Who doesn't like flawless makeup??

Back when I was younger, my mom was a makeup artist at multiple counters at department stores wherever we were living at the time.  I can remember her telling me, daily, "Marla, you need to wash your face, tone and moisturize!"  And don't think that she didn't try to sway my stubbornness with gifts from all of the beauty lines to see if one stuck. But just like most everything else at that young age, I just wanted to do my own thing...washing my face was a quick rinse in the shower in the mornings. Moisturizer? Nope.  And toning just didn't do it for me either.  I truly believe that while I didn't say it, it was a subconscious mentality of "it won't happen to me." I liked makeup, but guess I did not believe her that I needed to do all of that to make my makeup look better.

Flash forward to my mature years...I have to say -- MOM WAS RIGHT! I should have listened back then to help me in my habit forming for the now.  I still don't really do the whole toner thing...although I do see that it works nicely for some people.  But the washing daily and moisturizing (a lot) is definitely needed! My skin has changed so much now that I am a bit older (ok, maybe more than just a bit).

Here's the thing, it was hard for me to wrap my brain around moisturizing when my face was always so oily.  Back then, I felt like my face instantly got oily the minute my day started.  But, as I matured, that oiliness has subsided leaving my skin with a more combination type rather than oily. I have dry skin and oily skin...there is no "one regiment for all days" - I have to switch back and forth and back and forth and... you get the picture! 

Why do I say all of this? Because, well, to have your makeup look good, your skin underneath needs to be good too. I can tell when I haven't moisturized enough - the dry patches show thru the makeup (not so flawless looking).  I can tell when I have not drank my 64oz  of water a day because the circles under my eyes get darker causing them to look more sunken in - also making my makeup not look right (no matter what I try).  I can do great things with the help of makeup, but if the foundation of what is supporting that makeup is dehydrated and exhausted, my magic makeup wand will not work as greatly! 

Being in the Bridal Makeup industry has really brought this all home for me, so I am sharing it with you now so that you can make the changes early enough before you get to your mature ages and think about all that time you lost not taking the best care of your skin!  

Special events and Weddings are the two of the most glammed times in your life.  Weddings are probably at the top of the most photographed (meaning there are documented images of how flawless - or not so flawless - your skin looks at that moment in time) - if not THE most photographed time of your life. Wedding day or special event professional makeup artistry is a collaboration. Hiring a great makeup artist is just step 1 in the wedding beauty planning....but you still have to do your part to make sure it looks great!

To help you, I have created this FREE Flawless Bridal Makeup Checklist with the when & what to do to prep your skin for Weddings (or special events).  I'd love to send it to you!  Click on the button below the image and I will send it straight over.