Imagine a classically veiled bride-to-be, a sheer, delicate layer of tulle across her face. This traditional, elegant look is embraced by many women as a way to pay a timeless homage to the past. Veils with a “blusher” (the piece that falls over your face) are two layers, can be full or sleek, long or short, and have a lot of style!

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Being a bride doesn’t mean you have to wear a veil. In fact, lots of women walk down the aisle with nothing more on their heads than hair and a smile on their faces!

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Today’s modern bride requires a current design for her wedding day hairstyle.  Ringlets and tendrils are a thing of the past– trust me your photographer will thank you, especially if your wedding day turns out to be a windy one!  If you are seeking a vintage style, opt for sleek finger-waved sides with a voluminous updo finished in a low chignon or wear your hair completely down with finger waves.  For natural or beach brides, choose a style that is finished yet loose– stay away from an updo that is too “styled”.  Elegant or evening brides, try a side-swept formed style and decorate with an ornate hair piece.  For the creative or artistic bride, go bold with a sweet high bun, a fun hair piece placed in a low chignon, or an Elizabethan inspired style.

Below are some of my personal portfolio images of wedding hair designs placed in an inspiration board.  Enjoy!

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Headbands are a great alternative to the tiara or hair comb, and they win the versatility award for wearability after the wedding day. They can be found in any style; for now, classic pieces with sparkle are catching my eye!

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I get this question all the time, “What techniques do you use to enhance Asian eyes?”. The number one mistake made when applying makeup to Asian eyes is blending eyeshadow color too high or into the “crease”. For Asian eyes, the crease is a non-existent feature as the eye area is typically flat or has a slight hooded lid.

For my bride, Cynthia, we ended up doing two different looks– a soft look for her wedding day and a smokey eye look for her post-wedding day pictures. The technique I used for each look was to concentrate the liner and shadows close to her lash line.

For the wedding day, I used a brown/black liquid liner tight to her lash line. I then blended a soft pink shade on her lid, keeping it out of the highlight area located under the brow. We decided against bottom liner because Cynthia wanted to keep her wedding day look soft. For her foundation, I used #2 from Face Atelier and set with a translucent powder. Lips were kept a natural shade of pink and gloss sealed the color.

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Some women want nothing to do with veils, wishing instead to wear a unique accessory in which to make a grand entrance.   As weddings continue to grow more personalized and less constrained by established ideas of style, designers and brides are exploring earlier traditions for dramatic veil alternatives. What could be more bold, feminine, and chic than a hat?

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‘Tis the season for a holiday themed wedding!  I recently worked on a bridal shoot themed for such an occasion. We chose the elegant Stone Manor Country Club in Frederick, Maryland.  Genevieve Leiper provided the photography while Wedding Ace’s own Holly Chapple provided the floral arrangements.

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The first step in choosing the right foundation for you is ensuring you have a smooth palate (your facial skin) to work on.  If you don’t, you will have to use a thicker formula than you actually need in order to get even coverage (think about spreading butter on toast – the rougher the bread, the thicker smear of butter you need to cover the surface).  If you find yourself in this category, relax – you can reverse the condition of your skin by gently exfoliating and applying a light moisturizer, or a hydrator.  Do this daily and you will properly prepare your skin and be able to use a lighter formulation of foundation- you will be amazed after a week or two how much smoother and more even the application will be.

When selecting the right shade, apply the color along the jaw line making a stripe. As the stripe dries it should stay a beige color and completely disappear. If any discoloration, such as yellow or orange, appears you need to try another shade in the same manner. Know that the artificial shading of yellow or orange will deepen as it wears. This is not the look you are going for. Once you have found the color that works well with your body chemistry and stays a true beige tone, you have succeeded in finding your foundation shade.

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Lipstick that has staying power has been a bride’s number one concern with her wedding day makeup for as long as I can remember.  When long-lasting formulas started popping up on the scene it seemed the battle had a new weapon.

At first we all jumped onto the band wagon and began experimenting and playing with all the different brands and formulas.  As artists we discovered that while it is a great concept for day to day activity, when it comes to bridal makeup, long-lasting formulas just weren’t hitting the mark:  the color selection was limited and the sheen was either super matte or too glossy for their wedding day.  While still a great tool for bridesmaids – most artist choose to use traditional creamy lipsticks on the beautiful bride.

Here is a super neat Secret Tip for Budge Proof Lips ~

To make sure your lips stay kissable soft all night long follow these simple steps:

• Line your lips with a lip liner that matches your favorite lip color.
• Lightly color in your lips between the lines with the liner.
• Using a brush, apply your favorite lipstick to your lips – Less is more, be sure to apply a thin coat.
• Take a tissue, pull it apart so it is one-ply, and lay it on your lips.
• With a big fluffy brush, dab translucent powder onto the tissue – this will allow a very thin layer of powder to filter through onto the lips.
• With a brush add a second layer of lipstick.

This layering effect will make any lipstick stick for hours!  Give it a try and let me know your thoughts!

Jacki Norrie

Smoky eyes may (or may not) be your look of choice for the big day, but how many people can DIY this look?  If you’re a pro-artist, no problem.  For the everyday women, I hear remarks like “Whenever I try to do smoky eyes, my eyes look too small!” or “What products do I need to create this look?”.

Sephora has pretty much thought of everything when it comes to DIY makeup kits.  My recommendation? Smoky Eyes by Sephora. Achieve the smoky eye look in six easy steps with this kit! This set includes everything you need to create that ultra sexy look!

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