You can hardly recognize her and your thinking…

“Oh my Gawd… she has waaaay too much makeup on and it doesn’t even look like her.”

To avoid this from happening to you on such an important day, follow these steps prior to the event:

• 8 months prior - start collecting, printing hair and makeup styles of looks you like from magazines to websites. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity the models are in your picture.  What matters is that you pick either the complete style or different parts of the hair and makeup styles you like or want.  For example, if you like the bangs of one picture and like the curls of another, that’s what you want to find.  And same goes for makeup: If you like the eyes of a picture and skin of another.  This helps visually the exact look you want.

• 7 months prior - At this point you need to decide if you want to go to a salon to get your hair and makeup done or have a personal bridal beauty hair and makeup artist come to you.   Salons are not experienced in catering to a brides and their needs so I recommend an experienced  bridal beauty consultant coming to  your event.  It is less stressful and you would save a lot of time , you should discuss your needs and options with your personal bridal beauty hair and makeup artist to determine whats best for you.

• 6 months prior - Meet with 3 to 6 of your top bridal beauty stylists your are considering for a consultation to discuss your needs and options.  If you are deciding to go with your regular hair stylist, BE AWARE.  Few stylist really know how to put up hair, even in a simple up-do, and that because they mainly specialize in hair coloring or cutting.  Also you many be one of 15 people the stylist is going to service that day with so many DISTRACTIONS.  Another option you may be considering is going to your local department store makeup counter.   Their main purpose is to Sell You Cosmetics NOT what looks best on you.  The best option would be having a personal hair and makeup artist that specializes in bridal beauty.  Be sure they are professionals, experienced, and most importantly you are comfortable with.

• 5 months prior - Schedule your Trial Hair and Makeup Session with the stylist of your choice.  However make sure you still keep your 2nd and 3rd choices on hand just in case it doesn’t work out with your first choice.  The Trial Hair and Makeup Session should be the full hair and makeup process that will be performed on the day of.  This way you get to see exactly what you will look like.  Since this is several months before the actual wedding, It is critical for the stylist to take photographs, notes and log everything so nothing is forgotten and there are no surprises on the your wedding day.

It will neutralize and balance the look of a blemish particularly those dreaded under-eye circles. The right concealer can camouflage just about every imperfection and give you flawless skin.

Gently tap the concealer on with fingertips or brush on with a soft flat brush…Anyone who has less than perfect skin needs a good concealer. Concealer should cover the entire under-eye, including outside of eye to give it lift. The outside of the eye is also prone to redness and dryness.

Choose concealers that are one to two shades lighter than your skin tone. The main purpose is to make a darker spot blend into your complexion.

Liquid concealer is highly recommended for dry skin and for concealing large areas like under-eye circles.

Solid concealer is commonly used to hide stubborn pimples, scars and bruises.

When liquid or solid cream foundation is used, best results are obtained by using concealer afterwards. Use a peachy slighty lighter than the shade of the cream foundation. When using a cream and powder foundation, concealer should go on first.

But sometimes concealer may be all you need to balance out your complexion as many women forego the foundation, set their concealer with powder and that’s it.

Adding peachy eye shadow to concealer or foundation will conceal dark circles. It will color-correct dark undertones while concealing. Green or blue eye shadow added to concealer or foundation will correct ruddy tones and broken capillaries.

Even the residue in the cap of your foundation sometimes serves as the perfect concealer. It’s slightly dehydrated, making it just the right amount to conceal. And of course, it matches your foundation naturally.

Sometimes it even helps to keep 2 or 3 shades of concealer on hand where you can always blend them with your fingertips before applying to get the best shade. Also, make sure your skin is moisturized, but not greasy. It will allow for the best application of the product.

Concealers come in various forms like a squeezable tube or in a tube with a built-in brush-tipped wand applicator or an emollient-based, lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer or as a stick concealer which helps in direct on the spot application or a pencil-style concealer designed for instant, precise application.

Each of the above comes in various shades and about a dozen are readily available.

Just follow the guidelines we’ve given you and we know you will look absolutely beautiful!

Currently our blog site is undergoing some maintinance and updates but it will be back shortly! Feel free to log in and comment whatever and whenever you’d like! ^_^