Bridal Makeup Touch-up Bag

If you are not lucky enough to have your makeup artist at your beck and call for your bridal makeup touch-ups at your wedding venue, then you need to create your own touch-up makeup bag and emergency kit. 

This bag can be a GREAT PRESENT to the bride-to-be from a bridesmaid, mother of the bride or groom or a close friend.  Whether the bride or someone else creates this bag, make sure someone (other than the bride) is made responsible for carrying and using the bag as necessary.

I will list exactly what should be included in the bag, but there are some general rules you should keep in mind when creating this bag:

·        You need to balance the needs of the bride with the size, bulk and weight of the bag.  You may be tempted to create two smaller bags – big mistake – now you have two items to forget!

·        Small sample sizes of products are perfect for this bag, as they are usually cheap and sometimes free. Tell your favourite makeup store that you or a friend is getting married, they may be willing to give you some great sample items.

·        All the products should be kept in an inexpensive, zippered bag – no larger than absolutelynecessary.

·        When adding products keep in mind that each item should be useful and inexpensive and that the bag and its contents can be left at the venue, forgotten or given away without any guilt at the end of the evening.

Bridal Makeup Touch-up bag contents:

(1)      Straws: These lovelies help keep the bride hydrated (if she is not fasting), without ruining her lipstick and makeup or for that matter, help protect the bridal gown from spills.

(2)      Stain removal wipes: Remember to always blot, never rub a stain!

(3)      Regular wet wipes: The alcohol-free variety, this way, if they are used on the face or hands, they be less likely to dry out the skin.  Remember to always blotsweat, dirt, tears, stains or makeup; never rub!  A small pack will do!

(4)      White tissues: Remember to always blot sweat, dirt, tears, stains or makeup; never rub!  A small pack will do!

(5)      Cotton swabs: You should pack them in a separate small plastic baggie packed inside the touch-up bag, to ensure they stay clean.

(6)      Powder puff: The powder puff can be used in two capacities: to take down shine from your face (shoulders, etc.) and to gentlyretouch makeup.  Remember to always blotsweat, dirt, tears, stains, or makeup; never rub!

To understand this fully, please read the following table:

What?	What use?	How to use it?
Plain, clean powder puff	Blot out any oily/sweaty areas of the skin	Pack the puff in a separate small plastic baggie, inside your touch-up bag.
Powder puff with white baby powder  **	Blot out any oily/sweaty areas of the skin and fix base makeup smears	Dip powder puff in baby powder and then carefully place in separate small plastic baggie.  Some baby powder will stick to the puff and some will seep into the baggie. When you want to use the puff, re-dip it into the baggie and then gently shake off excess powder into the baggie and then carefully blot any offending areas on the face. In small amounts, white baby powder can be used on dark, as well as light skin tones, as the powder will be absorbed into the skin.
Powder puff with powder makeup (a bit lighter than the makeup color used).	Blot out any oily/sweaty areas of the skin and fix base makeup smears	Dip powder puff into the powder makeup and then carefully place in separate small plastic baggie.  Some powder makeup will stick to the puff and some will seep into the baggie. When you want to use the puff, re-dip it into the baggie and then gently shake off excess powder into the baggie and then carefully blot any offending areas on the face. Be very careful using makeup powder, as it can dirty the wedding gown and any dress, blouse, veil in close proximity.  Makeup stains are very hard to clean!

I believe that white baby powder is the safer, and therefore better option, given that any powder that may accidently fall on the gown will be invisible.

** An alternative is to pack a small bottle of baby powder and a separate powder puff and apply powder carefully and directly to the puff.

(7)      Lip gloss: I recommend packing a colorless gloss, as it is safer for the bride’s gown and for those around her.  Also you must consider the fact that if you reapply lipstick, it may get wiped on the dress, sleeve, and worse, the color may bleed into the skin surrounding the lip and make a very unappealing picture

(8)      Inexpensive, light scented eau de cologne: This is a great item to pack and is a good freshener and mood lifter.  But remember the rule, the eau de cologne bottle must be small and light to carry and inexpensive.

Just a spritz or two on the wrists and behind the ears can be wonderful and refreshing after a long, hot pre-chuppah photo shoot, just before the chuppah and after yechud.

Be careful not to spritz near eyes, directly on gown or even in the hair (although I do this sometimes).

(9)      Blush: I am including blush in this list, as a veryoptional item that is important only if the bride is naturally very pale.  You can buy a very cheap, small container of blush or eye shadow in a shade close to the original blush shade used.  If you are not sure what color will be used go for a light pinky/bronzy shade.  In addition, buy a cheap blush brush.  The key here is small and cheap.

Be careful opening the container near the bride, as well as when applying the blush.  An unsure, nervous hand - yours or the bride's -can create clown cheeks that will look worse in a picture than no blush - believe me!  Place napkins or tissues around the top of the bride’s gown before applying any color!  Once again if you include blush, place it first in a small plastic baggie.

(10)  Safety pins

(11)  Sewing kit: While everyone’s first thought would be to include one of those handy small sewing kits; all that you really need is a few already-threaded needles; two or three threaded with white thread and one threaded with black thread.  You can stick the pre-threaded needles into spools of thread and pack them in your kit.

(12)  Small nail scissors: Great for cutting loose threads from gowns, shirts, etc.  Never pull threads!!!!!

(13)  Double-back tape: Great to instantly fix tears WITHOUT sewing. (Not in photograph)

(14)  Panty liners

(15)  Nail file: A jagged nail can play havoc on a gown!

(16)  Few extra bobby pins: Just in case you want to pin back a few strands of way-ward hair for your hairstyle.

(17)  Band-Aids

Get that Spot Out! Wedding Gown First Aide!

One of the most disregarded, and perhaps overlooked, issues in the very long TO-DO list of wedding planning is the issue of wedding gown cleanliness.   For some reason the idea of keeping the wedding gown clean throughout the wedding and the possibility of having to deal with potential stains and dirt that may “attack” the wedding gown is never planned for or discussed before the wedding. 

The topic only comes up when the wedding gown becomes stained and then there are tears and hysteria and copious glasses of water and seltzer, napkins and tissues and advice and suggestions proffered by every well-meaning wedding guest in the Hall.  I want to change this!  Let’s talk about wedding gown first aide.  I want you to be prepared for wedding gown emergencies before they happen.

Let me set the stage: a lone bride, dressed head-to-toe in pristine white, is positioned in a setting where hundreds of people are roaming about elbow-to-elbow; where food and drink abound; where fresh makeup, lipstick, red wine and tears flow unreservedly and where the mother lode of all kissing fests resides. Don't get me started on outside chuppahs and the associated winter rain and mud or summer sand and dust.  I don’t even want to discuss “special location” photography in wonderful “out of the way” locations requiring brides to climb trees, straddle fences, walk on lonely stretches of beach where the ocean meets the sand, sit on rusty swings and walk through streets so ancient they can only be found on maps  illustrated with dragons and sea monsters.

It's really not a matter of if but really when the gown will get stained.  If the gown becomes stained after the ‘just-before the chuppah to just-after the chuppah’ stages, say during the meal, then the damage is less significant.  But if the stain appears early in the pre-chuppah stage, well it is a disaster of biblical proportions.

Whether you bought, rented or borrowed your wedding gown, you want to enjoy it thoroughly throughout the wedding and then return it or save it in the mint condition you found it in.  How can that be accomplished?  Well like everything else, knowledge and preparation are the keys to successfully dealing with the situation. 

So let’s start at the beginning.  Ask what fabrics were used in the construction of the gown. Many gowns are constructed of multi-layers of fabrics that give the gown the flow, stiffness, shine, shimmer or fullness the look requires.  Each of these layers may contain different fabrics, including satin, net, lace, taffeta, silk, polyester, Lycra and others.  Make sure you do not overlook the lining(s)of the gown, as these fabrics may react differently to stains and cleaners than the upper layers.  You must also think about plastic or metal stays and bones that are a staple in the bodices of most wedding gowns on the market today.

Begin by talking to the salon where you bought or rented the gown and/or the seamstress who sewed the gown.  Ask what fabric(s) the gown was made with and/or look at the label(s) to see a list of fabrics.  If this is a designer gown that does not have a fabric label, contact the designer.  

Ask the salon/seamstress/designer what is the best method to treat/handle/clean the following typicalwedding disasters:

• lipstick
• makeup
• wine
• food
• mud
• food dressings and sauces
• blood
• water or other liquid spills

If you feel that you are not getting the kind of information you need, then my best recommendation is to take the gown (as soon as you can BEFORE the wedding) to a professional dry cleaner who has experience dry cleaning and treating wedding gowns.  Ask him for the best methods for treating and handling the above mentioned stains.  He may even have an easy-to-carry stain-removal product you can purchase and take with you to the Hall.

Tried and True Treating and Cleaning Methods

Having said all the above, I would like to provide you with some tried and true treating and cleaning methods you may be able to use.  Remember these are only suggestions, please talk to an expert about the needs of your specific wedding gown!

1. Before trying any product (yes, even plain water!) on your dress, put a little of the product on an out-of-the-way area or seam of the gown and check that it does not discolour or ruin the fabric color or appearance before you put it directly on a stain.
2. Always gently blot, never rub a stain.  Blotting can soak up a stain and/or prevent it from spreading.  Rubbing can cause the stain to further set in the fabric.
3. Always blot with a white towel or cloth.
4. Blot the stain from the edges working your way towards the middle of the stain.
5. Never use heat from any source to dry a stained area – even a water stain -  as once again it may cause the stain to further set in the fabric or cause an even larger and more visible stain on the fabric.
6. Water is NOT a “can’t do any harm” substance.  Water can ruin silk, as easily as wine.
7. Think of silk, taffeta and satin like you do of fire and lightening. They are beautiful and shiny, but they should not be touched! (Translation for the innocent: don’t mess with these fabrics unless you are an expert!)
8. If in doubt: leave it ALONE!  Photographers have been retouching photographs for, well, since photography began.  Every photograph can be retouched and made beautiful.
9. The usual wedding-related stains can usually be hand-washed out of polyester gowns and linings with water (and perhaps a bit of hand soap). 
10. In general water-based stains should be washed out with water and not with dry-cleaning solvents.
11. Blood and wine should be blotted out with tepid/warm water and a white cloth.
12. On an oily stain, made by salad dressing or sauce, you can try a sprinkle of baby powder and then blot the stain with a white cloth.
13. Baby powder can help mask a resistant stain, but let’s be honest, how long will the powder ‘stick’ to the dress?  
14. I read somewhere that you can prevent a stain from spreading by blotting the stain with a piece of the same fabric.  (Let’s say, if you have a shawl of the same fabric as the gown, you can use the shawl to blot the gown.  I have never tried this, but it may be worth considering.)
15. Lipstick and makeup can be removed with the stain-removal wet wipes available on the market today.  Long-lasting lipsticks (the kind we love to use for weddings) may be much harder to remove from a gown.
16. I am not telling you about (possible) stain removing products and treatments such as white vinegar or chalk or rubbing alcohol or soap or dish detergent, because you do not need to pack, carry and worry about these products.  Nor do you have the time to deal with them and they can do more damage than good!

I think you know that rarely (unless the stain is large and in the front bodice of the gown) does anyone but the bride, her mother and a very busy-bodied eagle-eyed aunt notice stains on the gown.  If your stain is on the train or bottom of the gown or any other barely noticeable area: let it go.  Reason number one: no one notices or cares.  Reason number two: you have better and more important things to deal with (hint: new husband). Reason number three: this is why they invented Photoshop, dear.

Armed with all the above information, it’s time for you to create your own take-along-to-the Hall wedding gown first aide kit with the following products.  If you have a wedding planner, she should have a bag of her own.  If not, delegate this bag and stain-removal duty to a trusted friend. While you are at it, don’t forget to print out a copy of my What Take to the Hall list and follow the instructions for all your bridal needs!  

Wedding Gown First Aide Kit

·         Small white towel or cloth

·         Baby powder (white!)

·         Q-tips

·         Stain-removal wet wipes

BFEORE YOU TAKE THE GOWN HOME OR WEAR IT TO THE HALL

With all my “let’s start at the beginning” guidelines, there is one more important issue I would like to discuss.  When you pick up you gown at the salon, dressmaker, designer, friend or Gemach – examine the gown thoroughly beforeyou take possession of it. 

·         Check for stains on any part of the layers of the gown

·         Check the underarm areas for discolorations

·         Check for stains on any part of the lining of the gown

·         Check that the zipper works – zipping up and down (I am not kidding you, a zipper may go UP – but it may not go DOWN again)

·         Check that the buttons and button holes match up and fit

·         Check that all the seams are closed and well sewn

·         Check that there are no tears ANYWHERE on the gown

·         If you find a problem – state it immediately and clearly and document it (everyone has a cell phone with a camera these days!)

Last piece of advice: SMILE!

When should you begin looking for a makeup artist and hairstylist for YOUR Wedding?

One of the top items on your Bridal To Do List must be finding a professional makeup artist and hairstylist.  When should you being your search?  Aside from the obvious answer of "as soon as possible", I believe the optimal time is as soon as the wedding dress has been chosen.  The reasons behind this are 1) you will have a better feeling/understanding of your wedding look once you have chosen your gown and  2) even if you have been dreaming about, imagining and planning your wedding since you were five; choosing the gown somehow focuses you. Sometimes the gown you ultimately chose will be very different than the gown you imagined.  Always, alway keep in mind that your makeup and hairstyle must compliment and harmonize with your dress.  Your picture-perfect look includes everything you wear: your gown, jewelry, makeup, hair and veil.

Did you notice that I did not mention shoes?  I would just like to add that although I believe that shoes are one of the most important fashion choices any woman EVERmakes; wedding shoes fall into one of only three categories: (1) ugly, comfortable and thank G-d no one sees them under my long wedding dress; (2) insanely high, gorgeous and murderous and what a shame no one sees them under my long wedding dress and finally (3) insanely high, gorgeous and they no longer kill me because I removed them thirty seconds after the chuppah.

 

A FEW WORDS ABOUT VEILS

I want to discuss veils.  Sometimes the choice of a veil is an afterthought; bought, borrowed or found sometime between picking out the dress and standing under the chuppah.  The most versatile veil is a "simple" veil made of layers (the number of layers is a personal choice) of lace and/or silk and attached with a comb with the tines facing in. 

Do not choose a veil that is permanently attached to a tiara or other hair accessory, as this type of veil drastically limits the type of hair style you will ultimately choose. 

If you chose to wear a tiara, you should be able to position the tiara on your head, regardless of where the veil is attached.

Order of work on the day of the wedding:

ü  Hairstyle

ü  Tiara (sometimes the tiara is positioned whilethe hairstyle is being created, as some of the hair may be combed/positioned to hide the tiara's clips and/or combs)

ü  Makeup

ü  Veil

A MONTH AND HALF BEFORE THE WEDDING…

By a month and a half before the wedding you should have selected your makeup artist and hairstylist and decided on your makeup and hairstyling choices.  This will give you enough time to let your hair grow, you brows grow in and give your skin a chance to improve.  Write it or insert it into your calendar:

MUST CLOSE HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ________________

HOW DO I CHOOSE MY MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLE?

Remember:  Your wedding photos are meant to last a lifetime - this means your makeup and hairstyle must be timeless!  I always tell my brides that they should be able to look back on their wedding photos and at their wedding hair and makeup choices five, ten and even fifteen years from now without shaking their heads and saying "What was I thinking? ". 

This means that you should:

1)   Keep an open mind!  Look and explore the net and magazines for the latest hairstyle and makeup fashion choices.  Look at what your friends and family are wearing on "both sides of the pond".   If you Google "wedding hairstyles and makeup" you will get millions of results. You can narrow the search a bit by focusing on your hair length (long, short, curly, etc). 

2)   Do not be fooled by wonderful shots of hairstyles using models that have blonde hair with blonde highlights.  Blonde / blonde highlighted hair shows off just about any style and will nearly always look gorgeous.  The exacthairstyle on dark hair will look less wonderful, as the blonde highlights bring out the curves, curls and waves in the hairstyle.  Also keep in mind that lighting and Photoshop play a part in how the hairstyle is portrayed in photos.  This is why blonde hair is the most popular hair color to photograph for a hairstyle photo shoot. This does not mean you should dye your hair for the wedding; it just means you should be aware of this fact and manage your expectations accordingly.

3)   What styles appeal to you?  First of all: forget about your dress, your shoes, what hair colors and styles appeal to you.  (I know what I said at the beginning of this article) NOW what hair and makeup styles are the most flattering for your facial structure? 

Now let's put this all together: what appeals to you, what flatters you and what suits your wedding style. 

Now that you have an idea of what hair and makeup styles appeal to you – talk to your makeup and hair stylist.  Arrange for a Bridal Beauty Trial Session.   DO NOT SKIP this session!  This is the only opportunity you will have to try on and try out a variety of styles and decide – before the wedding – which you like best.  Take a trusted friend along with you.  A second opinion is vital here.  

Clear your schedule and make an appointment.  Take all the time you need.  This is not the time to rush or choose "whatever".  Be thoughtful and patient.  The effort and consideration you put into this session will be in direct proportion to your satisfaction with the final result on the day of the wedding!  Take pictures.  This session will also help you calculate the amount of time you will need to create your bridal look on your wedding day. 

Once you have chosen your makeup artist and hairstylist and the styles you want - you can check one more item off your To Do List!