I am SO excited to be kicking off my Aisle Style series! I’ve been engaged since December, but we are taking our sweet time planning. Being the makeup obsessed person that I am, I am already thinking about my look for my big day…and then I’ll kind of plan everything else around that. Totally bizarre? Maybe.
I am so honored to have Adele as a guest on All Gussied Up today! Adele is an incredible makeup artist serving brides in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Her work has been featured on Style Me Pretty, Ruffled Blog, Borrowed and Blue, and many more. Basically she just rocks at what she does…making brides look and feel beautiful.
Lynn: First things first, please introduce yourself!
Adele: Hello! I am a self-taught makeup artist and have been doing makeup professionally for over twelve years. I strengthened my eye for color theory and design at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco and worked as a makeup artist for many cosmetic lines at Nordstrom.
Lynn: How should a bride go about choosing her bridal makeup?
Adele: When I meet with a bride, the first question I ask during our trial is: “Tell me about your makeup routine for daytime and for a night out?” This tells me a lot about her style, if she’s more natural/minimal with her makeup, or if she likes a more dramatic look. I also like to know what her favorite facial feature is and what she’d like to emphasize.
A bride’s bridal makeup should be a reflection of her and enhance her natural beauty.
I use cosmetic brands that are known for giving a natural, clean, flawless look to the skin. I believe skin is the most important part of bridal makeup. If skin looks flawless and glowing, you don’t need much else to look like a stunning bride.
Lynn: It seems like more and more brides these days are wanting to do their own makeup for their big day. What’s the best way to go about doing this confidently?
Adele: If a bride is planning to do her own makeup, I suggest using brands that work best with her skin type and researching in magazines/blogs what makeup will give her the look she’s going for. Note: your wedding day is not the best day to experiment too much though – if you don’t typically wear a red lipstick or black eyeliner, your wedding probably isn’t the day to do it.
Lynn: Any products that should be avoided for the big day?
Adele: I advise my clients to avoid starting a new skin care regimen before the wedding. The week(s) leading up to your wedding is not the time to try out a new peel or moisturizer. I highly recommend going to a professional for a spray/airbrush tan. Nothing is worse than a botched self-tanner. I avoid putting physical sunscreen on my clients – I find chemical sunscreens are better for photos and doesn’t leave that white cast on the skin.
If a bride is looking to have the best skin for the day of – I always recommend they meet with a dermatologist a few months before the wedding. Also, it’s a good idea to do a spray tan in advance – to see how the color looks and how your skin reacts.
Lynn: Tips on getting your makeup to last all day?
Adele: Start with clean, lightly moisturized skin. Use a Foundation Primer – this serves as the 1st layer between your skin and the makeup and will make your foundation go on smoother and stay out of fine lines and pores. Use a medium coverage foundation and apply to the T-Zone, then blend outward. Less is more, don’t pile it on. Be sure to use the appropriate brushes/tools for the makeup you’re using. Apply concealer only to the under eyes and any spots on the skin that need additional coverage. Lastly, set your makeup with a translucent loose powder. This will lock the makeup in place, ensuring the best wear ability. Be sure to keep some oil blotting papers with you to pick up any oil/shine but not remove your makeup. For eyes: use an eyeshadow primer before any shadows and waterproof mascara. For lips: line and fill in your lips with a neutral pencil, apply lipstick, blot with a tissue, and then reapply the lipstick. Mattes tend to last the longest, but if you prefer a glossier look, just apply a little gloss to the center of your bottom lip. Gloss tends to decrease the wear ability of lipstick. A setting spray is always nice to finish off the makeup with!
Lynn: Are there any trends that you see coming up for bridal makeup?
Adele: Full, bold brows! I love that brows are making a comeback (finally!). Monochromatic makeup (matching eyes and lips) with a soft pink. Highlight on the inner corner of the eye gives a pop and a soft highlight on cheek bones always looks beautiful. With flower crowns and greenery being really in right now, the soft romantic/whimsical/boho look is still on trend.
+ Check out Adele’s website HERE. And follow her on Instagram for more bridal makeup inspiration.
Is there anything bridal/wedding related that you’d like to see here? Let me know! This is not my first rodeo, so I feel I have LOTS to talk about already when it comes to weddings.
xoxo, Lynn