Beauty And The {Bridal Box}

While I happen to have my dress, shoe and bag situation in control for my big day, makeup is something that has eluded me. Which is funny considering I absolutely love makeup and wear it almost all the time, even if it is only a dab of concealer and a swipe of lipstick before I head out the door. With all the craziness demanding every spare second I possibly have before I leave, I just assumed I’d leave my wedding makeup to a professional, sit back and relax in a chair while she erases my stress lines and paints on my bridal glow.

 

But as my friends rightly pointed out to me, it is always good to have a basic idea of what you want your bridal makeup to look like before the actual day. In addition to hitting Pinterest for references, it is also a great idea to schedule a makeup rehearsal before your wedding so you know which products work best for you and avoid the ones that don’t (and the breakouts they bring with them!).

 

Also, weddings are joyous occasions and may be surrounded by tons of other functions if you’re having a big Indian wedding or celebratory dinners with friends and family who couldn’t make it to the ceremony, for which it is also absolutely necessary to have your makeup on-point.

 

With this idea in mind, I set aside an afternoon to visit the Clinique store to try out their new Bridal Trousseau service. The service, priced at Rs. 15,000, available on appointment and 100% customized to each unique bride, is exclusive to India and it’s exotic, world-renowned brides. It is available in select stores across Bombay, Gurgaon and Bangalore and is conducted by one of only eleven specialists in the world certified to perform the service.

 

The service began with a warm introduction and a heart congratulations from my Clinique Colour Specialist of the day. I started to relax as soon as she began to chat with me excitedly about the big day, the dress and the stress! Soon after, she brought out a tablet and asked me to do a quick quiz to see what products I would need based on by skin type, skin tone, stress levels and problem areas.

 

She then gently cleansed by skin of all makeup using their Liquid Facial Soap, exfoliated it with their Clarifying Lotion and nourished it with their Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator (one of my favourite products from the whole service -my skin felt so healthy, pampered and luxurious to touch after slathering a light layer on!)

 

She then prepped my skin for foundation using their Superprimer which gives your skin a smooth base that foundation just glides over. Soon, it was time for foundation. She used Clinique’s Even Better foundation with SPF on my skin and then concealed the area under the eyes with their All About Eyes concealer.

 

The best thing about the service is that not only do they apply the makeup for you, but they teach you how to apply the makeup as well. She did up one side of my face with foundation, and then patiently directed me while I used the brush to do the other side. With every area she finished at a time, I worked on the other and used her expert tips to master the look in case I needed to do it on my own.

 

She patted the whole base in place using their Even Better Compact Makeup, and before you know what, we were ready for some colour! She filled in my brows using their ‘Instalift’ pen and then set to work on my eyeshadow. We decided on a gold and brown smokey eye which she began working on using the Jenna’s Essentials shadow pallete, with a dab of Bountiful Beige (a beautiful, sandy gold) in the center for a pop.

 

She then lined my eyes using Clinique’s Brush On Cream Liner in ‘True Black’ on my top lid while I nervously tried to apply it to my other eye with shaky hands! Once finished, she moved on to the lower lashline and applied a thin line of brown shadow, which she then smudged and proceeded to apply a generous helping of Lash Power mascara to open up my eyes.

 

Shortly after, she moved on to my cheeks. This is where I fell head over heels in love with their delicious looking ‘Cheek Pops’. i thought about biting into them as she applied a light dusting of ‘Ginger Pop’ – a light peachy tone which wouldn’t draw attention away from the gold on my eyes or the red on my lips, to my cheekbones.

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And finally, she moved on to my favourite part – the lips. She lined them using a neutral lip pencil, then went over them in a sultry, sexy yet scrumptious shade of red called ‘Crimson’ from their ‘Soft Matte’ range. The colour will pop perfectly against my larger-than-life, ultra glam ivory and gold sequin wedding dress and wouldn’t dry my lips out in the winter chill! Win/win!

 

Till you have the time to visit the store and avail of the service for yourself, here are 5 great tips I learned at Cliniqe on Bridal Makeup:

 

1. When applying foundation, always use a brush for a less greasy finish and stroke the brush outward from your nose and then downward towards your jawline. This makes sure the little hairs on your face that you can barely see lie smoothly.

 

2. When applying liquid / gel liner with a brush, make very tiny, light strokes instead of long, strong ones.

 

3. Blusher should always be applied on the apples of your cheeks, and then upwards towards your ears (forming a ‘✔’ of sorts). This contours face and acts like a mini facelift.

 

4. Use the lightest touch ever while applying your makeup to ensure your skin isn’t pulled and tugged in the process. This can be achieved by holding your makeup brushes further back, almost at the ends.

 

5. The last thing you need on your wedding day is a zillion lipstick touch ups for photos. Play it smart by applying a lip liner in a similar colour before you swiple on your lipstick. This makes sure the colour stays on longer, and if it rubs off, you’re not left without any colour underneath.

 

She ended the 2.5hr service by spritzing me with a little fragrance. ‘Happy’ by Clinique was fresh, energetic and would have summed up my mood on the big day perfectly! She also handed me a face chart with the unique makeup look custom-designed for my wedding as well as a list of products for reference. And, like all brides, I was also presented with an absolutely breathtaking Bridal Trousseau Box housing my favourite products from the service, (within Rs. 15,000/-).

 

The boxes also make for great gifts for your bride-to-be best friends, so keep it in mind the next time someone from your posse is getting hitched. I had an absolutely amazing time and have a feeling I will be returning very soon to stock up on some of these products which I now can’t live without!

 

Make sure you’re following Clinique on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to receive updates about their drool-worthy products. I know I am!

 

Photography: Vinita Jeswani