Bridal Skin Care Favorites

A bride has so much to think about in the days leading up to her wedding; her skin shouldn't be one of them.

As a recently engaged lady, I'm eager to find great skin care treatments to get my pores ready and radiant for my big day. There's nothing worse than a zitty wedding day, is there?

One of my favorite new finds is Sue Devitt Skin Care. The line comes from Australian makeup artist Sue Devitt, who became famous for her cosmetics line as well as her technologically advanced skin care formulations. The products include tons of anti-aging ingredients and marine-based nutrients, including seaweed complex and blue algae.

Her brand is also known for their Microquatic Luxury Skin Care Series. I had the pleasure of testing out a few of their great products. The Microquatic products blend anti-aging ingredients, marine extracts and hydrating flower derivatives.

I gotta say the products feel lightweight and incredibly silky on my skin. I was instantly sold!

Here's what I tried:

Sue Devitt Microquatic Oxygen Infusion Masque ($40.00): The masque feels like a foamy facial! I put a dab on my hand, swirled it around and watched it foam. What's actually happening is oxygen molecules are being released into your pores and removing impurities and pollutants. I absolutely loved the feel of this on my skin. It acted as a great toner and I felt like I got an expensive facial without emptying out my pockets. This is a great product to use in the weeks leading up to your wedding or really any big event that you want to look great for.

Sue Devitt Microquatic BioLuminescence Illuminating Serum ($65.00): This is a great brightening treatment. It's as hydrating as a moisturizer and helps even out my skin tone. This soothing treatment is formulated with Lana Blue- a sea-based active from blue algae which helps rebalance your skin's PH levels. In the summer I used just this at night and noticed how fresh my skin looked in the morning. This is a great product to use after the Oxygen Infusion Masque.

Sue Devitt Microquatic Fortifying Primer ($40.00): My makeup always seems to fade/disappear after a few hours, especially when it's warmer out. I'm always looking for a great primer that won't clog my pores and definitely appreciated how lightweight yet effective this product was. A primer is an absolute must for any wedding related events. There's way too much excitement, tears, sweating and general merriment involved in bridal events. The events will soon become a distant memory but the photos will last forever. By applying primer first, your makeup will last longer and your skin will appear smoother and more even. This oil-free formula contains water lily extract and soy proteins. Love love love it!



So ladies, in the months leading up to your big day, don't forget to give your skin some extra care and attention. Try these great products to get radiant, calm and happy skin!

Brides Let Your Makeup Be Your “Something Blue"

Get Inspired by Princess-to-be Kate Middleton and her penchant for royal blue by getting dolled up like a blue blood for your own wedding.

Whether it’s Middleton’s iconic engagement dress or her gorgeous sapphire engagement ring, royal blue is the color to look like a princess this spring. Brides can emulate the look and feel of Middleton’s royal color of choice by letting their makeup be their “something blue”.

The bride-to-be looks radiant in the rich color, but she's certainly not the only one that can pull off the deep hue. Navy, cerulean and royal blue are extremely flattering shades on a variety of skin tones. Add a little spice to your look by incorporating the on-trend color into your bridal makeup palette with a smudgy, blue smoky eye or deep, inky manicure. Dark blues compliment darker features because they bring out the browns and warmth in the skin and eyes. Alternatively, rimming your baby blues with a dash of navy liner, no matter what your skin tone is, will instantly draw attention to your beautiful peepers. Check out a few products that are sure to make you look royally regal on your big day. 


NARS Single Eyeshadow-China Blue ($23.00, Beauty.com)
This long-wearing, crease resistant shadow looks heavily pigmented in the compact, but actually has a sheer formula that can be layered for a dramatic look or applied lightly for a subtle hint of color. The shadow blends easily and can be used as a lid shade or eyeliner.

YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres-5 Colour Harmony for Eyes in Riviera ($56.00, Sephora)
This multicolored palette has powder shades as well as a creamy liner. Mix the luxe shades together to get a deep wash of color. Line your upper and lower lash line with the navy cream liner. Swirl the rest of the colors together and brush your new hue into your outer lid and crease.

Essie Nail Color in Mesmerize ($7.79, Target) 

You don't need a sapphire engagement ring to draw the eye to your dainty paws. Layer a few coats of Mesmerize to dazzle and draw attention to whichever sparkler you are wearing on your day. Think how shiny your diamond will look against against this dark background. Beyond that, the tint is flattering and Essie polishes dry quickly and last long.   








Sue Devitt Microquatic Hydrating Marine Minerals Eye Palette, Blue Waters ($37.50)

These gorgeous, blendable shades are long lasting and universally flattering. Key ingredients such as Sea Butter and Hylauronic Acid work together to restore your skin's natural elasticity. Minerals, vitamins and botanical substances also help absorb water and bring moisture to the skin. The ingredients works to brighten your skin and bring vitality to your natural skin tone. Also, the shades are highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. 




Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in Majorelle Blue 15L ($17.00, Sephora)
Makeup Artists love this smudge-proof, water-proof pencil. No raccoon eyes here! The formula was originally created for water ballet performers! The liner glides on smoothly without melting and lasts all day. My advice? Grab a few different shades. Try the metallic royal blue and mat black for a gorge smoky eye. 






Lancome Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner in Navy ($29.00, Department Stores)
The uniquely shaped-foam tip point makes for easy-to-handle and precise strokes. The tip works well to create a thick or thin line. The two film-forming polymers make the formula long-lasting and rich. Create an updated cat eye look with the navy shade with a dramatic winged out navy tip.  

Working Wednesdays-Speedy Smoky Eyes Courtesy of Tina T!

Many of us have fun, fabulous evening plans but are on serious time crunches and can't seamlessly transition day/work makeup or no makeup into a sultry smoky eye without some seriously concentrated time and effort spent at home. Or perhaps you think you need a drawer full of cosmetics to really look like you're ready for a night out on the town. Not the case. You simply need a few beauty basics that you can toss into any purse or clutch to look like the most glamorous version of yourself.

Mariska Hargitay had amazing smoky eyes at the Oscars this year but she also had amazing celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow on hand to give her a flawless face and gorgeous glare.

Since Turnbow can't get us glammed up for all of our evenings out, she doled out some fantastic tips and recommendations for throwing together an easy, but unmistakably gorgeous smoky eye. Portability is key and the makeup artist recommends carrying a variety of blendable, lasting and eye intensifying pencils.

Turnbow suggests smudging 2-3 different pencils together instead of dealing with shadows that tend to fall on your skin and are messy to carry around. Pencils have a smudgier effect and a more deep, intense color. You'll want a matte pencil (usually in the darkest shade) to accentuate your eye, a super smudgey pencil that acts like a shadow, a highlighting pencil with a shimmery finish to blend the dark edges and brighten the whole look and a kohl pencil to line the inner rims of your eye if you're feeling particularly dramatic.

Smoky eyes can seem intimidating but what they do is enhance your natural eye shape using dark and light shades to play up one part and darken another. Turnbow says, "You want to emphasize darkness around the lash line and then diffuse that color out with a complimentary highlighting shade to make the eye pop. A soft metallic shade will give your eye dimension and depth."

To recreate Hargitay's sultry stare, Turnbow recommends starting with a solid matte pencil in a midnight blue hue. Try Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Victoria Falls or Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Sapphire. Both pencils blend easily, glide on smooth and are long lasting. Take the dark shade and follow the shape of your eye closest to your lash lines. Trace the pencil around your eye into an almond shape, which is the ideal shape for smoky eyes. Take another soft color like Stila Convertible Color in Indigo (a dual-ended color wand that has a pencil on one end and a complimenting highlighting shadow with a blending applicator on the other) and smudge the hue in the crease of your eye as a background to the darker color.

                                                      
                                                                               Then add in a shimmery metallic color like Sephora Collection Nano Eyeliner in Precious Silver or Pure Beige. Take the iridescent pencil and use it to highlight the shape of the eye to give it a luminescent look. Highlight the center of the lid (above the dark liner) and add a touch to your inner eye corners. Let the darker color graduate to the shimmery edge, so the lines are blurred and cloudy. Blend, blend, blend! Make sure there are no defined edges or lines. Turnbow says a harsh line will make your eyes look smaller.

For an even more dramatic look, focus a darker kohl pencil on the inside of your eyes to bump up the look. Try Almay Blendable Eye Pencil in Brown or Black.

Hargitay's smoky eyes looked stunning and the beauty's smooth chocolate brown pupils melted against the blue hues. You can easily achieve a similar look with Turnbow's amazing suggestions! Blue smoky eyes are perfection for the Spring and look amazing on every skin tone.

So grab a few of these pencils, store them in your bag and whip them out when you're ready to boost your look to the next level. Enjoy!!

Also check out the amazing Flower Child collection from Tarte inspired by eco-friendly makeup Goddess Tina T! Available at Sephora for a limited time!


Check out Makeover Momma for my Working Wednesdays columns!