"ASK ALISON" May 2003

ASK ALISON" May 2003

Q: I'm getting married in a few months - is there anything that I can do to ensure that my skin looks perfect on my wedding day?"

A: Alison Raffaele, creator of Skin Alison Raffaele cosmetics, offers the following advice:

Yes, and I'm glad you asked because one of the BIGGEST beauty mistakes you can make as a bride-to-be is over drying your skin with topical acne medications in an attempt to keep it clear. Please realize that it is virtually impossible to create natural-looking coverage with foundation and/or concealer on dry, flaky skin. So, should you fail at your attempt to prevent a breakout by over drying your skin or even if you don't break out, but your skin becomes red and blotchy well, there won't be a darn thing you can do with cosmetics that will make the situation look any better. Believe me you DONT want to be without the option of being able to conceal a breakout on your wedding day! A much wiser skincare option is to begin seeing an experienced, licensed esthetician for a monthly facial at least 3-6 months before your wedding - but don't just go right before your wedding looking for a quick fix, because if youve never gone for a deep cleansing facial before, it could actually cause problems deep within your skin to surface. Your dermatologist can also prescribe a low dose of oral antibiotics for you to take a week or so before the wedding to clear up any last minute blemishes and prevent new ones from cropping up. And, heaven forbid, you do have a major eruption, s/he can inject the site with cortisone, which will zap that sucker into oblivion in about 6-12 hours flat.

That said, the best defense is to be prepared to conceal, if necessary! You will want to have an oil free foundation that matches your skin exactly and two high-coverage concealers - one that matches your skin exactly, and one that is one shade darker to counteract excess redness on hand. What you need to remember is that the color of your skin can vary up to several shades depending on levels of sun exposure in fact, I can almost guarantee that the foundation you bought in February is going to be way too light for your skin in August. So about a week before your big day put on the foundation, concealer, and powder you plan to wear and make sure it still works with your current coloring because the only thing a too light concealer is going to go for a pimple is make it look bigger! Another old trick is to dab a bit of Visine on any blemishes before your makeup to help reduce redness and swelling. Lastly, don't forget to tuck your concealers, concealer brush, blotting tissues, powder, and lipstick into a little bag and stash it in the ladies' room so it's there when you want to touch up. For more tips and tricks, please visit trueconcealer.com.

Suggested Products from Skin Alison Raffaele:

True Concealer $22.50 (available in skintones 1-7), Reality Base $35.00 (available in skintones 1-5), Concealer Brush Duo $25.00, and Blotting Tissues $6.00

###