Carla and her team at CESCA offer a bespoke beauty styling service. I couldn’t wait to chat about wedding styles in the latest Mrs T Meets!
Brides have rarely, if ever, booked a makeup or hair stylist before planning their wedding. So, this can be something really exciting – adding more than a touch of glamour to your day. As a luxury wedding planner, I work with some wonderful stylists and have teamed up with Carla from CESCA many times. With backgrounds in TV, fashion, backstage and celebrity, the CESCA team really bring that runway luxe to your wedding day. I’ve seen Carla at work and she reads just what brides are looking for and works with that to make sure they look their absolute best.
I caught up with Carla to discuss the latest trends in wedding makeup, and she coaches me in the secrets to a perfect red lip.
Q&A
CESCA offer a luxury service in hair and makeup – what sort of backgrounds do you and your team have?
“My background is in fashion and editorial. I’ve worked with high-end makeup artists Val Garland and Pat McGrath, and have a wealth of experience working backstage. I do the majority of appointments but, if I’m not available or if we need a bigger team, then I’ll bring one of my fabulous hand-picked stylists too. All our team have experience in TV, fashion or celebrity and will bring that runway luxe to your wedding day. They know how Burberry created that really dewy look, or how they got that perfect eye or brow, because they worked backstage. They know all the inside secrets!”
How many stylists would you recommend for a wedding?
“If the bridal party want both hair and makeup done, I think it is really special to have a separate team member who focuses all their time and energy on the bride. Then you can have a separate team for the bridesmaids, mother-of-the-bride and anyone else. If there are quite a lot of people, it’s best to have a separate hair stylist and makeup artist. For a smaller bridal party, we try and book someone who does both hair and makeup.”
What are the current trends in makeup?
“With skin, it is all about looking glowing, flawless and fresh, with the highlight providing a natural glow. You want your cheekbones to look like you have just stepped out of the sauna – really dewy, glossy and naturally catching the light when you move. Brows are having a super fluffy moment currently, and a lot of people love having them brushed up.
With eyes, there is a massive focus on lashes. Brides are wanting a lash line that is defined and then smudged out – so it’s almost there, but not there. I prefer to use an individual lash to build up the lashes because you can tailor it to someone’s eye. If a bride has almond shaped eyes and they want a feline effect, I do longer lashes on the outer corner. If they want more of a doll eye effect, I bring the lashes in the centre.”
And have you seen any shifts in wedding hairstyles recently?
“For me, the way that you have your hair on your wedding day all depends on the dress and the neckline. With smaller weddings recently, many brides are not wearing the big, floaty style dress, and this changes the hairstyles they want. The ponytail is having a comeback because it looks as if you have done it yourself – a nice, loose ponytail with really soft waves. Other brides are just wanting a beautiful blow-dry. I’d say styles are a little bit more red carpet, rather than traditional bridal hairstyles.”
CESCA’s Top Tips: The perfect red lip
- First, apply your lipstick. Carla starts with the bottom lip. On the top lip she works from the outside in. Don’t take it right to the outer edge, because your lip liner can neaten that up.
- Apply lipliner from the outside of your lip into the centre. Again, Carla starts with the bottom lip, working from the outer corners inwards, using light, feathery strokes. For the top lip, start with the outer corner to get a fuller pout. Don’t forget the corners to give you that really perfect red lip.
- Tidy the lip with concealer. For any parts of the lip that are not perfect, instead of using a cotton bud to try and remove lipstick, use a tiny bit of concealer on a brush. Choose the same concealer you are using on the rest of your face for consistency. Use the brush to go along the lip and neaten it up. This will also give the lipstick longevity, because it won’t bleed.
- Keep the rest of your makeup simple. Carla recommends lots of mascara, a liquid highlight, and applying some very natural lipstick on the apples of your cheeks for a natural flush.
To book CESCA for your wedding hair and makeup visit www.teamcesca.com