Touch of Advice: Makeup tips from experts & spa dos and don’ts

By Brittney Moody, Up North Bride

Glowing from the inside out isn’t typically a problem for the bride on her wedding day.

However, there are some ways to preserve that look throughout the ceremony, reception and most importantly, pictures.

“Nothing drastic should be done, just a fresh and new look for the day of,” said Hillorie Cabble, therapist supervisor for Solace Spa at Boyne Mountain.

Keeping up with a normal, daily routine is key. Cabble explained that a lot of change can lead to unexpected problems down the road, and even advised not switching anything up less than a month out.

“Continue with your everyday skin care regimen and wash your face every night to prevent breakouts — a bride is already stressed out enough,” Cabble said. “You never know what your skin is going to do or have an adverse reaction to.”

Finding the right look

For the day of the wedding, brides tend to want to swap their daily gloss and concealer for a more radiant, shimmering look.

“It’s better to just enhance what you already do — you still want to recognize yourself in the mirror and have your fiancé recognize you,” Cabble noted.

Instead of springing for a sultry look far from the norm, Cabble suggested introducing a couple of different colors by way of eye shadow or skin tones, just enough to mix up the daily routine but preserve the same image. Cabble highly suggests that makeup and hair not be one of the last-minute details before the wedding.

Solace Spa, along with many other salons, offer hair and makeup consultations. Although these consultations are not free, they give the bride extra security and ease going into her appointment the day of the wedding.

“The consultation fee is worth every penny for the peace of mind for the bride,” Cabble said.

At Boyne Mountain in particular, they advise scheduling a consultation a month prior to the wedding.

“The last couple of weeks before the wedding there is so much going on,” Cabble explained. “This way the professional can write down all the colors and the day of we can create a wonderful experience with them and help them relax.”

Achieving a healthy glow

Creating the right kind of glow is not as easy as one may think.

It’s best to steer clear of glittery products and frosted foundations, and to use ones that will look more natural.

“It’s OK to put glimmer on cheeks, just remember not to do frosted everything because it’s going to be too reflective in photos,” Cabble instructed.

She suggested that adding a light shimmer right above the cheekbone would be the best area for glimmer. Highlighting the forehead and chin can be all right as well, as long as the bride uses the product sparingly.

“It’s important to find a good balance; you want a glow, just not a shiny one,” Cabble said.

According to Cabble, translucent powders and mists are great products for creating a long lasting glow. She suggested starting with a mineral-based product, such as Sunbeam of the jane iredale collection. This bronzer can function as a highlighter and can be applied to various skin tones. PomMisst by jane iredale was suggested as a mist to refresh the skin.

Facials and body treatments are great ways to have healthy, silky skin as well.

Stress-free scheduling

When choosing a start time for the wedding, the concept of how long it takes a salon to complete a group of girls in the bridal party sometimes gets lost.

Depending on the circumstances of the wedding — for example, whether there is traveling distance to the ceremony and such — Cabble suggests setting the appointments four hours prior.

The group sales coordinator for Solace Spa and at The Spa at the Inn at Bay Harbor, Krystal Birgy, advised setting salon appointments at least six months out.

“I have people call a year in advance,” Birgy said. “The earlier you call makes you the priority.”

It is important also for the bride to space things out.

According to Birgy, it is best to have nails done the day before the wedding so if anything happens they can be fixed. Facials should be scheduled at least a week in advance of the wedding in case of an adverse reaction and body treatments are best to schedule the day or two before the wedding.

And although massages can be relaxing, and are a great part of the pre-wedding experience, they should not be part of the wedding-day schedule.

Hair and makeup is the only thing advised for the day of the wedding.

“Brides try to cram everything in the day of wedding,” Birgy noted. “They will find it is a more relaxing experience if they don’t.”

Up North Bride Home » Fall & Winter 2010/2011 Edition » Tips & Tricks: Touch of Advice