By Kristen Gentry
Despite all of the fuss about the floral arrangements, the cake, and the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses, there is really only one thing a woman really wants on her wedding day, and that is to be the most beautiful woman in the world. It’s not too much to ask, and a goal that’s not too hard to achieve. Read on to find out how.
MANICURE
On the day that your fiance takes your hand in marriage, you want to make sure that he doesn’t take a hand with chipped fingernail polish and hangnails. Besides, you want to have a smooth palette for showcasing your ring.
You will need:
emery board
cuticle cream/lotion
a small bowl
towel
orange stick
moisturizer/hand cream
base coat
nail color
top coat
File and shape your nails with the emery board. When using the emery board, don’t do a back and forth sawing motion; use short strokes in one direction. Apply your cuticle cream to each nail. Allow a few minutes to let the cream soften the cuticles. Next, soak your hands in the small bowl filled with warm water for five minutes. Dry your hands and, using the orange stick, push back your cuticles. Apply the moisturizer. Finally, apply your base coat, nail color (pastel and nude shades would be good choices), and top coat.
MAKE-UP
All make-up application should be preceded by a facial regime that includes applying cleanser, toner, and moisturizer to your face. All products used on the face should coincide with your skin type, which can be dry, oily, combination, or normal. Consult a make-up specialist if you are unsure of your type. Most of all, remember–you want your make-up to be simple and natural. It is meant to enhance your face, not become your face.
Concealer-Concealer comes in light, medium, and dark. Choose a shade that is one-two shades lighter than your skin. To hide under-eye circles, apply concealer to the top and bottom of the dark area. If you just apply the concealer to the dark area, you will enhance the “raccoon effect”! Blend the concealer with your fingers or a sponge using a fast, dabbing motion. DO NOT RUB! It will aggravate the skin and make circles darker.
Foundation-Finding a foundation that is right for you is key to not looking like a ghost or an overzealous fan of tanning beds. Make sure that the foundation matches the undertones of your skin. A good way to do this is to try apply it to your jawline. If you can, go outside to see what the foundation looks like in natural daylight. Check to see if the color matches the color on your neck to avoid any oh-so-hideous make-up lines. Use a sponge to apply your foundation. Dot your cheekboones, chin, nose, and forehead. Blend the color to your hairline, over your ears, and under your chin. On your wedding day, you might opt for a fresh, glowing/dewy look. To achieve that look, mix a nickel-size glop of moisturizer and add it to your foundation.
Powder- Apply powder with a make-up brush, using broad strokes across the face and chin for heavy coverage and just on the T-zone for minimum coverage.
Blush-To apply blush, smile and put blush on the apple of your cheeks with fingers or a brush. Go easy with the color (you want to look slightly flushed) and blend well.
Eyeliner- When applying pencil eyeliner, make sure the point is sharp so you can have a well-defined line. Dab the pencil on the back of your hand to soften the point, and outline the outer rim of the upper eyelid and the outer rim of the lower eyelid.
Eyeshadow-Use neutral colors like browns and soft grays as shadows and lighter colors like beige to act as highlighters. Sweep the darker color over your eyelid underneath the brow bone using a sponge or brush. Put the lighter shade above the the brow bone, all the way toward the temples.
Mascara-You will definitely want to opt for a water-proof formula. In general, most women opt for black mascara, but brown mascara looks more natural on blondes. Clear mascara is good for putting a halt to any smudges. It can also be used to smooth brows. For more noticeable results, use an eyelash curler before applying mascara.
Lipliner-Lipliner is supposed to blend in with your lipstick, not stand out on its own (i.e. magenta lipliner is not to be paired with shell pink lipstick). When placed beneath lipstick, it can make your color last longer. Apply the liner to the natural outline of your lips, then fill in your lips with the color.
Lipstick-Long-lasting lipstick will be a key priority on your wedding day. Cover Girl recently introduced Outlast, an all-day lipcolor, that is actually being advertised with the big day in mind. It is said to go “from cake to kisses, from Miss to Mrs.” without reapplying, so that’s worth a try. Applying lip color with a lip brush will help the color stay brighter and last longer. After you put on your color, don’t press your lips together. I know for many it’s a habit, but it can make your color go outside of your lipline.
HAIR
If you can’t afford to go to a salon, don’t sweat it. You can still have a coif that looks professionally styled. You can never go wrong by parting the hair on the side and slicking it into a ponytail or bun. The look is elegant and puts all the focus on your face. After all, with the dress and make-up, sometimes extravagant hair can be too much.
And there you have it; you’ll be looking beautiful for your big day.
