Posted on: June 19, 2008
Made Up in the Family
When it comes to your wedding, you don’t want to look anything less than glam. Here’s how to make sure that friendly offers for help with your hair and makeup will stand up to the pros
By Anna T. Hirsh
CTW Features
Maybe you just had to go the extra dollar when it came to getting the best DJ in town for your wedding. But your budget necessitates you trim costs somewhere else. Having a family member or friend do your hair and makeup for your event may save you money, but there are some tips from the top that you should consider if you want to ensure that you’ll be looking your best as you’re groovin’ on the dance floor after dinner.
When it comes to hairstyles, avoid anything too complicated, says Beth Martinez, a stylist at Salon Pop, a Bumble & Bumble and Wella salon in Long Beach, Calif.
“Many bridal styles look much easier than they are,” says Martinez. “Anything that involves the hair entirely up, like buns or pincurls, generally involves a lot of work. There is a strong foundation involved in these styles, especially in making them stay for the entire duration of a wedding.”
Instead, Martinez recommends half up/half down styles, which are quite common both in bridal magazines and on the red carpet, or even better, a completely down but styled hairdo that is very easy and seriously chic.
“Currently I am huge fan of 1940s-inspired looks,” says Martinez. “The Veronica Lake is not too hard to acquire, especially if your hair holds curl. Just put in some … styling cream, dry your hair straight, put hot rollers in hair (spraying each one with hairspray), set with a blow dryer and then unleash the waves. You can brush them softly with a paddle brush and pin them as you like. Putting a flower on one side is a nice accent. It’s a simple, classic look – you will never look at your photos and say, ‘Oh my god, what was I thinking!’”
Daniel Martin, a Lancome celebrity makeup artist based in New York, agrees that keeping it simple is the key to looking fabulous for free.
“Avoid too much bronzer on the face,” says Martin. “You will look orange up against a white palette (the dress). And make sure your foundation matches your neck! You don’t want that makeup ‘line of shame.’”
Martin also recommends forgoing a full lip of lipliner, lipstick and gloss, in favor of just lipliner and gloss. This simple combination won’t look garish, reduces your need to reapply and lasts longer. Simple, fresh eyes also are easier to achieve by amateurs, but Martin’s must-do is waterproof mascara.
If you aren’t confident about the look or techniques, go to the makeup counter for a brand you really like, have a professional artist do the look for you and have your friend watch.
“After the application, you should receive a color chart of the items used, how they used them and suggested products for purchase,” says Martin. “They usually don’t charge for the application but sometimes ask for a minimum purchase requirement – but this is great because you leave with foolproof products that you don’t have to worry about the day of your wedding. I definitely recommend purchasing the foundation and/or concealer used. You want your skin to look effortless. Everything else is just icing on the cake.”
After the hairstyle and makeup are determined, it would also be well worth the time for you and your novice stylist to do a couple trial runs. These test days can catch any surprises, such as hair products that make your curly hair flat or concealer that makes you break out. They can also give you fair warning that you will probably need way more time to get ready than you think.
Martinez suggests setting aside three hours for hair and makeup, combined, unless you are having a casual beach or backyard wedding.
But the most important piece of advice is to really communicate and be honest with whoever ends up doing your hair and makeup, whether it be a friend or professional.
“I know on my big day getting my hair and makeup done was my moment of peace,” says Martinez, “and it was because I really trusted those working on me.”
