Top 10 Beauty Mistakes to Avoid Surrounding Your Wedding Day

We are excited to announce that we were interviewed for The Knot's Beauty Week coming up February 15th - 21st!  They asked for our Top 10 Beauty Mistakes to Avoid Surrounding Your Wedding Day.

As a special preview, we thought we would share our Top 10 with you:

1.  Try things out at your trial.  If you are unsure about the way you want your hair and/or makeup for your wedding day look, be sure to try out different styles and looks at your trial run through to make sure you are comfortable with whatever you choose.  Choosing a hairstyle that is more formal than your everyday look is a delicate process, and choosing a style from a picture and then seeing it on your head with your amount of hair are two different things.  Remember that the model, celebrity or bride in the picture may be wearing extensions, may have a different hair type than yours (i.e. you have baby fine hair and she has thick coarse hair), and don't forget that your head shape/face shape may be different as well.  All of these factor into if the style will "look like it did in the picture".

2.  Have an idea of how you want to wear your hair prior to purchasing your veil -- unless your veil is a specific item that your hairstyle choice will work around.  Veils come in many different lengths, materials, details (or lack thereof), and some are meant to be worn under your updo and others are meant to be worn above the style on the top of your head.  This is especially true when the veil has a blusher.  You want to be sure of your purchase--especially as some bridal salons will not take back veils or headpieces after you buy them.

3.  Choose a hairstyle that you will be comfortable with the whole night through.  If you are the type of person who may start the day with your hair down but puts it up by the end of the day, you will want to choose an updo or some kind of modified half-updo style so your hair is away from your face and off your neck.  You don't want to have your reception pictures with you in your dress and your hair thrown back in a ponytail, especially after you just spent all that time and money getting it done.

4.  Make it last.  At your trial run through, really "test-drive" your makeup.  If possible, try to schedule your trial run through for a morning so you can see how the makeup lasts all day long.  This will help you understand if you need touch-up products or not.  Ideally, you would want to have the makeup last with little to no touch-ups required being that once you have your dress on, the rest of the day goes by in a whirl—you have people to see, pictures to take, vows to make, dances to dance—and the touch-up products end up being forgotten until you empty out your purse the next day.

5.  Do not try any new products the week or two prior to your wedding day.  This includes facial cleansers, moisturizers, toners, serums, creams, treatments, shampoos, conditioners, styling products, makeup, etc.  Your hormones can make your skin more sensitive due to your stress level so close to the wedding day, and you definitely don't want to deal with a major breakout or reaction on the day of your wedding. 

6.  Gather together an emergency kit.  There are adorable kits available for purchase, but in reality, you can pull this together with little to no money.  Get a makeup or toiletry bag and designate it for your emergency day-of kit.  Include safety pins (small gold, small silver, regular sized), double-sided sticky tape, needle and thread/small sewing kit, small scissors, tide-to-go pen, bobby pins, hairspray, gum/mints, razor, deodorant, band-aids, small packs of tissue, nail polish remover, clear nail polish, emery board, nail clipper, makeup remover wipes, tampons, etc.  Be prepared for what can go wrong so it doesn't ruin your day.

7.  Don't be deceived by the makeup counter salespeople who tell you that you need every product and powder because "you want to make sure you look good in the pictures".  It is important to be aware of the lighting and environment of your wedding so that you understand how it will affect the way you (and your makeup) look in pictures.  However more does not always equal better. 

8.  Get rid of the old…skin, that is.  Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis leading up to the wedding will make a dramatic difference in the way the makeup sits on your skin.  Applying makeup to a fresh layer of skin versus a dry layer makes the makeup look more like your own skin and less like makeup.  Don't forget about exfoliating your lips as well.  The best time to do this is right before you get out of the shower, take a washcloth and a mild face scrub and gently rub your lips pulling them taut as you go as if you were applying lipstick.  Don't scrub too hard or you will end up with raw lips.  Afterwards, make sure you apply a lip conditioner/balm to keep the new skin layer fresh and moisturized.  Your lipstick/gloss will look a million times better!

9.  Designate someone as your point of contact for the wedding day.  Generally it is best if this person is not in your wedding party or a mother as they will have other things to tend to that day.  Give this point person all your vendor information, phone numbers, schedule and any other information to help this person act as you would when you are in "wedding planning mode".  Make sure you also give your vendors that person's phone number to call in case of emergency, if they are lost or need directions, etc., as well as the information where they should go to once arriving at the venue or hotel and who they should ask for.  This will hopefully prevent the bombardment of phone calls and inquiries you need to deal with on the day of—you certainly have enough else to do that day!

10.  Remember that this is a personal day of celebration that will be documented in pictures.  If you are uncomfortable with the amount of makeup you are wearing on your wedding day, it will be more unflattering than if you wore no makeup at all.  These are your friends and family who have seen you in all different stages of life and amounts of makeup—not to mention blue eyeshadow and 80s spiral perm with high-sprayed "wall" bangs and side "wings".  They will know if you are unhappy—and a happy bride is always the most beautiful.

Don't Underestimate the Power of Natural Makeup

Now, I am going to be honest...I love the idea and concept of natural makeup--especially for women who are not able to wear most makeup due to chemical sensitivities, allergies, etc. However, that said, I am one to still love my tried and true chemical makeup products that do the job. My skin is pretty tough--both in terms of being able to handle chemicals as well as tough to find things that work on it the way they're suppose to work. And I have tried some natural/mineral makeup products in the past that were an absolute waste of time/money, so before trying these, I was a little skeptical...although these were from Tarte, which I loved before I knew it was natural makeup.

So I first lined my eyes upper and lower inner rims with the emphasEYES liner in plum. I loved the very thin, no-need-to-sharpen tip that glided on the skin without a tug. It was fairly light on the first application, so I added a couple more layers which intensified the look. This seems like it would be a great choice for those who are afraid of eyeliners, can't draw a straight line, don't like the harsh look of a liner, and those who hate sharpening their eyeliner. I really loved that it went on so nicely without the thick line.


I also used Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes 4-in-1 Natural Waterproof Mascara. Ok, this is seriously one cool mascara. Not only is it waterproof and give you added volume and length, it has beeswax and carnauba wax (from a plant) and the packaging is biodegradable and recyclable. And did it mention the super cute anchor/marina theme?



And then around my midday shine, I used their T-Zone Travel Natural Shine Control To-Go Kit. I first used the blotting papers (yes, I did have to use multiple sheets being that my face contains more oil than the Middle East), and then I used the super cute brush to dust my face with the shine control powder. I was seriously impressed that the powder did not make me look like I had flour on my face and it kept my natural glow (a.k.a. didn't interfere with my bronzer too much). I will definitely be using this on a regular basis--not to mention, again--how gorgeous is the packaging? I feel like I want to take this and the mascara out to use in public just so I can show off how cute the packaging is. And did I mention that the powder has a ton of good-for-you natural extracts in it? No wonder Kristen Bell and Rachel Bilson love this so much!

Welcome to the Land of Hair Accessories!

Welcome to the Land of Hair Accessories!




Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of working with Madame Melange, a new company online that sells the most gorgeous and amazing array of hair accessories! Everything from headbands with large, colorful bows to vintage jeweled pieces to feathers, glitz and glamour on pins and combs.

As someone who (loved! and) lived through the '80s (translation: yes, I had and proudly wore the large lace bow headbands as seen on Madonna during the Material Girl era...), I have a deep appreciation for these hair pieces.

Madame Melange should be opening its cyber doors within the month (don't worry, we will let you know when!) to the world wide lovers of hair accessories. I had the pleasure of doing the hair and makeup for these fab pieces and worked with the owner, Chenenne Woods, the most fun, gracious and wonderful woman, and George Delgado, the extremely talented fashion photographer! I cannot wait to see the photos from the shoot (and you all will get first view once I get them back!) and will post my favs soon.

Pictures from The Knot Event at Pronovias

As promised, here are some of the fabulous pictures from The Knot's event at Pronovias on November 17th, 2009. There was quite the crowd as you can see.





The team from MG Hair and Makeup gave mini-makeovers to the brides attending.

There was also the fashion show, hosted by Heather Levine, the fashion and beauty editor at The Knot. We also had the pleasure of doing her hair and makeup as well!




The gowns were amazing--you really do need to go to the salon to see them in person!




And these wonderful pictures were by Jen Huang Photography. To see more pictures from the event, click here. To go to her blog and website: http://www.jenhuangphotography.com/

The Knot, Pronovias and MG Hair and Makeup

If you were one of the 200 brides at the event, you know what we are talking about. The Knot hosted an event at the amazing Pronovias flagship salon in midtown on Novemeber 17th, this past Tuesday. It was an amazing event complete with a fashion show, custom sweet treats, champagne, and of course, mini-makeovers by MG Hair and Makeup.

More pictures to come soon!

Headpieces, Veils and Poofs--Oh My!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of being part of a wedding on Halloween (pictures will come in another post later). At the trial run, the bride had a myriad of different headpieces in hand and was still searching for her perfect one online and in stores.

It is a never-ending search sometimes. The hair jewelry is the missing link between the earrings/necklace, the dress and the hairstyle. You want to make sure it complements everything, doesn't outshine anything and yet adds that extra "oomph" to give you the wow-factor you are looking for.

There are so many things to consider when choosing a headpiece. First of all, you want to decide if your hairstyle will determine the hair jewelry (and veil) you choose or vice versa. This is one of the most important and yet most forgotten/ignored criteria in choose a piece. Generally, the bride is at the bridal salon trying on dresses, she finds one she likes, the salesperson puts a veil on her head (and/or a jeweled comb/tiara) and the bride, overcome with the emotion of "I'm getting married! I am a bride!", says "yes" to everything--the dress, veil, and headpiece. Only later when she has her trial run through does she realize that the veil and/or hair jewelry may or may not go with the style she wants for her day.

There are headpieces (and veils) to complement every hairstyle--a low bun/chignon, a high mound of curls on top of your head, slicked back, loose, elegant and simple, romantic and artistic, half-up or all down, straight or curly, gold or silver--so don't be discouraged if the piece you chose isn't working with your hairstyle vision you had in mind. Be sure to check with the bridal salon (before removing the tags!) to see what their return policy is on headpieces and veils. You may be able to exchange or return it if you decide differently. Check out one of my favorites, Tigerlilly, for some great headpieces. And don't forget about the beauty and versatility of flowers (fresh or fake) in the hair!

The other important thing you want to decide is regarding your veil. Do you want to keep it in all night long or do you want to take it out? Do you want a blusher or no blusher? Do you want it above the style, below the style, on the top of your head or near the back/crown of your head? The reason you need to be aware of these things before choosing a veil is because veils are made differently and not every veil is able to be placed just anywhere.

For instance, if there are sequins, jewels, pearls, etc. on one side of the veil, that is the "up" or "out" side. Depending on how the veil is attached to the comb, this will determine whether the veil can be worn under the hairstyle with the "out" side facing out so you can see the embellishment.

The same goes for blushers. If you have a shorter blusher on your veil (note that blushers can be purchased separately from the longer veil if you so desire), wearing the veil under the hairstyle will cause the shorter blusher layer to be underneath the longer layer. You can still do it this way and wear the longer layer as your "blusher", however it will be a long blusher and may look awkward depending on where it ends on the front part of you and your dress.

Whatever you decide, try to do your best in restraining the giddy, emotional purchases before determining the return/exchange policy, your hairstyle and what components of your bridal accessories are important to you.

Photo credits: Jenn Barnett, Perspective Studio, Life on Prints, Lina Jang, Scott Dahlseid, Dietrich Gesk, Olive Juice Studios, Michael Edwards, Daniel Coyle, Gene Higa, Tom DiBella

Unveiled in Dallas

So here are some pics from the Unveiled wedding event October 4th, 2009, in Dallas, Texas! It was an amazing show, produced by The Wedding Guys, sponsored by Stardust Celebrations, Texas Monthly, Get Married, Dallas Brides, Hakimsons Films, Cort Event Furnishings, --if you missed it, March 6th, 2010 is your next chance--don't miss out!






For the models' makeup, we did a smokey gray eye, luminous skin, flushed cheek and berry stained lip.


For the hair, we did loose curls in a romantic updo that is flattering on everyone regardless of face shape or hair type.


You can also see one of the big trends in birdcage veils this year--the veil has clips on both sides, some have flowers or feather poofs on one or both sides for added drama. The clips make it easy to put in and take out if you desire.







And here are the models backstage getting ready to go out on the runway!







Once we get other images, we will be sure to post those for your viewing pleasure as well!