Fusion Beauty Blog by Product Expert Heather Boswell

WEDDING DAY MAKEUP MYTH #4

Myth : Your attendants’ makeup should all be the same.

I know, does anyone still believe this? Let everyone be themselves and try to avoid the matchy-matchy look. That's the blue dress = blue eyeshadow. Pink dress = pink lips, blusher and shadow. Instead avoid colorful makeup and go for neutral shades on eyes and if your attendants are in red, unless they usually wear a red lip color go with a nice nude on the lips. It works beautifully with red. I really like LipFusion in Bare to compliment red or bright colored dresses. Do have the intensity of the makeup consistent. That means everyone, including the bride should have a similar intensity of makeup so one person doesn't stand out in photos as having on way more (or less) than the others.

WEDDING DAY MAKEUP MYTH #3

MYTH: "I want my wedding look to be really cutting edge and stylish".

All I can say is BE CAREFUL ! If you don't think that the hot look that is in now won't go out of style, just take a look at a wedding magazine from 10-15 years ago. This is a tough trap to avoid and I have to admit, I am an example of how true this can be. I suppose because I was so immersed in the beauty and fashion industry, I felt compelled to be the "stylish bride". Unfortunately that dates your photos very quickly. Although my husband and I look very cute and happy in our 1992 wedding pix, my HUGE hair, doorknockers earrings and deep brown faux glow are a source of much laughter now. Avoid looking too trendy. Think timeless, classic, subtle elegance and you can't go wrong. Go for a subtle faux glow that gives your skin an authentic luminosity and enhance it with subtle shimmer. I LOVE SkinFusion Minerals in Radiance on cheekbones, brows, shoulders, back and decollete for soft shimmering skin. Now that is an accessory that never goes out of style.

Tomorrow will be the final chapter in this series, and I will be discussing your attendants’ makeup.

WEDDING DAY MAKEUP MYTH #2

MYTH : You should wear lipstick that you don't have to touch up on your wedding day.

Okay you know what I am talking about. That stuff that doesn't budge and looks (and feels) like duct tape on your lips. Are you kidding me? First of all who wants to kiss lips that have lipstick on them from 10 hours ago?? Ick! A soft sheer color that feels comfortable, plumps the lips and says "hurry up and kiss me" is the look you are going for. And I have always had a bit of a hard time with this makeup that stays on forever deal. What's wrong with touching up your lip gloss? I enjoy applying my color shine. To me it is one of life's little pleasures. You feel refreshed, pretty and ready to celebrate. So make sure everyone has their lip color with them for the day and go ahead...re-apply!

My friend Emily is giving Beach Baby Bling to all her attendants and wearing it herself on her wedding day and I think that is one of the cutest ideas I have heard in a long time. The crystal wand is so beautiful for a wedding day and the color is a perfect pink for any bride.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I’ll help you avoid falling into the “trend trap.”

WEDDING DAY MAKEUPS MYTHS

‘Tis the season to get hitched and I have met and received letters from so many brides asking about wedding day makeup. I have also heard many of the myths that for some weird reason are STILL circulating in the bridal circles and I hope to banish them for good with a few great wedding day makeup tips.

I have done makeup for my share of brides over the years. I actually would guesstimate that I've worked with thousands of brides so I've seen it all!! What I have learned as a makeup artist is that your makeup, not your dress, is the most important thing on your wedding day. Seriously! We're talking about your FACE ladies. It doesn't matter how gorgeous the dress is, if the makeup is a mess, trust me, nobody will remember the dress.

Wedding Day Myth #1 :You have to wear more makeup on your wedding day for pictures!

So totally false! More is not the proper word here. I would say "carefully applied" is more accurate. Choose a beautiful sheers foundation that lets your natural complexion show through and that illuminates your skin. You don't want to look like you are wearing caked on stage makeup. Yuck! Do use a mineral powder and powder blusher/bronzer as opposed to creams that will melt. You don't want to look shiny. Apply blusher/bronzer softly to apples of cheeks and across the nose to give you that innocent flush of color.

Also... REALLY IMPORTANT....Don't dramatically change your look on your wedding day!  I can't emphasize this enough. Your fiancé, your friends and family and YOU are used to seeing yourself a certain way. You want to be recognized as you so stick to your favorite colors and a look that is similar to what you usually wear. If you always wear bright lips then wear bright lips. If you always do smokey eyes then do smokey eyes. You don't want to look at your photos 20 years from now and think...what on earth is on my face??? Why didn't somebody tell me... well, I'M telling you now.

Tomorrow, I will dispel a popular Wedding Day Lipstick Myth.

MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES

I have gathered so many useful makeup tips over the last 22 years working in the industry. I will share many with you in my blogs but I have to admit that I can't take credit for all of these helpful hints. As a makeup artist I have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing women who have shared their makeup tricks with me. As you probably know I am really big on multi-taskers or products with multiple uses. The easy ones are using your bronzer as an eye shadow or a little lipstick on the cheeks if you don't have a blusher on hand. One that I have always loved was from a model I worked with years ago named Claudine. She would use brown eyeliner to turn a blemish into a sexy mole (a -la Cindy) if she had a breakout on a shoot day. I would love to hear from you about some of the interesting and/or crazy alternate uses you have found for products.

AN EARLY MORNING LAUGH

They say it's important to be able to laugh at yourself right? I just caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror an it was pretty darned funny. Now let me clarify that it is 6:30am. My kids aren't up yet so I have about another 10 minutes of quiet. I just finished making their lunches and doing all the usual early morning stuff. I have on my gym stuff because as soon as my little "rascals" get on the school bus I am off to the gym. My hair is going in about 50 directions so I have it stuck in a pony but for some reason I gotta get my lips on and that makes the entire "look" okay. It just struck me as funny, I guess because I see it all the time. You know I'll be sitting in an airport and there is some kind of flight delay. There are people who have been sleeping in those "comfy" airport chairs for goodness knows how long and then I see it. Some woman in the corner, hair askew, shoes off, kids going crazy and she is looking in her compact fixing her lips. Maybe it is a control thing. You know? We like to control the things we can so when all else is out of control it gives us a sense of security? I was just wondering.(and laughing because it is pretty funny!)

I hope you enjoyed my GlowFusion tips series. I look forward to hearing from you and if you have any techniques that work for you, I would love to hear about them.
One final tip - If you have applied Glow in your bathroom you probably already know this one. Put a towel or mat down under your feet when you Glow. It won't get stained (because GlowFusion only tans skin) but if you spray your GlowFusion and then walk through it on your bare floor it tans the bottoms of your feet.

FOR THOSE WHO GLOW V - TWEAKING YOUR GLOW

This great idea from one of our awesome HSN hosts. After you've lightly Glowed your face, apply a little more GlowFusion with a makeup applicator wedge sponge very lightly into the hollows of your cheeks and under jawline. This provides a "built-in" contouring effect even without makeup!

This same technique can be used to accentuate abdominal muscles, calf muscles and upper arm definition. If you want your legs and thighs to look smaller apply a darker shade of Glow or do additional applications to legs, particularly the back of legs. This really helps hide so many imperfections.

I just got home from a very exciting trip to HSN. We were on the network this past Saturday night. We sold out of Beach Baby Bling in like 4 minutes! Congratulations to those of you who managed to get one. I know that this limited edition color created exclusively for Summer 2008 is disappearing at retail stores as well. My friend Emily who is a bride-to-be said she had to visit a few locations in order to get a Beach Baby Bling for herself and also for her bridesmaids as part of their wedding day attire. Isn't that the cutest idea?! I think there is some stock left at Fusionbeauty.com. Also, I am told that there are still limited quantities of Beach Baby available at Nordstrom.com and Saks.com so don't give up!

PS Just a heads-up that we've got something REALLY exciting coming up on HSN on June 30th and it won't be available anywhere else but it's a surprise so please tune in.

FOR THOSE WHO GLOW IV - THE PROFESSIONAL GLOW

This is a fave of the serious tanner because the Airglow system let's you achieve that seamless professional mist-on tan anywhere, anytime. No appointment necessary and no need to disrobe in front of a stranger.

The control you have with Airglow system is phenomenal and the keys to success are easy. Always fully charge the system before using. Only fill the cannister to the max line. Keep the Airglow gun upright while misting the cocoa infused GlowFusion onto your skin. Always clean and DRY out the system before storing away for next use.  Although the cocoa infused mist dries VERY quickly it is ever-so-slightly tinted so do wait a few minutes before putting on light colored clothing. You can use the regular GlowFusion mist in the Airglow gun if you like just follow the same instructions and you'll look as professionally Glowed as Hollywood's most glamorous celebs!

Next Post - Tweaking Your Glow. Stay tuned.