For andro lesbians, makeup isn’t usually a main concern, but even the most perfect complexion can look blotchy under wedding photographers’ lenses. The sun and lights can make your skin go from fair to glare, so take a tip from these three butch celebrities, who know how to tweak their makeup routine just enough to battle the close-ups, while still retaining a natural look.
RACHEL MADDOW Even the first openly gay prime-time host is not above a little powder. After seeing herself on television, and some pushing from her partner, she admitted that a little makeup wouldn’t hurt, “Without it she looked like a dead person,” her longtime partner, Susan Mikala, mentioned in a New York Magazine profile. So she opted to get “done up like a dude.”
Get Rachel’s Look
Face: Basic foundation makes sure every visible surface is covered, keeping her fresh-faced and smooth, even with studio lights beaming down. Follow up with powder, which helps tone down glare.
Eyes: Apply eyeliner to the bottom half to contour the eye ever so slightly so it doesn’t look sunken in on camera.
Lips: Skip the lips and go au natural; just be sure to keep them hydrated with chapstick throughout the day so they won’t dry out. The good thing about this route is that you won’t have to worry about smudging when you kiss your new wife.
ELLEN DEGENERES We all would give anything to have a face as youthfully fresh as Ellen’s (she’s 53 and looks 35!), and, as the face of CoverGirl, she’s a good person to take cues from.
Get Ellen’s Look
Face: Obviously, she’s a devotee to CoverGirl cosmetics. Her makeup artist uses the CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer/Foundation/Concealer trio. These three products will smooth out your face and cover up any blemishes, and they feel so light, you won’t even realize you’re wearing makeup.
Eyes: A subtle smokey eye adds glamour without being too femme, and plays up her baby blues. Her makeup artist then lines with brown eyeliner, smudges, and then tops with a neutral shadow such as grey and brown mascara. Using brown eyeliner and mascara instead of black gives a more natural look.
Lips: Instead of lining the lip, DeGeneres' makeup artist applies liner lightly to the lip area because it holds the actual color longer (a great wedding-day trick!). Then CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss gives a luxurious, albeit natural, color and shine to finish the look.
JANE LYNCH Someone who can make a tracksuit look good clearly has style. The Glee star has the ability to glam it up for the red carpet but we think she looks just as fantastic on set.
Get Jane’s Look
Face: Foundation smoothes her skin and barely there blush on the apples of her cheeks show off her strong jawline while adding just a hint of color to keep from looking washed out under bright lighting.
Eyes: Light eyeliner along the outer edges and a subtle brown eye shadow help create definition.
Lips: Jane plays up her natural lip color with Smith’s Rosebud Salve that keeps them moisturized and looking healthy.
Photos: Rachel Maddow courtesy of MSNBC; Ellen DeGeneres and Jane Lynch courtesy of IMDB.com
When I got engaged, I had no idea what type of wedding dress I wanted to wear. Flat shoes or high heels? Would I wear a veil or a flower in my hair?
One thing I knew I wanted to wear without a doubt: fake eyelashes. While they may seem overly dramatic, especially compared to your normal beauty routine, they make a huge impact—framing your eyes and making your look pop in photographs.
If you’ve never applied fake eyelashes yourself, don’t be nervous. It just takes a little practice and a little patience. Here are10 easy steps on how to do it yourself!
Gather your supplies: eyelashes, glue and a few cotton swabs. While you can apply the glue directly from the container, using a cotton swab is usually less messy and provides better control.
The eyelashes are packaged the way you should put them on, with the smaller lashes on the inside corners and longer lashes toward the outside. Take one lash out of the container—they’re a bit sticky—to get started.
Take the lash between your forefinger and thumb on each end and bend them slightly so they will conform to the shape of your eye.
Dab a small dollop of glue onto the end of a cotton swab. Close the glue container right away so it doesn’t dry up.
Draw a small line of glue onto the length of the eyelashes so they will curl up and away from your eyes.
Lightly close your eye as you place the lashes as close to your natural lash line as possible, pressing down on your eyelid.
Hold down the lashes, pressing lightly, making sure the corners are adhering well.
The glue will appear white at first, but as it dries it will disappear.
Apply mascara to blend your real eyelashes together with the fake ones.
Compare the difference between your regular, natural lashes (right) and the eye with the fake lashes! Beautiful!
TIP: Never apply the lashes immediately after applying the line of glue. You want it to be tacky, but not wet.
Learning to glue on a full set of lashes is usually easier, at first, than applying the small clumps of lashes individually. But if you want only to fill in the outer corner of your lashes and make them fuller, individuals are the way to go.
Fresh, real, live, bountiful flowers in bridal hairdos never fail to send us swooning. We've rounded up some of our favorite images to inspire your wedding-day 'dos. Plus, some wedding music to enjoy!
Source: Feather and Twine Photography
“She wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes.” —Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
Source: Long Hairstyles How To
"Earth laughs in flowers." —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Source: Pinterest
"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair." —Susan Polis Shutz
While we were swooning over the styles that sashayed down the runway at New York Fashion Week, we couldn’t help but also notice the manisthat the models were rocking, imagining that several could serve as perfect inspiration for your own wedding day nails.
At Alexander Wang, CND created a “brushed stone” look on the models’ shellac press-ons, feathering each nail and buffing to a matte finish. Wang asked for an "androgynous-looking nail, something that was an enigma ... very quiet, but still strong and modern."
Louise Bourgeous’s infamous prints were translated to manicured textures for the Creatures of Comfort show. The unique style was created using Priti's Cobweb Hen polish and a sprinkling of flocking powder.
Take a cue from your wedding day gown and top your mani with actual lace, as seen at the Houghton show. The models' nails were painted with a creamy latte shade, OPI Samoan Sand, and topped with the same luxurious lace in Polk's fall pieces. The nails were filed to what’s been coined as a stiletto point (another hot nail trend that we spotted), playing up this ultra femme manicure.
It’s no surprise that noted wedding gown designer Jenny Packham sent styles down her ready-to-wear runway that we’re coveting for the big day. To complement the ethereal gowns and lavish accessories, an artist from Essie created a sparkling, gradient nail art design using Essie Luxeffects in set in Stones. She achieved the cascading look by applying the glitter polish at the center of the nail, tapping the brush back and forth to the tip.
Butch women's hair styles range from the closely cropped military 'dos to the trendy Justin Bieber-like sweep across the forehead. We love our butches, no matter what the length of hair, but here are some of our favorite short butch hairstyles for weddings, starting with our current crush, Ellen Degeneres.
By Kirsten Ott Palladino
Ellen Degeneres at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards with Beyoncéon Feb. 10 in Los Angeles | Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Annie, a butch lesbian who married Sylvia in Long Beach, Calif. | Read their Real Wedding feature | Photo by Rachel McCauley
Stephanie and Julie held their wedding ceremony at the San Francisco Zoo | Read their Real Wedding Feature | Photo by Lilia Ahner
Butch bride Alex and her wife Morgan's Seattle wedding proved to be a giant jubilee | Read their Real Wedding feature | Photo by Libby Lewis
P-Jaye, a butch lesbian, married her bride Yolanda in a private ceremony in Connecticut. | Read their Real Wedding feature | Photo by Craig and Sonia Houghton, Nutmeg Muse Photography
Though not a butch lesbian, we adore this tender moment of trans man Beck getting his short hair sprayed and styled for his marriage to Margaux | Photo by Our Labor of Love
Beauty & Grooming
