By GRACE FODOR
The day your child gets married is one of the most special, precious and nerve-wracking of your life, not least in terms of feeling you’ve got your ‘look’ right.
You need to feel like you’re representing the best of yourself and your family, but at the same time being busy and ‘on’ all day means you absolutely must be comfortable with what you are wearing and how you look.
Fortunately, at least where makeup is concerned, the advice of an expert can make things much easier.
Grace Fodor, beauty expert and founder of cult makeup brand Studio10 Beauty, the only range created specifically for women as they age is here sharing her top tips for mothers of brides and grooms-to-be.
Colour
Lots of women still hold true to the idea that your makeup should match your outfit, but this isn’t true. If you’re wearing a bright colour, matching your lipstick to it can not only be very dated but also quite ageing.
In the words of the great bridal makeup artist Robert Jones: “makeup is meant to make you look beautiful, not your outfit”.
I suggest contrasting or complementing colours, which look fresher. If you’re in any doubt about this, look at a colour wheel (available online).
The same holds true for wearing the opposite of the bride – often recommend to the mother of the bride especially.
You need to wear colours that look right on your skin colour and tone, or you will simply pull focus from the bride. Following arbitrary colour rules will not make either of you look your best.
The best way to gauge this is with a session with a professional artist. Bobbi Brown beauty stands are often the best place to visit for expert wedding makeup advice.
Photography Friendly
Chances are you will be wearing your makeup all day, from morning until night. It not only needs to last, but it also needs to look camera-ready in several different lights, which can be very challenging.
The key thing to remember here is to get your base right. You don’t want it to be too heavy as this will look horribly unnatural in daylight photos, but it can’t be too light or flash will bleach it out.
One trick is to avoid anything with sparkle or glitter in it, which will create glare in photos. I recommend a matte foundation, and for highlighters either use a concealer a shade lighter than your skin tone, or one with radiance but no glitter. A soft white-gold crème is perfect for this regardless of your skin tone but use it very sparingly.
Finishing your makeup to help it last is important with bridal beauty but powder is another area that can be difficult for photographers.
Avoid mineral powder foundations if you are more mature and switch to a crème blush (our peach Plumping Glow-plexion crème is a lovely, flattering alternative) which won’t sit in fine lines.
A matte-white powder can be a perfect way to avoid shine through the day, but look for an HD formula and use it extremely sparingly, brushing downwards on the face so it goes with the tiny hairs on your skin, creating an airbrushed finish.
Whatever you do, don’t cake it around your eyes – that is how a ‘panda’ look can occur.
Lips that Last
Once you’ve decided on your colour theme for the day, I always advise buying two lipsticks.
One in a lighter, more natural tone for your daytime look and one with a little more glamour for the evening do (this also helps to avoid the issue of daytime and night-time makeup).
Both need to last through, though, so some tips include:
• Priming the lip area before applying any colour at all
• Lining the lips with a nude-pink tone like our Age-Reverse Perfecting Lip-Liner, then filling the lip in with it before applying any other colour – this is especially true if you decide to wear a gloss
• Blotting between coats
• If you’re wearing a brighter or dark lipstick, pop a finger in your mouth, between your lips and pull it out when you’ve applied your final coat to ensure none ends up on your teeth or glass.
Keep a Kit with You
Just like a bride, you should carry a small kit of makeup essentials with you throughout the day. This includes:
• A small mascara
• A small concealer
• A mirror
• A good quality facial spritz to keep your base looking fresh
• A portable foundation
• Your lipsticks
• Mattifying papers (Chanel makes the best)
And there you have it. If in any doubt always ask an expert and remember the cardinal rule – you should look like the most beautiful version of yourself for any event, but especially weddings. NOT like a totally different person.
And don’t forget the tissues – with three daughters myself, I’m tearful just thinking about their weddings!
