Beauty of the Gilded Age . . .

I recently spent some time in Newport, Rhode Island touring the indescribeably extravagant summer cottages (which are more appropriately described as straight up castles worthy of royalty) that were in use there during the summer seasons from the late 1800's to the 1930's. (Side note: the Gilded Age culture and use of the summer "cottages" eventually died out around the 1940's partially due to income and inheritance taxes . . .)

The Gilded Age and it's "high society" of the time completely facinates me. The parties, the etiquette, the fashion. . .it is all just as fabulous and glitzy now as it was then. Of course being a makeup artist and seeing photographs and paintings of high society women lead me to do a little research into their beauty rituals and use of cosmetics, and how different the standard of beauty was then than it is now.

Sickly was IN!
Yes, looking pale and undernourished was actually a "good" thing that made the gentelmen drool, apparently.  Drop some (what we now know to be poisonous) Belladonna in your eyes to make them look wistful and large? Yes, that was perfectly acceptable beauty secret at the time. Taking elaborate measures to keep one's skin as pale as possible meant staying out of the sun (parasols and gloves weren't just a fashion statement . . .they kept the sun's rays away) as well as employing other not so healthy measures to further whiten the skin. Arsenic on the face?! Yup. This was seen as a luxury powder to keep the skin pale, which of course was the fashion. Or you could opt for "harmless" arsenic tablets. Yikes. 

Makeup = bad for your social status because it meant you had loose morals!!
This mostly applied in the years prior to 1910, when using anything more than a bit of powder would imply that you were a woman of undesirable social standing. (A.K.A. a . . .ahem . . .whore. . .or worse, an actress!). A few years down the road "full" make-up was seen as sinful but women were now allowed to apply some pink tones to their cheeks to give a little bit of a glow. Red beet juice was a popular choice for this, and would be rubbed in to the cheeks and SHAZAM! Instant gilded age fabulousness, and ready for a party!
Later on, just before the roaring twenties were in full swing, women began experimenting with henna around the eyes and droplets of wax to lengthen and burnt matches to darken the eyelashes. I am SO glad mascara evolved because that sounds downright dangerous and time consuming. From the 1920's on, the use of cosmetics was socially acceptable, with dark lipsticks and colored eyeshadows the norm. By the 1930's and on red lipstick was practically a social necessity.

Your beauty arsenal consists of two things! A "complexion soap" and cold cream!!
Wow, so different from all of our tonics, serums, boosters, and exfoliators!! These were simpler times, and all one needed was a good facial soap, often laden with lard or sulfur, and a facial moisturizer such as Pond's "vanishing cream". Anyone with a less than perfect complexion had the convenience of facial "enameling" which meant that a (certified?) practicioner would fill in acne scars and pock-marks with a lovely complexion enhancing blend of paraffin wax, talc and lead. Awesome. So happy someone decided to invent ProActive instead.

In conclusion: as much as I find the fashion, culture and overall grandness of the Gilded Age romantic and fascinating, I am very greatful to be living in an age of serums, cleansers and masks that will not slowly kill me due to ingredients such as arsenic and lead. Yay technology!

Pond's Vanishing Cream = MAGIC!

Have a Beautiful Day!

Sarah is Smitten with . . .

Beauty on the Cheap.

Luxury beauty products are fabulous, elegant and somehow make me think using them will not only do what is promised on the label, but also make me run faster, jump higher and look fabulous while doing it. I often find that expensive cosmetics are pricey for a reason, such as color intensity or longevity or the pureness of it's ingredients. For this reason some of my favorites are a bit on the pricey side. However! I find there is something extra fantastic about scoring a super rad product for less than a ten buck-a-roos, especially when it blows the expensive competition out of the water.  Here are my amazing cheap-o staples:

1. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara $8.00
    Gigantic feathery lashes? Priceless.

I've tried mascara costing as much as $40.00 a tube, but always go back to L'Oreal Voluminous. It's the best.

2. Aquaphor $4.00
    Creating a new lipgloss with an old lipstick? Priceless.

 
I use Aquaphor for darn near everything. Chapped lips, check. Out of eye cream, check. Cuticle oil, check. Making lipgloss by blending Aquaphor and lipstick, check. Best $4.00 you'll ever spend, I swear.

3. E.L.F. Oil Blotting Sheets $1.00
    Laughing in the face of humidity for less than the cost of a pack of gum? Priceless.

I nearly passed out when I found blotting tissue that retails for one dollar. These little oil absorbing sheets from E.L.F. do the job as well as other brands costing up to $15 a pack. Talk about WAY more bang for your buck!


Have a Beautiful Day!

Try it on!!

Bridal makeup trials are hugely important.  My youngest neice would retort, "Why for?" The answer is simple. Well, it's actually somewhat lengthy, involved and will drag on a bit, but please humor me and read on. 

Bridal makeup trials aren't just about establishing the look of wedding day makeup. It is also VERY much about your makeup artist having the opportunity to get to know the bride and establish taste, comfort level, rapport, and communication. Ocassionally I come across a bride-to-be that wants to "wing" her makeup on the day of.  I would not advise winging it, due to the fact that you will miss the opportunity to have more understanding and communication with your makeup artist.  

Makeup experimentation is very much like trying on clothing. Sometimes a frock you LOVE on the hanger can look like a burlap bag when you put it on.  Same goes for tearing a picture out of a magazine or always wearing the same makeup. Megan Fox's smokey eye may not look quite right on someone with features like Jenna Fisher. Maybe a bride who thinks her makeup should only be very very light and natural would actually love a darker liner or lipstick, given the opportunity to try it on. Perhaps Debbie Lotsofliner will realize her eyes actually look bigger with softer, smokier eye makeup. You actually have these options during a trial with no panicking about time constraints. What a relief, and honestly - what fun!!

When it comes to the timing of your nuptual celebration day, I can tell you that a trial absolutely makes the difference in making the day roll out smoothly.  We've chatted, applied, maybe changed a few things during your trial so that on the day of we aren't guessing about anything or heaven forbid spending time removing or changing makeup. 

TIP: I recommend that if a bride wants a companion at her bridal trial to limit that to one trusted friend or family member.  Perhaps a shy or indecisive bride will think more opinions = more helpful. Uh, no. I've seen many an excited group come in with the bride-to-be, and before you know it the bride has no idea what she wants due to the fact that there are about six different opinions about what her makeup should look like. (Imagine this scenario happening on the day of your wedding. Not good. Have a trial. Please.) Here's the dealio: It's your day. You can have whatever you want. Period. If a bride is unsure of what she wants, my best advice is to comb through magazines or the web and bring in the looks you like. (Good rule of thumb: Google image search celebs that look most like you. Seriously. Why, if you are a blonde Reese Witherspoon type, why would you bring in a picture of Julianne Moore or Halle Berry? This has actually happened. AWK-ward.) Even if your makeup artist may tell you why the look in the photo may not suit you, the picture helps establish your taste and what general look and intensity you gravitate toward. Ding ding ding!! Big communication moment!! Your makeup artist can then come up with a version of that look that is most flattering for your unique features, as well as come up with other great options that you may have never considered.  By having a trial you also have the opportunity to discuss pre-wedding day skincare and put your best face forward on the day of, giving you an even more flawless makeup application.

Once you've had a trial and your wedding day "look" is established, a makeup artist can then take a similar path with the bridal party to keep your photos looking cohesive.  Makeup will suit the individual, but a) never outshine the bride and b) keep within the bride's desired color scheme (ie: no red lips or, please don't let Aunt Tilly wear green eyeshadow). This communication is key for your makeup artist coming in on the big day, setting up and being ready to roll without a doubt in his or her mind about the task at hand. 

All this rambling boils down to the fact that experimentation is best for the trial, not the day of. : )

Tools for Makeup Experimentation!!

Have a Beautiful Day!

Cha cha cha . . .

Benefit is a staple line in my kit and always will be . . .they have the most amazing concealers and highlighters, products they dub into categories of "fix its" and "fake its" and they all work brilliantly. I could go on and on and gush about their line for hours because it is THAT fantastic, but today I will focus on what I think is the latest and greatest.  Benefit has expanded their line of cheek and lip stains! The original color, BeneTint, a dark berry cheek stain, has been a long time makeup staple for many.  It is long lasting and looks like a rosy glow from within. . .put it on the lips and top with gloss and you have a long wearing lip stain. Two in one. Love that! Then came along PosieTint, a lighter, pinky-er tint for fair skinned makeup wearers.  Now . . .so excited . . .they have come along with ChaChaTint, a coral/mango tint for the olive skinned among us. This gorgeous tropical hue will be a new summer staple in my bag I can assure you! Whether you try the original or the newer shades you are sure to love your glow from any of Benefits FANTABULOUS stains!!

Latest addition to Benefits line of cheek & lip stains!! Cha cha cha. . .

Have a Beautiful Day!!!