Every week when we receive bridal inquiries, we are asked for “simple makeup”. What that usually means is that the bride is looking for makeup that looks natural, not over done, and doesn’t look/feel heavy or cakey. Here’s a little secret…Natural makeup is NOT simple. If it were simple, anyone would be able to do it. In fact, doing the “no makeup, makeup” look takes about the same amount of time and work, if not more, than any other makeup application.
Creating a natural look that will last hours through happy tears, kisses, hugs, dancing AND comes through in photos beautifully is no easy feat. The makeup look below gets a lot of comments and we are often asked to re-create this look or something like it. Most comments consist of:
“Her skin looks so flawless”
“She looks so natural, I want that”
“I love that her lips are natural yet have color at the same time”
? credit: April Maura
This natural look took about 45 minutes to create. The true secret is in finding the right neutral colors to accentuate you natural glow so that you don’t look ‘made up’.
To achieve the best experience and results, don’t just tell your makeup artist you want simple makeup. Perhaps try communicating that you want your makeup to look natural. Be honest, if you wear little to no makeup, tell them. If you’re contacting someone who has been doing this for a long time and knows what they’re doing, they’ll know exactly what you mean, will able to work with you and do the exact look that you want.
Want to try to achieve this at home? Concealer is a must and blend, blend, blend your shadows so that you cant tell where one color stops and the next starts. Be sure to choose a color that is two shades darker than your skin tone. As for lips and cheeks, light pinks, peaches and sands are best to achieve a neutral, natural pout.
So, your big day is approaching and you’ve already gone through hundreds of Pinterest and Google Image posts of the amazing hair you want. The problem— your hair texture or length just wouldn’t make your desired look possible. The solution— clip in hair extensions!
Many brides show us inspiration pictures of amazing, thick, luscious, long and layered hair they want for their wedding. Often times, her hair isn’t long enough or thick enough for the style she desires but, thanks to clip-in hair extensions, we can make her dream a reality.
What are clip-in hair extensions?
Clip-in extensions come in a variety of lengths, textures and colors. There is a difference in extensions available on the market and we never suggest you go into a purchase blindly. Synthetic extensions often look very similar to real hair extensions but you can’t apply heat to synthetic extensions. This means no curling iron, flat iron or blow dryer.
Clip-ins are super easy to use. Each piece of hair weft is attached to a small clip that, when placed on your scalp and draped with your real hair, looks like a fuller version of your own hair!
A professional hair stylist or someone familiar with them can put them in for you. Once you start using them often, you’ll get the hang of it and be able to do them yourself. It’s really that simple.
Budget wise–a good idea?
Real human hair extensions are very popular and, believe it or not, they’re incredibly affordable. Some opt for the best quality hair (this can be upwards of $1,200) which is often “virgin” hair. This means the hair has never been dyed or chemically processed. It’s naturally beautiful, thick and healthy. This hair tends to keep its high quality longer than more inexpensive hair. Basically, you get what you pay for.
You can still get great quality hair without breaking your bank, though. Real human hair extensions are available for as little as $160. If you aren’t sure you want to add extensions to your daily beauty regimen, Babydoll Weddings offers the option to rent extensions your big day. Available at a fraction of the purchase cost, our extensions are high-quality and available in an array of colors (specialty colors are not available for rental). Be sure to ask our Bridal Liaison about extension rental or talk with your stylist at your trial.
Who really uses them?
Extensions are seriously the biggest beauty secret ever. So many women sport clip-in hair extensions on a daily basis. Especially celebrities. Extensions often provide an additional layer of self-confidence as your hair is lush and voluminous.
Interested in a quick pick me up or style change whether for your wedding day or every day? Clip-in extensions are such a simple and affordable fix, it’s no surprise that so many women wear them. It may be the quick fix you desire for your big day!
“When we think of Valentine’s Day, we think about luscious lips. What babydoll doesn’t want kissable lips for Valentine’s Day? There’s nothing more seductive and glamorous than sexy red lips! That is, of course, if we take the right approach. No blue tints, no orange hints – using a TRUE RED lip color is the key! But a good, true red lipstick can be hard to find so we hit the MAC counter to find the perfect shade. We know, our job is sooooo hard!
MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick is one of the best “Reds” you could ever find. Matte, velvety and long lasting, it is a must-have in any makeup artist’s kit. Wonderful for Runway, and Bridal Makeup as well.
To stir things up, dress it up with MAC Lustreglass in LustreWhite. This will make your lips sparkle like crystal cherries! Or, for irresistible gloss and shine, glaze it up with MAC VivaGlamLipglass in Rihanna. Your lips will glisten into the night!
Choosing the right bridal hair accessories can be the perfect way for any bride to enhance that special glow.
Jeweled Headpieces
Looking for a way to add a little sparkle to your wedding day look? Here’s what’s trending in bridal headwear this season from one of our favorite accessory suppliers – Hair Comes the Bride!
A touch of silver and sparkle is very much en vogue. It’s also a brilliant way to create a bridal look that is as unique as you.
Foliage designs remain popular but have evolved to depict more natural elements such as hair vines available in both subtle and larger headpieces to create a more twinkly effect.
Silver forms the base for the most stylish designs, with the sophisticated glitter of pearls, crystals and beading adding wow-factor in the detail.
Faux Floral Options
Brides looking for a spring/summer, casual or beachy look will love the real-life looking flowers. What we love as stylists is that options are available as a clip or hair pin!
Babydoll Weddings carries a limited variety in the Salon or we can special order pieces for your trial with two week’s notice. Simply email our Bridal Liaison or order directly from Hair Comes the Bride using their Try Then Buy program.
To see more beautiful accessories, from head pieces to hair combs, and discover pretty bridal jewelry too, visitHair Comes the Bride
Hair Comes The Bride is here to help! You can build your own personal look book with pieces chosen just for you. Be sure to use the code BabydollWeddings10 to save 10% on your purchase.
Getting married is one of the biggest life events you’ll ever prepare for and becoming a bride is an incredibly unique journey for every woman. Your planning list seems endless and making sure that everything is done and perfect for your big day is often daunting and stressful.
How you look on the day is also paramount. All eyes are on you so it’s important that you choose what’s right for you and what makes you feel beautiful so that you have peace of mind as you walk down the aisle.
The Consultation and Trial
Your hair and makeup consultation and trial should ideally take place 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. During this consultation, our stylist will ask you a series of questions to gain an understanding of the styles you like. Bring photos as we don’t always speak the same language! We will advise you about what will work best to accentuate your features and compliment your dress. Your role is to have an open and honest relationship with us and to tell us what you think!
Just like you would bring your shoes and the proper undergarments to a dress fitting, you need to bring all the proper goods to your hair and makeup trial. Bring your veil, headpiece, flowers or barrettes to your appointment so you can see what they will look like with your hairstyle. Come with your hair prepped as you would have it the day of your wedding: preferably unwashed with little to no product as possible. Same for your face. Show up with a fresh face (moisturizer is okay). We can provide makeup wipes if you are coming from work and applied makeup in the morning. As with the hair, your stylist will ask questions regarding colors you normally wear and how you want to look on your wedding day. Provide input and let us know if you don’t like something. We can change it.
Depending on the hair style, we may recommend hair extensions to provide extra volume – even if you are entertaining an up-do. We offer both rental and purchase options so that you can choose what works best with your budget.
What Does “Trial” Mean
It is important to note that a trial is just that – a time to see what you like and what you don’t like, what works and what doesn’t. We will take notes and photos so that we can review them on your wedding day and use the same colors we used at your trial. That being said, you may decide, upon getting home, that the red is a little too bright, or that you really do want the winged eyeliner your maid of honor decided is too dramatic. It’s ok. We are happy to make those adjustments to ensure you are the best version of you on this day!
On-the-day Preparations
We provide a tentative timeline with each and every invoice we send you. This provides a snapshot of the timeframe it will take on your wedding day to style those you’ve contracted us to pamper. We create this as soon as you secure your date so that we can catch any issues (i.e. you can’t get into the venue as early as we need to start) and adjust accordingly. The timeline is finalized 30 days before the wedding allowing you time to communicate it to your bridesmaids and anyone else receiving services. Making sure that everyone is ready to hop in the chair when assigned will ensure the day flows smoothly and keep us on track!
Remember
Wedding planning can become super stressful, especially as your day gets closer. Your wedding hair trial and wedding makeup trial is important, so kick back, relax, and be pampered! Go in with a positive attitude, bring a pal or your mom if you want to, and let yourself have a good time while you get beautified. Trust your inspiration and your stylist and you’ll leave nothing but happy!
I don’t wear a lot of makeup normally and I am afraid that I am going to look overly made up on my wedding day. How can I avoid this? – Jessica
How To Look Natural
Now days, a lot of girls are going for a natural look rather than a heavily made up finish. This is because, while we want to look gorgeous, we still want to look like ourselves. The last thing we want is to look back at the photos in a few years time and think “what the hell was I thinking!” when it all seemed like a good idea at the time. Looking natural doesn’t mean you need to look washed out! A good makeup artist should be able to identify your features and enhance them without looking too over the top. She should be able to give you a beautified version of you, instead of looking like someone else. Here are some tips to help you on your way.
Eyes You can never go wrong with neutral colors. Try to avoid from electric blues, apple greens and hot pinks. Even though they might be in fashion at the moment, save it for the Club. It’s not the kind of look you want for your wedding day.
Cheeks Don’t overdo the bronzer. Some brides like to go heavy on this product, but try not go crazy with it! You want to look as effortless as possible. You should be aiming to have a sunkissed look. I would suggest adding a touch of pink or peach to give you that healthy glow and avoid looking too orange and overdone.
Lips Vintage is back, so bright red is in, baby. Try and have only 1 strong feature to stand out, meaning if you have smokey eyes, go for natural lips. Natural eyes with eyeliner are perfect with a classic red lipstick. We love Mac’s Diva-Red.
