Which Bridal Makeup look is best for my Dark Skin tone?

Bridal makeup, like most makeup is about personal taste. If you have a strong makeup identity, then by all means go with what you feel your most confident, and your most beautiful. For instance, our beautiful Arabic brides tend to go for stronger colours in line with amazing henna and heavily jewelled dresses flown in from Dubai.  Some go for transformation makeup wishing to be totally made over helping to boost confidence and feel amazing.  For the majority of brides to be, the truth is they want to look beautiful and timeless.

Avoid high trend.
If you are going for this then you need to try and stay away from highly trending makeup such as very heavy enlarged brows, or overly contoured face. This look stamps your wedding photos firmly in the year it was taken leading to them looking quickly outdated.

Your makeup artist will consult with you about the colour of your theme, your favourite colours and the colours that will suit you best, however the 'Bridal Makeup' look is enhancing, softening and timeless, bringing out the most beautiful you.

Looking like a bride
Bridal Makeup colours for dark skin tones can have a huge range within the spectrum of pinks such as purples, peaches, baby pink and fushia. Brown such as nearly black, browns, reddish, creams, off whites and  Golds such as dark golds, yellow golds, rose golds, white golds and a variety of shimmers. Done correctly the makeup will highlight, softly contour, correct skintone and beautify to varying levels on intensity.

Most brides will declare that they want to look natural and stunning, both vastly vague descriptors. Beauty is subjective, so a valuable tip is to be aware of the parts of your face that you find most attractive, and the parts that you do not.  I once met a beautiful woman pre op who could not wait to have her lips reduced. Her lips were stunning in my opinion, full and shapely however for reasons she explained she could not see herself as beautiful, my job was to make them look as small as possible. You the bride need to feel beautiful and confident on your big day so you need someone who is not just great at producing one look or edited shots. You need someone that can not only listen to your needs but add value, knowledge and experience and deliver the results you need with professionalism, warmth and expertise. Bridal Makeup and Hair is a specialist area so better to stick with specialists in the field. 

Find some images of the look you are going for and ensure that they are of people of your skin tone and face structure if possible.  Pointing at a Kim K picture when you look like Jada Pinkette won't help as they have totally different face shapes and attributes.  A bridal specialist will help you to arrive at decision you are happy with and use expert knowledge and to guide you to the most enhanced decision.

Should I pay or should I go?
If you are on a Budget, then by all means stick with it. However wedding hair and makeup is something that requires an eye for how a bride should look and feel. There is no time for disappointments or training, on the day you need to be surrounded by experts.  Experts will charge for their expertise, the experience and all round embedded service that you will get the day.  Last year I was booked for a makeup. However the bride was so unhappy about her hair, she started to cry and as soon the the stylist left she pleaded for me to do anything. So with my bare hands I did some pinned curls, no tools or products (true story). Although she was delighted with the results, it pays to do it right from the beginning.  With services at the very higher end of the scale for instance, bridal hair or makeup over £200 each, just be sure you know exactly what extras you are paying for.

To trial or not to trial?
Trials are a great way of getting to know your wedding consultant and arriving at the look that you want before  your special day. So if you can, book a trial especially if you have a large wedding and there are a lot of variables to discuss.  But if you are booking specialists and you are only booking makeup for yourself, you can always have a consultation at the beginning of the booking on the day, your consultant will just arrive a little earlier and will consult with you over the phone beforehand its here that you benefit from the experience.

Quality
There are a vast amount of makeup services however bridal specialist will be able to offer you quality makeup products that will not slide off in 2 hours. The price of makeup products can be extremely high, single professional products ranging from £40 to over £100. This day is an investment in your all day beauty so choose wisely so you not only get the look, you get the lasting effects.

In short, you arrive at your best bridal makeup look by using experienced bridal makeup specialists who will take expertise and quality makeup and merge it with your personal preferences. This is the winning combination to a happy and beautiful bride ready to enjoy her day.

Choosing Bridal Makeup and Bridal Hair - important tips for Black Brides in London & UK

What is important for brides of colour?  Skill? Professionalism? Friendliness? Brides of today are expecting all three and rightly so. Too many times we have experienced good talent, let down by a poor attitude, or a great personality let down by poor timekeeping.  With weddings, it is an absolute must that your supplier has high standards of service delivery to ensure your day goes as smoothly as possible.

With bridal services, the vendor must have excellent listening skills and bridal industry experience.   Why?  Not every bride wants the same thing. And not every bride knows what they want! So it  is important that Vendors are Bridal Specialists and treat every bride uniquely offering a balanced level of guidance and support.  If you are looking for bridal makeup and hair services in the UK, see these tips below to help you make the right choice.

1. Examples. Look at as many examples as possible. Do they look samey? That is not a good sign. Lots of self taught makeup artist/stylist are limited to the few styles that they can confidently deliver, and only vary the intensity of the makeup.  Makeup should be different, because every bride is different and every requirement is different and unique. You may not even like many of the makeup examples because they are specific to that bride,  however if the bride is happy, and they look enhanced, look great in pictures and not too similar to the rest then you are on the right track.

2. Photo Enhancements.  Is the image too sharp, clear, and enhanced?  Photo enhanced pictures can look incredible however they do not give you true indication of the talent and skill of a makeup artist or stylist. Natural pictures are the best and most honestly represent skill. The bride should be beautifully enhanced but the makeup should not scream out at you, even if it is a heavy application. Sometimes a bride can look pretty natural, so a few 'before' pictures can help you to see the true transformation.

3. Team Support.  Your wedding is a one day occasion. No retakes, so there must be a plan B. When you book a bridal makeup artist or bridal hair stylist ensure that there is a team to support that person. Should the unforeseen happen, which it can, at least you are not sitting waiting for bridal services which never arrive.  If you have a large bridal party to cater for, having a team ensures that the same high standards are maintained throughout the service and that you are ready for your big day on time.


4. Establishment.  When looking for a vendor, check out how long they have been in the business. The Internet has timestamps so you should be able to see historical data. The longer the vendor has been in business, the more likely they are to want to protect their reputation and deliver a high standard of service.  New starters can come in, mess up your day and disappear with virtually no loss to reputation or income.  Also go for a company with Internet presence. Twitters, Facebook, Blogs. These types are far less likely to let you you down. Reputation is everything.

5. Cost. Often makeup and hair services come at the end of costly wedding expenses, and can be among the last things that brides spend on. With regards to getting the best services, the most important thing is that you research the company/service provider rather the find the cheapest deal.

New service providers will most certainly cut prices to gain your business. If you are looking for your service provider it's probably best you put an appropriate amount of money aside to pay for the best service to suit your needs.  If you are thinking 'this is the one, but they are a tiny bit above my price expecations' then that's probably the one to go for.  Remember you not just paying for makeup appicaton or hair styling. You are paying for education, clenliness and adherance to regulations to keep your hair and skin healthy.  Quality trained staff, insured and security checked with experience and great customer service training is unlikely to be a budget service.

6.  Specialists.  Do they specialise in weddings?  Do they understand what happens on the big day? Can they provide extras like hair extensions, hair accessories, lashes or even advice?  It does help if the vendor can take care of your entire hair and beauty needs, experts will allow your experience to be seamless and actually take stress away from you.  If your company supplies hair extensions, makeup and can take care of your entire bridal party, this will help you greatly.

7.Timing. So you are getting married in 12 months time, this is exactly the time to start looking for wedding vendors. The best vendors get bookings from the year before via word of mouth and super savvy brides. If you are getting married between May and September then you really need to secure your day as soon as you can. There are many makeup artists nowadays, however true specialists in Bridal Makeup and Hair, with the ability to give you the best experience won't chase you!  Your beauty is important, so don't leave your beauty until the last few months and ensure that on your special day,  you are happy, beautiful and satisfied.

Extra care for Afro hair during the winter months

Tips for caring for Black hair/Afro Hair/Mixed Heritage hair 

Afro hair needs extra love and attention in the cold winter months. The harsh weather, not only can be brutal to skin, but add stress to hair too. As we tend to stay in more, the artificial heat can dry leave your hair feeling dry and brittle. With efforts to keep the hair in optimum condition, some can tend to over grease the hair, rather than moisturise it.

We would like to share with you some tips for keeping black natural textured and Afro hair healthy, shiny and beautiful during the cold seasons.

1.      If you have a perm that you wish to grow out (well done), this is the best time to grow it out. Keep your hair moist and wash weekly adding deep conditioners to nourish and keep it healthy. Leave in conditioners are a good idea and will help reduce breakage.

2.      You are what you eat. Pay attention to your diet ensuring it is rich in fish oils, vegetables, beans and nuts. Maintain your vitamin levels with food and supplements. Vitamin D and E are essential for healthy hair growth.

3.      Make sure you drink lots of water to keep your skin and hair hydrated. This is a must to avoid dry scalp and skin.

4.      We all want our hair to look great in the summer, so start in the winter by giving it some extra care.  In winter you can use hats to accessorise so it can be a good opportunity to reduce the use of hot hair appliances. Slick buns are a great way to give your hair a break.

5.      If you are a long term weave wearer, invest time in caring for the hair underneath, as it can get neglected. Steams and Saunas are not only a great way to de-stress, but a fabulous way to deep condition your hair, so go on girls, book that Spa!

6.      Putting your hair in plaits, twists or cainrow is a good way put it away during the winter months. You can still achieve many glamorous results with long plaits, adding colours and curls. Sassy natural waves can look fantastic when your hair is healthy.  Just remember to continue to moisturise and condition your hair to keep it healthy strong.

 7.      If you can, platting your natural hair at night is a good way to preserve its condition. A light application of moisturiser before bedtime, wrapped in a scarf will reveal healthy shiny hair in the        morning with a flattering wave pattern.

8.      Winter is an ideal time to put it all away completely. If you are a diehard weave wearer, it may take you some convincing to go natural for many reasons. One reason is that not everyone has the hair density to wear natural styles, so good extensions are a very good option. Since the evolution of Brazilian Hair, it is now quite easy to tell when hair extensions isn't of a good quality. So invest a Brazilian, Peruvian or high quality human hair. Good hair suppliers will also supply you with instructions on how to care for your hair, as it does differ from caring for Natural Afro hair.

9.      What do I use to revive my hair? I go back to nature! Shea Butters, Coconut oils, Avocado and Argon oils are a wonderful natural way to keep your hair conditioned. The purer the product the better, but remember oils attract dirt, and dirt dries hair so wash your hair regularly with a gentle shampoo or conditioner.

 10.   Are you preparing your hair for a big event or wedding? Or simply want stunning hair during the summer?  Follow these simple steps above to ensure your hair is in the very best condition. Love your hair, it is a unique and beautiful part of you. 

 

Bridal Updo for Afro Hair with extensions

Virtually all wedding dresses are bigger than what you would normally wear. Whether it's an A lined, fish-tailed or full princess style, the likelihood is there is going to be more of it! This is why bridal hairstyling is unique, as it offers balance to your attire  and elegance to soften and compliment your look.

Bridal hair styles tend to offer the illusion that there is more hair, whether it is an bridal up do or downward body wave, the right hair style can offset your wedding dress for a striking silhouette and glamorous appearance.  It is very important that you use specialists in Bridal Hair to achieve this as they work with brides all the time, and can ensure the look ties in with the image you wish to present on the wedding day.

Are you worried that you hair is not thick or long enough to create the bridal hairstyle of your dreams? Try not to worry about that, most professional Bridal Afro hair stylist will be able to create your style using human hair extensions for very realistic results. Using human hair extensions is quite important part of this if you want a natural look.

Natural hair has a transparency in the sunlight, a way it behaves in the wind, and moves with your body, even if only a tendril is left flowing. It is also longer lasting and more versatile, so if you are wondering which is better, we vote Human Hair! Prices vary between £20 and £60 per pack and more if you are a hair connoisseur and indulge in Brazilian/Peruvian hair....coming soon!

Do you need bridal hair for your 2014 wedding? Call or email Nu Woman Beauty to seek availability for Bridal Hair and Makeup for your wedding. Have a makeup trial and discuss your hair needs in full. Book early enough and have a team cater for your entire bridal party.

Call 0208 516 6528 to seek availability - dates are going fast!

 

 

We have specialists in Mixed Race, Black, Asian and European makeup and hair.

London, Reading, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Coastal Areas, Scotland and Ireland.

Overseas

Relax in your hotel or home and have a professional cater to your hair and makeup.

 Full extensions for European brides for under £200

 Booking Nu Woman Beauty & Hair ensures a professional service & glamorous results.

 

Call our bridal hair and makeup specialists for a makeup trial and hair consultation.

www.nuwomanbeauty.co.uk

 

Bridal African Caribbean, Arabic Wedding hair styles.

10 on trend bridal hair styles to consider 2013

 

Be inspired all African Caribbean Black, Asian and Arabic Brides who are looking for Wedding day Bridal Hair styles

 

On your wedding day, your choice of bridal hair style is usually one of the most important aspects to think about. How close to the big day should you have your hair permed? If you normally wear your hair up, should you stick with that style or vice verse? At Nu Woman Beauty, we think about wedding hair every day, and can help you to answer some of those niggling questions. We have gathered a top ten selection of bridal hair styles to  provide inspiration to you. If you have Afro Hair, you can still look at European bridal styles as we can replicate any style and provide human hair extensions. With a dedicated experienced team of staff to cater to your makeup and beauty needs, all you need is inspiration and we will do the rest.

   
1. Romantic downward spirals
These loose spirals are not only glamorous, but frame the face beautifully and add body to your hair style. This is ideal if your wedding dress is an A lined cut or has volume to the skirt. A full bodied style adds balance to your look, and can vary from tighter curls to longer loose curls or waves. This style can easily integrate extensions for an extra touch of glamour.



  
    
2. Simple Classic Buns
These classics  have a huge impact although they appear simple.  Clean defined lines, creates this a very Chic, elegant styling and is a winner with brides year in year out.  There are many variations to this from the Spanish bun, to a larger basket at the back. Having a bridal sweep can soften the look to look pretty and elegant.

   
3. Traditional bridal Updo’s
By far the most popular choice by brides, and probably always will be. The reason for that is it looks simply stunning.  This is a soft and feminine style which suite most face shapes as the sweeps can be altered to suite the bride. Having the hair up, with just a drop of hair to frame the neck is great with off the shoulder dresses as well high necked. This ideal style is great to wear with Tiaras and will suite most hair accessories so it’s a winner all round.











   


4. The bridal bun curl
This is another classic favourite, a great way to show off your hair accessories or to frame your professional makeup application. Stars such as Kim Kardashian have boosted the off the face bun, linking it with a defined natural looking glamorous makeup application. Great for most hair lengths as extensions can be easily blended in and the bun curled to perfection.

5. Pinned Curls
These are lovely if you choose a retro styles, love vintage looks or simply like to see your curls. They can provide flattering contrast when wearing a chapel or cathedral veil which is positioned at the very back or under your bun. There are many variations to this one, all with beautiful results. Vintage is timeless and we love them!
 
 6. Hair Extensions queens
Everyone knows that hair extensions provide volume and really add glamour if applied correctly. If you are going to have your hair down on your wedding day, then very long extensions need not be overly fussy. Defined curls all the way down can provide a stunning back and side profile and provide a glamorous base for your hair accessories. Colour can easily be injected into your style if you prefer and a style like this needs little maintenance during the day which is ideal for a busy bride.

7. Half updo’s

This playful messy half up do has the bride in mind, with body length extensions, a quiff to add height to the hair, a full back veil and tiara! No mistaking who the bride is here :)  This full on glamorous look can be integrated with crown curls and has many variations with the downward part, from light layers to ringlets.
 




8. Sculptured ponytail, with bridal sweep is a among the classic range of styles with all the beauty in the shape and smooth lines. Often brides tend to inject a little colour variation to add definition. Hollywood superstar Tara Banks took this look and made it a red carpet hit, which is now also a hit with brides too!

   

9. Plaits
Plaits can be beautiful. Woven into your bridal hair as a simple bun, or incorporated into a timeless Greek Goddess style. These looks lovely with diamante pins or hair accessories to provide a little sparkle. Songstress Alicia Keys recently had an interesting bun made from a large plait. This can be varied slightly to make a terrific modern bridal hair style. Superstar Jessica Alba also made headlines with this classic look.  Feminine and Chic all in one.
 



10. Bespoke
If you want your hair to be your feature, then it is wise to have professional bridal stylists who do these elaborate styles every week. With your own style your imagination is your only limitation. Be careful not to have a style that requires your attention during the day. This lovely variation of a half up do is wonderful for showing of your hair length and to add hair to an empty back space, when wearing a backless dress. This off the face style means it’s not overly fussy and works well with hair accessories or without.

We hope this has helped you, if you are still not quite sure, book with us and we will help you through the process. Send us your ideas, descriptions, questions and we will be a tower of support right up to your big day. If you book a trial, then you have the expertise of your Makeup Artist/Stylists as well as our online assistants always ready to help.

Complete our Enquiry Form to see if we are available for your big day, and put your mind at ease about this very important decision.

www.nuwomanbeauty.com

 

Bridal Afro Hair and Makeup for Black skin and Asian Women London

The wedding season is well and truly on its way. With lots of brides getting the right idea and booking early. This year is our best year for forward planning, with 35% of our bookings for 2013 taken already! Well done ladies!

However we are getting a number of brides coming to us late, having been let down by makeup artists or stylists...we are sorry, some do give our industry a bad name but you have come to the right place! When searching for makeup artists or stylists for your wedding day, follow this simple checklist to ensure you the best chance in having a successful experience.

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESSFUL BRIDAL MAKEUP AND HAIR

• Do a search for any information about your intended person/company. A lot can be said for freedom of speech!
• See pictures, not just one or two, but a few! If someone is experienced enough to be doing your hair and makeup on your big day, they won't mind showing you evidence that they are up to the job.
• Look out for reviews and feedback, its always a good idea to see what others are saying about the services they have had. Check websites or letters.
• If correspondence is bad to start with, ie, not returning emails or calls, its likely that this will be the case after you have booked. If your MU artist is disorganised or a bad communicator, get someone else.
• Try using a team. Things can happen which are totally out of your makeup artists/hair stylists control. The last thing you want is no-one to do your hair or makeup on your big day! A team/bridal company will have the added manpower to ensure that in any emergency, a backup is available to save the day!
• Prices, we all have a budget! But looking for the cheapest prices is not always the best practise, as with all things. If you want quality professional staff and an all round robust service, you will probably have to pay for it. A confident service will know what it is worth, but if its way over your budget, try not to go for the cheapest, the old saying - you get what you pay for, is not one you want to hear on your wedding day!
• Hair - if you have a bridal hair stylist that you are used too, that's wonderful but just because you are used to getting your 'every day' hair done, it does not mean that the flair and elegance needed to pull off a bridal style is necessarily there. Ask for a trial. If you are not happy, seek a specialist bridal hair expert who knows how a bride is supposed to look on her big day and will work with you to achieve your ideal look, expertly.
• Don't over burden your consultant. If someone is booked to do your hair and makeup, and your mums makeup and a bridesmaid. That is probably the maximum amount of work that your consultant should have on your wedding morning. If you use a team, they should supply you with more person..many hands make..the bride leave on time! :-)

Looking for someone to do a professional Bridal Bun for your wedding day? Try having extensions put in for definition of curl and volume. We can do this for you on your wedding day and style your hair to bridal perfection!
Prices start at £99 (for the bride) including extensions

Professional Natural looking extensions

Stylish Updos

Natural Afro Hair styling

Extra Long extensions

Cutting & trimming

Professional Stylist Buns

Half Updos with extensions

Stylish Vintage Themed hair

Long Ringletts or flowing curls

Uniformed Bridesmaids Hair

Mothers Bun or Wrap styling

www.nuwomanbeauty.co.uk