by the time your wedding morning arrives, I don't want you wondering whether you're going to like your makeup.

I want you to sit in my chair and know you're in good hands.

So, that’s me.

Sixteen years, 400+ weddings, an unreasonable amount of makeup, several thousand photographs, a husband, some dogs and a deep love for travelling later...

I’m still ridiculously lucky to call this my job.

If you're planning a wedding, I'd love to hear about it.

Four bottles of Temptu airbrush makeup colors and a silver airbrush tool on a white surface.
Cape Town bridal makeup artist Marnel Toerien.

QUALIFICATIONS, COURSES & EXPERIENCE

  • International Diploma in Aesthetics
    ITEC, CISESCO & SAAHSP accredited

    Microblading & Permanent Makeup
    ITEC, CISESCO & SAAHSP accredited

    Lash Extensions
    Qualified - but these days I prefer to send my brides to a handful of lash artists I trust implicitly. You can't be the best at everything, and I'm very happy to know who is.

    7 years in the health & skincare industry
    And still keeping up with the ever-changing world of skin, beauty and products.

    Wedding industry since 2009
    So I've had plenty of time to learn that the prettiest makeup is only half the job. The other half is knowing how to keep things calm when the timeline has gone completely sideways.

WHAT'S IN THE KIT

A carefully curated mix of professional favourites, tried-and-tested staples and the occasional new obsession.

Airbrush: TEMPTU
Makeup: MAC · HAUS LABS · P.Louise · Charlotte Tilbury · Make Up For Ever
Hair: ghd · Schwarzkopf · Keune

Bridal makeup artist applying makeup to a bride with blonde Hollywood waves during wedding morning preparations in Cape Town