The Beauty Girl

Tis the seasons for the sacred “I Do.” Whether you’re a bride, bridesmaid, or guest whose summer calendar is clogged with save-the-dates, women all have the same goal in mind for this special event — to look picture-perfect. Between the flashes, gowns and aisles, a wedding night is like the Oscars, and you wouldn’t dare show up to that gala unprepared. I rode my own wedding wave a mere seven months ago when I got married. Being that makeup is my thing, there was no way in hell my face wasn’t going to last from my grand entrance to my night cap. With the help of Ethian Hugo, the incredibly talented makeup artist who has worked with taste makers such as Carolina Herrera, we created a classic bridal look that I loved. These are the tips and products he used to create my look that I can personally say kept me looking like a fresh-faced bride from the first pictures at 2pm to the last dance at 2am. Step 1: Foundation Do: use a very fine liquid like Nars Balanced Foundation, Mont Blanc. To avoid caking, apply with a sponge, which will absorb excess product. Then set the foundation by brushing on a microfine powder that matches the skin. Ethian used MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Powder. Don‘t: use thick, heavy foundation. Skin should look like skin so if you have freckles like I do, they should show through. Step 2: Eyes Do: When working with more than one shadow, apply the lightest shade on the inner lid that’s closest to the nose and work outwards with the medium shade on the middle of the lid and the darkest on the outside. Ethian applied a combo of MAC eyeshadows including woodwinked, bronze frost, smut velvet and shroom, which he used as a highlighter and tapped underneath the brow bone. Don’t: rub your eyes before or after they’ve been dressed. You’ll not only smear your shadow, but rubbing will leave you wishing you had Visine. Liner: Eye liners are like cable companies. Many don’t live up to the hype. They either don’t show up like they’re supposed to, don’t perform as they should or have some type of flaw that gives you reason to complain. However, Shiseido Black Cream Eyeliner defies the odds. The cream liner doesn’t smudge, has a smooth consistency so it’s easy to work with and doesn’t fade. I loved wearing it on my wedding day. Mascara: For special occasions, a wedding day definitely qualifies, thick, long lashes are a must. Unless you were blessed with them naturally, false lashes will get you the beautiful dramatic eyes that smile at us on every magazine cover. Ethian first applied Nars Mascara in black orchid. Next, he adhered Ardell DuraLash, Flare Short Black individual lashes to my lash line starting at the outside and working in. Step 3: Brows Do: use a shade that’s one shade deeper than your natural hair color to get a finished brow that frames the face. Ethian chose Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in birch and used a slightly wet brush to apply the color. The darkest part of the brow should be at the middle to end so keep the color soft and light on the part of the brow that’s closest to the nose. He says that if the inner brow is too dark, it can make you look angry. Don’t: touch your skin when applying or else the brow will look contrived. Step 4: Cheeks Do: go for a blush that gives your face life and smile to find the apples of your cheeks. I wanted my skin to have a soft, dewy glow. To achieve this finish, Ethian used Giorgio Armani micro-fil loose powder and topped it with the best-selling Nars Blush in orgasm. If you haven’t experienced orgasm yet, it’s worth getting your hands on. Don’t: apply in a straight line or else you’ll have streaks. Stick to circular motions. Step 5: Lips Do: scrub your lips to rid flakes and follow with a lip conditioner such as Jo Malone’s before starting your makeup. A smooth, hydrated mouth will allow lipstick to go on easier and stick to your pout better, which means fewer touch ups. There’s an art to creating a soft lip. Oftentimes, a light color looks pretty in person but then comes off blah in photos. On the flip side, deeper shades can appear too harsh. Ethian struck the perfect balance using a combo of products to create my putty-pink lips. First, he lined and filled in my lips with Sorme Cosmetics Smearproof Lipliner in tease 19. Next up was gloMinerals gloSheer lipstick in tahiti, which was layered with a dab of Bareminerals gloss in cupcake for a pinch of shine. Don’t: lick or bite your lips incessantly no matter how nervous you are. These actions will cause chapping and irritation.