Sorry for the really late posting. I had a few of the girls from the neighborhood over for lunch. As you can imagine, the conversation covered a lot of ground and it was great fun. That is truly living beautifully! Now, as promised, here is some great advice for wedding day beauty.
Cathy Wagner is a French makeup artist and trainer working in London and Paris, and is the founder of L'ÉVEIL AU MAQUILLAGE in Paris, where she holds make-up training workshops for beauty companies, individuals and makeup schools. I asked her to share some thoughts and tips for achieving beautiful, long-lasting wedding day makeup, whether you’re sending a son or daughter down the aisle or you’re walking down the aisle yourself. Here is her reply:
“What is the most important after 50? The look of your skin and the softness and transparency of your makeup! Your face should be illuminated and hydrated. To have a beautiful look (on a wedding day or not) it is essential to start with a frozen mask or chamomile ice cubes to reduce under-eye bags, then spray rose water all over. Apply a smoothing cream for the lips and eye contours, followed by your usual hydrating face and décolleté cream. Avoid shiny creams with sparkles, which enhance wrinkles. For long-wearing makeup, follow these instructions:
“Apply in transparent layers a light concealer, then a foundation. Choose the same color as your neck to avoid traces and differences in color. After 50, use a hydrating foundation for a healthy look, then apply a rosewood, pinkish or rose-tea colored cream (blusher) on the tops of your cheeks. Smile while doing so and (work it) up towards the temple. If your face is square or round, place it vertically; if it's thin and long, place it horizontally and follow the cheekbone. Add a cloud of natural powder on the T, then lift and redesign your eyebrows. Softly does it! If you draw a hard line, it might look vulgar. The color should be close to the color of your hair at the roots. For your eyelids, apply a base, use long-wear cream shadows (with this you can even cry!) in soft skin tones under your eyebrows and golden brown to look natural and sophisticated! Finish with long-wearing gel eyeliner, mascara, and a heated curler for your eyelashes. It really gives you a younger look and opens your eyes!
“For your mouth, my technique for enlarging thin lips is to draw a light color around the lips and then balance the right and left sides, upper and lower lips. Then I form the shape with a cool rosewood-colored pen. The drawing should be like a caress, a breath, invisible! Apply powder to fix. Apply a first coat of lipstick, absorb the excess, and put on a second coat, then use a gloss to re-plump. This makeup should stay all day long with a retouch on your lips after eating or kissing!”
Many thanks to Cathy Wagner for sharing her thoughts. She's a pro and this sounds like great advice. Let me know if you try her suggestions. I’m going to try her technique for long-lasting lipstick right away.
