Google the term Indian bridal makeup or Pakistani bridal makeup and you will see a gazillion listings of discussions and forums where young females talk about how much they love certain images and tutorials they see on line.
In the same theme, you will read them cringing about how Indian or Pakistani bridal makeup is too heavy, too intense etc etc. Makes you wonder, at one end they are ooohing and aaahing about the exotic colors, dramatic contours and over all glamor and the next second they say its over done. So where is the happy middle ground?
As a professional bridal makeup artist with expertise in Indian and Pakistani bridal makeup I know one thing for a fact- its all about create a sense of balance, harmony and flow. You cannot itemize a look by focusing just on the eyes and not on the lips, just on the foundation and not on what goes on top of it. DO you follow me?
Lets say you are one of those many ladies whose opening line is ' I don't wear much makeup every day'. So lets start from there- what is the color of your outfit. Red, intense pink, maroon, turquoise? Does it have gold or silver, bead or crystal detailing all over? Are you wearing jewelry that has gemstones and will it frame your face (earrings and necklace?). Will you have a veil, dupatta or chunni on your head for the wedding ceremony? If you have answered YES to more than one of the above, you are a South Asian Bride.
Okay, so do your 'Not much every day makeup' and put on your outfit, jewelry and drape the chunni. Now, step back from the mirror at least 6 feet back and look at your face. What do you see? Has your face been engulfed in the glitz and detail of the outfit and jewelry? Has the reflection of the gems, jewels and colors of your over all dressing made your face look washed out and almost ' I just recovered from a long illness' look? Remember we haven't even put you in the elaborate setting of a wedding mandap or reception stage yet, with all that exquisite beauty surrounding you, it will only amplify how lack luster your face looks!!!
This is because this look lacks a sense of balance. And this is why South Asian Brides need to have a makeup look, custom created to bring the feel of flow and harmony from their outfit, to their jewelry to their makeup and hair.
So the grapevine has buzzed about intense eyes and nude lips for a time frame longer than comfortable for me. Talk about completely throwing things off balance! Look at your lips without any makeup, chap stick or gloss on them. What color are they? Certainly not beige, nude or taupe! So why would you want them to be a color of pale earth when you are incorporating so much drama to your eyes??? It makes the face look top heavy and oh Im sure ive mentioned this before, your lips disappear in photographs once the flash goes off! Is that really what you want to do?
'I hate red lipstick' is another term I keep hearing over and over again. I know the reason may be watching the generation before ours wear creamy red lipstick sans liner making it shift and bleed into maturing skin crevices creating a horror in your mind for a lifetime. But come to the modern day red- look at Gwen S, my goodness talk about a goddess in red lips. It just has to be done right and there is a perfect red out there for every one. Of course you wont wear red lipstick with a maroon or pink outfit but trust me, try it on with a red outfit, there is an elegance and sensuality with it that is unmatched by any other color or lack of (nudes).
'I like glowing skin' another favorite! SO do I, but your photographer wont!!! Because uber shine,glow comes out as harsh hot spots on the face when the flash goes off and trust me (again) you don't want to see bright yellow halos on your cheeks, forehead or nose in all your wedding pictures. Matte is the way to go, dewy must be done in a controlled manner or you will look like you had a role to play in the BP oil disaster clean up and are shimmering due to the oil residue....
I would never discount the importance of any of the components that together create a memorable wedding, but would emphasize that at the end of it all, when the food is all gone & the flowers have wilted, all that you have left is the capture of those remarkable details and moments in your photographs and video, and you need to look exquisite in those... thus invest the time and money to work with a professional makeup artist who will show you the options that will work and be honest about those that won't- there is no replay of the wedding day, so please, be flexible in what you want and let the pro's make it perfect for you.
XOXO
Saman
