Boudoir Makeover

Hi Bellas,

A few weeks ago I was able to do a “boudoir” makeover. Let me provide a little background info for those of you not familiar with this term. Apparently, the trend in wedding photography is to have a “boudoir shoot” done before the wedding. Oftentimes, brides-to-be give their fiancées this special present as a pre-wedding gift. This usually involves hiring a MUA, photographer, and renting a room at a luxury hotel. From there, the blushing brides take sexy yet tasteful bedroom shots. Many women go to websites like www.theknot.com and split a room and coordinate photographers with other brides to save on costs.

I was asked by Katie to do her makeup so she could feel as sexy as possible for this shoot. I instructed Katie to send me some pics and descriptions of possible looks she wanted to wear, so that I could be prepared for our session. After some contemplation, she decided she wanted to do a Brigitte Bardot inspired look. Ms. Bardot is a famous French starlet from the 1950s. She epitomized the term “sex kitten” and was known for her trademark tousled, blond bed hair and cat eye/winged eyeliner makeup. Her beauty is timeless. We all know that winged eyeliner is a huge makeup trend out there...and as evidenced from this picture, it is a makeup style that lasts through the decades.

***Pic of Brigitte Bardot


After analyzing the photograph, I noted that the look mainly consisted of heavy, winged liquid eyeliner and nude/peachy lips. I took this as inspiration and decided to add a little smokiness to the eyes…using mainly grays instead of blacks to give a softer look.

On the day of the shoot, we ran into a few quirks. We got started a little later than we had planned so I had less time to do makeup. However, such interruptions are not unusual for MUAs to deal with. That’s why it pays to be prepared and organized. In this industry, one needs to be able to adapt to changing situations while remaining even tempered...that makes for one happy client!

In terms of makeup, I ended up smoking out her eye more dramatically per the client’s request. We added some falsies and liquid liner that finished off the look. The client had recently gotten a spray tan right before, so it took a bit of adjustment to match her face color to the rest of her bronzed body. In the end, she looked hot…a modern Brigitte Bardot if I do say so myself.

I didn’t realize it, but she gave glowing reviews of me on the knot. I was delighted to hear this because word of mouth is the best form of marketing. I've already received bridal makeup inquires from her referral. Without further ado, here are some pics of the shoot. Too bad we didn't get any before shots.

***Credit to: Photography by Shannon at www.shannonseye.net




Till next time, Ciao Bellas!