Every bride wants be the best version of herself. She also dreams of walking down the aisle with that perfect bridal glow that makes her future husband look at her with tears in his eyes and makes the guests tear up a bit too. It’s love and it just glows! But finding that perfect balance of bridal glow and “oh no who is that,” is crucial. Here Alayne Curtiss, a bridal makeup expert for over 25 years and the creator of Alayne Curtiss Bridal Beauty, talks contouring and highlighting to create the perfect version of you!
Contour
Under the cheekbones, jawline and temples. Alayne always starts just under the cheekbone. Think fishface. She takes a sparsely packed bristle brush for a subtle contour and sweeps the brush back and forth in the hollow of the cheek 3 times and then sweeps to the temples and just under the jawline. In an inverted “E” formation on both sides. Use a matte powder formula on fair skin like “Adoration” from Alayne Curtiss Bridal Beauty. For medium skin tones use “Bronze Babe Matte” from Alayne’s line. Alayne also usually bronzes down the center of the neck where skin is usually lighter than the chest and behind the ear if wearing an updo where the skin also is lighter from not being exposed to the sun. If you contour a bit too much, just take what is left on your foundation brush and blend over the edges to soften any lines.
Highlight
Cheekbones, bridge of nose, inner corner of eyes, just under aches of brows and cupid’s bow. Use a cream formula with a concealer brush and blend with fingertips. Try Alayne’s Universal Glow Stick. If you want even more glow, you can start with a primer like Alayne’s Glow Serum in “Glow Baby” for a warm glow or “Glow Girl” for a cool glow. You can also go over any cream with a highlighting powder on the cheekbones, inner eye corners, and on the brow bone but Alayne doesn’t usually do any more than that amount of double layering. Your bridal glow should accentuate but needs to look good on camera and in person.
A Few Extra Tips
A simple way to create a natural highlight and contour is to use a foundation shade 2-3 shades lighter down the center of face and a darker shade that matches your chest on the outer perimeter of the face and down the center of the neck.
Use cool, matte tones of brown to contour rather that shimmery warm tones.
Experiment on yourself and also with your wedding day makeup artist. Take pictures and see what the amount of contouring and highlighting is right for you. Make sure to take your photos wearing white or ivory to get a true sense of how you will look on wedding day, rather than dark colors.
If your skin is dry, use a skin oil underneath foundation to create glowing skin. Begin seeing a facialist at least 6 months before the wedding to get your skin in glowing condition.
Remember, you will most definitely have an inner glow that morning as you get ready to marry the man of your dreams and wear that stunning white dress. So, practice your makeup and find the perfect outer glow that matches the inside.
To view any of the products mentioned in this blog visit Alayne Curtiss Bridal Beauty.
