A top bridal make-up artist on the products she wore for her own big day
One’s bridal beauty look is an intimately personal proposition, but there are some hallmarks of success that the perfect wedding day make-up will bear – from how it photographs to its longevity throughout such an emotional event.
No one knows this like Kelly Dawn, an international make-up artist who specialises in bridal services – so much so that she curated a collection of experts under the agency Dawn Artists, helping brides far and wide look and feel amazing for their big days.
Naturally, for her own wedding party, Dawn demanded the same – confirming her personal glam team through the bridal beauty agency and executing her own make-up for the occasion. Here she shares her bridal beauty process and the products she called upon, given her vast experience in weddings and make-up.
On the beauty prep she did in the run-up to her wedding
“The first bookings I made for my wedding (besides my wonderful wedding planner, Natalie Hewitt) were my glam team; confirming my hair, nails, tan and facials. As a busy working mother, I have very little time to myself, so in the lead up to our party most of beauty treatments I prioritised were things I could do for myself, keeping a consistent routine to help my skin and hair be at its best.
“Without much time for multiple hour-long facials, it was great to have a tool that I could use on the go for instant results and long-term benefits. The ZIIP Halo Facial Toning Device uses microcurrent to stimulates your muscles to contract and relax giving you a facial workout to define and lift your feature – so I used this as often as possible.
“The skin treatment I did make time for was buccal facial massage with Charlotte Meriner, who is a renowned osteopath who’s developed her own signature therapeutic bridal facial technique merging osteopathic techniques with skin sculpting, lymphatic drainage, and inter-oral massage. It completely de-puffs and sculpts the face, neck, and jawline; I’ve never seen such an obvious difference from a facial before.
“As I have a lot of blonde facial fuzz, I really love the effect of dermaplaning which removes all facial hair creating a smooth surface for your make-up. This is something you really need to try out well in advance as skin reacts differently to it, but the derma blade tool from Tweezerman worked well for me.
“I grew my hair as long as I could before the wedding as I knew I wanted to wear it down, using the Hair By Sam McKnight products in the lead up and keeping heat styling to a minimum (prepping with Save The Do heat protecting spray when I did use hot tools). I also used the Typebea G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum to encourage healthy hair growth.
“In terms of supplements, I took Vida Glow Natural Marine Collagen daily; I love the mango flavour which is easily added to your morning water and it supports collagen production for healthy hair, skin and nails – I couldn’t believe how much stronger my brittle nails became. I also added the Artah Cellular Hydration electrolytes to my water at least once a day to help feel deeply hydrated and energised. This is great to take throughout your wedding week especially if you’re planning on having a few alcoholic drinks as it’s a real hangover mitigator too!
“My nails were done by Claudine Cooke, we used Gel X in the OPI shade Bubble Bath which is a sheer pinky-nude shade with a cool undertone for a clean and fresh look which flattered my skin-tone. I considered doing the same shade for both the manicure and pedicure but decided to keep my toenails in my signature Ferrari-red shade.
“Finally, I invested in a spray tan after being very hesitant about them previously from seeing so many disasters throughout my career. I had two trials with the amazing Fran from Dawn Artists Agency so we could get the perfect shade and intensity. She also looked after several of my guests offering on-location spray tans from the countryside home where our wedding was held. My bridesmaids, mum and aunties loved this treatment – and even one of my uncles.”
On her pre-make-up skin prep the day of the wedding
“To prep my lips, I used a warm face cloth to remove any dead skin the night before followed by a nice layer of the La Mer lip balm.
On the morning – to tighten pores, decrease puffiness and awaken the skin – I dipped my face in a bowl of ice water. Then I did the four-minute lifting treatment with my ZIIP Halo to sculpt my jawline, cheekbones and lift my brows, and used the MZ Skin Hydra-Bright Golden Eye Treatment Masks which were kept in the fridge for a cooling effect.
“I stayed consistent with my normal skincare routine, applying a lightweight hyaluronic acid serum and oil-free moisturiser – both from the Mineral 89 range by Vichy which is also a staple in my bridal make-up kit.”
On her wedding make-up (and the products that suit all brides)
“Having tried and tested almost everything on the market I have a great selection of products that are the best in each category and that I know work well for brides. I really believe your wedding day hair and make-up should make you look and feel like the most beautiful and confident version of yourself, often being a more elevated version of your ‘everyday look’ – which is what I went for.
“Most of the products I used are not only staples in my professional kit but ones that are staples in my personal make-up bag too.”
Complexion:
“For my complexion I used the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk range; it’s the most beautiful formula with a radiant satin finish that lasts all day. The Foundation and Concealer coverage is buildable and I use my signature custom coverage technique – only using products in areas where needed (rather than painting it on in one even layer which can look heavy). For example, my forehead is quite clear so I applied almost no make-up there, but I have some redness and acne scarring on my cheeks and jawline where I built up the coverage for more flawless finish. I used shade 4 in both the Foundation and Concealer and the shade Bold Pink 53 in the corresponding Blush.
“To contour and bronze I used the Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum which blends beautifully giving a healthy holiday glow, followed by the Armani Luminous Silk Summer Glow Bronzer on top and to touch-up throughout the day.
“To set the complexion I used Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder applied under the eyes and through the T Zone. I also used the Airbrush Flawless Finish by Charlotte Tilbury to retouch and de-shine where and when needed.”
Eyes and brows:
“On my eyes I used the Nars Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette of beautiful rose golds with a warm undertone which brings out the green in my eyes. For eyeliner I applied the black Diorshow Waterproof liner in between my lashes to define the eyes and my favourite bronze liner, the Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner in Bronze applied in a soft wing shape to lift and elongate.
“I applied Lashify lashes to myself before the wedding for my welcome parties. I had planned to apply a fresh set on the wedding morning but I woke up and they were still looking great so I kept the same set on for all four days. Lashify lashes are applied underneath your lashline so they look very natural and really lift the eyes. I used the A10 length across my whole eye and a few of the A12s towards the outer corner of my eyes to add definition.
“For my brows I used the Kosas Brow Pencil in Medium Brown followed by my new favourite brow gel, Browlacq by Isamaya which kept my brows in place all day long.”
Lips:
“To define my lips I used Sweed Beauty Lip liners in shades Chloe and Barley There. Then I used my latest bridal lip obsession – the Loveshine Range by YSL – in shade 201 Rosewood Blush. These tinted lipsticks are super hydrating and have the most beautiful range of flattering shades.”
Throughout the day:
“To remain looking fresh I relied on my talented lead make-up assistant Leandra Kiss. You want to look your best both in person and in photos, so the skin will always need to be touched-up throughout the day. I always carry a super sheer setting powder to de-shine the T-zone and, of course, lips need to be perfected depending how much you are eating, drinking and kissing! Also, hair and make-up can look very different in different lighting so it’s nice to adjust your look when you go from daylight to candlelight, for example – adding a little more shimmer across the eyes. Wanting to get back to the dance floor as quickly as possible, I did a very speedy hair and make-up update when I slipped into my second party dress.”
On her wedding hairstyle
“I had the amazing Luke Pluckrose do my wedding hair using Hair By Sam McKnight. Having such a talented stylist I knew I could have any look I could dream of, but I decided to wear it down and wavy as that’s how I always feel most beautiful.
“Luke used Beauty Works professional hair extensions to add length and volume – as well as prolong the longevity of the style. He applied some Hair By Sam McKnight Cool Girl Spray to add texture and volume to my soft and natural bridal waves.
“In the evening, he changed my hair to a party pony so I could dance the night away.”
On what she learnt about wedding beauty as a bride herself
“I’ve been working at weddings for over 17 years as a bridal make-up artist but now that I’ve been a bride myself, I feel like I truly understand my clientele on a deeper emotional level. I wouldn’t say I learnt anything new from a beauty perspective but I definitely have a deeper grasp of the feelings and emotions that can come into play on the wedding morning which I’m sure will only help me form stronger connections with my clients.
“My biggest regret from my civil ceremony two years ago was not hiring a videographer, so this time we hired the amazing team from Lumos who I’ve worked with for years in the wedding industry. I also wanted to be totally fully present on my wedding day so I left my phone at home and hired the luxury content creator, Olivia of Olivia & Living Events, to capture footage behind the scenes through a more documentary style-lens. Even if you don’t use social media, this kind of content provides amazing clips to look back on – and I highly recommend a complete digital switch off for your wedding day.”
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