I recently took a jaunt with photographers Brad Smith and Liss Flint into the woods with our lovely model Shannon. We were looking for fun pastoral shots, while practicing keeping things light in the lighting department. We did that, for the most part. Brad brought a sweetheart of an Elinchrome head with a saaaaaa-weeeeeeet softbox, and we popped some umbrellas as well. Anyhow, here are some of my favorites from the day. Enjoy!
The fabulous Jen Opkea is back! You may remember her from the Brow 101 article she wrote for us a while back. This time Jen shares her tips for achieving your best wedding look.
The “I Dos” of Wedding Make-Up
So, you want to look like the most beautiful version of yourself when heading down the wedding aisle, right? Here are some tips on what to do from the neck up to prep for your big day.
Build a Portfolio. Start collecting magazine pages of make-up looks that appeal to you. This will help you identify your style and give your artist a vision of how you want to look on your wedding day.
Keep it Timeless. Your wedding day is not the occasion for you to rock a make-up trend. You would hate to look back at your photos and wonder: “what was I thinking?” Nothing about your hair or make-up should be distracting.
Go for balance. If you like a smoky eye, make sure it’s superbly blended and off-set with pretty cheeks and a softer pink or peach lip. If a bold lip is your thing, minimize the eyes with soft shadow and cake eye liner at the roots of the upper lashes. Balance is critical since you do not want any feature to “disappear” in a photo. If using bronzer, go for sun-kissed, not dirty. Hit the high points of the face (forehead, cheekbones, bridge of nose, chin) more intensely for a more naturally tanned look. Remember to apply color to the neck since it is typically an area that is lighter than your face and your chest. Lastly, avoid any pigments that are too sparkly or shimmery. You will end up looking like a disco-ball in pictures. Instead, go for “glow”-cream cheek color layered with powder blush creates a beautiful flush for the cheeks. Sweep some colorless illuminating powder along the cheekbone and down the bridge of the nose and-voila!-you have that “look” of glow you see on every celeb in the magazines.
Don’t forget the brows! Eyebrows are a significant and most-oft overlooked area of the face. Go to a professional brow specialist (see my article on “Brows 101”) sooner than later to make sure that your eyebrows are in top form for your wedding. I prefer tweezing to waxing any day of the week but if you must get waxed, DO NOT do it the week of your wedding. The last thing you need is scabbed lids on your big in the event of a mishap.
Love the skin you’re in. Go to an esthetician who will assess your skin condition and prescribe the necessary products to improve your skin texture and skin health. Be diligent about following your daily skincare regime and consider getting a peel (clinical facial) a month prior to your wedding for an added boost. The sooner you get started on skincare maintenance, the better. The last thing you ever want to do is try something radically new-procedure or product- too soon to the wedding. You do not want to be suffering or having any sort of adverse reaction on your big day.
Plan Ahead. Start shopping for hair and make-up artists well in advance (6 months) since good ones book up fairly quickly depending on the time of year. Make sure that you book a trial with each one as an “audition” and be certain to articulate what you want to look and feel like on your wedding day (bring your photos). A professional stylist should be able to execute the look you want and, if necessary, make any modifications so as to best accentuate your features. Wear the make-up for a day to see how you feel and take a picture to get a “loose” idea of how the make-up will photograph (keep in mind, there is a big difference between amateur and professional photographs). Most importantly, trust your gut. If you feel that, after the trial, the make-up or hair-style is wearing you it’s time to try someone else. Remember, this day is about you and how YOU want to look and feel not your stylist.
SMILE! A beautiful smile is your best accessory and will instantly make you feel like a million bucks!
Jen Opkea is the Lead Makeup Artist at Sarra Beauty Studio (840 Summer Street, Boston, 617.269.8999) where she offers make-up lessons, make-up applications and precision brow shaping by appointment. She has perfected her craft while working with the top industry professionals including Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Jillian Dempsey and Jeannine Lobell. For on-location jobs such as weddings and photo shoots please email: jennopeka@gmail.com with your inquires.
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the brows are the framework. A significant part of everyone’s face, brows tend to be over-looked or over-plucked and in both cases end up being distracting instead of flattering. Whether you have a uni-brow or half-a-brow, there is a way for everyone to obtain beautiful brows with a little patience and some precision shaping.
Eye brow precision shaping is the method of individually removing hairs through tweezing and trimming, not waxing. A gentler form of hair removal, precision shaping is the only way to effectively create balance and symmetry between the brows. If you can find a place that specializes in this type of service I highly recommend it. Otherwise, follow these tips to get yourself started on the right brow path!
First you’ll want to make sure you have the proper tools. Invest in a good pair of tweezers with a slanted edge and good grip-my favorite, hands down, are from Tweezerman. Next, get scissors designed for brow trimming (do not use the nail trimmers as they’re curved and won’t work!). Lastly, you’ll need a brow groomer or spiral brush for combing the hairs in place. (Tweezerman makes a great set that comes with scissors and a groomer). Also, make sure you have a good mirror (magnifying helps, although it is imperative to flip it over throughout the tweezing process in order to see both brows for the proper perspective) and lots of light-preferably natural-in order to clearly see the hairs.
*NOTE
If you are an obsessive plucker, put down the tweezers-yes, the ones in your bathroom, your glove compartment and your make-up bag- and LET THEM GROW. This is by far the most painful part for a lot of my clients who just can’t keep their hands off. It’s important to get as much growth as possible in order to accurately assess your natural shape. Plus, it’s always better to have more than less hair with which to work. If your brows don’t grow fast enough, consider Women’s Rogaine or men’s extra-strength Rogaine applied to the sparse areas with a Q-Tip. For those of you with brows from here to next week, the rest of us are jealous.☺ Your brows will look best if they remain thick so approach this process as more of a “clean-up” and less of a “reshape”.
YOUR BROW SHAPE
To determine where the brows should begin, hook the end of the brush around the edge of your nostril and hold it parallel to the side of your nose. Where the brush meets your brow is where your brow should start. Anything short of that should be left alone to grow or be filled in with a pencil. Anything beyond that can be tweezed. Next, angle the brush slightly so that it is on a diagonal from the nose to the outside edge of the pupil. This is where the highest point of your brow, or arch should appear. Finally, extend the tip of the brush to the outside corner of the eye. This is where your brow should end. Most people’s brows will fall short of this point. No worries, a little pencil or that Rogaine tip works as a quick or long-term fix.
TWEEZING
Before you start plucking away, brush the brow hairs upward and look to the top of the brow to find your shape. The top of the brow line is naturally defined and will act as your guide for tweezing along the base of the brow. For this reason, it’s best to leave this area alone since removing the “wrong” hair could drastically alter or diminish your natural shape. Conversely, if you do not have a strong natural arch at the top begin with, do not try to create one at the bottom. The goal is get the both brows lines to mirror one another. Attempting to create an arch at the base of the brow, especially too close to the center of your face, can create the look of ‘hook’ brows. Not cute.
To start tweezing, hold the skin taut and pluck the hairs in the direction they grow, removing one row of hair at a time from beginning to end. You ultimately want to create a clean continuous line that gradually thins from start to finish. Be sure to step back from your mirror to check your brows periodically for symmetry. Once the basic shape is defined, remove any obvious strays that appear between and above the brow line. Now put down the tweezers. Remember: less is more in the brow department. Once you over-pluck, you’re stuck. Besides, a fuller, simple shape is more natural and flattering.
TRIMMING
Next, brush the hairs up and into place. Using your scissors trim the excess length from each brow as carefully as possible. Be ultra-conservative with this step and constantly brush the brows up before you snip since it’s very easy to do a hack-job on oneself. If you’re uncomfortable with this process, have someone else do it for you (someone you trust) since it’s a little awkward to execute on both sides.
RAZORING
This last step is totally optional and a little daunting but really adds to the overall level of precision. It involves the use of a “brow razor” to eliminate any excess hairs that exist above the brow line and are too fine tweeze. This tool can be found at any CVS or Rite Aid in the cosmetic aisle (usually near false lashes and cotton pads). To use: hold the razor almost parallel to the skin above the brow where there is excess hair. Applying light pressure and a downward motion, gently razor the hairs until you hit the top of the brow. The brow line will stop you. Do not shave into or over this line! Next, use the razor to “clean up” the area between the brows and, if you’re feeling really daring, above the upper lip as an alternative to waxing.
FILLING IN
Nobody has naturally perfect brows. Whether you were born with sparse brows that need a fix or have full ones that you want to take to the “editorial” level, there is a way to naturally fill them in. All it takes is a pencil, a groomer and some clear brow gel.
You’ll want to select a pencil that contains some wax and is a shade slightly lighter than you natural brow hair. Do not use an eyeliner since they contain too much pigment and will appear too obvious. Furthermore, liners won’t adhere as well to the skin. Ideally, try to find a brow pencil with a brush on the other end, otherwise use your separate groomer for blending.
Starting at the base of the brow, use the pencil to fill in any sparse areas with short, feathery strokes. Apply in the direction of hair growth. The key here is not to create a definite line, but to create the appearance of hair. Brush through the hairs every so often to soften and blend the pigment throughout the brow. If your arch tends to “collapse” at the top outer edge of the brow, use the pencil to fill in that area as well. This will create a “lifting” effect. Be sure to blend. You do not want to see any obvious lines, just shadows. This is can be a frustrating process and does require some practice. Do not give up. You’ll get it. When all else fails, blend. Your groomer can act as an eraser for any “mistakes”.
Lastly, use a clear mascara or brow gel to comb through the hairs and keep them in place.
Well done ☺
written by:
Jennifer Opeka
Lead Make-up Artist
Sarra – Boston, MA
We are so excited to have Jennifer Opeka as one of our guest bloggers! Jennifer is going to write a series of articles for us based on eyebrow grooming, make-up for weddings/boudoir and skin care. Come back next week and check out her first article on brow shaping 101! Without further ado – here is a little bit about Jennifer’s background.
Jennifer Opeka is a make-up artist and brow specialist with nearly 10 years experience in the fashion, entertainment, and wedding industry. Her skill set includes everything from clean and classic beauty, to edgy and dramatic with an emphasis on weightless yet perfect-looking skin.
Since 2000, she has been perfecting her craft while working with the top industry professionals including Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Jillian Dempsey and Jeannine Lobell. Her years of experience on the celebrity circuit in Los Angeles have landed her backstage at Fashion Week, on-set for TV shows and photo shoots, and in many wedding photo albums across the country.
Based in Boston, Jennifer’s home away from home is Sarra Beauty Studio (840 Summer Street, Boston, 617.269.8999) where she offers make-up lessons, make-up applications and precision brow shaping by appointment. For on-location jobs such as weddings and photo shoots, she may be booked in advance depending on availability (for inquiries please email: jennopeka@gmail.com).
When it comes to applying make-up, Jennifer’s philosophy is simple: create a look that enhances “you” and fits within your own personal style and comfort level. So whether you’re walking down the aisle, the red carpet or going on a very special date, Jen will get you there looking and feeling your absolute best.
