In addition to film, TV and fashion makeup, I find doing
Bridal makeup is a fun, rewarding and all-around satisfying experience. Little girls'
dream of the day they'll walk down the aisle dressed as a fairy-tale princess.
Along with the beautiful dress come a special hair-do, a romantic veil and
perfect makeup. The excitement is contagious!
After all the planning and arrangements are done and the
celebration has come and gone, what's left to remember the "big day"?
The pictures that capture all the special moments and highlights are forever!
So you see the importance of makeup and hair. We've seen enough before and
after pictures to attest to that. Enter the makeup artist.
Dealing with models and actors can be a lot easier than
dealing with the general public or "bride". Models and actors will do
what the designer or director requests. The bride, on the other hand, can be a
lot trickier to please...and making the bride happy is key.
Classic or Trendy?
Most brides want to look like themselves only better. If you
look through bridal magazines, you will see that the romantic, feminine look
dominates the pages. Eye makeup colors that are soft, medium intensity tones of
taupy browns with shimmery gold or smokey plum and mauve always look
appropriate. Rosy cheeks and rosy pink lips are the "in" colors.
Anything too light or too dark will washout or overpower a white dress.
I ask the bride/client to cut out pictures of "looks"
she likes from magazines I ask to see a picture of her gown to get a sense of her
style. What color are the bridesmaids' dresses and flowers? Fashion-conscious
brides will choose colors of the season. For example, Fall weddings feature
rust, bronze, cocoa, plum, cranberry and wine. Shades of rose, pink, peach,
periwinkle, lavender and blue look cool in summer. Coordinating a makeup
pallette to blend creates color continuity and will make the pictures pop.
At the consultation/trial, I look through the brides'
current makeup case for clues about her color preferences. Evening weddings
require a more defined, dramatic look but keep in mind that the makeup has to
look good up close and personal for all the well-wishers. Daytime weddings
require a softer, more natural application. Some brides will request false
eyelashes... but beware of mishaps. One bride's eyelashes went up and away when
her veil was lifted.
The feminine, romantic look is timeless and has become a
classic in the bridal world.
Trends come and go. It's true that makeup should suit your
personality but consider the whole picture. The bold up-to-the-minute look of
today could go bye-bye tomorrow. Deep, dark lips need a lot of touch-ups to
look crisp. Besides, kissing the groom could get messy. Vampy, dark nails
overpower a white dress. Fuchsia/pinky eye shadows can give a bruised, swollen
look especially on fair skin tones. Cat eyes with winged-out eyeliner might be "in"
now but "out" next year. When the wedding album is viewed in ten
years, the bride might wonder- "what was I thinking?"
I always take digital photos both at the trial and the day
of the wedding.
Ultimately, the bride has all the decisions to make. Whoever
said "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" really nailed it.
The
information expressed are the personal views of the makeup artist Madeline C.
from www.madelinec4makeup.com . Here 'I' refers to her.
