The OurWeddingDay.com Blog

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.

I have had Sherien's photos in my gallery for many months now and I am happy to show the beautiful video which my good friends Rob and Leyda shot at Rockmelon.  They captured the Egyptian and Dominican infused celebration which I had the pleasure of attending. 

One of the great things about being a makeup artist in NYC is that I get to work with many different cultures. Sherien got ready at her parent's home which was choc-a-bloc full of family and friends.  Many of Sherien's relatives live on the same block and and they kept popping in to see how the "beautifying" was going. The joy and love was palpable in the home I was glad to be a part of it.  I did the makeup on Sherien's aunt who had flown in all the way from Cairo for the event.  I get nervous when doing makeup on someone from a different culture especially when there is a language barrier.  I am never quite sure if their aesthetic will match mine. I kept chatting away a mile a minute and she just kept smiling and looking at me with the kindest of eyes. I hope she was pleased with the results, but I have a feeling that no matter what I did she was going to look radiant and happy. 

I would like to take more credit for Sherien's look, but I didn't have to do much but highlight her already defined features.   I used Classified Cosmetics foundation lightly across her face with a rose blush to pop out her cheekbones. I enhanced her eyes with a rosy gold eyeshadow a tight black gel liner on her top lash line.  Sherien's lips are brought out by Bobbi Brown's Rose Gold gloss on her lips. My hair diva, Jennie Brent did a bang up job with a messy chignon. 

Jennie and I were invited to the wedding and I was so excited to attend.  I knew it would be an amazing party and I was not disappointed.  The multi-cultural event was visually stunning as well as festive.  My favorite part was the belly-dancing and flamenco dancing. Nothing gets a party started like gyrating midsections!  I danced my butt off and by the end of the reception I had taken Sherien's veil off of her head and was wearing it while shaking my grove thing!

Sherien's smoldering beauty is obvious in the photos and videos, but I believe that most of that comes from a passionate and beautiful soul.  I will not forget that great day I spent with Sherien and her family.  Check out more gorgeous pictures:  Best of luck Sherien and Randy.

xoxo Lo

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.

I work with many brides who are having out of town or destination weddings. They feel more comfortable doing their own makeup than leaving it to chance with a local artist so they come to me for a lesson.  I always try to convince the bride to take me with them (especially to island destinations), but unfortunately the air and hotel costs for me isn't in their budget - darn economy!!

A lesson is always fun and even if the bride is going to use a local artist, I will often design the look for a bride and she can use that as a guideline for anyone who does her makeup.  I don't want to disparage non-NYC makeup artists, as there are great artists everywhere. The trouble is finding someone with the same aesthetic and because makeup styles differ regionally and culturally it can be difficult to explain your preferences to a foreign artist.  A good makeup artist will understand this and should be happy to have as many details as possible and not consider it an insult.

Alisa came to see me for a makeup lesson last April and we worked together to find a great look for her upstate NY wedding.  Alisa was kind enough to share her experience with me.

Lo: Why did you decide to do your own makeup?

Alisa: I wanted to have more control over my look. I was getting married out of town, so was not to familiar with the makeup services there.  I was worried about being overdone. I knew I was going to get my hair done professionally, so I wanted to concentrate on finding someone I was comfortable with for my hair and do the makeup myself. Plus my maid of honor is my sister and she prefers to do her own. My two bridesmaids are 11, so they didn't need a lot of makeup. So finding someone for one person might be tricky. I also have been getting mixed results from the mac counter where I usually get my makeup. I wanted  to get an update especially since I am not a twenty-something anymore!

Lo: What was the most difficult part to do/learn?

Alisa: The false eyelashes were tricky  but worth it. Other than that it was pretty smooth. I wear makeup, so it wasn't like I was learning a new skill. Just refining and learning better techniques.

Lo: Was there anything that surprised you about your makeup and/or taking a lesson?

Alisa: Nothing too surprising. But I learned about how to get my makeup to last throughout the day. That was really important. A lot of the products I was using seemed like they would be gone in three hours. Now I know what to do so my look lasts throughout the day.

Lo: What advice would you give another bride who is doing their own makeup?

Alisa: Practice, practice, practice. I had my appointment in the beginning of April for a late May wedding. Plus, if you are going to be  a  nervous wreck the day of your wedding, you might be better off having someone do it for you. Also, time yourself and schedule the right amount of time you need. You don't want to rush on your wedding day! I got married at 4pm. I had my hair appointment at 11:30. I started my makeup before the appointment. Afterward, I touched up my foundation and did my eye makeup and final touches after. I was ready on time for photos beforehand, everyone else was a little late!

I feel like a proud mother bird, pushing her baby out of the nest and seeing her fly!  Great job, Alisa.

The key was to keep Alisa's makeup soft while still adding definition.  With fair skin and light brows one needs to be careful not to overdo the eyebrows or use colors which are too severe.  This can make a women look older instead of prettier.  I think the only female who wants that is an 18 year old trying to pass for 21 at a bar!  We still want to use color, but we want everything to be blended and soft.

The look: M.A.C eyebrow pencil in Fling, M.A.C eye shadows (Quarry, Coquette, Shroom), Bobbi Brown Granite Gel Liner (smudged into the eyeshadow), #53 Andrea Lashes, M.A.C Twig lipstick (a fantastic lip color to wear alone or with gloss)

Thanks Alisa and best of luck!

xoxo Lo

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.

Hi Lo,

I would like to wear a natural-looking, sheer nail polish on my fingers and toes for my wedding. However, I have a hard time finding a color that doesn't look too white, pink, or yellowish when applied.

Do you have any suggestions for a good basic shade? I have pretty fair skin with pink undertones, and medium-dark brown hair.

~ Emil

Great question and no one has asked it before. I recommend Essie and Opi polishes as they have a gazillion colors in sheer white/pink and are in most salons. I like Ballet Slippers and Delicacy for fair to medium skin. They are sheer but still give a hint of color and make your nails look "special". You can play around with doing one or two layers for the perfect opacity. Some people even layer with different colors, but I try to keep it as simple as possible. My basic rule for lip color, nail color, cheek color is that regardless of the color family it should make your skin look better. Avoid colors which look flat or lifeless on you and or have heavy shimmer or frost. If you aren't sure - bring a friend with good taste and ask her/him.

Keep in mind that you can do a bolder color on your toes. Many of my brides do a neutral color on their hands go with a red or even blue (closed toe shoes) on their toes. Only do two different colors if one of them is a sheer nude polish. We don't want coral and the hands and fuchsia on the toes!

I hope this helps you.

-Lo

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.

Ask Lo
Here are two questions that I recently received from readers:

Just a silly question -- what should I wear to get ready in?  Something I can unbutton or easily take off my head so I don't mess anything up?

-Paige

Sweetheart, their are no silly questions!  You are right about a button up or something with a loose neck.  Not really an issue for me, but for hair.  If you have a festive or cute tank this is a great opportunity to wear it and you will look adorable in photos.

I have small wrinkles underneath my eyes, I guess I would say mild crows feet? I am paranoid about them showing in wedding pics and I read in a magazine, to ask your make up artist to not put powder over this area because it would bring out the wrinkles. Is this true? Any tips on how to de emphasize that area? I am thinking I might not have any choice in the matter. Thank you Lo!

-Victoria

Great question, Victoria.  I have had to explain this to hundreds of women throughout my career.  Everyone has wrinkles around or under their eyes, but it is important to brighten or lighten the under eye area.  If you look really closely in the mirror you may notice the wrinkles more b/c of the concealer, but no one else sees this.  If they are that close... tell them to back off!  It is well worth the trade off of lightning the area. This is what I suggest when applying concealer:

• Start with an eye cream to hydrate and prime the area.
• Apply concealer lightly with a brush on the areas that are dark.  This is generally right under the lash line and towards the inner eye and nose area.
• Blend out towards the outer and lower eye area with little or no concealer on crinkly parts.
• Allow for the concealer to settle. Press the concealer into the skin instead of rubbing. It is natural for concealer to crease because that skin has a lot of movement - just press it in.
• Set with light powder.  Dust powder over concealer with a ponytail brush or sponge. Only a smidgen of powder to set and blend.

Take a look at Charlize Theron, one of the most beautiful women in the world (in my opinion), close up versus a few feet away.  Yes, she has wrinkles.  And, if you saw her without the flash in her face you could see even more.  Please back away from the mirror and look at yourself as people see you.

-Lo

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.


I am a big fan of engagement photos and I often do the bride's makeup for the shoot. Engagement photos are so important for many reasons:

1. Helps you become more comfortable in front of the camera.  The more times you are photographed, the more at ease you will be.  The best photos are when people are comfortable, happy and authentic.  For all of those people who hate "posing" for photos or think they aren't photogenic - a professional shoot can be completely different.  Most photographers don't want you to pose, they want you to be in the moment and interact with your partner. When you take a couple hundred photos with a pro you are likely to get a few good ones - so relax.

2. Builds a bond with the photographer.  You will spend a good portion of your wedding day with your photographer and this is a great opportunity to get to know how  you work best together.

3. Shows how you photograph with makeup.  While it isn't necessary to wear the exact same makeup as you will on your wedding day, you can get a sense of how much the camera diffuses makeup. I recommend putting on more blush than you normally would, go for a slightly brighter lip and apply a thicker darker eyeliner (on top lash line). Since the makeup is just for a photo shoot you don't need to worry about what it looks like in real life.  I guarantee you will be amazed how little makeup reads in photos.

4. Allows you to have fun with your honey!  Wedding day photos are done on a tight schedule, in confining clothing, and a lot of people watching you. This is just about the two of you enjoying each other and showing why you feel in love in the first place. Make it a fun part of preparation! 

This is my cutie patootie bride, Randi.  We did the same makeup that we will do for her wedding and you can see how natural it looks. BTW, this "natural" look took one hour and it includes, foundation, blush, bronzer, concealer, false eyelashes, lip pencil, lip gloss, eyeshadow, eyeliner, brow pencil, and powder.  Natural makeup doesn't necessarily mean very little makeup. To me it means applying products in a way that highlight the person's natural beauty, not overshadowing it.

Laura Nadeau is the creator and owner of Lo & Co Makeup Artists, specializing in creating a fun and fabulous community for brides or any woman who wants to step-up her beauty routine.  In addition to her own blog, The Down Lo, Laura shares her insight and advice on bridal beauty secrets right here, every week.


I think that every woman should do a boudoir session at least once a decade. We can do it for boyfriends and husbands but why not just for ourselves? Who doesn't want a beautiful photo of themselves?   I recently had a boudoir session with Lauren Slusher and I had an absolute blast. I have had other pro shoots throughout my career, but this was by far the most fun. I did the makeup for four other women at the shoot and it was amazing to see each one find their inner diva/siren/pinup girl in front of the camera.  Most were a little timid at first, but once they got into it (and had a shot of bourbon!) they didn't want to stop.  It is a very liberating experience and I bet that they all had a new-found respect for their beauty.  All of the women were different shapes and sizes yet each photographed beautifully. When we start to celebrate our bodies instead of constantly critiquing them we are on our way to a much healthier self image.  I also think it will be fun to have these photos to remind me in my old age how my body looked before gravity kicked in:-)

I recently did the hair and makeup for another boudoir shoot. Arlene wanted a 1940s retro look and I just loved how she turned out. I did my classic eye with a black liquid eyeliner, false lashes and a pretty red lip.  Arlene's hair is naturally curly so I had to smooth and straighten the hair with a curling iron and then set it in loose pin curls.  Then we just shaped the waves with bobbi pins to achieve the desired look. Arlene told me that she had a blast during her photo shoot and that she was very happy with the photos.  On a side note, doesn't she look exactly like the actress Madolyn Smith from the movie Funny Farm?

XOXO,

Lo