It was a full studio of artists for this romantic shoot! From our tintype specialist Giles Clement to the excellent hairstyling of Joseph DiMaggio and our beautiful redheaded makeup artist Morgan Gates, with her kit full of Butter London, it was clear that beauty was going to be made. Here we offer you a sneak peek at some behind the scenes images, plus the how-to on our muse’s soft & dewy look and naturally nude nails…
Butter London is a company with something for everyone, their motto is no rules – inspired by Great Britain’s rock and rollers (check out the British slang names and cheeky definitions of each product!) they’re all about having fun with your look! Their fall collection launched with bold, bright colors, while their spring collection is more toned down and neutral.
One thing I love is how many of Butter London’s products are multi-use: blushes can also be used as lipsticks, cream eyeshadows can be highlighters – because they know the Butter London girl is on the go…and aren’t we all?
Soft and dreamy makeup…
Morgan suggests prepping the skin with Burt’s Bees Rosewater Toner, as a way to freshen and wake up your skin.
Moisturize the skin all over with Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre – it used to only be available overseas, but it’s now sold in the US! Morgan says it’s among her top products because it hydrates so well and makeup wears really nicely on top of it. Gently smooth on Lucas’s Papaw Ointment on any dry spots around the nose or on the lips. Finally, use Butter London Hydrating Balm to get extra moisture.
Smooth Makeup For Ever HD Foundation all over the face to perfect and smooth the skin. Anywhere you need extra coverage – under eyes, to cover any redness or dark spots – use Tarte’s Maracuja Creaseless Concealer. This creates a really smooth, natural feel instead of one color all over!
Blend a little bit of Naughty Biscuit Cheeky Cream Blush to define the cheekbones without getting excessively colorful.
On the lid, use Twigged Wink Eye Pencil, drawing close to the lash line and then using a small smudging brush to blend quickly (be careful, it dries fast!) blending quickly up to the lid. This creates a gradient up into the crease – and Morgan recommends Twigged because it brings out wonderful tones in everyone’s eyes!
For under the eye, use the smudging brush to take directly from the pencil, then use the brush under the lashline, making a softer, less intentional line under the eyes.
Use Alabaster Gaze Wink Eye Pencil right in the waterline – it helps to finish the look if you’re not using mascara. And if you’re skipping mascara, make sure to brush a clean mascara wand through the lashes to clean out any other product that may be stuck there! This makes sure you get a really soft and lovely natural look.
The ladies at work!
For the brows, use Brown Sugar Wink Mascara – first, wipe as much as you can off the wand, taking a paper towel to wipe it as cleanly as possible. Then, brush it very lightly through the brows while trying to avoid touching the skin. This gives definition to brows without making them look filled in.
Put a little Teddy Boy Lippy Tinted Balm directly on the lip, then use a brush or finger to blend a little more in, making it look more like a natural lip. “This is a great color to give a little definition, but still look like you’re not wearing a lot of lipstick,” said Morgan.
Finish up with a translucent powder – you don’t want to kill the dewiness of this soft look, so just use lightly under the eyes and through the T-zone (forehead and down the nose).
Naturally nude nails…
Start with Butter London Scrubbers, which act as a nail polish prep & remover of any previous polishes. Then use Nail 999 Rescue Basecoat to brighten the nail bed, fill in ridges, and give a nice smooth foundation for the polishes going on top.
Put on one coat of Pink Ribbon, a really soft, pale pink, close to a nude, very light and pretty (part of Sweet Somethings Bridal Collection!)
The second coat is Yummy Mummy, a nude-toned mauve with a bit of shimmer.
For the topcoat, use Nail 999 Rescue Top Coat and cuticle oil, which helps to hydrate the cuticle area so it doesn’t look dry & (added bonus!) helps nail polish dry faster!
More behind the scenes…
Below, Joseph begins to create the perfect textured “mermaid hair” by brushing mousse through Michaela’s hair and heat-styling it in small waves…
The final result as seen through the test shots I took setting up the *one* shot we had with the tintype…
Dresses by Monique Lhuillier
Modeled by Michaela of Decorum Models // Makeup by Morgan Gates // Nails by Phylicia Henry // Hairstyling by Joseph DiMaggio // Shot at Ann Street Studio