Weddingbee PRO
I love to help out my viewers navigate the cosmetic world. There are so many products with false claims, and I want to share with you products and techniques that really work. Linda contacted me about dark and dry under eye skin. This is a common issue, but very treatable.
Dear Lo,
I have dark under eye circles so would love how to minimize that. But, I have green eyes, so would like to play them up. Also, what would you recommend for under eye and eyelid dryness? It’s only been going on with one of my eyes for about 6 weeks, but eye cream doesn’t seem to be helping even though I put it on day and night.
I have seasonal allergies like hay fever, and I’m allergic to a variety of other things. Right now I use foundation from Bare Minerals, and I’ve stopped using any under eye concealer because of the dryness under my eyes. It just looks like a mess if I put anything on it. Thanks so much for your help!
~ Linda
Finding
I’m continually asked how to find a makeup artists (MUA) when you don’t live in a metropolitan area or are just not having any luck with referrals from websites. I recommend the following:
1. Contact wedding photographers, reception venues, or hair stylists for referrals.
2. Go to a makeup counter and ask specifically for an artist that does bridal. Ask them questions about their rate, technique, past weddings. If an artist doesn’t know their bridal rate, then they aren’t doing weddings!
3. Contact beauty salons and ask for a referral
Choosing
I recently had a bride ask me “do I need to have several makeup/hair trials?”. My response is absolutely not. I recommend that you do your due diligence and google them before the trial and see what is said about them. If you have a lot of time and disposable income, then you can see as many as you like, but most brides are on a time crunch and a budget. If you love how you look and feel comfortable with the artist, then book her/him (see bridal trial dos). I encounter a lot of indecisive brides and my advice to them is to trust your gut and bring a friend to the trial. Don’t expect to look like you would on your wedding day - this is a trial. You can’t see the full picture, and the hair and makeup will look even better on the wedding day as the artist is starting out knowing exactly what the end product is.
I live for my “real people” clients, but I do love to get a little crazy and do some editorial work. Monika Broz is a fabulous wedding and fine art photographer so when she asked me to shake things up with her, I jumped at the chance. I thought you may enjoy seeing the wilder side of Lo, which still can be used as inspiration for everyday looks. I also included my snap shot and the pro shot so you can see the difference lighting and talent makes.
I had fun turning Russian beauty, Natalia into a modern geisha. This look is an exaggeration of everything - eyebrows, eyeliner, lip color. However, it is still a clean look that accentuates Natalia’s gorgeous features. To take this to real life, apply a tight eyeliner line with a dark gel liner (M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Stila), groom brows and a stain your lip with a berry or red lipstick. By staining, I mean that instead of a solid application of lipstick, you press the color into the lip with your fingers and blot with a tissue a few times, thus creating a stained lip (see blog on red lips).
I loved the “tricks of the trade” that celebrity stylist, Allison Berlin shared with us last week, so I asked her for more expert insight. I love to work with Allison and think of her as part of my beauty S.W.A.T. team! It can take a village to look great and we are here for you.
Along with being recently named one of NYC’s Best Personal Stylists by Page Six Magazine, Allison has been the talent stylist on my favorite show What Not to Wear for over 3 years.Yes, that means she dresses Stacy!
Side Note: WNTW’s hair stylist Nick Arrojo lives in my building and I think he is afraid of me after our initial “meeting” in the elevator. I may have been a little too excited to make his acquaintance!
Wedding Gown Styles De-Mystified…
Meet Carissa! She is a beautiful person inside and out and her fun-loving attitude is contagious. When her friends were getting their makeup done she was jumping around with curlers in her hair doing pushups and bicep curls. Her arms did look great and when a great song was on there was much singing and dancing. They were a fun group!
This look is a modern take on the Old Hollywood eye which was all about false lashes and black eyeliner. The thin black liner on the top of the eye paired with lashes pulls attention to the top of the eye. I call this look my “classic eye”. It is a timeless look that looks good on everyone. See below for the exact products that I used on Carissa.
Okay ladies, I love me some shimmer just like everyone else but we need to have a talk.
Shimmer should be used as a highlight – not an all over powder on your face. If you put it all over your face your are highlighting everything, therefore highlighting nothing. Especially, if you are going to be photographed or are going to be in daylight. Beware, shimmer which you can barely see in your bathroom mirror takes on an entirely new life in sunlight and flash photography. Quite frankly, you will look like a greaseball in photos.
I only put shimmer in three places:
1. On the cheekbone
2. Corner of your eyes
3. Brow bone
Remember, shimmer is best when subtle. It can’t really be seen while looking in a bathroom mirror. It is seen when light bounces off of it like a flash, sunlight, or direct light.
Lo Tip: For extra sexy at night - put shimmer on your collarbones and watch out!
When Melissa came for a trial in for makeup and hair trial (with Jennie) at my place, we had so much fun. She and Jennie stayed until midnight drinking wine and laughing. We were all overworked and underplayed and the girl bonding was spontaneous and necessary. One of the best things about my job is the wonderful women I meet.
Melissa looks great all of the time, so it wasn’t difficult to turn her into an absolute bombshell. Melissa has this Julie Christie (in Dr. Zhivago) meets Brigitte Bardot beauty and Jennie worked her magic to create a look that could start up for the ceremony and then easily be let down for the reception.
I wanted to show some of the fabulous photos by Danny Weiss since his work is gorgeous and he always tells a wonderful story with his photos. I love Danny and I am always thrilled when he is the photographer, because he is fun to work with, but mostly because I am selfish - he always gets great beauty shots!
Melissa never stopped smiling - I think she was happy! 
Cutie pa-tootie, Michelle from California contacted me about doing her own makeup for engagement photos. Michelle has a good grasp of makeup and just needed a little tune up!
Lo,
I have my engagement pictures this weekend and am doing my own make up for ease on the budget. Do you have any tips for makeup when it comes to photography. I don’t want to look overdone, but not without makeup either.
On a daily basis I wear:
When I go out it is pretty much the same products but I use Laura Mercier pressed powder over the moisturizer. I do similar things with the eye shadow just a bit darker with usually a brown or this dark gray color from M.A.C. I have. Sometimes for a base I’ll start with M.A.C. vanilla eye cover, which is similar to Shroom. I use a black liquid liner across the top of the eye and the M.AC. Fluidline on the bottom. I’ll usually use a neutral lip liner and one of my glosses like Amber. I’d like to find a lipstick because Mark (my fiance) doesn’t like it when my lips are “sticky.”
I was planning on doing some makeup shopping so if you have specific product recommendations I’d love that. Specifically a good concealer and natural looking/matte lip color I really need.
As for the look I’m going for, I think I want a soft and romantic look with a sort of happy glow. I want to look I have makeup on versus nothing, but not for it to be overpowering. We aren’t going to be dressed formally and a lot of the pictures will be on the beach. Maybe a subtle and smokey eye with a more natural colored lip?
Michelle,
You are a beautiful woman and I think that with a few changes in your makeup routine we can easily make you even more photogenic! If you think of your makeup like your wardrobe, then I would say you have all of the classics. Now, we just fine tune with the proper accessories and I’ll show you how to dress up your look!
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had a stylist to dress us everyday! Of course, mere mortals like us don’t have room in our budget for that so I asked my stylist extraordinaire colleague, Allison Berlin from Style Made Simple, to give me some tricks of the trade. I watch women pile into these formal gowns every weekend and believe me it takes a village. Well, at least proper undergarments!
Anne has no idea how gorgeous she is and that is one of the many reasons why I like her so much. When she came for her trial at my apartment she was stressed out with planning a June wedding and finishing up her M.B.A (from Harvard no less!) and was still so open and lovely. I think she is Katherine Heigl’s long lost twin, but of course Anne doesn’t see that!
Anne and Alex are a gorgeous young couple; they also seem to be so happy together. They are both a little camera shy, which you would never guess from Danny Weiss’s stunning photos. Danny did a great job of getting them to open up and have fun with the camera, and the result is amazing.
I stayed until the beginning of the reception to do touch-ups and give her a more “bronzed diva” look for evening. Anne and Alex took some photos directly after the ceremony and attended the tail end of their cocktail party, but they spent a great part of their first hour as a married couple with me in the private bridal room as I “glammed up” Anne. I felt sorry for the two newlyweds having to hang out with me, but what’s a makeup artist to do - my bride needed me!
I love my job for many reasons and one is that I get to witness some of the most special and momentous times in a person’s life. Best of luck Alex and Anne!
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Laura Nadeau, New York City
Vendor: Makep Artist
Website: Lo and Co.
About Me: Laura (Lo) loves all brides all of the time, and nothing makes her happier than making another woman feel great! Laura was born and raised in rural Alaska among huskies, grizzly bears and way too much flannel! With stars in her eyes, Lo moved to New York to pursue acting and realized how makeup could help to create a character and transform an actor. Laura began to see how she could use this skill to transform women in their everyday life and thus her new passion was born - helping women feel confident and beautiful through makeup.
