Belle Bride Hollie C: October in Chamonix – Part One

October in ChamonixAnother month has gone by and it’s time to catch up with our own Belle Bride Hollie C.  Avid readers of the blog will know that Hollie C has had a few trying months whilst planning her wedding, but today we catch up with her as she fills us in on her  October in Chamonix adventures and wedding preparations!

Hollie: “Salut!

As I write this post, Mat and I are sat in Geneva airport waiting for our flight back home to the UK after a fabulous few days in Chamonix.

We’ve had a really productive and positive few days in terms of our venue hunt, but as we’re still finalising a few details I’m going to save the full update on that for next month.

The other major bit of wedding prep I did whilst in Chamonix was to have a make up trial which Monica set up for me at her recommended salon – Le Salon in central Chamonix.

On a Skype call prior to our trip, Monica (our wedding planner from Haute Weddings) asked me if I wanted to do a hair or make up trial whilst we were there, but as I already have a pretty good idea of how I’d like my hair to be styled on the day I decided to just go with a make up trial.

I love buying new make up I have a slight penchant for YSL and L’Occitane products (not always easy on the purse) but I don’t actually wear a lot of make up, particularly day-to-day where I tend to keep it quite natural with foundation, neutral eye shadow and maybe a splash of colour in my lipstick.

So, I honestly didn’t know where to start when it came to explaining to Sandy – the Make Up Artist – what I’d like.

Monica and I chatted about it beforehand and agreed that natural with some ‘added glamour’ would be the way to go.

I don’t mind admitting I was a little apprehensive before the appointment, wondering to myself, what if she applies too much? What if I don’t like the colours she uses? What if Mat doesn’t like it?

I needn’t have worried, Sandy was great, and although she didn’t speak too much English and my French is poor at best, we had a lovely chat beforehand. She started by explaining that she would try as many of the products as possible to be sure that my skin wouldn’t react to any of them.

Luckily, I didn’t have any adverse skin reactions, but Sandy did say it’s always worth doing this with the make up artist some time before the big day if you can, otherwise if you try something new a couple of days before the big day which doesn’t agree with your skin, there may not be enough time to put it right before the big day – great advice I thought.

I asked Sandy if she had any other advice on how to prepare my skin leading up to the big day.

She suggested that for me personally, I should keep moisturising regularly and use a face mask once a week. My skin does have a tendency to be dry but Sandy said regular masks and moisturising should ensure it’s in great condition come next August.

I guess it’s fairly obvious advice really but hearing it in person from a professional make up artist has definitely resonated with me – more L’Occitane moisturiser here I come!!

After applying foundation and concealer Sandy suggested eye colours, she opted for a very dark grey with a hint of lilac. At first I was a little worried that it was too dark but she reassured me by saying that she would apply it lightly at first and then add more if I wanted to. Then after that, if I wanted to try a different colour she would do that on the other eye so I could compare the two.

As it happened when she applied the dark grey, I ended up asking her to make it darker two or three more times before it felt right. She added highlighter shades to the corner and just under the brow bone followed by mascara.

Just to be sure we did try a different colour on the other eye, and this time she recommended a mid-brown colour, with similar highlights in the corners and under the brow bone.

On the picture below you can see the brown shade on the left eye and the grey/lilac on the right.

bridal makeup trial

My go-to eye shadow colour for everyday is a neutral brown so after comparing the two Sandy and I agreed that the grey/lilac had a more glamorous feel.

As a finishing touch Sandy suggested adding false eyelashes to the outer corner of my eye…you can see them on the picture below on the right eye.

wedding make up 2

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep them on and Mat only saw the eyelashes on pictures so he wasn’t sure what to make of them. I’d be interested to know what FWS readers think – are you planning to wear false eyelashes or add any other glamorous touches to your make up?

Overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend having a make up trial if you’re able to beforehand. It’s certainly given me food for thought in terms of how I want my make up to look as well as giving me the confidence that make-up won’t be a worry as the big day draws near.

To finish with (and I must be feeling brave) here’s a before and after picture.

Before, me with no make up on at all.

 before wedding day make upAnd me after Sandy has worked her magic!”

after bridal makeupbefore and after

Oh how wonderful does our Hollie look!  So what do you think about false eyelashes, yes or no?  I will say that I am an avid false eyelash enthusiast, but when applied by a professional rather than myself 😉

Leave your thoughts for Hollie in the comments below!

If you are looking for ideas and inspiration on planning your wedding in France, don’t forget you can catch up with Hollie C and fellow FWS Belle Brides Cassie, Belle Bride Fiona and Belle Bride Cyndie and you can find all the Belle Brides past and present here.

Alternatively see more Chamonix weddings here.

 

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