Austin WeddingDay Articles of Interest

Bridal Beauty - Ask the Expert

Rochelle Rae is an award-winning professional makeup artist and owner of the cosmetics line Rae. Trusted by photographers, filmmakers, models, wedding coordinators, celebrities and fashion designers, Rochelle has earned a reputation as a premier makeup artist and beauty entrepreneur.

We asked future brides for their biggest wedding-related beauty dilemmas. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions, along with Rochelle’s solutions.

Veronica: I want to hire a makeup artist to do my makeup for my wedding and my bridal portraits. How can I make sure I pick the right one and get the look I want?

Rochelle: Hiring a makeup artist is a wonderful idea, but there are a lot of not-so-great ones working out there, so choose carefully. A lot of time and attention went into choosing every detail of your wedding; don’t let your makeup be any different. Here are a few tips to help you choose a fantastic artist.

1. Get referrals from anyone you can – people who will give you their honest opinion – your friends, family, co-workers and people in chat rooms.
2. Interview the makeup artist. Ask for a résumé and referrals, and look at their portfolio. If they do not have a portfolio, that is not a good sign. Anyone can take pictures of their work.
3. To ease your nerves, plan to do a run-through. Try to plan it for the day of a party, shower or portrait, because you don’t want to waste it.
4. Tear out magazine pictures of makeup you like and don’t like. This will help the makeup artist to understand your style.
5. Don’t be afraid to tell a makeup artist that you don’t like something they have done. It’s your wedding and you will be looking at the pictures for the rest of your life.
6. When you decide on the look you want, take a picture and make sure the makeup artist takes notes.

Carla: I try to stay out of the sun, but I would like to have a bit more color for my wedding day. How do I pick the right shade bronzer and apply it correctly?

Rochelle: Choose a bronzer that is very close to your natural skin tone. A shade or two darker will still give you a natural, healthy glow. Too dark and you can look dirty or splotchy. I would also avoid too much shimmer. Shimmer can look fake, and it is harder to get an all-over blend. If possible, buy your bronzer from a store that will let you try it on first. Rae Cosmetics Endless Summer Mineral Bronzer is a great natural shade, not too orange or shimmery.

To apply bronzer, I like to use a large, fluffy brush with soft, movable bristles. Avoid brushes with short, stiff bristles. They are less likely to glide smoothly over the skin for an even distribution. Stiffer brushes tend to leave patches or spots of color. You should apply bronzer to the areas where your skin would actually get the most bronze if you were to spend a day at the beach. Apply to the cheeks, tops of cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin. If showing, I also like to apply it to the chest and shoulders. Go lightly. It is very easy to apply too much, and you can always apply more.

Kristen: I have super short eyelashes. Do you recommend wearing false lashes on the wedding day? If so, how do I apply them?

Rochelle: Whether your look is natural or dramatic, when used properly, false eyelashes are a wonderful accessory. An added bonus of false eyelashes is that you will need only a small amount of mascara to blend your natural lashes in with the new ones.

To properly apply false eyelashes, first curl your own. Then you will probably need to trim down the length of the lash strip. Unless you have very large eyes, they are usually too long and made to be cut to fit any size eye. Apply a very small amount of glue to the edge of the lash strip and place the false lashes right on top of your own lashes so that they are barely touching the skin of your eyelid. Softly press lashes into place. The key to making them look natural is to make sure the edge of the strip is as close to your lash line as possible, actually touching your own lashes and not up on the lid. Once they have dried, lightly apply mascara to blend your lashes in with your new beautiful, long ones. Make sure you practice a few times before the big day.

Emily: I am getting married outside in July. How can I keep my makeup looking good all day?

Rochelle: Choose a water-based foundation formula. Unlike an oil-based product, it allows your skin to breathe and sweat, so your foundation doesn’t slide off your face before your first dance. Just set it lightly with powder. If you need to reapply powder during the day, use oil blotters first to keep the powder from caking. And as always, use a foundation with sunscreen, especially for an outdoor wedding.

The Climate Control Mineral Tint SPF 15 from Rae Cosmetics is a perfect choice; it was specifically created to be heat and perspiration-resistant. So you don’t have to be afraid of sweating or shedding a few tears.

Laura: I love wearing red lipstick, but am afraid of it smearing or bleeding on my wedding day. Can I do a dark lip, or should I just go lighter?

Rochelle: It can be difficult to wear a darker lipstick shade without it bleeding and smearing. Try lining the lips with a similar color first, and then apply the lipstick on top. Lightly blot with a tissue, then reapply lipstick to just the center of the lips. With a small brush, lightly apply powder to the outside edge of the lip line. This will help prevent the lip color from bleeding, which can be very bad, especially when wearing red.

Try Rae Cosmetics Long Lasting Automatic Lip Liner. This is a mineral-based, oil-free formula that helps prevent fading, feathering and bleeding. The Lip Lust ­Lipstick in Bombshell is the perfect show-stopping red; the rich pigment makes the color last for hours.

Michelle: Is there a way to take dramatic looks from the runway and wear them on your wedding day?

Rochelle: While doing makeup during the Spring 2010 New York Fashion Week runway shows, the trend I saw coming down the runway was one of extremes. Either the eyes were dark-lined, dramatically smoky and sexy, with very nude lips, or they showed an ultra-innocent, nearly naked-looking eye, with a super bright lipstick. The common theme, which I think would make one of these runway looks work for your wedding day, is seemingly effortless, fresh, natural-looking skin with subtle pops of peaches and pinks on the cheeks. By doing this and only dramatically emphasizing one feature, you keep the makeup from looking too heavy and overdone.

Ella: My friends keep telling me I need to wear more makeup on my wedding day, that it is a special day, so I should do something extra special. I don’t usually wear much, so how do I enhance my makeup and still look like myself?

Rochelle: Choose to emphasize your one best feature and go more natural with everything else. Pick colors that go well with your skin tone and styles that complement your personality. Don’t rely too heavily on any trend. Keep in mind that when you are unsure about makeup, less is more!

The very most important thing to remember is, whatever advice you get, you need to feel comfortable with the way you look. Don’t let anyone, including me, your makeup artist or your friends, talk you into anything you do not want to do. It is your wedding day, it only happens once in a lifetime and you want to feel pretty.