The Beauty Sleuth

Left:Monique lhuillier Center:Kelly Faetanini Right:Oscar de la Renta

Recently, I partnered with the premier bridal site, Loverly, which is THE place to go for all things bridal. I’ll be posting a series of beauty collaborations with this amazing resource site over the coming months, so stay tuned! Whether you’ve just begun your search for that perfect dress or just want some cues on color choices, bridesmaid dresses or rings for the nuptials, Lover.ly’s image bank of bridal goods will surely get your creative juices flowing. Think Pinterest meets Polyvor with the ability to buy what you view.This site takes some of the angst out of getting hitched. I so wish they were around when I got married!

Being the fashion and beauty makeup artist that I am, I turned to the runway for my makeup for inspirations. While you may thinks that runway looks are too bold for real life, especially a wedding, there are so many that are a perfect compliment. Here’s my lineup for a Runway wedding.

For this Kelly Faetanini,(center image) lavender fit to flare gown, I wanted the face to have an illuminated feel to it with subtle washes of color, which compliments the silk wrapped bodice and delicate colors of this dress. Here are some of my favorite products to achieve the look: Dior’s Glow maximizing Illuminator primer is the one of the best product for achieving this. It has the perfect amount of golden sheen mixed with touches of pink which gives the skin a beautiful glow without a trace of oiliness. I am obsessed with it! For the eyes, I simply love Marc Jacobs Beauty. Style Eye-Con No.3, is a beautiful collection of shimmery nudes that are velvety-soft and blend perfectly for a gorgeous finish. Follow up with Blacquer, Magic Marc’er Prescision Pen for an inky black tight-line, and top off the look with a sweep of Marc Jacobs Blacquer Lash lifting Gel mascara for lush, full lashes. Keep your brows groomed but natural looking with Diorshow Brow styler. Remember— Any color in the brow area will look at least a shade deeper once on, so opt for a shade or two lighter than your actual brow color. I love a full lip and use Dior Addict Lip Maximizer as a prep for any beauty look. Apply this at the start of your makeup and blot gently before lip color application. To finish this look, I opted for Kat Vo D lipstick in Agatha. I like to blot on the lips with a pinky finger to blur the edges of the lip line with this super saturated color.This creates pouty soft lips that’s got just the right amount of color that will last for hours of wedding photo-ops.

For this gorgeous Monique L’huillier gown, with its rush of tulle and hour-glass bodice,I wanted to evoke a modern retro glamour. It is such a gorgeous gown! While traditionally, the winged eyeliner (which has recently become a makeup staple), is quite delicate and angular, I took a departure from that and added some bulk to the line. With such a strong element, it’s important to dial down the rest of the elements so that the overall look doesn’t become overpowering. After all, the end game is to create a signature look that enhances the whole face and doesn’t distract from The Dress. To start, the eyelids need some color and I chose Jouer Long-wear creme mousse eyeshadow. I love this product because it gives a beautiful finish to the eye area and helps keep the rest of the eye makeup in place and for this look the best choices are Moonlight or Starlight. Pen liners are the best way to have control and achieve a strong liner look without any bobbles. My choice is Limitless Liquid liner Pen in Black from Smashbox Cosmetics. It goes on smoothly, dries fast and the slender tip will make creating that feline eye a snap! This face has a bit of color, which is a must for those who choose an all white dress like this one and I love Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush in Flamingo Pink. It’s a delicate apricot shade that will leave a healthy amount of color yet the HD formula will look completely natural under any lighting conditions. For the lips, I wanted a muted, matte shade that would define the lips but not compete with the strong eye. I love Kat Von D Studded Kiss lipsticks for this and Noble has just the perfect blend of warmth and rose to finish this look. For makeup Brushes, you’ll only need a few and they should be Vegan if possible. They are more hygienic and better for our skin: I love Kelley Quan New York Brush # 3, which is the perfect size for around the eye for shimmer and highlighter and # 5, a synthetic mink brush that I use for blush and powder applications.

Up until now, I have suggested that The Eyes be the key focus for this Bridal makeup look. That said, for those bold enough to carry it off, I absolutely adore Nars Cosmetics Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. This super pigmented pencil has a rich velvety texture and incredible staying power— A definitely plus for any wedding day! I love Mysterious Red, a shade that looks incredible on everyone.

My last beauty look (far right gown) is from the iconic, Oscar de la Renta. I love this dress, with its gorgeous lacework and gentle flared skirt, it is, the epitome of elegance. The beauty concept I have definitely has an opulent,lush feel to it— Polished bronzy skin with a shimmery eye and high gloss pink lip to punctuate the look. For a satin finish foundation, I am opted for NARSCosmetics All day luminous powder foundation.This lightweight powder foundation has a beautiful finish and is easy for touchups, especially handy for all the photo-ops with the bridal party. What sets this look apart from others, is the healthy, bronzed skin glow. I love using bronzers to warm up the face, whether by a little or a lot, it gives the face a overall warmth like no other.

As I have said before, I love Marc Jacobs beauty and the O!Mega Bronzer is no exception. This large pan powder has a wonderful velvet finish and used with Kelley Quan New York Brush # 22, you’ll have a burnished glow in no time. I like to shape and bronze the skin before doing the eye or cheek makeup because it helps to get just the right amount of natural bronze. The bare skin sans color will help avoid an overly sculpted face. Next comes the eye, and who better than Make Up For Ever to turn to? I am a huge fan of their Star Powders and use them all the time. For this look I selected Pearl Gold, Iridescent Natural Beige and Gold Copper These shimmery colors blend easily and will illuminate the eye beautifully. Curl lashes with Sephora’s Early Riser mini travel eyelash curler before applying a double coat of Diorshow Blackout mascara on both top and bottom lashes.
To finish this look, outline and fill the lips with Burberry Beauty lip definer in Nude Beige I like to go slightly over the lip line ( nbut noo much over!) to add a touch of fullness to the lip. Filling in the lip line also gives you lip color staying power. Finish the lip with a health dose of Marc Jacob Beauty Lust for Laquer lip vinyl in Overprotected. And that’s what we call a wrap, folks!