Q&A Beauty Look and feel your big-day best with help from the experts NAILED IT! I’ve never had my nails done professionally, but I’d love to spoil myself for my wedding! There’s so much to choose from though. What do you recommend I go for? Christina Henry-Winterburn from Warringtonbased Christina’s Nail’s & Beauty says: For someone new to having their nails done I’d recommend a gel polish. A classic French polish with a soft pink base and a painted white tip, is a timeless look for a bride. Alternatively, why not try a soft porcelain white base with some sparkle for the added bling? Add your toes too in a similar style for a finished look. Check out www.instagram.com/nails_by_christina_w CWM beauty editor Kelly Andrews says: Which system you go for is likely to be ruled by how long you want your new nails to last. If you’re hoping to keep them looking as fresh on your honeymoon as they did on your wedding day, it’s best to avoid standard polish as this doesn’t take long to start chipping. Gel polish, which is set under UV light, or something even more hard-wearing is the way to go. Gel polish is generally regarded as being more gentle on natural nails, but that’s only the case if they are applied and removed properly by a professional. Never, try to pick or peel them off yourself! If you’re looking for extra length and longevity, acrylics and hard or builder gel systems are the way forward. But beware, both can be extremely damaging to your natural nails. If you can’t imagine your nails looking any other way though, be sure to do your research first, as both options have their pros and cons. Check with the salon how they apply their sets. Electric files can be brutal and if you’re not used to having your nails done, they might be best avoided. It’s worth asking too where their acrylic powders come from as those sourced from overseas might not have to adhere to the same UK standards concerning flexibility, which ensures any injury caused by catching a nail is minimised. Have a think too about the length you’re looking to achieve. For example, if you’re hoping for a subtle extension, hard/builder gel should suffice as the technician will build up the product on a form, eliminating the need for glued-on plastic tips. Similarly, removal is a key consideration. Both options will last around four to six weeks. Acrylics can be soaked off in acetone, which will soften the nail but at least avoids further excessive filing. Whereas hard gel will usually need to be filed off. Although some modern formulations can be soaked, there’s still more filing involved. Whatever you decide, go along to your favourite salon or technician well in advance of W-day, have a chat, and try out the recommended system. Whatever you do, don’t leave it until the week of your wedding as a quick reversal if you don’t like it will only lead to unnecessary damage and a lot of stress. If you’re unsure in any way, I’d recommend sticking with the least radical options of polish or gel polish. LIFT OFF My long hair is generally quite flat and lifeless, but I love the idea of wearing my hair down on my wedding day. What can I do to give it more volume? Celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas says: One of the easiest ways is to get some layers put in. If you’ve got collarbone-length locks or longer, then longish layers are best with the shortest being chin or jaw length. This way, you take weight out of the hair but keep the length while creating body. Having a fringe put in is also a great way of achieving more volume. Because a fringe is made up of hair taken from the top of the head, you’re removing weight there and pushing it to the front. Blow-drying your hair properly is a good idea too. So, dry using a small, round brush from roots upwards. People think a big brush is the best way to create body, but actually a smaller size is better as you can get right in at the root lifting from the scalp. Blow-drying hair with your head upside down is also a good trick. Remember, you’re trying to defy gravity, getting the hair away from the head. The MDLondon Blow with a large nozzle and a really good bristle brush will give you a fantastic blow-dry with flyaway- and frizz-free shine and lots of volume! You’ll want to look for resin-based blow-dry products containing PDP VA core polymers such as mousse, blow-dry sprays, and hair protection sprays. These can go hard or a bit crispy but as long as you’re constantly moving the brush while you’re drying you’ll avoid the worst of this. But bear in mind that you do need some of that crunchiness as it’s this texture that supports the volume. I love a product called Sugarlift by Wella EIMI. Dry shampoos and dry texturising sprays are good at supporting volume too. I use Umberto Giannini Texture Boost on myself and on my clients. You can use it throughout the day, so if you feel your hair getting a bit flat, just flip your head forward and spray it in at the roots whenever you need to. Above all, you don’t want anything oily on the hair – no oils, no serums, nothing greasy as they’re heavy. Another good method for creating body is adding waves. If you put a curling tong through sections of your hair it creates push against other sections and that in turn creates volume. But if you don’t put enough wave in at the roots the hair sits a bit flat, so make sure you concentrate the tongs at the root, which is where you want the lift. On the big day, put medium velcro rollers in your hair and leave them while you have your make-up done. Try a bit of backcombing at the roots too, teasing the hair with a wide-toothed comb. You could do one of these things or all of them and it will help you. What you don’t want is unrealistic volume so that it looks like a parody. You want to find a happy medium where the hair is healthy looking, so I’d recommend experimenting before the wedding until you find that sweet spot. Follow Michael on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mdlondon and check out https://mdlondon.co.uk ASK THE EXPERTS 77
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=