Wealden Times | WT174 | August 2016 | Wedding supplement inside

A vision
loveliness
of
Josephine Fairley assembles a bouquet of the very
best beauty tips for brides
If you’re a bride-to-be, chances are you’ve read at least
a dozen ‘Bridal Countdown’ beauty features in glossy
magazines in the time since that sparkler was slipped on
your finger. So rather than advise you for the umpteenth to
book your make-up artist even before you’ve Instagrammed
the ring, or reminded you to make appointments for your
wedding party at the same hairdresser as you’re having your
own ‘do’ done (in order to get an overall cohesive ‘look’ for
the photos), I’m instead going to share some of the best
bridal beauty tips I’ve picked up, in the too-many-years-tocount
that I’ve been doing this job.
Don’t plan a drastic hair change for your wedding.
That’s the advice of New York hairstylist Stephen Knoll,
who believes: ‘It’s too high-risk. You don’t want your fiancé
to turn around and see someone he’s never laid eyes on
before.’ All hairdressers chorus the same advice: go for at
least one, preferably more trial sessions, with your headgear,
well in advance of the wedding. But – fiancé wisdom here –
‘never take him with you to the trial appointment!’
If you have long hair, don’t wash it on the day itself.
Andrew Collinge – who did the Countess of Wessex’s
wedding hair – insists that hair is much ‘better-behaved’ and
easier to style (especially in an up-do like a chignon) if there
are some natural oils to work with. The secret: wash and
blow-dry it the day before, and your stylist can spritz it
with water in the morning to dampen it for styling.
Go for a timeless make-up look. Says fiftysomething
supermodel Cindy Crawford: ‘At my wedding, I kept my
make-up simple. I wanted something that 20 years later,
you could look at the pictures and it’s not so trendy that
you go, ‘Oh my God, what was I thinking?’
When you’re shopping for wedding make-up, wear
a white t-shirt. The white of the shirt will bounce light
(flatteringly) upwards, just as your wedding dress will, giving
a true preview of what your wedding ‘face’ will look like.
Don’t squeeze, conceal. Erupting spots, like impending
rainstorms, can threaten the perfection of your wedding
day. Make-up artist Karen Mason’s spot-concealer-of-choice
is Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, £27.50 for the
two-shade palette. ‘It’s got a high pigment concentration
so it gives dense cover – perfect for spots – and comes with
two different shades in each palette, for custom-blending
to your exact skintone. The technique: after you’ve applied
your regular foundation or tinted moisturiser, use a spatula
to transfer the concealer to the back of the hand - then dab
onto the spot with your finger and pat into the skin. ‘The
warmth of your fingers helps blend the Secret Camouflage
perfectly. Then set with powder on a small brush,
for precision.’
To disguise dark circles, invest in a concealer with lightreflective
particles. Then nobody will know you were too
excited to sleep, before the wedding. In make-up pro Sara
Raeburn’s opinion, ‘Nothing beats Yves Saint Laurent
Touche Eclat, £24; tip your head down and only apply
the concealer where the shadows are, using a light touch.
Less is more.’ (Especially as flash can illuminate the lightreflective
pigments, if you overdo things.) I would add to
Sarah’s recommendation the fab Charlotte Tilbury The
Retoucher, £25 (and do watch the tutorial on her website,
charlottetilbury.com).
If you wake up with under-eye bags, reach for an ice
cube. Wrap it in clingfilm and smooth over the puffiness,
working outwards from the nose towards the cheekbone.
The absolute, 100% ‘must’ advice: use a waterproof
mascara. Some waterproof mascaras are a compromise: you
win on the tearproofing, but lose out on volume. Some
great exceptions to this are MAC Extreme Dimension
Waterproof Mascara, £19, Clinique High Impact
Waterproof Mascara, £17.50, or Chanel Inimitable
Waterproof Mascara, £25 (my own favourite).
When it comes to choosing a lipstick shade, don’t go too
pale. Make-up guru Annie Carullo (Senior Vice President,
Global Production Development for Estée Lauder and Tom
Ford Beauty), believes ‘it’s the biggest mistake brides make.
Because of the headpiece or hair decoration, you appear
too top-heavy. You want more weight on the lips.’ Mid-rose
tones are most flattering, such as Clinique Long Last
Lipstick Soft Shine, £18, in All Heart, Bobbi Brown
Creamy Lip Colour, £20, in Hibiscus, or Nars Satin
Lipstick, £21, in Blonde Venus.
109 wealdentimes.co.uk