Picture it, your life, recently (or could be in the future, too):  You just found out that your very best friend is getting married and she’s asked you to be one of her bridesmaids.  It is so exciting and you have so many ideas to share with her.  You put together a meet and greet for the bridal party so everyone can get acquainted, if they aren’t already, and you just can’t wait to get all the details about the dresses, the shoes, the jewelry, etc.
All of a sudden, with no warning whatsoever your best friend AKA The Bride says, “OK everybody, I want all of you to wear the same makeup look for the wedding!” You suddenly have a flashback of dancing school when you were 7 years old and your teacher wanted everyone to look exactly the same.  It wasn’t funny and cute then so how could she think it would work now.  We’re grown women, for Pete’s sake.   She is so excited about it that you just can’t bring yourself to point out that there are several different skin tones in the bridal party and there is no way its going to work.
Au contraire, it can work and here’s how:  everyone can wear the same colors, regardless of skin tone if you just vary the intensity of the color.  As shown in the photos, the same colors were used on a very fair skin tone, a dark beige skin tone, and a bronze skin tone.
The ivory skin tones will require the least amount of color to make an impact.  When working with dark colors be very careful of flakes of color getting all over the face.  If that happens, brush the extra color away with a powder brush.
Beige skin tones are easy to work with as they are right in the middle of makeup road:  not so light that you have to be very careful and not so dark where the tendency is to over apply.  Remember, when working with any skin tone, its always easier to add than it is to take away.
The tendency with bronze skin tones is to over apply to make sure the color shows up.  Be careful about this.  The point of the color (be it eye color, cheek color, or lip color) is to bring out the features on the person wearing the color.  That doesn’t necessarily mean a super dark application.  

Keep in mind, all of the foundation and powder shades are matched to each individual bridesmaid. Foundation is meant to even out the skin tone and nothing else. Also, a note about covering blemishes:  the more you try to cover them, the more they will be visible.  Make it a point to get your skin in the best shape possible before the wedding so that blemishes are not a concern.  Get on a skin care regime that is appropriate for your skin type and be consistent.  Any filling in of eyebrows would be done with the shade that’s best for each skin tone.  If you want your bridesmaids to share the same makeup look, it is only appropriate to match the eye colors, cheek color and lipstick/gloss.  For best results, get everyone together for a dry run to make sure your vision actually translates in real life.  Yes, the wedding day is all about the bride but it is also important that the bridal party feel great about how they look as well.  

 Also, a dark, smoky eye will be best enhanced by a sheer lip color (or a very soft lip color).  If the dark lip color is the desired look than keep the eye color soft.  Allow the eye to automatically go where the most color is placed.  Too much color all over the face (in other words, a dark, dramatic lip color AND a heavy, smoky eye) leads to “eye overwhelm” (its hard to know what to look at first or focus on).

When considering makeup looks for your bridal party, keep the following in mind:  If your bridesmaids are all great with makeup brushes and they show up looking great for every event, you might want to allow them some creative license and let them do their own makeup.  However, if yours is the group that has been known to use a cheek color for both eyes and cheeks or getting “dressed up” includes the tinted lip balm rather than the clear lip balm, you might want to go with a uniform look for everyone and enlist help in application.

If the bridesmaids have this uniformity, what about the bride?  The most important thing about the bride is that the bride look like the bride.  What that means is that if you are the aforementioned girl with the tinted lip balm, don’t let some well-meaning family member or friend tell you that you have to get glammed up for your wedding.  Should the bride have some makeup on?  Yes but it should be makeup that she likes and feels comfortable wearing.  In a perfect world, she’s had a dry run with said makeup and has seen how it photographs.  
The bride will always steal the show but if she’s after a little something extra, false eyelashes are fun.  She could also get a different manicure than the rest of the bridal party or even wear gloves depending on the season and style of the dress.
The whole idea is that everyone involved in a wedding feels and looks their best on the big day.  When that happens, you’re guaranteed great photos and great memories for all of the important people in your life.

As the proverbial “they” say, good glamour will last you 15 minutes but good skincare will last you 15 years. Aside from good skin care, what really makes a difference in how your skin looks to you and to everyone else?

Sun exposure is a big factor in how your skin looks. Everyone, men and women, should be wearing some kind of sun protection every day. Incidental sun exposure (from the house to the car, car to the office, etc.) does add up over time and it will affect the appearance of your skin. Take a few minutes to put on some sunscreen and look for makeup with SPF protection. The few minutes of effort every day will have a lasting impact!

Smoking is another big factor in how your skin looks. Those lines around the mouth are not very attractive and when your lipstick bleeds up those lines…yikes! Smoking also robs your skin (and your body) of vitamin C. Crows feet will also develop from smoking. “Ma’am, put the cigarette down and step away from the lighter.” It’s a hard habit to break but well worth the trouble.

Alcohol. Ooooh, did she say alcohol? We live in New Orleans, for crying out loud! Yes, it is fun to have a few drinks but if you drink on a regular basis, you should know that alcohol is dehydrating to the skin and to the whole body. Try a glass of water between drinks to help with this issue.

You certainly want to have fun but you want to have fun without paying for it years later. Your face is the only one you’ve got and it isn’t easy to hide. Take care of it now and the pay off in the long run will be priceless.

by: Melissa Mitchel Willis

How many times have you heard, “You’ve only got one face! You can’t cover it up, so take care of it?” This is of utmost importance as you prepare for your wedding day. As the bride, your wedding day is your day. All eyes will be on you from engagement to your wedding shower to your big day. There will be lots of pictures taken and looked at for a lifetime. It is so important that your face be as flawless as possible from every angle.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to get you on the right track toward that bridal glow:

DO start taking care of your skin as soon as possible. Get on a good skin care regime at least three months before your wedding. All the color cosmetics in the world won’t help you if your skin isn’t healthy underneath. Almost all cosmetic counters will offer a free consultation and probably some free samples for you to try before you buy. Also, there are many independent beauty consultants who would also offer a free consultation for you as well as your bridal party.

DON’T meet a makeup artist on the day of your wedding for the very first time. It is imperative that you schedule a trial run of what your wedding makeup will look like. Few things are worse than being unhappy with your makeup on the day of your wedding. If you don’t feel like a million bucks, it will show. With that in mind, when you do meet for the trial run, be very honest about your likes and dislikes and make sure that the makeup artist is willing to honor them.

DO bring a camera with you to the trial run so you can see what you will look like on film. This will allow you to see what needs to be added and/or taken away.

DO look like yourself at your own wedding. Yes, you did read that correctly. On many occasions, a bride has decided to “try something new” or “experiment with color” on the day of her wedding only to discover that half the guests thought they were at the wrong event. If you don’t wear a lot of makeup as a general rule, don’t show up at your wedding looking like Dolly Parton (I love Dolly but she is pretty heavy handed in the makeup department); by the same token, if you are generally a glamour gal, now is not the time to go “au natural.” Remember, you sent out invitations with your name on them so be that girl who sent them.

DON’T get dehydrated the week before the wedding. Translation: take it easy on the “adult beverages.” Alcohol may be many things but most importantly it dehydrates your body faster than you can say “I do.” Dehydrated skin does not look good in person or on film. So your best to drink 8-10 8 oz. glasses of water daily (even after the wedding; it’s just good for you). Water has so many benefits: it helps to keep skin hydrated and clear, flushes toxins out of the body; it helps if you are trying to drop a few pounds, and the list is endless. Drink your water; you will be glad you did.

DO check your makeup from all angles. Not only will your photographer be snapping photos on your wedding day, family and friends will be taking photos as well. Make sure your foundation blends into your neck so that there is no line of demarcation. Speaking of foundation, keep in mind that the only purpose of foundation is to even out your skin tone. No one should ever look at you and say, “Oh look, here comes Sally and her foundation.” If that happens, run to the nearest cosmetic consultant and get the right shade.

DO opt for waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Even the least emotional person might shed a tear or two on the big day, no need to look like Tammy Faye in the pulpit.

DO have a powder compact nearby on your wedding day so that you can touch up, if necessary. You might also consider having the lip products used nearby as well (your lipstick, liner and gloss). You might ask a family member or your maid of honor to carry these for you and to let you know when you might need a touch up.

DO be very careful about sun exposure. This should be a DO all the time but it is especially important the month before your wedding. It is not easy to cover a sunburn or try to blend a blotchy tan. If you are not wearing a daily sunscreen, find one that you love and don't skip a day of application!

DON’T go to sleep with your makeup on! This is a big one. I think we have all done this at least once. Use an eye makeup remover to remove all eye makeup and a cleanser appropriate for your skin type to take off the rest. Don’t forget to moisturize with a product appropriate for your skin type.

DO use an eye cream. We have all seen that the eyes are the first things to go on the face. Crows feet appear and then wrinkles set in. It can be a challenge to fend them off. Apply eye cream with the ring finger and just pat around the brow bone. Take care of your eyes now, whatever your age, and you will thank me later. The skin around the eyes in the thinnest skin on the face, treat it well. It is important to never pull or tug in the eye area; try to be as gentle as possible.

DO exfoliate and moisturize your lips and your hands. Dry, dead skin is never appealing. Use a buffing cream of some kind, it will feel very gritty, but you will be very happy with the end result. Take care of this the day before the wedding or even the day of the wedding (as long as you are familiar with the products and have used them before).

The memories (and the photos) of your wedding day will last forever. With a little preparation and a little time, you can transform “every day” into “extraordinary”. This is not a time to be someone else; it is a time to be you at your very best.

You’re planning your big day, you’ve secured the venue, you’ve ordered the invitations, you can’t wait to see the flowers.  What about your skin?  Maybe you’ve lined up a makeup artist but what about your skin BEFORE your makeup is applied?  There’s an old saying that goes, “Good glamour will last 15 minutes but good skin care will last 15 years.”  There is definitely some truth in that statement.  If you’ve been blessed with good genes and have great skin with minimal effort, you are one of the lucky ones.  For most of us, a good skin care regime is a necessity and if you haven’t started one yet, it would be to your advantage to get started at least three to six months prior to your wedding.