Your London Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 67)

Contact blushandblowlondon.com Q&A Your London Wedding quizzes salon owner Bridget O’Keefe on bridal beauty BLUSHING BRIDE Q Tell us about your background?  I graduated from university hoping to break into the financial sector but I entered the workforce just as the financial crisis gripped. I ended up temping in various offices, Chanel being one of them, and that prompted a U-turn with my career. Chanel gave me a job on counter and the rest is history! I started my first business with a bridal beauty concierge offering and, a few years later, branched out into the general beauty market with the opening of Blush + Blow in 2016.  Q Can you talk us through the treatments on offer for brides- and grooms-to-be? Facials are always a really good place to start. As a make-up artist, I can immediately tell whether someone has been looking after their skin. We offer various bridal packages that include full body waxing, spray tans, facials and hair and make-up as well as manis and pedis. Lots of couples come in together for a pre-wedding relaxation too.  Q What is your advice for brides and grooms preparing for the big day? Any beauty dos and don’ts? A good skincare regime is essential but avoid new products within a month or so of the big day.   Q Who is your bridal beauty icon and why? I have a few. Grace Kelly for her timeless beauty on her wedding day. You can’t tell what year she married from her wedding make-up, which is the epitome of a timeless beauty. Meghan Markle’s glow was enviable too. Q What is your favourite area of London and why? It has to be Parsons Green. Yes, I’m biased but I really love the locals and its village feel. We have so many lovely, little independents from Katy & Jo for wardrobe inspo to Vincino for my go-to Italian dishes. The area has changed so much over the past five years and continues to boom. One of my all-time favourite things to do is to lie on the green on a sunny day with my dog and notepad for brainstorming. Bridget O’Keefe, owner Blush + Blow salon katenielen.com 104