Destination Wedding Hair & Makeup Artist | Zoe's Beautiful Real Wedding Kefalonia, Greece |

• Kefalonia, Greece Destination Wedding

• Venue: Jerusalem Beach

• Photos: Nikiforos Photography

• Hair Style: Hollywood Wave

• Makeup Style: Elegant, Glamorous, Timeless

• Bride Dress - Karen Willis Holmes - Perth

• Vibe Relaxed Glamour Party

When Zoe asked if I would travel to Kefalonia for her wedding in August, there was only one answer! Yes, I jumped at the chance! I love destination weddings and this was one hell of a wedding.

Zoe & Warren live in Australia, but due to Zoe’s Greek heritage, they decided to marry on the stunning island of Kefalonia. It was one big fusion of Australian & Irish families getting together to have one great big Greek destination wedding.

How Does a UK-Based Hair & MakeUp Artist end up in Greece with a Australian and Irish couple?

I hadn’t met Zoe before flying out to Kefalonia (as she is based in Sydney!) but we had exchanged lots of emails and discussed ideas over Skype and we scheduled the bridal hair & makeup trial for two days before the wedding. It was so lovely to be able to do the trial so close to the wedding day and, with a glass of wine and one hell of a view, we chatted and discussed final ideas.

Zoe decided on a Hollywood wave with a section of the hair pinned under the nape of the neck. This complimented her Karen Willis Holmes dress perfectly.

Zoe had struggled to find the right fit for her hair & makeup artist on the island and then started to research a London-based hair & makeup artist with a view to flying them out to the island. For Zoe it was really important that the hair & makeup artist fully understood her vision.

Zoe’s Makeup

Zoe's skin was in wonderful condition due to a thorough skincare routine.

I started to prepare the skin in the usual way with a massage, cleanse & gentle exfoliation to the face. On Zoe’s skin we started massaging in the Frances Prescott Tri Balm, as this really helps to boost circulation, ensuring the skin looks brighter and the make-up application is smoother. The cleansing balm I used has very gentle exfoliating properties ensuring we have a smooth base to start with.

I took off the balm with warm water and cotton pads, applying a little pressure as I went, which helps remove any of those dead skin cells.

I applied a little Vichy 89 Mineral Serum first for hydration & then used the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream because of the heat. All of the products are picked because they are lightweight and melt into the skin. It was incredibly hot so the aim is not to build up heavy products, its all about sheer layers!

We opted for the Armani skin foundation as Zoe’s skin isn’t particularly oily and she preferred a more dewy & radiant finish.

The Armani silk foundation was used all over the skin and I used a very small amount of the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick pressed into the T- Zone.

Nars Creamy Concealer was used under the eyes.

I pressed my Hourglass Translucent powder into the T-Zone and kept powder everywhere else to a minimum.

I sculpted the face using my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, the soft trio of powders provide the most beautiful and subtle lighting for the face.

I then used Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise in Jean over the eyelid. Very little eyeshadow was used over the eyelid itself, the focus was on the lash and the eyeliner.

Charlotte Tilbury Rock & Kohl Liner was used to smudge a soft but intense line into the lash line. A dark chocolate matt shadow was smudged on top of the liner to create a lovely feline flick. Finished with a set of Ardell Demi Whispies and a couple of coats of mascara the eye makeup was complete.

Mac Lipstick in Shanghai Spice was the lipstick of choice, the soft coral really suited Zoe’s Complexion.

Hair

Zoe Decided on a Hollywood wave with a section of the hair pinned under the nape of the neck - this complimented her Karen Willis Holmes dress perfectly.

Preparing the hair by blow drying in the Loreal Tecni Art Pli, I focused on really smoothing the hair with a medium sized barrel brush. Really concentrating on the fly aways around the face and the crown area.

I used my GHD creative curl wand and tonged all the sections in exactly the same direction.

Then Misting in a Redken Wax spray to smooth out the flyaways and increase the shine, brushed the curls out with a tangle teezer.

Setting clips were used to set the hair in place. A shine Spray was used to finish.

If you are getting married abroad here are my top tips:

• Get that skin care regime in place, combat any signs of dryness ensure its looking healthy and well moisturised prior to your wedding.

• Wear a high SPF on your face in the days running up to your wedding. (It is always easier to make your face look more tanned with makeup), you definitely do not want the sunburnt look. My top picks are La Roche Posay SPF

• Take a really good cleansing balm abroad, you want a very thorough but gentle way to remove any build up of SPF left on the skin the best way to do this Is with a soft foaming wash or a cleansing balm.

• Fake tan shows up really well on camera, If you are after that bronzed look I would seriously suggest a very light layer of fake tan. My ultimate fave is the St Tropez Purity Water Gel, it is not sticky, drys instantly and gives the prettiest bronzed glow. St Tropez Water Face Mist is absolute must, packed with hyaluronic acid you have all the tan with absolutely no spots. You Just need to mist and go.

• Book a hair & makeup artist you trust! You have spent months and months planning, you have that perfect dress, ensure you look & feel incredible by investing in a reputable hair & makeup artist.