Guest Post: The Dos & Don’ts of Bridal Makeup

You’ve always dreamed of your wedding day. So when it comes to the biggest day of your life, your makeup better be perfect. Follow these simple rules straight from a bridal makeup artist and your wedding day makeup is sure to be stunning.

bride

DO have pictures to inspire your artist

Time and time again I get asked for a “smokey eye” or have people say “you’re the professional – you do what you think.” Everyone is so different, and rightly so (my job would be very boring if that weren’t so) but go Google “Smokey Eyes” and you will see my point – there are so many variations. So, get some inspiration pictures for your artist of looks you like. Even photos of something you don’t like can be helpful too.

DON’T use tons of under eye concealer

Some under eye concealer buffed out will be invisible and then a small amount of a slightly warmer than normal concealer applied to the very blue line under the eyes can help to hide those dark circles. You want it to be light though. Applying lots won’t hide dark circles, it will just make them more prominent.

DO use a mirror in good light

When checking your look do make sure you are in good light. Have a wander around your house and check your makeup in different rooms.

DON’T be afraid to say what you think

Your wedding artist will be used to tweaking looks and adapting them to suit each client. So speak up if you don’t like something . You are paying for her to be there and it’s better to do the fine tuning now than have you hate it later.

DO Be Yourself

If you are used to a strong makeup or a natural no makeup look on a day to day basis then be yourself and go with how you will feel comfortable. There are no rules to what you have to be. This is your day. So be yourself only better.

DON’T go all one color

A little color works in pictures and the last thing you want is your face to have disappeared when you get your photos back. Add in a hint of pink or peach lipstick or blush because once you are head to toe in a wedding gown the color can drain from you.

DO take your time

Once you’ve had your trial, be sure to take your makeup for a test drive before making the commitment for the wedding. Go out with your girlfriends or to dinner with your fiance (if you don’t mind him seeing it). Anything to get out and make sure you love it.

DON’T go crazy topping up

If you’ve picked a good artist, your makeup will last. Lipstick should be the only thing you really need to top up. Unnecessary touch ups will only ruin your look.

This guest post is by Clare Ardern of Harry Jon, a leading hair and makeup artist with over 10 years experience. As a specialist in wedding hair and makeup, Clare prides herself on her diverse skill and portfolio to suit every style.

My bridal beauty picks:

Happy Halloween from Harley Quinn!

This Halloween I’m going from socialite to supervillain! Inspired by Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the notorious Harley Quinn in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie and of course my favorite holiday, I took on Gotham City in my first ever cosplay shoot.

How to look like Harley Quinn

For those of you that aren’t familiar with Harley Quinn, she’s an accomplice and sometimes girlfriend to the Joker in the Batman comics. Before becoming a supervillain, she was Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, M.D, a psychiatrist at the Arkham Asylum. Her career as a Doctor was on the up and up until the Joker became one of her patients and she fell in love with him.

As her infatuation with the Joker grew, she decided to leave Harleen behind and transformed permanently into her criminal persona –Harley Quinn. While Harley has traditionally been portrayed as a sidekick of the Joker, she now stands alone is a psychotic criminal mastermind. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this Harley portrayal in the Suicide Squad movie.

Becoming Harley Quinn

With the popularity of Harley Quinn, getting this look was super simple. I ordered a Harley Quinn shirt off Etsy and paired it with black shorts and a pair of black tights which I destroyed. I then added combat boots and a baseball sock for the modern Harley Quinn look.

Harley Quinn Makeup

I opted out of the traditional clown makeup because I still wanted to look like me and I have super acne prone skin. I made the eyes as crazy as possible not paying too close attention to precision. Since Harley is a psychotic psychiatrist I made the makeup a little crazy. By crazy I mean controlled chaos. I added hints of red to one eye and hints of blue to the other along with bright red lipstick.

I played up the Harley Quinn details by painting the nails on one hand blue (essie – bell-bottom blues) and the ones on the other red (essie – with the band). Lastly, I used wash out dye in my hair. While I like the way my hair came out in the photos, I wasn’t a big fan of the spray in dye because it got all over everything.

Photos by: Zarif Taufiq

Harley Quinn Halloween Costume

Harley Quinn Brooklyn

Harley Quinn DC Comics

Harley Quinn Makeup

Harley Quinn Makeup lipstick

Harley Quinn Cosplay

Gotham City Harley Quinn

DC Comics Harley Quinn

Cosplay

Harley Quinn Gotham City Super Villian

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New York Fashion Week So Far!

We’re halfway through New York Fashion Week (At least I think we are. It gets hard to keep track of time when your life is this crazy). So far I’ve had such a great time adventuring around the city with Kristi of Currentlycrushing.com and going to fab shows like GEORGINE and Herve Leger. Can’t wait to see what fab shows and parties are to come. Follow @Aspiringsocialite on Instagram for the latest from #NYFW!

New York Fashion Week Street Style

Striking a pose outside the Vogue Lounge

Pamella Roland SS16

The 90s chocker takes new life at Pamella Roland SS16

Pamella Roland final walk SS16

Pamella Roland Final Walk

nail art

Getting my nails done at the Vogue Lounge

The Blonds

A retrospective of The Blonds’ collections at the Rootstein Launch Party

Zang Toi SS16

Zang Toi SS16 inspired by the splendor of Santorini

Zang Toi Final Walk

Zang Toi final walk

coffee break

A much-needed coffee break at the Maybelline Lounge

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Classically Classy: Makeup Tips that Never Fail

Nowadays, classic makeup looks are enjoying a big revival as makeup artists keep emulating them on the runway. Some ever popular looks include cat eyes, a white eye pencil on the waterline, a pink-reddish lipstick and fake eyelashes. From the 40s to the 60s, here’s a list of the most classic and classy make-up looks and how to recreate them.

makeup tips

1. Wear Fake Eyelashes Like Twiggy

Bottom fake eyelashes were definitely Twiggy’s thing. How to achieve this look? Apply an eye primer on your eyes. Choose a vanilla shade of eyeshadow and use it all over the eye up to the brow. In order to create the shape of the eye similar to Twiggy’s, apply a dark grey eye shadow on the socket line and then take an angle brush to apply the black eyeshadow on the socket line. Next, blend the shades together. Apply a little bit of black eyeshadow on the outer edges of the upper lash line and blend it with a brush. Several coats of mascara together with bottom and upper fake lashes will do the trick. Finally, use a white eye pencil on the waterline.

2. Want to Have Makeup Like a Pin-up Girl?

The classic 40s look has come back. This look has two parts: bright eyes and bold lips. Start with the white cream eye shadow which should be applied under the brow and blended with a brush. Use the same eyeshadow on the inner corner of the lid. Draw a thin line with a flick on the upper lash line with a black liquid eyeliner. False eyelashes are indispensable for this look. Finally, accentuate the lips with a red lip pencil and a ladybug lipstick.

3. Classic Elizabeth Taylor Makeup

Elizabeth Taylor’s trademark are gorgeous, full eyebrows. So start with an eyebrow kit and fill in your eyebrows. After you apply an eye primer, apply a rosewood shade of eyeshadow on the socket line and blend it through. Take a vanilla shade eyeshadow and blend it under the brow. Draw a line on the upper lash line and an angled line on the outside corner of the eye with a liquid eyeliner. Draw the line from the end of the angled line back to the lash line, connect and fill in the triangle. For the bottom lash line, use a black eye pencil. Apply a white eye pencil inside the lash line. What about the lips? A red lip pencil and an orange-red lipstick are perfect for this look. Add the final touch to the look with two coats of mascara and fake eyelashes.

4. Classy Like Audrey Hepburn

You cannot get a more classic look than the “Audreyesque” makeup. The most important part of the makeup are the eyes. Use an eye primer and then apply a black liquid eyeliner from the inside corner of the upper lash line towards the outer one drawing a flick. A grayish-brown eye shadow is perfect for this look. I recommend Jane Iredale makeup because of their soft and classy shades (Australian readers, I recommend getting Jane Iredale makeup from Skin Matrix). Take most of the color off the brush and apply it from the outer corner of the bottom lash line towards the middle of the bottom lash line. A white eye pencil on the waterline is, of course, a must. Apply two coats of mascara on both upper and bottom eyelashes. Try to find a pinkish-brown shade of lipstick to finish the look.

Hope you enjoyed these classic, classy makeup tips! Which will you try first?

This is a guest post by Amy Mia Goldsmith. Amy is an Aussie literature student who loves to read and has been writing novels and short stories for as long as she can remember. She is currently studying and working at a bookstore. Her passion is beauty and organic makeup and she loves to spend her free time hiking and of course – makeup shopping! Amy is a regular contributor to High Style Life. You can contact Amy on her Facebook page.

Guest Post: The Most Talked About Summer Makeup Trends

Fashion blogs, magazines and websites directly influence both our cupboards and wardrobes. So if you’ve already chronicled your favorite outfits and accessories for summer 2015, it’s time to top off your best looks with the hottest summer makeup trends. Here are the top makeup trends to try this summer.

1_Welcome back the Lipstick

1. Welcome Back Lipstick

Nude lips might have been the trend for several seasons, but this summer colorful lips are back. Try out the red hot lipsticks from Burberry Beauty or a smudgy stain from Topshop Unique. Remember, men may come and go, but your favorite shade of lipstick is forever!

2_Embrace the colour Purple

2. Embrace the Color Purple

The color of summer when it comes to highlighting the beauty of your eyes is purple.  Lilac is known not only to improve but also optimize every skin tone. Try a grape shade inspired by Vera Wang’s SS15 runway show. To complement your purple eye makeup, you could sport light purple apparel too. But, I’m sure you don’t want to go on the date with your best eye makeup all alone! If you want to shop for your better half too, click here.

3_Anti cat eyes

3. The Anti Cat Eye

Eyeliners give you a reason to be late! Black eyeliners never fail to be a part of any season, but for summer, the way to wear them is different. Start applying it from the middle of your eye to its extreme corner, like we saw Prada and Celine do on the runways. For a truly graphic effect, keep the line straight.

4_Glow Bronzing Powder

4. Glow Bronzing Powder

Summer makeup is absolutely incomplete without bronzer. You can try the Glow Bronzing Powder by Dolce & Gabbana that promises a sun-kissed, natural-looking tone. If this does not suit your skin type, you could also check out sun-inspired bronzing powders by Avon.

5_Metallic Nails

5. Metallic Nails

Metallic manicures are so hot this season. Flaunt your flawless summer skin by using metallic nail polishes. Browse through the Dark Stromboli, Silvery Platinum or Golden Desert shades by Dolce & Gabbana! It’s the little things that attract the most attention.

6_Simple Hair-do

6. Simple Hair

The hairstyles for summer are always very simple. To avoid the sweat and uneasiness, most would prefer to tie up their hair. You can decorate your buns with flowers or very simple accessories. If you don’t like to tie your hair back, just a simple middle parting is totally in!

7_Do not hide your freckles

 

7. Don’t Hide Your Freckles

During summer, freckles are one of your greatest blessings and you sure would not want to hide them under concealers. Try Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi-Color compact that provides warm color to the face, without concealing or mattifying.

They say that the most beautiful makeup for women is their passion, but cosmetics are easier to buy. So, hit refresh on your makeup kit. Happy shopping!

This guest post is by Suzy Walsh, chief editor for The House of Elegance Fashion. She is a blogger by profession and a fashion expert by passion who loves to write about fashion trends and tips. 

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