Delicacy

Renaissance-inspired gowns and feminine vintage creations call for soft, gentle makeup to highlight your more delicate features. NYC-based makeup artist Sarah Reed, who specializes in bridal and bridal party makeup, creates an elegant, tender look on Laura.

Formerly with Clinique and Mario Badescu, Sarah advises you to avoid extreme experimentation the month before your wedding. “Resist trying out new products since you never know when you might have an unexpected reaction.”

On Laura she begins with light foundation on the T-zone and cheeks with concealer under the eyes. Next, shadow base is applied to the lids to help color last with intensity. As an all over shadow, Sarah uses a soft pale pink. “It makes the inside corner of the eyes pop, and it adds dimensions as other layers of shadow are applied,” she says.

For a romantic feel, light taupe is applied in the crease of the lid as a contour, followed by mauve on the outer region. Next, a brown powder liner is applied in a thick line for a cat eye look which Sarah smokes for a softer appearance. Black shadow is then placed on the upper lid, and a black-brown mixture on the lower. Finally, black powder liner is applied at the roots of the lashes, followed by a coat of thickening black mascara creating an alluring eye.

For a natural looking brow, Sarah uses brown powder to fill in any sparse areas. On the cheeks she uses bronzer as a contour, followed by white rice powder.

At last, Sarah tops off the look with one of her latest beauty finds, Outlast All Day Lip Color, a two-step gloss by Cover Girl. “I used to be a department store cosmetic snob, but not anymore,” she confesses, “this stuff is fabulous!”

For complementary hair, stylist and skin care consultant Cynthia Trope creates a half-up, half-down style that’s regal, yet delicate. Using hot rollers she adds several size curls before parting the hair in 3 sections which are loosely pinned about the crown. Formerly the stylist for Sally Jesse Raphael, Cynthia adds hanging ringlets for an increased sense of romance.

Sarah Reed, 917.803.0038, sarah@sarahreedmakeup.com

Glamour

If your gown is fashion-forward, romantic makeup and hair with a twist of glamour and spontaneity may suit you best. For a touch of star quality, we met with NYC-based makeup artist Justin Lawrence, who specializes in makeup for weddings, fashion shows, and media shoots, as well as personal image consultations.

Justin, who characterizes his work as “beauty, fashion, glamour,” individualizes your wedding look according to your gown and venue so that you’re “approachable and romantic.” His color palette is inspired by your complexion and features, as well as by your bouquet. “Everything needs to balance perfectly,” he says.

For our cover shoot, Chandra’s chiseled features and fair complexion inspired what Justin calls “colorless color.” “In other words,” he says, “the person appears to have beautiful eyes and features, not because of the makeup, but because of its application of diminished color.”

To begin, he prepares Chandra’s moisturized face with makeup primer, which he highly suggests for special occasions when you need your makeup to last. He starts with a lightweight liquid foundation, using concealer where necessary, and finishes with a dusting of loose powder.

On the eyes, he begins with a layer of eyeshadow base and pressed powder. To achieve the “colorless color” effect, he applies a healthy, flesh-tone shadow, followed by a smokey charcoal shadow with a hint of mauve. To make the eyes pop, he uses a white satin finish highlighter on the brow bone, as well as on the inner corner of the eyes, to make them appear farther apart.

Next, Justin lines the eyes with a point liner brush using a dark aubergene shadow. He defines the lash line with brown shadow to give it a thicker appearance. Finally, he treats the brows with powder for a natural look and grooms their final shape.

To bring a glow to the cheeks, he applies a peach-pink blush high on the cheek bone using gentle circular motions on the apples to enhance Chandra’s natural radiance. After moisturizing the lips and lining them with a neutral pencil, he applies a pinkish-mauve lip color, topping it off with a layer of gloss for texture and depth.

With Chandra’s chin length, layered hair, Justin creates a romantic upsweep with a hint of Hollywood heyday. “It projects a look of spontaneity for the glamour bride who wants a touch of fantasy without appearing too over the top.” To achieve this look, Justin uses temporary rollers on the longest hair, then sets curls into shorter hair with an iron. Back-combing and teasing, he molds a French twist. Finally, he finger combs about the face to pluck tendrils and add movement where needed.

“Women inspire me,” says Justin, who transitioned to makeup artistry after a career in modeling. “The confidence and happiness they exude in the final product brings me much satisfaction.”

Justin Lawrence, 212.636.9812

Innocence

If you’ve chosen a feminine, princess-style gown, consider subtle makeup and simple hair. For an innocent, romantic look perfect for the youthful bride looking to exude sweetness and grace, we consulted makeup artist and hair designer Johann Roa of Salon Azul.

To achieve a natural glow on Desiree, he first hydrates her skin under her eyes and in the T-zone with a balancing combination of water-based foundation and moisturizer. “For a fresh look, skin mustn’t be dry,” he explains. “This technique is quick and easy, and makes skin look radiant.”

As a base, he applies white shadow to the eye region, followed by a dash of flesh-tone shadow in the middle of the upper lid. On the lower lid, he applies a pink freeze frost by MAC. Keeping the look soft and muted, eye liner is replaced by light brown shadow which is blended at the corners of the eyes. For luminosity, a faint line of white shadow is added beneath the brow line.

Next, a full coat of mascara is applied liberally for a flirty, youthful feel. “For an added upward boost, press the wand down firmly at the root of the lashes,” he advises.

To bring out a natural rosy glow, he uses pink and brown blush on the contour of the cheek bone. For the lips he uses a henna pencil liner, followed by ash lipstick by Face. For a dewey, sensual lip he places a touch of pink nouvo lipstick in the center, followed by honey bee gloss by Clinique to blend the three tones.

According to Johann, Desiree’s naturally straight hair is the perfect complement for romantic makeup. “It’s innocent and simple,” he says, “and doesn’t need much to look great.” To achieve this look, blow dry hair and follow with a straight iron. Finally, work a light wax through hair in a downward motion.

Salon Azul, 167 W. 74th St., 212.875.1805, www.salonazul.com