Why Bridal Makeup is Special

I always find it so funny when people ask me what makes bridal makeup different from your everyday makeup or makeup for a girls night out. Most of the time guys are the curious ones who ask that question, but I think for a lot of women who are not into makeup at all wonder why wedding day makeup is so important. This blog post is for all of those curious folks. 

When I think of bridal makeup I think of a fresh, natural just simply pretty look, which is what you see in all of the bridal magazine. Although, every time I start a trial run consultation, I always ask how the bride normally wears her makeup because my goal is to make the bride look like the prettiest version of herself, so that when she looks at her wedding photos, she can recognize herself.I have to admit, I do love it when I get a bride who wants to incorporate a bright lip color, a pop of colorful eye shadow, or a smokey eye to her wedding day look only if I can tell that she is comfortable. Bridal makeup is different for every bride which is what makes it so much fun. 

One of my all time favorite wedding photos… My grandparents.

 

Above is one of my all time favorite wedding photos, my grandparents. I included this photo to talk about one of the main reasons why I think bridal makeup is so special. It should be timeless. Even when I am using a bright color, I am mindful of the placement of the color. I know that as a little girl and even now I love to look at old wedding photos of my grandparents, parents and other family members. I don’t think I am alone in regards to that, so I always try to highlight the natural beauty of my bridal clients because I know that their children and grand children will be looking at their wedding photos for years to come. 

Thank you for reading today’s blog post. I hope you have enjoyed it! Have a wonderful day and stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime!

xox,

Nicole

Fashion show makeup by Pretty Bride Shop for the Denver Fashion Truck Launch party

makeup by pretty bride shop for the Denver Fashion Truck

Cheers to Audrey!!

(photo credit: bio.)

The other night I was watching the movie Sabrina from 1954. As I watched the movie, I realized how classic Audrey Hepburn’s style is. I don’t know about you, but I pull from her look on a daily basis to incorporate into my personal style. I think that every bride should consider pulling from her look for their wedding day make up. From her hair to her amazing eyeliner there is something that most brides can use as inspiration. Today I would like to celebrate Audrey Hepburn’s Style. I have pulled some of my favorite pictures of her.

(Photo Credit: bio.)

I recommend using a gel liner with an angled eyeliner brush to apply her cat eye eyeliner.

(Photo Credit:bio.)

Her lipstick shade in this photo is such a great color for a bride who is looking for the natural look. I would check out Estee Lauders lipstick in the shade bios de rose, or MAC lipstick in Speak Louder if you are looking for a more pink lip.

(Photo credit: somosnosotras)

(Photocredit:Specialedition authors)

Who doesn’t love this look. I like how she has a touch of liner on the bottom, but for the most part under her eyes are clean. It is a fresh looking smokey eye that is perfect for bridal make up.

Thank you for reading today’s blog post.I hope you have a great day!

XOX,

Nicole Ramirez

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime.

Coral Lipstick, It’s Not as Scary as it Looks

Most people shy away from coral lipstick because it is simply scary to them. I saw to you reader, that there is no reason to be scared of this color. Most people’s skin tone has a peach tone to it ,  so coral is actually more of a natural color than most think. Today we are going to look at how to create a soft lip using bold coral colors.

Let’s take a look at my sketch book:

TIP: If you are going to apply a bold lip, even if you are going to do a sheer application of the bold color, you should keep your eyes neutral. 

Let’s look at the tools I used to create today’s look:

1. So Chaud lipstick and Vegas Volt Lipstick, both MAC lipsticks. Co Caud is a beautiful bold velvety matte lipstick and Vegas Volt is a softer more a true coral lipstick.

2. Coral Writer lip liner, an Estee Lauder lip pencil.(not pictured above)

3. Revlon photo ready concealer. This is a great light weight concealer with a great color range.

4. Trish McEvoy deluxe lip brush. This brush is often found in Trish McEvoy brush sets. I highly recommend investing in a Trish Brush set, you will have those brushes forever, but it is quite an investment.

5. Slanted eye liner brush, I used the one from MAC.

Here are the steps that I used to create this coral lip look:

Step One: Apply So Chaud lipstick with the lip brush all over the lip. You can make this a sheer or as dramatic as you like. Work with your personal comfort level. I am a fan of lots of color.

Step Two: Apply Vegas Volt in the center of the lip using the lip brush. I like to use the same brush, you can wipe the brush on a tissue in between colors.

Step Three: Apply the lip liner. By applying the lip liner last, you are creating a softer liner around the lip.

Step Four: Finish the look by cleaning up the outer edges of the lip with concealer, Apply the concealer with the slanted eye liner brush.

It’s all in the Eyes

Are you looking for a fresh and simple eye shadow look? Well, look no further! Today we will take a look at one of my favorite ways to do eye shadow. First lets look at what you will need:

1. Eye shadow base (I used Painterly from MAC)

2. A light neutral eye shadow (I used Shroom from MAC)

3. A soft Pastel eye shadow, like a purple, green, or blue (I used a purple from Jemma Kidd)

4. Liquid eye liner ( I used the brown liquid liner from The Body Shop)

5. A synthetic eye shadow brush ( I used #66 from Trish McEvoy)

6. A natural haired eye shadow brush ( I used #45 from Trish McEvoy)

Here are the simple steps to take to achieve this look:

Step 1:  Apply the eye shadow base all over the eyelid, from lash to brow. Use the synthetic brush for this step.

Step 2: Apply the neutral shadow along the brow bone. Apply this with the natural haired brush.

Step 3:  Apply the Pastel color along the lash line and even a little bit above the crease, but not too high up.

Step 4:  Apply the liquid liner. If the applicator is not user friendly, you can apply the liner with a angled eyeliner brush. Follow up with mascara.

Let’s take a look at my sketch pad for the placement of the shadow:

Tip: Apply the lighter shadows first, so that it is easier to blend the two shadows together.

Thank you for reading today’s beauty tip. Have a great day!

XOX,
Nicole

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime.

Lets Talk Lipstick

I have been looking for the perfect long wear lipstick for the longest time! I think that I found one that I that is as close to perfect. Here is what I am looking for in a Long wear lipstick:

1. It is a great price point.

2. It has a wide Color range. Basically as long as there is a red, Hot pink, a pretty nude (nothing too pink and nothing to brown), or a coral.

3. It won’t Smudge or feather.

4. Lastly, It Actually stays for at least five hours.

If the lipstick has all of the above it is pretty close to being perfect.

Folks, I have some exciting news! I think that i have found a long wear lipstick that has all of the above!!!!

Tarte

I was in Sephora this last weekend, and stumbled upon this little gem! It is the new 12 hour lipstick from Tarte Cosmetics. It has the best colors that have the best coverage on the lip. I highly recommend any bride to be to check this product out! I loved it because you don’t even need a lip liner! try this lipstick on a clean dry lip and see how it wears on you. It is so great whether you are a bride, bridesmaid, or a lady on the go!

Thank you for reading today’s beauty tip. Have a Great Day!

XOX,

Nicole Ramirez

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime!

Bring Out Your Inner Bronze Goddess

It’s summertime which means it is time to  let your inner bronze goddess out! If you are like me, you like to spend time sunbathing and what not, but you just don’t really have the time to be poolside all summer long. There is still hope for you!

To be honest,  I am not a fan of tanning beds, or sunless tanners. If you feel the need to get an instant glow on and you have to choose between a tanning bed or a sunless tanner, I say go with  the lesser of the two evils and get your sunless tanner on. It may be stinky, but from what we know now, it is safer. With that said, you may be wonder why I am writing about unleashing your inner bronze goddess if I am not a fan of the two most popular ways to get a tan.

Today, I want to talk body bronzing make up! Whether you are just a guest at a wedding or you are a bride to be, these products are great suggestions to complete your wedding day look. Here are my top two bronzing oils:

# 1 is the Nars oil! It is AMAZING. It has a perfect golden color, and a little goes a long way.

#2 The Body Shop Honey Bronze. I LOVE the smell, and I love how it adds a soft glisten to your skin. Plus the price point is affordable if you are on a budget.

I also recommend that you check out Laura Mercier’s body bronze make up. It smells like coconut and has a full coverage, so you get a nice deep glow, that looks natural.

Finally, if you are looking for a product that you can use on your face and your body, take a look at Estee Lauder’s Bronzing powder. I have always been a fan of the matte finished bronze goddess powder. You can layer it over an illuminating oil or make up like the ones I have listed above, or just swipe a little over moisturized skin with a fluffy brush and it gives a soft tan color.

Thank you for reading today’s Beauty tip from the Pretty Bride Shop! I hope you have a great day!

xox,

Nicole Ramirez

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime!

Take a load off…5 ways brides can center their chi.

The days before your wedding are filled with so many different emotions. It can be like you are stuck on an emotional roller coaster. There are some things that you can do to make the roller coaster ride bearable.  It’s the little things that can help you RELAX. If you are a bride to be who is feeling stressed out, I have five things that you can do to enjoy yourself  before your big day. Even if you take a break for an hour, it may seem pointless and not worth it at the time, but it better than  charging through the day before your wedding with no time for yourself.

(Image source: KahKahKah.com)

1. Go to a Yoga class. Yoga is one of the most revitalizing things you can do for your body, mind, and spirit. I look at it this way, it is one hour that all you focus on is your breath and yourself, and nothing else.

2. Laugh!  Laughter the best medicine for stress. Everyone has that one friend who can find humor in anything. Why wait until it’s funny years from now, if you are having a hard time find the humor in your situation, and laugh it out with a pal!

3. Go to a “feel good” movie, and enjoy some popcorn! I like to mix peanut m&m’s in with my popcorn. This will help you take your mind off planning your wedding for at least an hour or so.

4. Put down the bridal magazines! sometime you need a break for these mags. As amazing as they are for inspiration, sometime the images are a little overwhelming. It is alright to need a break from them. Hide your bridal magazine and grab a frozen yogurt or a cup of coffee with a friend.

5. Go get a mani/ pedi with a friend. Manicure/ pedicures are so relaxing and getting your nails done is a finishing beauty touch for your wedding day.

Thank you for reading today’s post. Have a great day!

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime!

xox,

Nicole Ramirez

Nail polish… A girl’s best friend

I have always LOVED nail polish! I am a little embarrassed to admit that I am a bit of a nail polish hoarder. Lets face it, times are hard right now and nail polish is a reasonably priced way to vamp up your look. Last year nail polish was a go to beauty item just like foundation was the go to beauty item in 2008 and how lipstick was the go to beauty item during the 30’s and 40’s.Plus a mani/pedi is one of the finishing touches to a brides look on her big day!

Today, lets talk about if it is worth it to go get you nails done, or if giving yourself your own mani/pedi for you wedding is a great way to save some money. 

A couple of weeks ago, I conducted a little nail polish experiment.I was shopping at walmart after a long day. I needed a little pick me up, so I before I checked out, I went to look at the nail polish.I found a do it yourself gel nail polish kit, no UV light needed. I love a do it yourself project! I have been hearing about gel nail polish for the past year or so, but had never tried it. I HAD to try it.Plus, I could see how a bride to be wanting to stick to a budget would be tempted to try this. 

It took only minutes and looked great for about 5 hours.   My first reaction was that maybe I didn’t apply it right, so I went back to Walmart and got another color. This time, my nails looked good for maybe 8 hours.Don’t worry, I also had to buy a special remover specifically for this nail polish. At this point I had spent roughly 20 bucks…. I was not that impressed with what I thought would save money.For me this product didn’t work, so I went to the professionals.

After going to a nail salon and spending about $50 on a mani/ pedi (note: I only got the gel on my hands not my feet), I have to say, I LOVE gel nail polish!!! It is awesome! I recommend EVERYONE try it at least once, especially if you are a bride.

As a bride getting your nails done is a break away from what can be a pretty stressful time. I say make it a girls trip and invite some of your close friends. You can even try to make a beauty day of it. You can call your local cosmetics department and see if you and you friends can get your make up  and skin care done. Often times the cosmetic department can go to you by having an outsourcing event. I used to wok in a cosmetic department and I loved to do outsourcing event for my clients.With that said, I recommend that if you choose to have the make up artist go to you, plan on everyone buying at least two to three products.  I know for sure that Nordstroms is down to do outsourcing events, and you never know your local department store may offer this service as well. 

Thank you for reading this weeks beauty tip. Have a great evening!

XOX,

Nicole Ramirez

Stop by the Pretty Bride Shop anytime!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrettybrideShop

Blushing Bride

What do you think the most popular color is for weddings right now?… Pink! What lady doesn’t love pink? let’s take a look at the most popular shade of pink.

#1 shade of pink is blush pink

One if the biggest trends right now is to have a blush dress, or any of your bridal accessories.

I found this re purposed cake topper that had a truly blushing bride on it while shopping Etsy the other day.

There are so many ways to add blush into your wedding other tan your dress or bridal accessories here are just a few more ideas:

– Flowers

-Bridesmaids dress/accessories

-Flower girl dresses

– Invitations

-Guest book

Thanks for reading this weeks planning tip. Have a great day!

Stop by Pretty bride shop anytime www.etsy.com/shop/prettybrideshop

xox,

Nicole