House of Thabiso

When it comes to your wedding day, every bride wants beautifully fresh, blemish-free complexion but how do you go about getting that deliciously dewy skin? Here we chat to Quelle, one of House of Thabiso’s top makeup artists on her top ten tips for achieving sparkly skin ahead of your big day.

Glowing skin starts from day one. Introduce a Glycolic Toner such as Pixi Glow Tonic into your regime. The AHAs in this product gently exfoliate dead skins cells from the surface, leaving a brighter base.

If you are prone to pigmentation or breakouts & want to eliminate it by W-Day, consider a nightly retinol product. Great results can be seen in as little as three months, & formulas such as Beauty Pie’s Overnight Retinol Treatment are time release & loaded with hydration, so there are no nasty side effects!

Whether it’s a makeup artist, your best friend or you who will be prepping your skin, suggest a sheet mask such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Dry Sheet Mask before anything else is laid on your skin. Apply 30 minutes before the ritual begins, sit back & let the plumping begin! When finished, skin will glow all by itself. Tilbury’s added bonus is that you can use it twice more after & there’s no gloopy mess.

Add a touch of liquid illuminator to your primer or moisturiser for a lit-from-within finish without all the glitter.

Dewy complexions are lovely, but in this heat we may feel overly shiny. Be sure to go over your base with a Beauty Blender so that foundation is pressed into the skin & powder doesn’t grab in overly moist areas. Finish with a radiance boosting powder such as Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Ethereal Light to set makeup but keep skin looking radiant.

Always carry blotting papers & a touch up powder when around the camera & have your Maid of Honour check your t-zone before the click. We want glow, not shine. The blotting paper will make sure powder doesn’t grab onto moist skin & begin to cake.

Gel bronzers add a touch of depth without feeling flat, like a powder can sometimes be. If opting for one with highlight added, keep it closer to the tops of the cheek as glow is not the same as contour. By Terry Tea to Tan gives a beautiful deep olive finish & can be used on body without the fear of rubbing into the dress.

A touch of cream highlight such as Hush by M.A.C over the highpoints of the cheek, bridge of the nose & Cupid’s bow will pick up beautifully in sunlight. For brides dancing the night away, layering over the top with a powder highlight such as NARS Forte de France will give added radiance which is sure to pick up in evening lights.

Setting sprays will ensure everything stays in place. Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist will give added longevity to your makeup while the rose water will keep you hydrated in the summer heat. Spritz your Beauty Blender with the spray & touch over any powder highlights to melt it into the skin for a seamless finish.

For an added extra, take your eyes from day to night with a little sparkle. Bobbi Brown’s Sparkle Shadows can be popped over the top of eyeshadow with finger tips & add a dazzling shine under evening light. Pop a little in the inner corner of the eye, vamp up the mascara & you are good to go.

See Quelle’s profile for more of her work.