Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro (32 page)

Bronzers are great
to add warmth and ensure foundation blends into the skin. Always finish with a pop of color.

BRIDAL MAKEUP

Bridal makeup should be special. On her wedding day, every bride should look like herself at her most beautiful. It is not a time to try a look that is very trendy or radically different from her usual style. Wedding makeup must be long lasting, look amazing in photographs, and be timeless. Every bride should love how she looks in the pictures ten years from now.

Makeup Rules

If possible, do a consultation and run-through of the makeup before the wedding day. Reserve an appointment for about four to six weeks prior to the wedding day to design and practice the look. The wedding day is also special for family and friends, so consider booking makeup appointments for the whole bridal party.

Bridal makeup needs to have enough color to compensate for the whiteness of the dress. Remember, there’s a big difference between everyday clothes and a wedding dress, so there should be a difference in the makeup, too. Start by making sure the skin looks even and smooth, and then add color to give cheeks and lips a glow. Finish with eyes that are defined but not overdone. To avoid feeling rushed, allow forty-five minutes to an hour for makeup application on the wedding day.

Natural light is best for makeup application.
If possible, set up your makeup station near a window, or use a superbright lamp.

Use a moisturizer that will prepare the skin for makeup.
Avoid sunblocks and sunscreens that can give a “flash off” to makeup. They reflect too much light under flash photography, resulting in an overexposed shot.

Emphasize the eyes
by brightening any darkness under them with corrector and concealer.

Flash photography emphasizes pink tones,
so be sure to even out the skin with a yellow-toned foundation. Start around the nose and mouth, where there’s redness, and then blend out to the rest of the face.

Blend well,
especially at the corners of the eyes, since cameras pick up visible makeup lines.

Set concealer and foundation
with a sheer loose powder. Powder applied with a powder puff assures amazing wearability and reduces unwanted shine— a must-have look for pictures.

If the wedding gown has an open neckline,
warm up the neck and chest with a dusting of bronzing powder. It will ensure that the face and body have a balanced tone.

For a pretty flush that lasts,
use two shades of blush. Start with a neutral shade, and apply it on the apples of the cheeks, blending up into the hairline, then downward to soften. Finish with a pop of brighter blush just on the apples of the cheeks. Balm or shimmer can be layered for a highlighting effect.

Neutral, brown, and pale lip colors
look washed out in photographs, so choose a lipstick that’s one or two shades brighter than what you normally wear. For those who normally wear a neutral hue, it should be worn as a base, with a pink or rose color on top. For those who normally wear dark lipstick, use that as the base, and apply a brighter pink on top to give the color a lift. Pinks, roses, and plums are great choices for brides.

To make lip color last longer,
line and fill in lips with lip pencil before applying the lipstick.

Define brows
with a soft matte shadow that matches the hair color.

Use a flat white shadow as a highlighter
on the brow bone for those with light skin. A vanilla shade better suits deeper complexions. Use matte eye shadows, as they won’t reflect light or look too shiny in photographs.

Define the eyes with a crease color,
but avoid using a color that’s too dense or dark, as it can detract from the eyes themselves.

Use a water-resistant liner
that can withstand tears. If you prefer to line with shadow, make it last longer by applying it with a slightly damp eyeliner brush.

Use an eyelash curler
before applying the first coat of mascara.

Choose mascara that’s waterproof.
It lasts longer and withstands tears.

After applying all the eye makeup,
finish with a highlighter shade on the brow bone to make the eyes pop. Rub your finger in a light matte shade, and pat lightly on the outer corner of the brow bone.

Wedding Day Essentials

Pack a small bag with makeup essentials.
Keep it simple by filling a face palette with corrector, concealer, foundation stick, pot rouge, lip color, and a soothing balm. Add a lip liner, lip gloss, tissues, Q-tips, and mints.

Include a sewing kit
with pre-threaded needles and a pair of tiny fold-up scissors to fix a dropped hem or popped button.

Add prewrapped wipes
to remove makeup or food stains.

Bring static spray and lint remover
to get rid of static cling and lint on clothing.

Bring a small bottle
of perfume in your bag.

Pre-Wedding Wellness Tips

Beauty starts on the inside.

Following these tips will help any bride prepare for her wedding day.

Eat smart.

Choose whole grains, fresh greens and fruits, and clean proteins, such as chicken, fish, and beans.

Hydrate.

Drink lots of water daily to hydrate the skin and flush out toxins.

Move your body.

Exercise at least three times a week to strengthen your body and calm your mind.

Take relaxing baths.

Add soothing Epsom salts or skin-softening powdered milk to your bathwater.

Be present.

Slow down and appreciate what’s around you rather than rushing to get from start to finish.

Bridal Dos & Don’ts

Do
complete a makeup trial.

Do
get as much sleep as possible on the night before the big day.

Do
drink plenty of water before your wedding day, and properly prepare skin with moisturizer and eye cream.

Do
make sure foundation is right for the skin tone. Your color may have changed since the makeup trial.

Do
buy a new mascara for your wedding day, but test it a few days before.

Don’t
go to a tanning bed right before your wedding. If you want more color, use a self-tanner. Test the product weeks before the date. Apply it several days before the wedding in case you need to make corrections.

Don’t
apply too much eye makeup. You want the eyes to stand out, not the eye makeup.

Don’t
use concealer on the eyelid. It causes eye makeup to crease.

Don’t
use a concealer under the eyes that is too light for the skin tone. It will make you look like a deer caught in headlights.

Don’t
experiment with eye makeup you haven’t tried before.

Don’t
wear frosted, shiny, or sparkly shadow, as it will reflect camera flashes.

Don’t
apply shimmer all over the face. One or two accents are enough.

Don’t
tweeze or wax brows on the wedding day.

Don’t
wear false eyelashes if they are not 100 percent comfortable and you are not 200 percent confident that they will stay on!

SPECIAL-OCCASION MAKEUP

Few women have the time or energy to clean their faces at the end of the workday and redo their makeup for a night out. Instead, they want a few quick tricks to make a simple transition from office to evening. Since lighting is often softer at night and the occasions are dressier, the idea is to make the face look a bit more dramatic than during the day.

Transforming a Day Face into an Evening Face

Start with a touch of eye cream
to smooth out existing concealer. Reapply as needed.

Apply foundation as needed
to cover any blemishes and even out skin tone, especially around the nose.

Use a blush that is slightly brighter
than the one used for a daytime look. Use it alone or as a pop of color just on the apple of the cheeks.

If skin is showing on the neck and chest,
make it glow with a light sweep of bronzing powder.

Use shimmer on lips, eyes, or cheeks
to make the face look dressed up. Warning: Too much shimmer will look overdone, so don’t use it on all three areas at the same time.

Switch to a darker shade of lipstick.
Red or burgundy will add drama to your look. Or try a sheer shade paired with a more dramatic eye.

Add drama to eyes
by sweeping on a darker shadow as a liner and applying plenty of black mascara. A smoky eye is always sexy for night looks. Applying white as a highlighter under the brow bone is also a great evening look.

Spritz on a warm, sensual fragrance,
and put on a great pair of earrings.

Try red lips with pink cheeks
and minimal eye makeup.

Pair shimmery bronzer
with smoky brown eyes, bronze cheeks, and copper lips. Add shimmer to either lips or eyes, not both.

Have fun with a bright pink or orange mouth,
pale pink or apricot blush, and soft eye makeup with several coats of black mascara or false eyelashes.

For very special occasions, don’t be afraid to go all out.
Cool colors such as white, platinum, gunmetal, and slate work on the eyes with black liner and individual false eyelashes. Using pale pink with a hint of shimmer on the cheeks and soft beige or sandy pink gloss on the lips will look great.

Use an oil-control lotion
on oily areas of the face to keep it shine-free.

MAKEUP FOR TEENS

Most young women are obsessed with makeup, but they don’t often have the knowledge, skills, or confidence to make it work. The teen years are the time to try trendy colors and textures, but a fresh young face should never be smothered in makeup.

Skip an all-over foundation application.
Cover blemishes with a blemish stick. Then, apply a stick foundation to those areas that need color correction.

Do not use makeup to look older.
The results look harsh and awkward.

Keep colors light and sheer.
Avoid heavy, smoky eye shadow and too-bold shades for lips and cheeks.

If the skin is oily, keep blotting papers handy
for touch-ups throughout the day.

To avoid drawing attention to braces,
skip bright lip colors. Instead, use a moisturizing tinted lip balm or sheer gloss.

Use a clear brow gel
to keep brows in place.

Master covering a pimple.

How to Cover a Blemish