The "I do" of makeup

BY CHELSEA SIMMONS

Melanie joins us again for a guest post full of tips for bridal makeup artists and some suggestions for future brides, enjoy! It’s really easy for a bride to over-think her look – many have a staggering wish list, most feel overwhelmed at some point. Some seem to glide through the decision stages and have a go-with-the-flow attitude for the big day. A stunning bride who was being herself is a good memory for everyone. Style goes beyond the outfit or as I sometimes say, the ‘dress epicentre’. Hair and makeup, from relaxed to opulent, is the opening and finishing sentence to the bride’s entire styling. They are the framing around those all important eyes and one of the keys to the bride’s confidence.

Highlighting and shading is a technique which is truly fundamental to makeup artistry – and certainly successful for the bride. We can correct unevenness, bring out features and enhance contouring. They work together and are not so effective on their own. HD technology and the photographers are showing more detail, and clarity in images has come to be what we expect in every day life. Makeup has to be well blended! As a stylist, looking to my makeup palette– highlighting comes in many forms. Some examples are PurePressed Eye Shadow in Oyster, Allure, Peach Sherbet, Champagne and Nude. 24-Karat Gold Dust offers Gold, Silver and Rose Gold...and a lighter base (to the bride’s natural skin tone) in the form of PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation, are all options for highlighting. Shaders, of course being darker than the skin, will be more light-absorbing and can be used under the cheekbones, around the hairline, socket of the eye and temples to name a few. In my palette I look for shade choices, such as a darker shade of PurePressed Base, So-Bronze Bronzing Powder, Dubonnet PurePressed Blushand through eye shadows perhaps Cappuccino, Dawn, Crushed Ice or Dark Suede PurePressed Eye Shadow. Makeup can nurture the proportions of the face and create a look for the bride as ‘herself’, with her beauty enhanced. She’ll glow from her level of confidence and this will be noticed by her groom and guests.

I really recommend a dedicated makeup area at the wedding venue for the bride and her bridesmaid's – have your freshen-up hub ready laid out with skin hydration spray, an elegant gold case filled with Facial Blotting Paper, PureMoist Lip Stick selections and more. A bride can change her lip product in the evening – switch to Bellini, Nectar or Sangria PureGloss Lip Gloss – Moringa butter and avacado oil moisturise and quench and the blackberry and pomegranate extracts taste divine as well as being a pow! of antioxidants. For makeup artists, what is it that gets her attention and investment? I believe it is paying attention to the details of each individual client. What’s important for the client today,in theirlife? This isn’t allabout the big day. It’s about the build up and after the celebrations. Time, preparation and attention to detail keeps confidence high The bride is to wear a beautiful makeup base for her wedding – so incorporate this selection in to her every day makeup routine in the build up to the wedding day – familiarity is a really good thing, not to mention the benefits. If she is opting for smart ingredients and rejecting fillers, such as talc, chemical dyes and chemical preservatives – then skin sensitivities are minimised or fall to zero. My additional tip for the bride-to-be is to remember to wear Sun Protection Factor (SPF) all year round. A broad spectrum sunscreen is required to give protection in the UVA range as well. An SPF rating does not measure Ultraviolet A (UVA) protection. I can think of nothing better for the bride than a no-mess powder sunscreen – and Powder-Me SPF Dry Sunscreen by jane iredale is the one for my style assignments! There are 3 colors available, including translucent and can be used on the scalp too. Look out for the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation. To earn this seal, a manufacturer must provide scientific data showing that its products sufficiently and safely aid in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin. Most brides will have been focusing on well-being in preparation for their wedding. There is a continued expectation to find plant ingredients in beauty regimes and products. In the spirit of summer’s ingredients, I know from my friends at jane iredale, elderflower is high in vitamin C and soothes and conditions the skin; wild rose wax nourishes and moisturises the lips; and honeysuckle can help to purify the skin. Earlier this year, when I met with Jane Iredale in London (the talented woman herself) - I discovered it was apple extract which was helping my skin’s moisture retention – this I achieved with Smooth Affair Facial Primer & Brightener, a translucent primer and brightener. For the bride, this particular primer would be the very first layer before her base colour (with or without her usual moisturiser). All highlighting and shading applications will be enhanced further as pigments will be blended over a smoother surface – the light and camera love this!

In bridal-speak, words like radiant, glowing, it’s so me, lasting impact, natural, happiness, confidence and trust are important and they also describe the focus for the designer, hairdresser and stylist. For my work as a stylist, one sentence really matters in all of my assignments – “Client’s happiness, always” Melanie Sarah Brewer is a personal stylist from Berkshire, UK. Visit Melanie's website here.