Makeup Tutorials
This Parisian Bride Did Her Own Wedding Makeup—and It's Flawless
When Sofia Nebiolo met Christophe Victoor during a spontaneous evening at Le Pompon nightclub in Paris, she was an American student finishing her studies with every intention of returning to her native Brooklyn. "It was one of those crazy things, we didn't have friends in common," she says of the serendipitous encounter that took place more than a decade ago now. "We ended up building a beautiful life together here in Paris."
Fast forward to November of 2020, when the couple married in a small civil ceremony in the city's 11th arrondissement. "I had two weeks to pull everything together," says Nebiolo, now a brand consultant and co-editor of The Skirt Chronicles, of finding a dress and tapping friends to be witnesses after the pandemic postponed their official wedding party. A minimalist at heart, she quickly decided to do her own makeup. "I wanted to look fresh and bright and not like I'd been in confinement," she laughs of planning her beauty look amid a period of strict lockdown in Paris. "And I wanted to look like myself."
Help arrived in the form of Westman Atelier's Beauty Concierge service, a virtual consultation with a professional makeup artist that Nebiolo booked online with a few clicks of a button. The appointment, she says, was a chance to talk through her wedding day look, customize her shade recommendations, and pick up a few little tricks. "I wanted to feel super calm and prepared, considering all the obstacles." Once she'd logged off, she texted a friend at Paris's Dover Street Market, who rushed a package of her Westman Atelier product picks to her home.
On the day of the wedding, hairstylist Rishi Jokhoo fastened her hair into a low, classic knot that draped over the collar of a floor-length ivory coat by The Row. Then Nebiolo set to work creating luminous natural skin using Lit Up Highlight Stick under foundation for a subtle radiance. Baby Cheeks blush in Chouchette brightened up her complexion, while Face Trace Contour stick added subtle definition for photographs. As a final touch, she used a hint of Super Loaded in Peau de Pêche on lids to emphasize her blue eyes, which were edged in black mascara.
The ceremony was followed by an intimate wedding lunch, prepared by friend and chef Pierre Touitou, for only their very nearest and dearest."I felt so comfortable and not at all stressed," she reflects on the day. Happily, the newlyweds will have the chance to live it all again when they throw a festive party for extended friends and family in Rio de Janeiro next year—with a new dress and, quite possibly, a little tweak of her makeup look. "I had a really hard time choosing between Chouchette and Petal for my blush," Nebiolo laughingly admits of her favorite Baby Cheeks shades. "Next time, anything could happen!"
Shop Sofia's wedding day products below—or book a complimentary appointment with our Beauty Concierge service to find your own custom look.
"I used two Vital Skin foundation shades for the most natural 'skin' effect," says Nebiolo, who applied Lit Up Highlight Stick onto cheekbones and down the bridge of the nose before going over it with foundation for a subtly luminous glow.
"I wanted my skin to look completely real—only better. I invested in the foundation brush to help." "A little bit of bronzer warmed everything up for a healthy look." "During my Beauty Concierge appointment, I learned how to do a little bit of contour to enhance my bone structure for photos." "This pencil helped to fill in my brows for a slightly fuller effect." "Peau de Pêche picks up my blue eyes so I played around with a tiny bit on my lids. I like that it doesn't look like I'm wearing 'makeup.'"
"My lipstick was a dusty rose shade that was easy to wear under my mask and close to my natural lip color." "I have an obsession with Chouchette on my cheeks—it really brightens me up." "My trick is to layer on two mascaras—Glossier's Lash Slick to grab my lashes, with Westman Atelier's Eye Love You on top for definition."
