Idea Overwhelm

Hello there!

Today, I wanted to chat a little bit about information or idea overwhelm.

It’s super exciting being engaged and planning your wedding but with so many blogs, magazines and apps like Pinterest and Instagram, you can soon be bombarded with ideas and opinions and not know which way to turn.

So when I speak with brides about their wedding hair and makeup, I find it really useful to get them to think about how they want their hair and makeup to make them feel on their wedding day.  Forget about all of the pretty images and concentrate on how you really want to feel, deep down inside.  Think about how you want to feel when you reminisce about your wedding day in 10 years time.

Some of the themes that often come up are pretty, confident, I can forget about it, I want to feel like me, amazing, timeless, beautiful, relaxed etc.

From this I can probably assume that you want your makeup to feel great (not like a mask), you want tot look like you have amazing skin and want to keep things pretty natural. With your hair you want it to be polished but not tight or too done. And you don’t want to worry that it might fall out or drop on the day.

Does that sound a bit like you? How much easier was it to think about that, rather than wading through hundreds of photos of stunning models, that have been photoshopped?

Once you have identified the feeling, its then much easier to look at a few images and pin point what exactly about that photo you love.  If its the fullness of the brows, then it’s easier to show me a photo of full, fluffy brows etc if that’s your thing. Through this process of elimination we can identify a look that you aspire to.

Always try to keep in mind that that your wedding hair and makeup shouldn’t be an exact replica of a look you have seen elsewhere, the image should be used as inspiration so you can make it all your own.

Hopefully, these tips can help you feel in control of your decisions and make your bridal styling the positive, fun and happy experience it should be.

Natalie x

 

 

January 30, 2019 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: beautiful, boho, bridal hair, bridal makeup, bride, Leeds, makeup artist, Natalie Willingham, natural beauty, natural bride, wedding, wedding hair, wedding makeup, West Yorkshire, yorkshire Leave a comment

Thank You!

This Saturday is my last bride of 2015 and what a year it has been.  I’m not going to brag about the number of weddings I’ve worked or the number of brides and bridesmaids I’ve styled, even the  number of lessons I’ve delivered.  However, I am going to say how grateful I am for the last year, which has been my best year yet.

More so, I’m truly thankful that I have met some really wonderful women through my business.  Women who I have supported during their transition from Miss to Mrs, but who have also very generously supported me during a turbulent personal period.

I’m looking forward to 2016 and meeting the gorgeous brides who have chosen to be styled by me ready for the day that they marry the love of their life.  But more than that I’m looking forward to strengthening the friendships I have already made and those I’m yet to make.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year that’s filled with love and sparkle!

Natalie x

December 16, 2015 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: bridal, bridal hair, bridal makeup, bride, bridesmaid, Leeds, makeup, makeup artist, mr & mrs, Natalie Willingham, wedding, West Yorkshire, yorkshire Leave a comment

Game Changing Mascara

I have been searching for years, literally years, for a mascara that doesn’t smudge onto my skin each time I wear it.  My bottom lashes aren’t the problem, oh no, the mascara still manages to give me panda eyes from my top lashes!! I mean come on!  Seriously, whose lashes do that!?!  Mine apparently.

Anyway, I’ve tried everything from drug store to luxury brands, researched new formulas, tried different techniques, you name it I’ve tried it.  Even waterproof versions aren’t foolproof on these peepers.

So my last mascara Babydoll by YSL which had done a pretty good job at convincing me it could be the one when it suddenly went dry, crumbly and yep you guessed it gave me big black eyes. Sigh!

With renewed vigour I googled the life out of mascara formulations, recommendations from celebrity makeup artists, pretty much anyone and everyone.  I appeared to find the holy grail of mascaras for ladies like myself, then to my horror learned you could only buy it in USA unless I wanted to paid double luxury prices for a cheap drug store product.

Feeling a bit dismayed I headed into town for a much needed trip makeup shopping to replenish some key items for my kit. I swung by Space NK and while there I relayed my tale of woe to the assistant who was grabbing all of my purchases.  Without hesitation she asked if I’d tried Kevyn Aucoin’s mascaras.

I hadn’t so I was all ears.  The curling
mascara is formulated to shrink to the lash making it smudge proof, not crumbly basically everything thats been the bane of my mascara wearing life.  Also when you remove it it is a bit stretchy so takes a little more care to get it all off.

Well I’m in love with this mascara its bloody brilliant!  My lashes look healthy, long, with volume, not loads granted but enough for me.  But best of all it doesn’t move!  No smudges even in the heat or rain.  So super confident am I in the awesomeness of this mascara that my next challenge is to try it in the shower!  Wish me luck x

 

June 21, 2015 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: beautiful, bridal makeup, kevyn aucoin, Leeds, makeup, makeup artist, mascara, Natalie Willingham, Space NK, wedding, West Yorkshire, yorkshire Leave a comment

Products that go Pow!

I’m tired. Scratch that – I’m knackered and I look it. I’m time poor since becoming a new mum and I needed a new makeup routine that would make me look a million pounds when I felt more like 5p!

Here are a few of my holy grail products which I wouldn’t be without now.

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation. I actually went to trial their Healthy Mix Foundation which a lot of pro makeup artists carry in their kit but I got side tracked by this little bottle. It claims that it corrects and conceals all blemishes and last 16 hours. 2 months later and I’m really happy with this foundation. It has a light to medium coverage and leaves your skin looking matt so no need for powder unless you are really oily. It evens out my skin and even goes part way to covering the blackest dark circles you’ll ever see. As for the 16 hr claim well I can only vouch for 15 hrs as I’m usually in bed by the 16^th hour!

Amazing Cosmetics, Amazing Concealer, from M&S. In a word – its AMAZING! It comes in about 12 shades so you stand a pretty good chance of getting one that works for you. And it covers everything. No more colour correcting before applying concealer, I just whack on a teeny tiny amount with a small brush and hey presto I suddenly look like I’ve had a good 12 hrs rest. If you suffer with dark circles you need this product in your life.

YSL Baby Doll Mascara. I’ve always believed that you don’t need to spend lots on mascara as there are some brilliant high street brands about. But this has been my one indulgence, after getting a free sample. No clumping. Just full, long lashes.

Dr PawPaw Multipurpose Soothing Balm. This little tube of wonder balm can be used on pretty much anything and anywhere. Here’s just a few of the uses I have for it but I bet there are loads of others. Lip balm, emergency moisturiser, smoothing eyebrow hairs, softening cuticles, softening dry skin on hands, heels and elbows, smoothing dry flyaway hair or split ends, healing cuts and grazes.

These are just a few of my favourites, I’d love to hear about yours.

xx

 

 

February 1, 2015 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: Amazing Cosmetics, Babydoll, beautiful, blend, Boots, Bourjois, bridal, bridal hair, bridal makeup, brush, concealer, Dr PawPaw, east yorkshire, Leeds, makeup, makeup artist, makeup bag, Natalie Willingham, wedding, wedding hair, wedding makeup, West Yorkshire, yorkshire, YSL Leave a comment

Wedding dress shopping – a whole new world for The Wardrobe Angel (Part One)

My brilliantly funny friend Steph is The Wardrobe Angel.  She has a thriving fashion business and has even been on TV.  But this year she has stepped into unknown territory.  She has become a bride to be and now has the task of going wedding dress shopping.  I asked Steph to write a couple of blog articles for me about how she felt etc not just because she was in an unusual position for herself but also because this was an experience that every bride to be shared.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy this funny and insightful start to Steph’s wedding dress search.

Shopping for my weddings dress part one…

This is already hilarious for me. Much as I love clothes I have never dreamt of my dream wedding dress. You read that correctly. I have dreamt of Mulberry handbags and mid heeled court shoes, of wardrobes with magnificent sliding doors and clothes all neatly organise inside. I have dreamt of holidays in Ibiza, the ultimate red lipstick and of the perfect brew and the accompanying wheat free biscuit. But I have never dreamt of my dream wedding dress.

I’m a stylist and image consultant and love clothes, but this wedding dress malarkey is a whole new, terrifying, other worldly ball game for me. Here are some wedding dress shaped facts about The Wardrobe Angel:

• I have never tried on a wedding dress before. NEVER. NEVER EVER.
• I fell out with maxi dresses last year and have never worn a floor length gown so I don’t know if I’ll like that wedding dress material swishing around me.
• I think I have wedding dress blindness – I bought a bridal magazine and after a few pages of flipping through I couldn’t tell the difference between one dress and the next.
• I’m scared of the weight of the dress; I’m hardly a body builder and carrying around all that tulle and lace for a whole day seems out of my bodily reach.

We’ve set the date, booked the church and the venue and now there is this HUGE gaping hole in the organisation of our wedding – my missing dress. And time is ticking. I get married in under 9 months. I rang the very wonderful Natalie Willingham to book her as my make-up artist on the day and she gave me some very sound advice,

“You’ve never tried on a wedding dress before and they are a different breed of clothing altogether so when you enter the shop take off your stylist hat and be guided by the shop assistants.”

Except here we are – the first day of wedding dress shopping is tomorrow. I don’t know what pants to wear, I am plucked, waxed and shaved within an inch of my life and I have NO IDEA what to try on first. I don’t know what I like. I can feel a huge panic rise in my chest and it does not subside. My Mum is clearly loving this and I am trying my very best to go through the motions but I NO IDEA what I am doing.

And I am TERRIFIED.

For more updates on The Wardrobe Angel finding her wedding dress follow her blog:

http://thewardrobeangel.blogspot.co.uk/

Website:

www.wardrobeangel.co.uk

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wardrobe_angel

January 13, 2015 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: beautiful, bridal, bridal hair, bridal makeup, bride, bride to be, Hair, image consultant, Leeds, makeup, makeup artist, mr & mrs, Natalie Willingham, red lipstick, shopping, Stylist, The Wardrobe Angel, wedding, wedding dress, wedding hair, wedding makeup, West Yorkshire, yorkshire 1 Comment

I’m getting married but I don’t wear makeup – help!

Does this sound like you?

You’re an au natural kind of girl. Your makeup bag probably contains about 4 or 5 items, which have lingered in the bottom of your bag for a good few years, and only get an outing every time you know you’ve really got to make an effort.

Having a bridal makeup trial scares the bejeezus out of you. You’re worried that you’ll look or feel caked in foundation, look too old, too orange, like you’re wearing a mask, or not like you. And the thought of finding a suitable makeup artist fills you with dread.

Well fear not, in the next few minutes I’m hopefully going to take care of your fears, put your mind at rest and turn what feels like a scary experience into something positive. So here’s how to survive choosing a wedding makeup artist and having a bridal makeup trial.

The first thing you need to do is breathe, grab a cuppa and do some research. Ask friends who have recently married for a recommendation – that’s if you liked how they looked on their wedding day!

If that’s not possible then you need to start looking at websites for makeup artists in your area. Each artist, whilst being able to create almost any look you want, will have a signature style. Spend some time looking through these websites and I mean really look, to get a feel for this. Check out the real brides and not just the styled inspirational shoots. If you want to see more photos of the bride, so you can see how well the makeup lasted throughout the day or night, then pop over to the photographers website too, they will have a lot more images than the half dozen on the makeup artists website.

Ok you have your shortlist of artists whose style most reflects how you want to look on your big day. Again, breathe and pick up the phone. Give the people on your list a call, this helps you suss out their personality under the guise of checking their availability. You may even want to mention your nerves to understand how they empathise and help put your mind at ease.

Ok so the first big hurdle is over. You’ve found and booked a makeup artist and have scheduled your bridal trial. But you aren’t looking forward to the experience as much as you’d hoped.

At your trial explain your reservations and nerves to your makeup artist. I understand that for some ladies a bridal trial is a daunting thing and quite intrusive so always have a good old chinwag with you before I even pick up a brush to gain a better understanding of your needs, expectations and to share with you what I’m going to do. This helps you understand what products I’m using, how many and why and takes away some of the fear. At the trial you will get an idea of how the products are going to feel on your skin and how they can help create a polished version of your usual self. Also, if you’ve never worn false lashes before, it’s a chance to give them a try before your big day.

Having a bridal trial should be an exciting experience as you get to see how you will finally look on your special day. During my trials, I guide you through the process, explaining, reassuring and answering any questions along the way and with a bit of luck having some fun.

Most importantly, I prepare you for what you are about to see in the mirror. Now don’t start to panic. Remember you don’t normally wear makeup, so you will look different to how you look everyday. Hopefully, you’ll see flawless skin, defined eyes and luscious lips. Once you’ve had time to take in your new look, I’ll help you communicate how you feel about the beautiful version of yourself that you can see in the mirror.

Basically, relax, have fun, be honest and trust your makeup artist.

Want to find out how to get the most from your bridal trial? Then check my post here.

Natalie xx

October 29, 2014 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: beautiful, bridal, bridal makeup, bride, bridesmaid, bridesmaids, bronzer, brush, chanel, east yorkshire, eyeshadow, Leeds, makeup, makeup artist, makeup brushes, mother of the bride, Natalie Willingham, natural beauty, yorkshire Leave a comment

Brilliant Bridal Trials

Getting married is a hugely exciting time in the life of any lady and your bridal trial should be a fun and joyous occasion. Want to make sure that your bridal trial goes brilliantly? Then read on..

Timing is everything. Too early and you may change your mind, too late and you may not be 100% certain of your choices. I recommend scheduling your trial 6-12 weeks before your wedding day. By this point you should have a good idea of what styling you would like and have all of the accessories to complement this. Where possible schedule your trial before your dress fitting so you can see how the whole look works together.

Choosing a hair and makeup style is a very personal thing and needs to incorporate aspects of your personality so that your groom recognises you at the end of the aisle. There are so many images out there, I could get lost in Pinterest for hours, and sometimes it can all feel a bit overwhelming. In that case ask me what I think. I have a lot of experience working with different brides and I keep an eye on the catwalk to ensure I keep up to date with current trends, which can then be incorporated into stunning bridal looks.

Bring images of hair and makeup styles you like and those that you don’t along with a photo of your dress to your trial. It is so much easier to communicate to me what you like and don’t like if you are able to show me a photo, as your version of natural will be different to that of another bride.

I usually suggest that you wear a white or light coloured top to your trial.  The combination of light and the white will provide the most accurate example of how your makeup and hair will look on the day. If you don’t have a white top then a white towel or pillowcase will work just as well.

Lighting is really important, so I prefer to schedule my trials during day light hours to ensure that I get the best from our appointment. Lighting at home or in hotels can cast shadows, and yellow tones, which can change the look and colour of your makeup.

Bring any accessories with you to your trial as these can also affect the look of your hair and makeup. Strong accessories may need fuller lashes or stronger colours to emphasise your look. Still haven’t decided? Then bring a couple of options with you so you can see which works best.

And finally, be honest and open to ideas. Before I start any trial appointment, I spend time building a relationship with you. I ask lots of questions to learn more about you, your usual hair and makeup style, your wedding plans etc. This helps us get to know each other better, after all having your makeup done can be quite intrusive and requires a lot of trust between artist and bride.

Hopefully, this short guide will help you understand what to expect at your trial to ensure it goes brilliantly.  But if you still have any concerns then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Happy wedding trials everyone! x

October 22, 2014October 22, 2014 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: accessories, beautiful, bridal, bridal hair, bridal makeup, bridal trial, bride, bridesmaid, bridesmaids, catwalk, chanel, east yorkshire, eyelashes, false eyelashes, fun, harrogate, illamasqua, lashes, laura mercier, Leeds, lighting, love, mac, makeup artist, mother of the bride, nars, Natalie Willingham, nerves, north yorkshire, personality, pinterest, south yorkshire, trends, vogue, wedding, wedding hair, wedding makeup, wedding planning, West Yorkshire, york, yorkshire Leave a comment

Louise & Tony’s Private Affair!

The weather may not have always been on our side this weekend but that didn’t matter as Louise was buzzing with excitement from the minute I arrived at Yorebridge House.

Louise and Tony chose Yorebridge House as their wedding venue as they wanted as much privacy as possible whilst enabling guests to stay overnight.  It was my first visit to this venue and I have to say how delightful a place it is.  Not only was it a really lovely light hotel but the staff were wonderful.  Even though they were busy getting ready for the breakfast service and Louise and Tony’s wedding they took their time to make me feel really welcome and regularly stayed in touch with the bride to ensure she had everything she needed.

Louise had chosen a beautiful and sparkly Justin Alexander mermaid style gown in ivory and gold, with a pair of gold Jimmy Choo’s to compliment.  Originally I was only meant to be creating Louise’s bridal hair style but was also asked to create her wedding makeup too.  We kept everything simple and soft.  Louise chose golds and browns for her eyes to emulate the colours in her gown and I created tousled waves which I twisted and pinned to the side in a loose romantic updo.  Having her hair in an updo meant that Louise was able to show off the gorgeous neckline on her gown.

Ably assisted by her sister in law and cousin both of which looked ultra glam in cream and gold cocktail dresses.  Mum also wore a cream dress and looked fab.

All of the flowers were provided by Sharon at Blush Bespoke Flowers and matched the brides theme of cream and gold perfectly.

Ian of Scarlet Ribbon Photography was on hand from the very first minute to capture as much of this couples special day as possible.

A relaxed and fun morning of wedding prep led to mum and maids excitedly helping Louise into her dress ready for her walk down the aisle.

Congratulations Louise and Tony!  Enjoy your honeymoon x

 

 

May 13, 2014May 13, 2014 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: beautiful, Blush Bespoke Flowers, bridal, bridal hair, bridal makeup, bride, bridesmaid, bronzer, brush, chanel, eyeshadow, Leeds, love, makeup, makeup artist, mother of the bride, mr & mrs, Natalie Willingham, pixiwoo, Real Techniques, scarlet ribbon, wedding, West Yorkshire, Yorebridge House Leave a comment

Ellie & Andy

On Friday I had such joy in helping Ellie look beautiful for her trip up the aisle to marry her love Andy.

Ellie originally booked me to create her wedding makeup only, but when she realised I also did hair she asked for a trial as she’d had 5 trials elsewhere and wasn’t happy with any of them.  On the day of her trial Ellie wasn’t going to have a hair trial as she had resigned herself to not being able to have the look she very much wanted.  After listening to her tale and asking a few relevant questions, Mum Jackie stepped in and asked if I could do a hair trial then and there.  Of course I could so I set about translating what I thought Ellie wanted.

Several hours later hair and makeup complete with the addition of her veil we went to look in the mirror.  Tears of joy from Ellie and a sigh of relief from mum.

I was delighted as I knew Ellie would now be looking forward to her wedding as any bride should, with excitement and joy at being able to look as beautiful as she should.

Ellie’s wedding preparations were very relaxed.  We had a quick hello from my mini schnauzer puppy Buster (Mum, Jackie loves dogs and asked me to bring him into the house), Buster comes to work with me as much as possible and loves all the attention he gets.  Mum was first in the makeup chair and then popped out to the hairdressers.  The the rest of the morning was spent getting Ellie ready.  When it was time for Ellie to step into her dress, we had to wriggle the dress over her head trying to avoid disturbing her hair and makeup – her bridesmaids did a sterling job and nothing needed to be touched up – phew!

Whilst photos were being taken I helped peel labels off shoes and tie ribbons on cars.

Then it was time for me to say my farewells.  Ellie looked so pretty in her high necked dress, ready for her drive in the sunshine to Holdsworth House in Halifax where she would be marrying the man of her dreams.  Congratulations Ellie & Andy and have an amazing time in America on Honeymoon xx

 

 

April 14, 2014 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: bridal hair, bridal makeup, buster, hair makeup & hair artist, halifax, holdsworth house, makeup, makeup artist, mini schnauzer, Natalie Willingham, sunshine Leave a comment

The Ashton-Martins’

This weekend saw Lindsay marry her best friend Dave at Newton Hall in Alnwick, Northumberland.  Every wedding morning I get to spend with a bride, her maids and family reminds me what a privileged role I have.  But this bride and this wedding in particular felt very special to me.  Lindsay first booked my services on recommendation from Nikki Foster at The I Do Touch over a year ago.  Ever since we met at her trial earlier this year we have chatted back and forth about all sorts of things and got to know each other really well – particularly her knowledge of skin primers!

A very early start saw me and my partner for the day Emily Hawkes knocking on Lindsay’s bedroom door at 6am.  From then onwards the very busy morning was filled with fun and laughter, tears of joy and lots of homemade juice drink!

The brides tiara and bridesmaids hair pins were made by the very talented Gillian Million, they looked like tiny bubbles exploding just gorgeous.  The dress, oh my goodness the dress was a divine champagne coloured Jenny Packham design which was topped by a silk finger tip veil.  The shoes, by Love Art Wear Art from Liberty in Love fitted into the whole theme just perfectly.  Lindsay wore a silver sixpence in one shoe and her Grandad’s ring fastened to the ankle strap of another.

The bridesmaids looked like they were sweets with their delicately coloured green, pink and lilac dresses from Maids to Measure.  Added to this the beautiful blooms provided by the team at Horti-couture made the room smelt gorgeous and the ladies looked sunning.

As we waved them off, I wished we were joining in with the fun and festivities that they were going to experience as this was a truly beautiful bride and a lovely lovely family.  Dave you’re a very lucky man.  Congratulations and have a fab honeymoon xx

If you’d like to see a sneek peak of the photos of Lindsay and Dave’s special day then pop over to my facebook page or visit Cat Hepple Photography

April 14, 2014 by Natalie Willingham/Weddings Tags: Alnwick, beach, blooms, bride, bridesmaids, Cat Hepple Photography, Emily Hawkes, Gillian Million, Hair, Horti-couture, Jenny Packham, liberty in love, love art wear art, maids to measure, makeup artist, Natalie Willingham, Newton Hall, Northumberland, peonies, silver sixpence, The I Do Touch Ltd Leave a comment