About Face

Smoky eyes and a dramatic updo are great for the dance floor, but when you walk down the aisle, the only thing you want your groom to see is…you. Here, makeup artist Lauren Genatossio, owner of Sarra, and hairstylist Darren Le, of G2O Spa + Salon, demonstrate how to take a look from ceremony-sweet to reception-ready in 30 minutes flat.

day to night wedding makeup

Photograph by Nina Gallant

The Base: “Primer, foundation, concealer, and setting powder are the base of any look,” says Genatossio, who likes to fill out brows with a powderlike taupe pencil from her own cosmetics line.

Day

Hair: Le started by parting the hair to the side and setting sections in rollers. He then spritzed the curls with a glossing spray before brushing them out to create soft, vintage waves. • Get the Look: Oribe Shine Light Reflecting Spray, $39, G2O Spa + Salon.

Eyes: Genatossio applied a shimmery liquid eye shadow to the lids, followed by cake eyeliner (a solid, dry formula that turns into a paste when activated with water) along the lash line. “It’s the only way to achieve a bright, open look,” she says. For a soft contour, she added a peachy “baked” blush in the crease of the lid. The last step? Waterproof mascara, of course. • Get the Look: Laura Mercier Tightline cake eyeliner in “Black Ebony,” $24, Sephora.

Cheeks: The same baked blush, coupled with a luminizer on the bridge of the nose and the top of the cheekbones, gave the face a delicate flush. • Get the Look: Mineralize blush in “New Romance,” $27, MAC.

Lips: For a sheer, ethereal effect, Genatossio applied a long-wearing gel liner all over the lips, then added shine with a lighter gloss. • Get the Look: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre lip lacquer in “Blondie,” $22, Nordstrom.

day to night wedding makeup

Photograph by Nina Gallant

Night

Hair: Leaving one strand out to frame the face, Le swept the waves into a side ponytail, divided it into two sections, and backcombed for volume. He then applied a hairnet, creating pleats with bobby pins for a sculptural look. • Get the Look: Kérastase Laque Couture hairspray, $32, G2O Spa + Salon.

Eyes: To build on the daytime makeup, Genatossio brushed bronzer into the crease of the lid, sweeping the blending brush back and forth “like a windshield wiper.” A layer of gel-based eyeliner on the upper and lower lash lines, enhanced with a smudge of dark eye shadow and false lashes, produced a smoky, sultry nighttime look. • Get the Look: Ardell individual black lashes, $4 per package, Ulta Beauty.

Cheeks: “Adding bronzer to already luminized skin in a ‘three’ shape—top of the forehead, under the cheekbone, and down the jaw line— creates a deeper contour,” Genatossio says. • Get the Look: Lorac Tantalizer baked bronzer in “Matte Tan,” $33, Ulta Beauty.

Lips: With the same long-wearing gel lip liner as the base, Genatossio pumped up the pout with a vibrant, plummy lipstick, followed by a coat of gloss. • Get the Look: Tom Ford Beauty matte lip color in “Plum Lush,” $50, Neiman Marcus.


Sarra, 840 Summer St., Boston, 617-269-8999, sarrastudios.comG2O Spa + Salon, 278 Newbury St., Boston, 617-262-2220, darrenle.com.

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