Beauty
is in the eyes of the beholder as we have all been told. Everywhere we
turn there is a new image of what it is one should aspire to look like.
Keep in mind that the particular beholder in this case has chosen you as
his vision of beauty.
I
am sure that you have an idea of how your day will look. You
only went over it in your head a thousand times. One reason you never thought
of the make-up is you never saw any traces of it on you or your girls in your
vision because it was only sheer perfection gracing the aisle. Snap out of it.
None of us are flawless. If we were could you image all the self-proclaimed make-up
artist, sales reps for all cosmetics: department store, drug store and door to
door, running to the unemployment line. What would be done with all of those
pink Cadillacs? Don’t get me wrong; there are many great artists out there. But
never judge a book by its cover and be careful not to get reeled in by a mirage. Just
because someone works at a high-end department store counter does not make him
or her a pro at make-up. It only makes them a pro at what they were taught to
hustle to you from there line.
No, really, it
is not that big of a deal since you must look perfect for that one and
only day. I must say that nobody knows your face better than you. Stop
thinking that it is not in your capacity. Also stop thinking, "Why did
I pick so & so to walk?” Everything
always works out in the end. In
the event you want to be pampered and only show up then by all means do
so, that is my style. If you want to save a buck and still have you and
all your bridesmaids look the best possible, let’s go. It’s
not so hard.
Now
let us get those bridesmaids out of the way. You do not want one bridesmaid
coming down the aisle in a smoky eye and light lips while the next is wearing
a light eye with a deep berry lip. It is best to keep all of your bridesmaids
as neutral as possible. There
are several ways to approach this. Choose
eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipliner, lip-gloss, and maybe even a great eyelash
for your bridesmaids. Either
insert them into a nice little bag to give each of them as the bridesmaids
gift along with a face chart as to where each item goes, or give the bridesmaids
a list of the items that they need to acquire, where they can get them,
as well as how much they cost so they can be prepared to bring that amount.
Often times if you are working with a particular place or counter, they
will be more than pleased to have all the items together for when each
of the girls arrive; you can only handle so much so make the reps work
for there money. This is a polite way to inform each person that it is
not an option as to what there make-up style is on this particular day.
After all it is your day and only yours.
The
deciding factor in choosing the bridesmaid’s colors will stem off
of what it is your look will be, and here is a way to decide your colors
and style. We will do it in steps:
- Foundation
Just
because you wear it does not mean you must spackle it on. This product
was made to achieve a perfect complexion. Therefore, apply only where needed
and blend in to natural skin tone. More than likely it will be needed under
the eye area to hide dark circles as well as to any blemishes and scars.
Simply apply to problem area and pat in until it is well blended in.
- Powder
This
is not to change you skin’s natural color. Powder
should be used only to set the foundation as well as to take away that
pesky shine that always seems to come back. Choose one of the numerous
blotting powders that are on the market today. They
contain low amounts of talc and titanium dioxide which are the agents that
cause that mask look you often see in photos.
- Blush & Bronzers
Now
here is your chance to do as the pros do. Contouring: Think back to when
you were in art class. Dark colors sink things in and light colors pop
them out. For those of you who missed art class, go into a bathroom with
a flashlight. Stand in front
of a mirror and with the light off shine the flashlight down from above
your head. I know it sounds weird but now that you have done this you can
see what parts of your face stands out and what parts tend to sink in,
now mimic that with the bronzer and blush. Apply bronzer to the following
areas: follow that line under your check bone to give that sunken in effect;
on either side of your nose will make it appear to be more narrow; right
above each eyebrow makes the middle of your forehead as well as your eyes
stand out. Now on the apples of your cheeks apply a small amount of blush.
At this point you probably look as though you are ready for war and not
a wedding. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. And blend some more until no lines are
noticeable and you only see natural highs and lows of your face. This may
be one of the most difficult things to accomplish but you know that look
of shear perfection that you see when you envision yourself walking down
the ails, this is how you will achieve it. Practice this because it will
be one of the things that will make you stand out from the girls.
- Eyebrows
In
the event you need to have them arched, please do so one week prior to
your day. It gives enough time to reduce the swelling and redness. There
are stats for eyebrows. Here
they are: take a pen or pencil and place it on the side of your nose going
straight up like a flagpole. This is where your brow should start. Now,
leaving the pen at the same place on the nose, move the pen on an angle
where it crosses the middle of the iris while you are looking straight
ahead. This is where your
arch should be the most defined or highest. Again, leaving the pen in the
same place on the nose, place the pen on the outer most part of the eye. This
is the ending point of your brow. Regardless
of what anyone has or will tell you, this is the same grid that has been
used since the beginning of time and will continue to be used. Although
it has altered a bit though time, it always has maintained its general
form. As for the proper color, if you are one of those ladies who have
colored there hair so often you forgot the natural color, you can find
the natural color for the brow by matching it to the root of new growth
or from the color of your hair down there (in the private area). Don’t
make them to strong in color. Keep it natural.
- Eyelashes
Well
I am not adamant about much, but this is one of them. I cannot even conceive
the notion of doing a face without using Kiss Me Mascara made by Blinc.
The reason is simple: it tubes the eyelash instead of painting them so
regardless of the situation you will never get the raccoon eyes. Cry all
you need to no running or smearing on your day. When
you wash your face, it will actually appear as if your eyelashes are floating
in the tub. Had you not been
told, you may even think that your lashes had fallen out. Don’t make
the mistake of not using this product. You
will not have the worry of smearing or running and one less worry on your
day is a good thing. I love the look of false eyelashes. They
make such a dramatic difference with such little work. But it will take
a little bit of practice. The easiest way of applying them is to remove
the lash from container and cut to size. After doing so apply a thin line
of glue to the rim letting it dry for about 60 seconds, or until it is
a wee bit tacky. Then, while
looking down without closing the eye, set it on the eyelash and slid it
back to the eyelid. The glue
will dry clear.
- Eye
shadow
Keep
it simple; less is more in this situation. The other product that is a
must is called Shadow Magnet. It acts as glue for the eye shadow to stick
to. I have actually done someone’s eyes for an event one evening,
afterwards she went to sleep without washing her face and when she awoke
she looked as if she had had them done only a few hours before. In keeping
it simple, apply a lighter color under the brow to highlight that area,
a deeper tone in the crease, and then a hint of a lighter color on the
lid to make it pop.
- Eyeliner
Use
either an angle brush with a dark eye shadow for a soft effect or a pencil
for a little more defined look. If you really want them to stand out, then
use liquid liner. One of my new favorites is by M.A.C. called Fluidliner. It
is in a class all by itself with many choices of color.
- Lips
Liner
should be as close to the color of the lip as possible. After
lining them go ahead and color the whole lip in the same color. Then top
it with the lip color of your choice. You may want to add a gloss for extra
shine.
Time
after time we have been told to follow rules. There are no true rules to
make-up. Just as you followed
your heart in choosing you man, do the same and follow your heart when
it comes time to doing your face. There must be a comfort zone there, and
you must feel as though you look great in order to be great. This is only
a portion of what you will need to know, but I hope it will make your life
a bit easier.
Colby
Ryan
