Wedding Gazette

Skin Deep and Beyond

By Jennifer Baumann

"A little powder a little paint makes you look like what you ain't." Simple enough advice but accurate? See what our makeup artists have to say, all jokes aside, about bridal day beauty.

For Susie Galvez esthetician, owner of Faceworks Day Spa, and author of Hello Beautiful: 365 Ways to be Even more Beautiful, bridal beauty is all about looking demure. And the look won't come last minute. "The worst thing from a makeup artist's standpoint is to see a bride for the first time on the day of her wedding," says Galvez. Galvez suggests dry runs, where she can begin the process of preparing the bride's skin and choosing the makeup for the big day."

"On the day the bride comes to see me," says Galvez, "I want her there with no makeup because I want a clean canvas." For Galvez, the goal is to go classic, avoid edgy, and stay off the runway.

She suggests:

• Neutral, creamy colors on the eyes; black, not brown, mascara, (unless you're a redhead)
• Lipstick that looks natural (she suggests a cross between brown and mauve) and lip-sealer.
• Soft well-blended facial color; powder with a matte finish.

For Mary Thé, international beauty expert and a leading San Francisco's aesthetician, beauty is achieved through balance. "As a beauty expert, I have the choice either to make my clients more obsessive about their beauty or to inspire them to look at beauty more responsibly," says Thé. She calls her philosophy 'beauty with integrity' and encourages all clients, especially brides, to develop an awareness of what their bodies need inside and out. Often beauty begins with lifestyle, i.e. diet, exercise, basic skin care. And then there is acceptance. "The ultimate beauty we are all looking for lies within ourselves and in accepting who we are," says Thé.

Thé likes to get to know her clients, and prefers to see brides at least 6 months prior to the wedding day. Thé also suggests that a bride put chemical peels and endless makeup sessions on hold while she works on bringing her body back in line more naturally. For Thé bridal beauty is all about achieving an inner and outer glow. "I think brides need to create more real lasting moments with their weddings, not just photo moments."

She suggests:

• A full body peel. With its roots in Indonesian tradition, the peel makes the body feel silky for weeks and is a must-do for brides.

For Robert Jones, international makeup artist and author of "Beauté Made Simple" true beauty comes with embracing one's own looks. "A self-confident woman is always beautiful," says Jones, and one way she can gain confidence is by being beautiful on the outside. Nor should it require too much time or money. "When it comes to makeup, beauty lies in the details - 5 minutes of educated application - rather than 30 minutes spent with too many products," says Jones, who adds. "A woman needs to know what she loves about her face." The idea is for her to focus on accentuating what she loves rather than hiding what she doesn't.

He suggests that brides:

• Choose makeup that will look good in every type of lighting.
• Define the lash line well; use a shadow that has soft shimmer, no frost and definitely nothing dark.
• Strive to look angelic and fresh if young, classic and sophisticated if older.
• Learn what looks good for their particular shape face and eyes and choose color based on them not their clothing.