Guest Blogging with celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert

As a bridesmaid, you want to look your best, but you don't want to outshine the bride. Kimara Ahnert, bridal makeup artist extraordinaire, has some simple makeup tips that will have you fresh faced and aisle ready in no time.

On Matching Dress to Makeup
• Choose eye shadow colors that compliment the dress, not that necessarily match the dress. As a rule, accessories should match while beautiful makeup compliments. If your dress is purple, choose makeup that has blue based undertones. For champagne a colored dress, pair yellow based undertones together such as bronze, gold, copper and pewter.

Sun Too Much?
• Don't over tan or over bronze pre wedding.  A sun kissed look is fresh, a baked look is not and doesn't compliment the rest of the bridal party in photos.

Ode to Oil Free
• Wear an oil free matte foundation for long lasting coverage set by a powder to keep makeup looking flawless and lasting for hours.

Party Prep
• Don't party too much the night before at the rehearsal dinner.  Makeup always looks better on skin that is not tired and puffy from alcohol after a late night.

Keep Up with Touch Ups
• Always keep blush and lip color with you in your purse for reapplying throughout the event. Many brides don't touch up and makeup ends up looking faded by the time the reception starts.

I love the window display and entrance to Kimara Ahnert's New York City Studio, which opened in December 1997, at 1113 Madison Avenue (at 83rd street). The makeup studio resembles an elegant residential townhouse that exudes warmth and comfort.  From Kimara, "I wanted to create an exclusive makeup studio where the ambiance greatly differs from the department store cosmetic counter". And, judging from the above photo, I'd have to say Kimara succeeded.

The following is an excerpt from the press release I recently received:

Like walking into a lavish home, the Kimara Ahnert Studio surrounds you with French decor including Aubusson rugs and pillows tossed on Louis XVI chairs and settees. The goal is to recreate the comfort and convenience of home to provide a platform to concentrate on bridal looks and achieving them. From luxurious dressing rooms where plush Swiss robes and slippers take the place of everyday wear, to state-of-the-art facial facilities, to intimate cosmetic counters where experts transform brides to be, individualized personal attention is everywhere.  

Kimara's custom designed line of professional makeup, brushes and skin care allow brides to take Kimara's vision home with them and adapt to their lifestyle. There are a variety of shades, textures and formulations that take into account the varying needs, lifestyles and tastes of brides from near and far. All cosmetics and skin care products are consistent with prevailing environmental standards and are hypoallergenic and sensitivity tested.

The services available at Kimara Ahnert include:
• Makeup applications
• Makeup lessons
• Eyebrow shaping
• Lash applications
• Facials
• Body waxing
• Electrolysis
• Body hair bleaching and tinting
• Massages
• Body treatments
• Self tan application
• Post operative makeup

If you've been to Kimara Ahnert's New York City Studio, I'd love to hear your experience.