Napoleon Perdis’ Guide To Wedding Day Glamification

By Napoleon Perdis

www.napoleonperdis.com

We all know where we’ll be on Friday April 29: glued to the flat screen, gazing at the Couple Of The Moment in all their royal, nuptial glory. While the media turns itself inside out trying to predict Kate Middleton’s choice of designer, I’m far more keen to see the hair and makeup look for her big day.

Clearly it’s going to be a take on classic, a Royal bride is never going to rock a trend – paging Princess Mary! Kate is beauty blessed with flawless English skin and great bone structure, but with a bazillion pairs of eyes on her she’ll need to step up her Sloane Ranger look and wear enough makeup to exaggerate her features for HDTV. If I had the chance to be in her ear, I’d give her the same advice I’d give any bride. My Top 10 tips for bridal makeup are:

1. Your skin needs to be flawless to weather the endless photo ops. Don’t assume that the glow comes naturally! Start dermal due diligence at least 4-6 weeks in advance, making exfoliation and hydrating treatments a key focus. If only I’d Fedex’d Kate some of my Napoleon Complex Skin Renewal Serum a few weeks ago. Opportunity lost!

2.Skinvest in a primer to give your skin the best start before makeup and to allow your foundation to go the distance and minimize the need for touch ups. You need to be in the moment, not in the bathroom checking yourself in the mirror every hour. My Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer is all-skins appropriate and helps maintain moisture levels, keeping your foundation looking fresh and fabulous. If you have oily or combination skin, choose a mattifying formula like my Auto Pilot Pore Minimizer & Mattifier.

3. Even if you normally just get by with a tinted moisturizer, your wedding day is definitely the time to commit to a fully-fledged foundation, no exceptions! You can keep application light but you do need your skin to look as perfect as it has ever been. Choose a true match to your skin tone, not the colour you’d like it to be, and make sure it’s well blended into the neck and décolletage. There should be no colour changes from face to neck. You can always add colour with some blush and bronzing powder.

We sell a lot of Boudoir Mist Spray Foundation to brides as it boasts great staying power but still looks fresh and natural and you can layer it to the level you want.

4. A compact powder is a must, especially if you have an oily skin that’s prone to shine. Make sure your powder doesn’t contain SPF as it will reflect the flash of the camera and can make your face appear lighter in photos than it actually is. Set your base with my Camera Finish Powder Foundation, (and then hand it to your bridesmaid for mid-reception touch ups, especially if you’ve been hitting the dance floor).

5. Remember that your eyes are the main focus of a bridal look. Some colours that work best on the eyes are soft browns, golds, peaches, pinks and greys. If you want more definition, go for a brown or black eyeliner around the lash line to really define the eyes and eye colour. The safest bet: a soft, muted shadow palette, like my Prismatic Eye Shadow Quad 4 which gives just the right amount of definition, warmth and contour to the eyes. Start by blending the beige color all over the lids for an even base. Add the brown color to the lid area, then using the darker brown, shade the outer corners of the eye for structure and depth. Take the peach shade and wash this through the socket to add warmth to the eyes.

6. No matter how lo-fi you claim to be, every bride looks better with some extra lashes. While I am a believer in the-bigger-the-lash-look-the-better, most brides look best with a small strip of lashes or individual lashes affixed to the outer corner of the eye. Eyelash extensions are very popular right now but they’re expensive and application is just another time commitment a busy bride-to-be can do without. Instead, make sure your makeup artist packs his/her kit with a good wardrobe of lashes for you to choose from. Instant glamification!

7. When you have a sea of eyes staring at you, you need your features to look their finest. Contouring is key. For supermodel cheekbones sweep Cheek To Chic Blush Duo 3 onto the cheekbones, and for some added highlighting, apply Light Patrol Gold to the tops of the cheekbones.

8. Your lips are another key focal point. If you want a can’t-go-wrong nude, try DeVine Goddess Hess. For a stronger lip statement, try DeVine Goddess Anna. To up ‘staying power’, first apply some foundation to the lips as a base, then lipstick, and finish with a matching lip liner for added definition.

9. Don’t stray too far from the woman you are. Your wedding day is not a time for experimentation.

10. Refer to Kate Middleton on April 29, I’m sure she’ll get it right.