3 Essential Makeup Finishing Touches for the Mature Bride & Femmes 45+

The aging eye can still look vital and sexy, but the application method has to be different than it was in our 20’s. Even skin tone, nicely framed brows, softly defined lashes and liner, along with soft blush and fuller lips makes for a vibrant, healthy makeup. People will be mesmerized by your personality and wisdom rather than stuck on looking at over or under done makeup.

1. Eye Shadow

The fast, easy and effective way to a great eye is to powder your entire lid with a dual finish powder (which also acts like a primer and prevents creasing) or a bisque coloured eyeshadow.

Use a slight shimmer bisque like MAC Naked Lunch on the inside corner of the eye more on the nose than the eyelid. This brightens it up without calling attention to lines.

With a taupe matte, eyeshadow place shadow along the lash line and at the outer corner of our eye lid. Then extend along the crease. For hooded eyes apply to the outer third of the lid blending upward and outward. Then with the same colour, apply softly along the lower lash line directly under the lashes with most of the weight on the outer corner and blend into the centre.

Next, apply a dark brown or black depending on your skin colour, along the lash line blending outward and slightly upward. Blending is very important here with the idea that most of the weight is along the lash line.

2. Blush

“Less is more” is the general rule of thumb these days and especially to achieve a natural and enhanced look. If you can see your blush before your face, then its probably too much and will give that “old lady trying too hard to hang on to a look from 30 years ago look”.

Use blush in the same colour tone as your lipcolour. Smile and apply blush with a dome brush on the apple of your cheek sweeping out and up along the cheek line. Then add another soft sweep across your entire eye for a little warmth and harmony.

Remember - too much blush looks like you're trying to hard - too little makes you look tired and worn.

3. Luscious Lips

Here's 2 approaches for the fine line dilemma.

1. Use a pencil liner and a clear wax pencil directly above your pencil line to stop bleeding. Fill in the lips with the pencil (which should be close in shade to your lipstick and then top off with lipstick, blot, powder and apply lipstick again. Add a touch of balm rather than gloss to the centre of your lips and well within the outside line.

2. I use Maybelline Superstay lip paint every day which comes with a lip balm.This long wearing lip colour makes it easier to line your lips to their fullest without fear of them running and it wears for hours - truly. As our lips shrink with age use shades that are a bit brighter - but not like a neon sign. The myth about avoiding dark lip colours is just that in my opinion. Too light a lip can make you look washed out and tired - which, let's face, isn't our best look. Even with a light lip colour, the trick is to put some weight behind it which is achieved with a darker colour underneath.

Tip - Its more about the tools and application techniques than the products.

Brides-Beautiful.com - Hi Def Makeup & Hairstyling
Sharon Danley, Master Artist
416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

LiveJournal Tags: mature makeup. makeup tips for mature women,anti-aging makeup tips,makeup tips for the mature eye,blush tips for mature eyes,eye shadow tips for the mature eye,lipstick tips

3 Essential Makeup Tips for Mature Brides & Femmes 45+

Begin at the Beginning The #1 makeup trick for any age is great skin with or without makeup and its starts with a cleansed and exfoliated face - nightly. Use Retinol and AHA's alternatively as a night cream (avoiding eyes). Use a reasonable eye creme instead. Morning - rinse and apply moisturizing lotion (not creme - too oily for day), with an SPF or alternatively use a sun block on face forearms and décolleté. Skin that is well cared for won't need primers either and save lots of coin in skin repair procedures.

In my opinion, the busy, vibrant woman who isn't easily fooled out of her hard-earned cashola can avoid primers and a plethora of "anti-aging" products - especially when you exercise a good cleaning, moisturizing and protection regimen - and of course eat a healthy diet and get adequate of rest.

The 3 Essentials – Skin Tone, Brows, Lashes/Liner

1. Foundation

To illuminate a healthy glow and diminish fine lines, liquid foundations work best. I like MAC Face & Body, Revlon Softflex or Makeup Forever HD for a lighter approach and trusty Cinema Secrets or Dermablend crème for cover up purposes. Apply with a brush or sponge for a smooth HD looking finish.

For the non-professional who hasn't the time nor inclination - keep it simple and avoid product mixing problems - use the same foundation a couple of shades lighter to highlight under the eyes or use your concealer from the plethora of these items on the market, if you like the results. Use a second same brand foundation a couple of shades darker for contouring or adding extra colour during summer months when skin tone gets darker.

A loose or dual finish powder applied with a dome brush over your foundation sets it and reduces shine which attracts light, illuminating fine lines and markings. A reduced sheen mineral powder is a good option for the cheeks only as it tends to shine more than matte and loose powders. My personal fave is Audrey Morris dual finish mineral pressed powder - its great on its own, over foundation, applied with a brush, sponge or puff - and I'm definitely over 21 and 45. Alternatively MAC Studio Fix is a close second.

2. Brows

Eyebrows are the architectural foundation of your face and as we age and their textures changes we tend to forget about them. Big Mistake! Remember this - just because the brows you plucked out at 18 didn't grow back, doesn’t give a reason to keep the wrong hairs around. Trim the fuzz and correct your arch - and voila - instant non-surgical eye lift. A good shaping is worth gold so find a technician who is also an artist

Dubbed Toronto's Eyebrow Queen, I agree with other international experts specializing in custom brow shaping, correction and re-design that great eyebrows make people look at your eyes, not your brows. Framed and arched correctly, brows are one of thee most important aspects of your face.

Eyebrows should architecturally compliment each other, not look identical because you face isn’t identical on both sides.
• Use 1-2 shades lighter than your hair color for a natural look.
• Use 1-2 shades darker than your hair color for a dramatic look. Check out this blog post too for more detailed info.

3. Lashes & Liner

Lashes Thee most powerful tool in makeup and the least used. Natural looking length and thickness are what's important. The pot of gold at the end of the makeup rainbow, lashes are often overlooked, yet they give that dramatic look we crave without the look of excessive makeup. And the permanent ones, in my opinion, are often not well done, are often too long, look fake and are unnecessarily expensive.

But natural looking fake, fun lashes are great once trimmed for the individual eye length - or for cutting in half or thirds to use as demi's applied to the outer corners for an even more natural look. 3 - 4 individual clusters on the outside corners are an alternative. Just depends on how much drama and speed you're aiming for. For more details, check out this blog post too.

Liner As of this writing the best liner for any age is a gel and I currently use MAC Fluidline. Here’s the trick for a really natural, yet more dramatic looking eye – at any age and especially for the mature eye. Use the gel liner on the under side of the upper lid applied with a fine eyeliner or flat edged angle brush. This approach will remove 10 years - instantly - really!

And here's the real trick ladies. Use dark brown or steel gray eyeshadow as soft liner on the upper lid rather than pencil or liquid or gel. Use an eyeshadow 2-3 shades lighter for liner on the outer corners on the lower lash line directly under the lashes.

For more intensity you can intensify the powder portion of your liner mixed with an eyeliner sealant and rim the lower inside portion of your lid too. For more details check this blog post too.

The intensity levels are limitless. But for quick everyday fresh looks, the simple tricks above will keep you looking and feeling as young as your heart dictates – naturally.

Brides-Beautiful.com - Hi Def Makeup & Hairstyling
Sharon Danley, Master Artist
416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

LiveJournal Tags: Mature makeup,makeup tips for mature women,anti-aging makeup tips,pro makeup tips for mature women

Give Your Bridal Speech Like a Pro – Leave Your Audience Speechless

We’ve come a long way baby. Times have changed and now brides and other women in bridal parties are making speeches. But how much practice do you get giving speeches? Unless your business calls for you to regularly give speeches, introductions or training to groups, perhaps school may have been the last time you spoke to a crowd?  And how often have you spoken to a family and friend gathering which is much different that a group of strangers.

Well not to fret. Having had a career as a singer, voiceover specialist and coach to actors and business executives across the country in another life, this makeup maven can offer up some great tips to put you at ease and the star at giving a memorable, professional quality speech. 

Fact – Voice tone and vocabulary are 45% of any presentation. Wow – that’s a lot – almost half.  So its stands to reason that some prep time should be put into your speech, like choosing your flowers, wedding dress, makeup and hairstylist, photographer, etc.

Tip - Leave your audience “speechless”. Write your speech out and practice it till it feels comfortable and has the kind of impact you are looking for.

Tip - Professionals practice one hour for every minute of their speech. OK in the non-professional speaking environment its still a good rule of thumb. Practice on video - its the best - or use a tape recorder. Or better yet take in a session with a professional voice coach – they can give you instant tips and exercises for your particular needs. Re-write what isn’t working. Keep tweaking till it feels right. This will add volumes to your confidence and you will actually enjoy making your speech.

Tip - Practice projecting your voice – sing in the shower, the car (perfect private sound booth-especially with tinted windows) to your favourite tunes. Deep breath into the diaphragm 10 times, 3 times a day. Practice speaking in a way that you are understood – articulate every vowel, consonant and diphthong (secondary sound in a vowel).

Tip - Every letter in every word should get its full-intended value. That way your voice will be completely understood and you will have a lyrical quality and soothing tone to your voice that will leave your audience spell bound and you feeling elated.

If you practice just these 4 tips and start early – at least 3 months before the big day, I promise you’ll sound like a pro and feel relieved and relaxed at giving one of the most important speeches of your life.

For more tips and information, “The Voice of Your Choice” manuals are available for do it yourselfers or personal sessions for anyone in the bridal party with a preferred client discount if you have booked beauty services.

 Brides-Beautiful.com – On-site Design & Service Excellence Sharon Danley, Master Artist
416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

Technorati Tags: bridal speeches,brides speeches,public speaking,bridal toasts,wedding toasts,bridal wedding toasts,wedding speeches,bridal party speeches,how to give a better speech,speaking better at weddings,bridesmaids speeches,grooms speeches,bridesmaids toasts,grooms toasts,groomsmens speeches

Double Your Pleasure, Quadruple Your Happiness

These gorgeous twin brides were married to brothers - yes, that's right bros, but not twin bros. And no, they didn't go on their honeymoon together. But I'm guessing there will definitely be some texting going on.

A fresh, flawless and natural look was the order of the day and we achieved it with looks that lasted right to the end of the festivities. Simple elegance and flawless beauty always stands the test of time.

The Makeup
It was a very humid day in Toronto so these gals certainly didn't need to be worrying about melting. So I used trusted MAC Face & Body Foundation only where it was needed and sealed it with Audrey Morris Dual Finish Mineral Based Powder. I also use the same dual powder to prime the eyes and by 12:00 midnight their eyes still looked the same with nary a crease.

The Eyes
The twins promised me at the trial to let their brows grow so we could re shape them at the wedding - and they stuck to their word. In order to shape their brows and also not inflame the skin with too much tweezing, I used the new Sephora brow groomer and simply whisked away what wasn't needed, added a little light taupe eyeshadow with a flat edged angle brush to finish the the symmetry and voila - beautifully framed and natural looking brows. To keep them that way I topped them off with a clear mascara working the brush upward and outward.

In order to pop the eyes in a natural way I used individual lash clusters and topped them off with mascara. For a liner I used MAC Fluidline Gel Liner with a very fine liner brush, and then topped it off with a smudge of dark brown shadow to finish the look of strengthening the lash line. I used MAC Nacked Lunch to highlight the inside corners, the middle of the lids and under the brow bone. Careful blending, adding, blending, adding, blending achieved the look. I finished with a dark taupe powdered eyeshadow liner directly under the lower lash line.

Finishing Touches
The twins love bronzer, but strategic placement is the key. First I used a combination of colours in the warm family to give their cheeks a true blush look and then used the bronzing powder across the mid range of their faces and in the center of their foreheads and a slight touch on the chin - that's all - and it was done with a very light hand.

For lips I used Maybelline Superstay Lipcolour #785 (a berry shade) and #750 (shimmer pink) as a highlighter in the center of the lower lip to give the 3D lip look.

I then used a natural shimmer powder to highlight their collar bones and shoulders and a dusting across the eye. And I used it sparingly so as not to interfere with flash in their photos.

All in all, they were as lovely to work with as they were beautiful to look at. It was my sincere pleasure to attend the wedding and to check for touch-ups, but just a light blotting around the nose and a touch of lip gloss was all that was required.

Brides-Beautiful.com – On-site Design & Service Excellence

Sharon Danley, Master Artist
416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

Flower Girls - Junior Bridesmaids

A wedding is the one time a young girl truly gets to look and feel like a princess. The dress, flowers, makeup, hairdo and attention is the magic little girls dream of. And they can often eclipse the bride with their adorable, unabashed cuteness or "rain on the parade" of festivities with brazen disregard. The smart bride knows that like the rest of the bridal party, when the younger attendants are chosen wisely its like the finishing touch on the wedding cake.

When it comes to the makeup and hairstyling for the young Misses its best to keep it age appropriate. And what does that mean? Keeping it youthful and fresh by camouflaging where needed, accenting where suitable and balancing where required. OK, some details.

Flower Girls
Lipstick on a flower girl goes overboard, but a very little touch of gloss and sweeping hint of a light pink or peach (depending on the theme colour tone of the bridal party) over the cheeks can make the little princess feel like she's about to step into glass slippers. And this makeup maven carries a magic wand with her and pretends to sweep eyeshadow and shimmer all with the magic of wand and voila - its the "Empress's New Clothes" approach to the little one's makeup. Its the attention they love. So hold back on the actual makeup and use pretend magic instead.

Junior Bridesmaids
Once again its an age appropriate or common sense approach to makeup and hairstyling. Fresh, natural and minimalist always works best. Never use black mascara on Caucasian skin or liquid liner. Instead, opt for a med dark brown powdered liner and brown mascara, unless its black skin and then, of course, a very dark brown works best here. And again lipstick or stain on the subtle side is the best call topped with a gloss - or hey, just the gloss is often best.

At this age blemishes can often be problematic so a good foundation used sparingly and only to cover needed areas topped off with a finishing powder helps to camouflage eruptions and even out skin tone. I prefer MAC Face & Body Foundation - its my current fave for all ages.

Hairstyling
The classic half up, half down style for junior miss always works well. And if ever ringlets were suited to an age range, this is the one. Ringlets can be made simply with rags or sponge rollers put in the night before with clean, slightly damp hair and a little hairspray to help hold the set. Otherwise hot rollers on the day with a little hairspray just before putting them in the hair too.

Tip: The thinner the hair, the less product should be used - a flexible hold hairspray is best (I prefer Dove).

Tip: The smaller the roller, the tighter the ringlet.














Flower Girls often have thin, wispy hair. In this instance hair put up in a pony tail high on the crown with ringlets or curls that are allowed to bounce can be very cute and keep the hair out of the way of the little tyke and eliminate hair grooming throughout the day. You can also do little pony tails all over the head or the traditional one on each side - there are endless ideas to choose from. What matters is what suits the young girl's face and hair type.


Juniors usually have thicker, longer hair and the same curling approach works here too. There are numerous styles to choose from, but once again, best to keep it age appropriate. Often vintage looks are attractive, fun and appropriate (can be achieved with a crimping iron).

Tip: Best to work with the natural curl or straightness of the hair type - its easier and requires less grooming and avoids frustration.

Hair Accessories
Everything from head bands, to flowers, to halo rings, to ribbons, tiara, etc. can be a failure or fab. Balance and portion are key.

Tip: Make sure head bands or tiaras have a flexible wire base to mold to the head.

Tip: Avoid silver covered bobby pins with decorative gems - they are too stiff for most hair and are hard to secure in a soft natural way.

Tip: Silk flowers are much lighter, won't wilt and easier to fasten than real flowers.

Incorporating these tips, planning ahead and utilizing the services of a skilled artist will make for a fun experience on the day and give the added assurance you made the best decisions in the makeup and hair design so you can enjoy pictures and videos for years.

Brides-Beautiful.com – On-site Design & Service Excellence

416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

Old Hollywood Glam

Move over Jessica Rabbit there's a new dame in town. Carol MacNeil and Richard Stursburg tied the nuptial knot on June 27 here in Toronto, and yours truly created her makeup and hairstyling. Her dress was exquisite and reflective of that Hollywood Glam Era when brides were gracefully gorgeous and grooms were definitely dapper.

The Makeup - simple, even skin tone was created with MAC Face & Body Foundation, Cinema Secrets Cream Foundation and Audrey Morris Dual Finish Powder. Brows were defined with medium brown eyeshadow and a flat angle brush. MAC Fluidline Dipdown Gel Liner was applied only on the upper lid topped off with medium and short individual false lashes. Covergirl VolumeExact Waterproof Mascara in Deep Brown was applied to the lashes, with a second coat over the fake ones as well. A hint of blush and a darker lip in a slightly pink hue was used to incorporate the colours of the flowers. No gloss was used and skin tone was kept matte to reflect the authenticity of the era.

The Hair - A Lauren Bacall side sweep shoulder length style with a curlier version of a page boy and one side dressed behind her ear was the choice. Conair Jumbo Instant Heat Rollers were used to create this look giving it bounce and lift in a natural way. Very little backcombing was needed at the crown and it stayed beautifully throughout the festivities with the assistance of Dove Flexible Hold Non-aerosol Hairspray sprayed on my hand first and then stroked over her tresses.

The Dress - elegant, sophisticated, thematic and simply stunning. The extra fabric coming from the bust line was ingeniously designed so it could be tied criss-crossed around the midriff to reflect a Grecian goddess or could be draped over the upper arm leaving the shoulders to show and tucked in at the back of the strap and flowed while walking which simulated the flow of train, but without one. Several looks can be achieved by directing the extended fabric in a variety of ways.


The Non-traditional Aspects - the bride bumped into the groom in the elevator complete with rollers and robe - Yikes!! What's a gal to do but laugh and enjoy the moment - which is Carol's MO.

What's the male equivalent of a Bridesmaid? Ideas welcome. Carol had both genders represented.

Back to Tradition - The happy bride and groom - sill looking radiant with minimal, and I mean minimal touch up - in fact nothing in the makeup department and just a comb through on the ends of the hair.

CONGRATULATIONS and best wishes for a long and happy marriage - it was my pleasure providing the beauty services for your very special day.

Please direct your questions to
info@brides-beautiful.com
www.brides-beautiful.com

The June Bride - Rain, Shine, Hot, Cool - Effects Makeup

The traditional month of Brides is June and it can be warm, hot, cool, rainy or absolutely beautiful. So how does a bride prepare for the one thing she can't control - the weather?

Delegate, delegate, delegate everything you can to your bridesmaids - that's their job isn't it? eg. being prepared for any weather means having on hand - light, see through rain gear/large umbrellas and foot coverage over those expensive shoes for the rainy days, shawl for cool days, fan and absorbent tissue for humid days, etc. The more you plan, the more relaxed and carefree you'll be.

My job is to zero in on the makeup and hair department - so here's some suggestions.

Its always a great idea to carry a form of compact powder and absorbent tissues or face blots. Dual Finish Powder, like MAC Studio Fix, or Audrey Morris Private Label Dual Foundation Powder are handy for inclement weather and keeps you looking bridal fresh throughout your festivities and for all the those "candid" shots.

One fave is MAC Face & Body Foundation with a finishing powder overtop. This process never fails me or the brides I do and especially for the more mature bride is simply lovely and fresh.

What I especially love about a dual finish powder is it covers from light, applied with a fluff brush, to full coverage with a sponge using a stipple method of application. And remember too much SPF in the product may show "white face" in flash photography, but the ones I've mentioned here work great.

Mineral products can be fine for dry skins but for oily they're not my first choice. Mineral powders generally tend to grease up quickly - and a fresh glow is great, but grease is groosome. And minerals need to be touched up every couple of hours.

Airbrush - its great - but its just another tool. If you're going to use it either Kett or Obsessive Compulsive are my faves. But they aren't FDA approved either, so something to consider. Either traditional or airbrush can look amazing - the skill is in the artist applying it and knowing what your skin will look and wear best with.

This makeup maven and her clients are also loving Maybelline Superstay lipcolour for long wear without drying or moving into the fine lines around the mouth. Just touch up with the balm end of the tube (you don't even need a mirror for this cause the lipcolour stays put and you're good to go.

Now for hair - if you want the most carefree hairstyling then an updo or classic chignon won't require the grooming that hair left down will. And, if its hot or humid you'll be really glad you kept your hair off your neck.

Mama's also loving the Jessica Simpson wigs for that half up/half down curly look as this synthetic fiber has a built in memory and retains its look through the day and evening.

Human hair extensions can be great. But be wary of extensions touting themselves as good quality which hold the curl you put in. Often substandard hair is sold as "human hair" but, in fact, this is a false promise. Speak with a couple of stylists who work consistently with hair pieces and get the real goods on your choices.

Remember - whatever the weather - its the celebration of your union that's important, so enjoy the process "Come Rain or Come Shine".

Feel free to direct your questions to
info@brides-beautiful.com
www.Brides-Beautiful.com

Ethnic Brides

Brides in all ethnicities want to look beautiful while respecting tradition - yet keeping up with the times.

Even skin tone is a must and foundation must match. Black, Indian and Mediterranean skin look best with a warm rather than ashy undertone foundation. Asians desire natural skin colour contrary to beliefs they prefer pale versions of themselves. And the Scandinavian, British and cooler countries need to neutralize the undertone in their pale to ruddy complexions.

A great warm-red lipstick is perfect for the Chinese Tea Ceremony dress. Traditional Indian can be complimented with rich blue-reds. And the traditional white dress is works best with a lip colour that harmonizes the attendants’ dresses and flowers.

Tips:

Avoid bright lipstick on pale complexions.

Eyes in any ethnicity are the focus. The darker the skin tone and intense the brows and lashes, the more attention should be placed on shaping the hair than excess product.

Only black skin and hair warrants black eyeliner. And darkest brown is better than black for an elegant look. A matte finish is also more refined. Its about the bride’s charm, not her makeup - in any language.

Avoid an unnatural crease with Asian eyes - it draws attention to the makeup rather than the natural beauty of their eye shape.

Clear mascara is great to keep eyebrows held in place - apply up and outward and hold down for 10 seconds to lock in place.

Whatever the ethnicity, unless a bride has amazingly thick lashes, false ones properly trimmed and specific to her face and eye shape, is the best way to achieve intensity for the camera and stage without looking overdone up close.

Natural, elegant looks stand the test of time and wedding pictures look great for a lifetime.

Brides-Beautiful.com – On-site Design & Service Excellence
416-361-9662 - info@brides-beautiful.com

The Spring Bride

Ah its that time of year when beautiful brides abound. Are you looking for a relaxed, calm, enjoyable, spa approach to the beauty aspect of your wedding?

Well then visit Brides-Beautiful.com for premier makeup and hair design in the comfort of your home or bridal suite.

Getting ready for that special day can be so much easier, more enjoyable, memorable and fun with a little smart planning up front. Keeping a video journal is also a great way to capture memories leading up to the event and easy to do with today's instant and constantly improving technology.

But my emphasis in this blog is the beauty aspect of your wedding day - namely, makeup and hair design. There are some great articles you might enjoy reading on the website and I'll be blogging all things related in the upcoming months.

In the meantime - remember SUNBLOCK early in the season and often. Check it out at "Healthlink". If you want that "golden California" look, better to get a spray tan (a la "Dancing with the Stars") than via the sun's rays. This is huge and you will be thankful later in life when people think you are 10 years younger because you took the precautions early in life to protect your body's biggest organ - your skin. More important though is the serious damage sun soaking can cause. But you knew that - didn't you?

And of course having your makeup and hairstyling done in the comfort of your home or bridal suite by a competent and experienced artist is a smart way to plan for the finishing, yet most important touches, for your wedding day pictures, videos, receiving line and to present to that guy of your dreams. But remember, the best artists are booked fast, so its wise to shop early.

And another tip - all the hype about mineral makeup is just that. It does give a nice glow, but has to be touched up often - and if you have oily skin, don't even go there. A dual finish powder may be much better as it covers as light or heavy as you need and gives a beautiful, fresh air brushed finish to the skin.

Please pass this blog address to any of your friends who are planning to walk down the aisle. And I'll be happy to answer questions if you email them to info@brides-beautiful.com or go to the website and email from there.

Thanks for dropping by this first post. And good luck with all your wedding plans - I sincerely hope you make the process fun, enjoyable and positively memorable.