Most wanted bridal looks

In-demand Ibiza wedding hair and make-up stylist Louise Maxwell is an expert on all things bridal beauty. With over 10 years of experience in beautifying island brides (and even more in the beauty industry), she has the skills to make your wedding beauty dreams comes to life and the insider knowledge on how to make them last the entire day and night. “Today’s brides want to look like they have just stepped off the catwalk,” Louise says. “Everywhere you look, from Instagram and Pinterest to fashion magazines, there are images everywhere of the ‘perfect’ look.” But what is perfect exactly? “Suitability is a big factor in finding the perfect hair and make-up look for you,” Louise explains. “There is so much choice out there, it’s possible to find something to suit absolutely everyone. I love Pinterest for this. Building storyboards of hair and make up looks for bride and bridesmaids, checking out what accessories are available… creating the look is exciting!” It’s not only your face shape, skin tone and type and hair type your stylist has to take into consideration when designing your ‘perfect’ look – there are also the island elements, such as high humidity, heat and occasional winds (plus the odd teardrop!). “The bride and I work together to create the look and it’s important for me to meet her beforehand and get to know her personality,” Louise explains of the process. “Most brides know what they want to look like, though some are not sure if it will suit them. I always think you should look like YOU on your wedding day – the best version of yourself. If you go for something completely different, you’ll look back on your wedding photos in years to come and think – ‘what was I thinking?’“

Speaking of photos, Louise has recently introduced a new service to her range of wedding beauty packages, which allows her to remain at the wedding for a period of time after the ceremony and during the all-important photoshoot, to ensure the bride looks picture perfect at every moment. “I’ve worked on many photoshoots and I know how these looks are created,” says Louise. “And I know they need maintenance to stay looking like that in photos all day. So I created this new package for brides to receive the model treatment on their wedding day. I also like to know who the photographer will be so I can liaise with them beforehand.” For Louise, the perfect wedding day is spent with the bride and bridal party, creating and maintaining the looks alongside her assistant so everyone is happy. “It’s important that the bridal party know what they are doing and where they should be, at what time, to create a wonderful calm atmosphere,” Louise says, of making the process run smoothly. “Once everyone is ready, it’s great to see the bridal party together to get the full impact,” she says. “Then it’s the bride, the photographer and me and this is when you get really beautiful shots. Fresh hair and make up, with me on hand for touch ups and to make sure a hair isn’t out of place. The model bride!” It’s also important to note, that Louise and her team can also offer a full grooming service for your hubby-to-be. After all, if the bride is Instagram worthy, surely she wants her man to scrub up equally as well? “Not only does this make him feel good and fresh, ready for the big day, but he’ll look like a better version of himself too,” says Louise.

In 2017, Louise defines the most requested bridal make up looks as a golden glow, with bronzed, highlighted and contoured accents, like Gigi Hadid. Gold eyes and natural lips are a popular combination, as are strong lips and defined eyebrows – as seen on catwalks and in magazines. Dewy, glossy natural make-up is another highly requested look for contemporary brides, who don’t want to feel like their faces are ‘caked’ in make-up. “I work with many different nationalities and have found for instance the French bride is more minimalist compared to the English bride, who prefers full make-up,” she says. “This isn’t always the way but I have seen a common thread for flawless skin, defined eyes and beautiful hair.” It’s here that a trial make-up session is essential. “I like to see the bride’s skin during the trial, to know if her skin needs any extra attention before the wedding day. It’s also always good to try products and techniques out before wedding day just in case you develop a reaction, they just irritate or you just don’t like them!” Louise also says eyelashes can make a big difference to a look, so the bride needs to decide whether to have a full set of semi-permanent lashes applied before her wedding day or to have single false lashes on the day.”

For wedding hair, trends have become a lot less formal and more laidback, according to Louise, who says the most requested looks for 2017 are messy deconstructed hair – as seen in the Jean Paul Gaultier 2017 couture shows and Odylyne The Ceremony at New York Bridal Fashion Week. Loose chignons and plaits or braids also remain popular, though Louise says extensions can sometimes be needed to achieve the fullness seen in magazines. Last of all, big bouncy waves are back! “The SS17 trends are very similar with the addition of ponytails – it’s not normally a wedding look but fashion dictates loose, plaited, backcombed ponytails, so why not?” she says. “The catwalk shows had a very strong 70s influence which will come through in hair cuts and styling. For weddings, there are still lots of plaits, undone curls and waves plus lots of gorgeous accessories if you do want your hair up – from silk headbands to feathers.” A pre-wedding trial is essential to ensure your hair type suits the look you’re after. As many a fine haired girl would know, big bouncy locks aren’t going to last on a steamy summer day! “We always want what we can’t have,” laughs Louise. “But I always try to accommodate the bride’s request (unless it’s impossible). If she has fine hair and wants big bouncy waves, then we can work out the best way to achieve it.” Beautifully deconstructed bohemian hair can be great when it’s first styled, but in real life (and in your wedding photos), the fact is, sometimes it just looks plain messy. And that’s where Louise Maxwell comes in, to ensure every last lock is in place…