This is a true story from a bride we know that could happen to you if you don’t take the right steps to avoid such a disaster:
It’s the morning of your wedding day. You wake up, have a light breakfast and head over to the salon for hair and makeup. Things are going great; you are feeling relaxed and calm. Then, midway through you makeup application you realize your eyes are starting to water and your cheeks look a little red but you aren’t feeling particularly emotional at the moment. You look a little closer and notice a faint red rash on your cheeks and quickly realize that you are having an allergic reaction to the makeup!
Rule number one: ALWAYS get a trial makeup application! It doesn’t matter how good the salon's reputation is, or if the artist did a great job on your best friend’s makeup last year - the bottom line is that makeup reacts differently on everyone so you need to see how it works for you before your big day! Even if you don’t break out in hives, you may not like the texture or feel of the makeup they use. Or, if you fiancé is like mine, he can’t stand “sticky lips” that result from a lip-gloss that has a glue-like instead of smooth finish.
Another key way to minimize the chance for an unwanted surprise is to purchase and bring your own makeup. This is a great option to ensure that the makeup reacts well to your skin and feels comfortable to wear. Plus, you will have everything you need to DIY for the rehearsal dinner and touch up your look throughout your wedding day and night.
This image from: premierbride.com
If you go this route, the easiest way to find the right colors and brands for your skin type is to visit your local Sephora or department store makeup counters. We like Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus because they have the top quality products that are made to last.
Recently your Vintage&Lace team did some in depth research of our own to find the best combination of top makeup brands for beautiful, classic and long-lasting wedding day looks. We hit all the top department stores and makeup counters to test the waters and found some real gems!
Here is your exclusive access to our finds:
To start this search we thought it would be best to consult a professional makeup artist and boy did we find the crème de la crème! Makeup artist to the movie stars, Taylor Roberts, occasionally does wedding day makeup when she is not on set somewhere across the globe. We were lucky enough to sit down with her in her private Taos, NM home for a trial makeup application and lesson. With her two sweet German Shepherds standing by, she did my makeup and imparted her hard earned makeup knowledge onto me. When she was finished, I loved the look - I felt like me, only better!
This is me and my "sticky lips" hating guy! :)
And, here are some pictures of my wedding makeup muses that I brought to Taylor:
Mila Kunis
Jennifer Lopez
Sandra Bullock
The crowning jewel of Taylor’s makeup bag is the Armani Exchange Luminous Silk Foundation she recommended, a favorite of Meghan Fox and a variety of other stars. Nothing goes on quite as smooth as this! It covers flaws and evens out your skin tone without being greasy or thick. This foundation comes in an array of tones all scientifically numbered instead of named. For my medium, olive tone skin the 5.5 was perfect! But, if you don’t find you perfect shade Taylor says you can always get two and mix them or even get a second to adjust your color as you gently tan through the summer.
The next best thing in her bag was the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner. This stuff is awesome! It is a pencil but goes on smooth like a cream that you can blend and shape before it dries and becomes completely smudge proof. It is sure to last through any wedding tears that might threaten your look.
After meeting with Taylor we took her list of recommended items to Nordstrom’s to purchase. We started at the Chanel counter to pick up our must have eyeliner where we found another expert who was able to build on what Taylor taught us and show us some of her own favorites. Jargal Baatar, Make-Up Artist and Business Manager of Chanel Cosmetics introduced us to Chanel’s incredibly smooth, non-sticky lip gloss: Levres Scintillantes Glossimer #108, also known as Constellation (love that name!). This gloss is shimmery in a non-Miley Cyrus way that looks great on women of all ages. This is an absolute must for your wedding day makeup touch-up kit. I pair it with the Chanel Rouge CoCo 02 Perle lip stick for a romantic look.
Jargal also recommended the Chanel eye shadows because of their spectrum of classic colors. I have dark chocolate brown eyes and contrary to the common recommendation, I generally dislike pink-toned eye shadows. It has always felt a bit too unnatural for me but it’s true that pinks can make brown eyes pop. Jargal immediately picked out Soft Touch EyeShadow #43, Cinnamon. It is a warm brown with a touch of magenta and plum that really highlighted my eyes. I bought this one and #52 Gold as a highlighter so I could re-create the secret “Chanel C” technique: use a small eye shadow brush, dip it in a gold shimmer eye shadow and apply it in a C shape from the outside end of your eyebrow to the middle of your cheek bone as a highlighter.
We also found a powder at Chanel that is top-of-the-line for staying power. Their Natural Finish Loose Powder over the Armani Foundation works fabulous - these two were made for each other! Though the package is on the bulky side, go for the loose powder option because it stays on longer and requires less touch ups. We also love that it has a faint scent of roses so when your new husband gets up close for that first kiss, your skin will smell like heaven.
Next, we went over to Armani to pick up our foundation where we also learned about the incredible Fluid Master Primer they now offer. Just a pearl sized drop made the foundation glide right on and last even longer. You won’t need it for everyday wear but it’s definitely a good idea for special occasions.
This next item is one, tried and true, from my very own makeup bag. I love Benefit’s Erase Paste. If you get a sudden break out or have dark circles from lack of sleep, this stuff can camouflage almost anything!
I am also a big fan of blush, especially for professional pictures. Taylor recommends Nars in Orgasim, one of the best-selling blushes of all time. We think Benefit’s Coralista is also great. The key is to keep it light and natural; blush can be easy to over-do but the experts agree it is critical in creating a youthful bridal glow.
After months of testing tons of top mascaras, By Terry, Terrybly Mascara tops our list. Not only does it extend, separate and darken your lashes, it actually helps them grow! We suggest picking this one up a couple of months before the wedding to get the most out of your lashes. Not all stores in the US carry it (we came across it in the beauty capital of the world: Paris, France) but you should be able to track it down online.
Finally, no makeup bag is complete without a great set of brushes. Just ask any artist and they will tell you that the quality of your brushes makes a big difference in how the makeup (or paint) looks on the canvas. We found this to be especially true when applying that priceless Armani Foundation. Don’t worry about purchasing the pricey Armani brush though - Sephora has some great quality sets for less. Just be sure that your brushes are not synthetic as natural brushes have a smoother application that won’t leave streaks.
Here is most of our loot together:
How you look on your wedding day will be memorialized in photos that will not only last a lifetime, but also will hopefully be passed down for generations. No matter how handsome your groom is, all eyes tend to be on the bride during the big day. We hope these tips help you look and feel your best on yours and for any other special occasions to come! Just think if you buy all your makeup, you will also have it on hand for the honeymoon and well into your first year of happy marriage!
For more information on these and some of our other great beauty finds or wedding day tips, contact us today! info@vintageandlace.com
PS For those of you worried about the bride mentioned above, though her stress level was higher then she would have liked, everything turned out fine in the end. Her skin calmed down after she washed the makeup off. She left the salon and went to her local department store where they applied her makeup spur of the moment and it turned out beautiful in the end! Whew! :)
