15 Best Bridal Beauty Secrets
Be extra careful -- once you've already smudged, you don't want to make it worse or you'll have to start all over again from scratch. Scott Miselnicky, executive director of global product development at Clinique, suggests wetting a Q-tip with makeup remover and gently dabbing at the mistake until it's completely gone. Go slowly so you don't take off too much!
2. Avoid Shirley Temple curls.
Pageant-perfect curls are a bride's worst nightmare. For a natural look, wrap a section of hair around the outside of the barrel and hold for three seconds. Release and let cool, then lightly run your fingers through your hair. And don't forget -- vary the size of your curls, and switch up the direction in which you wrap them.
"If you're face is roundish, shading lightly can work wonders!" says Lucy Baldock-Sacchi, international makeup artist and founder of Lucy B. Cosmetics. She suggests using a matte bronzer just below your cheekbones, then following up with a pink or peach blush on the apples of your cheeks. To tone it down, skip the bronzer and use a hint of shimmer on the highest point of your cheekbones.
4. Flatter your face.
When it comes to choosing a hairstyle, all of our experts emphasize that your look needs to harmonize with your gown. Also, make sure to choose a style that will bring out your best feature, explains Jamal Hammadi, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Hamadi Beauty. "For an updo, placing the style between the top of your ear and the top of your eye (like a high ponytail) will enhance the shape of your eyes, while placing it lower (like a chignon) will put the focus more on your lips and neck," he says.
Right before the wedding is not the time to try out a new skincare regimen. No matter how tired you are, make sure you stick to your cleansing schedule and remove your makeup before you go to bed! If you really need more ammo, try a mask with salicylic acid.
6. Apply perfect foundation.
It only takes two tools to do this right: a quality brush and a makeup sponge. The brush will give you coverage, while the sponge will blend away any streaks or remove excess buildup.
7. Pull off a bold lip color.
Lots of brides like to amp up their look for the reception, and a deeper lip hue is a great way to do it. "Using a brighter lip color will always make your teeth look whiter; a big plus on your wedding day!" says Stila makeup artist Sarah Lucero. Keep all the rest of your face relatively neutral, and your eye makeup soft -- not severe. "Also, make sure your cheek and lip colors are in the same color family," she says.
Even if you're not going with a curly style, a curling iron or rollers should be in your repertoire. "Blow out your hair with a round brush for body, then follow up with a curling iron all over," explains Edward Tricomi, co-owner of Warren-Tricomi Salons.
9. Apply alluring eye shadow.
Eye shadow color trios and quads can be difficult to decode: How do you know where to use each shade? According to Baldock-Sacchi, it's perfectly fine to break the rules and experiment. If you want your eyes to look wider, she recommends using the lightest shade on the inner corner to give your peepers a more open look. Shimmering shades can be used all over and look amazing layered over color. The darker shades should be used for contouring in the crease or the center of the lid.
10. Keep your lipstick on your lips.
Miselnicky suggests applying a small amount of vaseline on to your teeth to keep lipstick from winding up on your teeth. "Also, gently blot your lipstick with a tissue after you have applied it to remove any excess," he says. "Believe me, the groom will be happy!"
"Always try to wash and rinse your hair with cool water, which will help maintain its natural moisture and prevent your hair from drying out," Hammadi says. Follow it up with a frizz-fighting product that will boost your protection level.
12. Make mascara run-proof.
Waterproof mascara is a wedding day must-have. "I use waterproof on everyone involved in the wedding party because you never know who will tear up!" Lucero says. For lower lashes, she recommends applying mascara with a flat eyeliner brush rather than the mascara wand. "This trick prevents smearing under your eyes, which can make you look tired," she explains.
13. Boast a beautiful decolletage.
You want your chest and shoulders to have clear, glowing skin -- especially if you're wearing a strapless gown. Debbie D'Aquino, vice president of global product development at Clinique, recommends wearing clothing that breathes and keeps perspiration from building up on your skin (this goes double for workout wear). Cleanse with a treatment that includes salicylic acid. We love ones that come in spray bottles because it's so much easier to apply to the back.
It might be tough, but Diane Berson, M.D., says it's key that you get plenty of sleep (and not just the night before the wedding). "Sleep with your head elevated on a pillow to reduce puffiness, and try not to rub your eyes," she says. It's also a good idea to use an eye cream that brightens as well as hydrates.
15. Touch up your makeup.
You may not have time to redo your makeup before the reception starts, but you should give yourself a quick once-over in order to make sure you stay looking great (after all, nearly every second of the reception will be photographed!). Makeup expert Francis Roman of Butterfly Studio says to skip blush (which should last just fine) and your eyelids (too risky). Instead, apply another layer of lip color, and blot your T-zone with an oil-removing paper. Then run a makeup sponge or a Q-tip beneath your lower lashes to remove any mascara or eye shadow that may have smudged or fallen beneath them, and you're good to go.
Expert Wedding Makeup Tips
It's your D-day and you want everything to be just perfect! For perfection, you certainly need trained help; and who better can help you than the Expert
herself.
10 Tips for the Ideal Wedding Make-Up
1. Beauty Regime before the big day: To get that glowing, fresh-faced look, there are a few things to consider a few weeks prior to your wedding day.
- A skin and nail care plan should be started about 6 weeks before the wedding.
- Talk to your beautician about having regular facials and manicures.
- Don't get too much sun before your wedding. Sunburns and peeling skin shouldn't sabotage your wedding day.
- Consider Spray-on-tanning , a 100% natural way to achieve a tan. Ask Cristina about Golden Tropics Spray on Tan.
- Don't forget the importance of Body-Mind-Spirit. What's going on inside is just as important to looking good. As you know preparing for a wedding is very stressful and if you are not looking after yourself by not getting enough sleep or not eating properly it will without a doubt show on your face!
- If you are really stressed out consider having a relaxing massage once a week for a month and also a day before the wedding. Burn some relaxing essential oils around the house to help calm your nerves.
- If you are having trouble sleeping try Valerian tea before going to bed, available from most health food shops.
- When you have chosen a make-up artist, organise a trial around 1-2 months before the wedding.
- It is a good idea to have your bridesmaids with you to give their input and also advise what kind of look they want themselves.
- Have pictures from magazines to show the make-up artist various looks that appeal to you.
- Mention if you have any skin problems or allergies etc or if there are any particular ways you wear your make-up.
- If you are having a day-time wedding it is ideal to organise the trial during the day as this will give you a better idea as to how the make-up will look.
- Having pictures of the dresses will give the make-up artist a starting point for designing the perfect look for you and your bridesmaids.
- Fabric swatches of the wedding dress and bridesmaid's dresses and a description of the flowers will also help when choosing colours. The colours should compliment both the dress and the flowers.
- The style you choose for your wedding make-up will ultimately depend on your personal preference, but there are some other factors to consider:
- The time of the ceremony -is it a day or evening wedding? A lighter, more natural look is more suited to a day wedding and a more dramatic look is suited to an evening one.
- What time of year is your wedding? If you are having a Spring/Summer wedding, go for bright, pastel colours. Warm, deeper shades will lend themselves well to a winter wedding.
- Your skin tones and hair colour? There are two colour palettes- warm or cool .
- If you are Blond or fair skinned, cool tones of grey, blue, soft pink and lilac are ideal.
- If you are brunette or olive skinned, warm neutral tones of brown, taupe, burgundy & red are more suited.
- Remember your make up should be a little more dramatic than your everyday make-up as you can tend to look pale and wash-out in photos if your make-up doesn't stand out.
- Foundations with yellow undertones work best with flash photography.
- Keep away from shimmer highlighters as this look will not show up well in photos and give a reflective shine.
- Use a light dusting of translucent powder to prevent any unwanted shine.
- Ask your make-up artist to use a bronzing powder to warm your skin tone and give a natural glow. Place on areas where the sun would naturally hit e.g. Forehead, cheeks and bridge of nose.
- Blush- use more than not enough.
- The eye-area should be soft and natural with no heavy, dark lines.
- Keep away from up to the minute eyeshadows and make-up trends as you will regret it when you look at your photos in years to come!
- Use a brow pencil slightly darker than your hair colour and avoid heavy, dark shadows.
- Use a lip-liner the same colour as your lipstick and avoid a noticeable or dark lip line.
- The colour on your lips will depend on whether you are a warm or cool colour palette (see tip 5).
- It is more flattering to define one area i.e. If you want dark, defined eyes, go for a lighter lip shade and if you want dark/bright lips go for natural, light eyes.
- Ask your make-up artist to arrive as early as possible and allow plenty of time to get the job done. The last thing you want is to be rushed on your wedding day.
- Ask your mum or one of your bridesmaids to carry a powder compact, tissues and lipstick for touch ups during the day.