Dan's Papers - April 4, 2008 - A Brush of Beauty

When the big day comes, there's one thing that dominates a bride's thinking. No, it's not whether the cake will tip over or the band will show up. It's looking her best. This may sound like so much beauty magazine doublespeak, but ask any bride and nine out of ten - ten out of ten - will say it's her reigning thought. Just think: marching down the aisle, with all eyes glued on you, to the love of your life waiting at the other end, while a photographer snaps away. Just a little pressure.

Although the dress and hair are of the utmost importance, number one is a bride's makeup. After all, the majority of her time that day will be spent getting her photo taken. According to experts who engage in the trade of making women look beautiful, airbrushing makeup practically secures a flawless face. It gives a dewy natural look and near-perfect results, and the best part? It lasts for hours.

Although the technology is new, the technique is not, having been around for the past ten-plus years, according to Fernando Blanco, owner of the Sagg Salon in Sag Harbor. Initially used as an application technique for women who preferred self-tanning over the sun, it's now taken its place on the face, and requested by brides as well as women who are attending important functions. "There's no brush; it's a spray," Blanco described. "People really like it." It also makes retouching photos practically unnecessary, he says.

"It's used more for wedding parties, for brides and bridesmaids," he said of his clientele, which includes women in their 20s through 60s.

The whole application takes anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour, depending on the look you want to achieve, lighter for a casual affair or heavier for an evening gala. "We generally do one layer and then apply a second coat for the finish," said Blanco.

For the past five years, customers at Saks Fifth Avenue in Southampton have requested the technique to achieve a more finished look, says Vera Barron, a makeup artist for Estee Lauder there. "You have to match the foundation to the skin; if you do, it will look more natural," she said. Barron explained that an airbrushing machine directs a pressurized stream of foundation right into the pores, making for a porcelain appearance. "It's great if you're taking photographs; that's why brides use it so often." She recommends using a sponge or brush to blend further and says that removing it is as easy as it is with a regular application. The machine is not for commercial sale though, being a heavy piece of professional equipment, and airbrushing is available by appointment only.

"Radiant" is the operative word used by Renata Petecka, co-owner of Ananas Spa in Southampton. "Especially when your makeup just has to be perfect, and stay on for many hours. You don't need a touch up as you do with regular makeup applications," claimed Petecka. Celebrities are devotees too, she reports, using airbrushing for demanding repeat appearances.

Petecka is also a fan. "I had it done at my aestheticians. It stayed on for hours," she said of her first application. Brides love it because so many things are out of their control - and they need to control something!"

Besides its raved-about, flawless coverage, airbrushing eliminates dark circles and discolorations, an unfortunate part of the go-go life most of us lead, marching down that aisle or not.