Whether you choose a regal updo, a side-swept bun, long and loose waves, or a chic braid, pick a hairstyle that complements your gown’s neckline. Then complete your look with makeup that plays up your best features, both in photos and IRL! Be ready for your wedding close-up with one of these top bridal hair and makeup stylists. Click here to read the rest of this post »
You’re wearing a dress you’ve never worn before, your hair and makeup are professionally done, and your bridal bouquet is a custom creation, made just for you. Why not carry the “special occasion” theme through to your wedding day fragrance? Try one of these 4 fabulous designer perfumes, each with its own distinct scent profile, and each bottled so beautifully, you’ll want your wedding photographer to capture your bridal fragrance in a photo…or 2…or 3!
Evocative of the brand itself, this fresh fragrance of Amalfi orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine and wild strawberry embodies the woman driven to experience the “good life.” And if that’s not your goal as a bride, well…it sure should be! Click here to read the rest of this post »
Since Meghan Markle debuted her wedding look, brides have fallen in love with her “no makeup” look. With the help of professional makeup artist Daniel Martin (brand ambassador for Dior, and Honest Beauty Creative Color Consultant), the Duchess of Sussex was able to look radiant and let her natural beauty shine through. For your big day, and for the many events leading up to it, you can accomplish the same look! After all, you still want to look like your beautiful self and not as if you’re wearing a mask. Booking a professional makeup artist for your main event? Ask him or her to create a natural bridal makeup look that brings out the absolute best in your features! Read on for our product recs…
The key to a flawless “no makeup” look is your skin. You want to keep it light and dewy, so opt for a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. If you absolutely need to have a foundation, use a light formula like NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. The objective is for the makeup to look like your natural skin.
Wondering how Houston brides manage to look so freakin’ fabulous on this here blog, in the pages of Weddings in Houston, and IRL? How ’bout we let a handful of leading Houston bridal beauty professionals explain what it takes to get from fine-for-everyday to…OMG, yassss. Take it away, ladies!
Photo: Courtesy of Your Fab Fairy
1. Get serious about your skin.
“Great skin is the foundation for a glowing and radiant bride,” says talented beauty expert Margaret Fahnbulleh of Your Fab Fairy (the wedding-services offshoot of Fab The Salon). “A great place to start is by partnering with a dermatologist who can help you identify the right products and skincare regimen that are best for your skin type.”
Meanwhile, traveling makeup artist Andrea Benson of Makeup by Andrea, recommends: “Get monthly facials in the months leading up to your wedding,” while Cheryl Sorrels, owner of KAX Salon, which prides itself on a total VIP experience for brides, bridesmaids, and everyone who seeks out its skin, hair and makeup services, admonishes: “No face picking! If you get a pimple, compress with a very warm towel for five minutes every hour until the pimple has shrunk.” Bam!
2. Banish unwanted hair with care.
While a bit of fuzz may be fine for everyday, professional wedding makeup is best applied to a smooth canvas. But don’t wait until the last minute to depilate. “Make sure you have done all hair removal 10 days before your wedding date,” cautions beauty expert and lash wiz Donyale Jones of Donyale MUA. “We don’t want any peach fuzz on that upper lip to show!”
Sorrels of KAX Salon agrees that it’s crucial to give yourself a good window of time before your wedding to get eyebrows, upper lip and other facial areas in shape. “Do NOT thread or wax the day before the wedding,” but DO make hair removal part of your bridal beauty regimen. “This way your makeup will go on smooth and even,” she explains.
Photo: Sharon Nicole Photography | Hair & Makeup: KAX Salon | Tanning: KAX Tanning Souffle
3. Tackle major “issues” well in advance of your wedding.
Even the most confident among us have things we’d like to change about our bodies—especially when we know we’re going to be in the spotlight.
If you’ve been as devoted to your workout routine as you are to your future spouse, but still can’t manage to achieve the sleekness you seek, Wendy Gentile has the solution. The spa manager for Radiance Advanced Skin & Body Care in The Woodlands advises: “CoolSculpt away unwanted fat four months before the big day for your best wedding-dress look.” The fat-freezing process involves no knife, no suction hoses, no needles…not even a laser, and you’ll be back at work (or play) right after your treatment.
Worried about wedding-day waterworks…and not the tear-duct kind? “Schedule your MiraDry treatment for one month before your wedding. It eliminates the sweat glands under your arms for a clean, perspiration-free result,” Gentile says. “Raise a wedding-toast glass with confidence!”
Photo: Courtesy of Donyale MUA
4. Be extra kind to your eyes.
As a bride, you’re going to want big, beautiful, dramatic, expressive eyes in person and in photos. Which means professional makeup, designed to emphasize and enhance this most beautiful feature of every bridal face. Which can be tricky if those peepers of yours are not in tip-top shape.
“Dehyrated and puffy eyes can be challenging for a makeup artist,” Sorrels says. “Invest in a good eye cream and apply it every night. Then apply a cold towel compress in the morning.” Cutting back on salt and alcohol can help, too. And getting plenty of sleep is absolutely key!
Plus, Jones adds: “Drink a lot of water during the entire month before your wedding. This will have your skin”—including the delicate skin around your eyes—“at its very best.”
Photo: Courtesy of Radiance Advanced Skin & Body Care
5. Be good to yourself, and it will show.
“Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life. She is making all these fabulous plans for her big day,” Your Fab Fairy’s Fahnbulleh says. “But it can also be very stressful.” As a bridal beauty expert, she sees herself as not just an applier of makeup, but a counselor and guide to her bridal clients, helping them to achieve radiance on the biggest day of their life. And this is her advice: “Bride-to-be, do not neglect your self-care during your wedding planning journey. It is so easy to get stressed and overwhelmed during the planning phase. Sometimes you have appointments all day. However, you cannot put your best face forward on your big day if you haven’t slept well in months and you are dehydrated. Great self-care months before the wedding will definitely create that effortless and classic glow from the inside out that every bride wants!”
We couldn’t agree more.
Find out more about these and other top Houston bridal beauty, fitness and health experts here. And get ready for your close-up, darling. xo
Like your wedding flowers, wedding cake and wedding photography, your wedding day hair and makeup are best left to the professionals. After all, this is the biggest occasion of your life, and you will be in the spotlight, from start to finish! Our I Do! Wedding Soiree beauty experts have the talent and skills to make sure your wedding day look is polished, beautiful, and will last you throughout the night…and maybe even into the honeymoon!
Two top Houston beauty salons—Azur Salon at West Ave. and KAX Salon—will showcase the hottest bridal beauty trends, while KAX Tanning Souffle will offer tips for keeping a glowing, natural-looking tan for your big day and beyond. See below for hairstyles, makeup and faux-glow inspiration, and be sure to purchase your advance-sale tickets to Houston’s ONLY luxury wedding event, coming to The Corinthian on Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets will sell out, they always do! Bonus: Purchase your tickets by 11:59 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 17, and you could WIN an awesome $700 on-location engagement shoot from acclaimed Houston wedding photographer Adam Nyholt!! Our winner will be notified next week, and announced live at the I Do! Wedding Soiree. Don’t miss out!
Top Left Photo: Azur Salon at West Ave | Bottom Left Photo: Kax Salon | Right Photo: Kax Tanning Souffle
