If your friend’s getting married at City Hall, she’s probably a no-nonsense girl. She wants to get the job done and she wants it done now. This doesn’t mean you can put in zero effort just ‘cause it’s not a big ceremony and the selection of groomsmen is tiny. We love Cynthia Nixon’s look for its sophisticated prettiness and tell you how to get it after the jump!
The Makeup: Nixon’s light but eye-catching makeup is lovely and daytime appropriate.
- Moisturize your face, lady. Too many people skip this step and then wonder why their makeup is seeping into their face and looking so nasty. Kiehl’s Sodium PCA Oil Free Moisturizer is the jam, regardless of your skin type.
- Fix those eye bags and blemishes with a dual concealer like Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage. If you buy a two-sided concealer like that one—one side thicker for face, one lighter for under eyes—you’ll save yourself a bit of money and some space in your makeup bag.
- Go with a lightweight powder foundation applied sparingly to camouflage any remaining bachelorette party-puff. Laura Mercier does a bang up job with her Mineral Powder Foundation. When I’m not feeling too lazy to put on makeup, I swear by it for a subtle, fresh finish.
- Blush them cheeks up. Georgia Peach by Benefit is a peach color that’s difficult to screw up.
- For your eyes, start with a light application of Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Champagne. This is should extend up to your brows but very subtly. Blend well so the color is barely perceptible above the crease of the eye. (This serves the dual purpose of looking nice and keeping your next layer from smudging.)
- Now apply NARS shadow in a semi-sparkly golden color like Ondine. This should only extend a tad above the crease of the eye. Now blend again.
- For eyeliner, something soft like M.A.C’s Eye Kohl in Costa Riche brown will do the trick. Apply above the lash, blend, and then apply very lightly right below the bottom lash line and blend again. If you’ve got dark hair, brush on some black mascara. If you’re lighter, you may want to lighten it up a bit with a dark brown.
- The lips are easy. Just choose a rich, shiny lipstick like M.A.C’s Slimshine in Assertive, put it on and go. If you want a bit of extra shine, you can add a little clear gloss on top.
The Hair: Tight buns are sexy and appropriate for a civil wedding ceremony, but when it comes to hair, the most flattering buns have a certain amount of softness. Cynthia Nixon gets it right. A quick note, though: Cyn’s hair is short. See the front pieces hanging in front of her ears? That’s how not-long it is. When your hair is this chopped, you’ll be using way more bobby pins than someone recreating this look with longer hair since corralling all the choppy pieces can be tough.
- Start by applying a volumizer to damp hair at the roots. (It ups the body and movement factor.) Blow dry your hair—if you have naturally straight hair use your hands to increase volume, if you’re super-wavy or curly, get the old paddle brush out and use that to achieve Cynthia’s sleekness.
- The key to this up-do, like a lot of ‘dos out there, is teasing. You need that “bump” at the crown of your head. Back-comb hair, but don’t go overboard. Tease just enough to create texture. Stop if things get big and stiff.
- Part the first few inches of your head, and separate the section that you will eventually brush across your face.
- Gather the remaining hair at the nape of your neck (it’s the easiest and most universally-flattering). If you can not form a ponytail here, pin back loosely. For longer hair, create a pony tail and pull out sections of hair where the ponytail gets too tight. Create a simple bun covering the hair elastic.
- Finish by brushing the front section of hair loosely across your face, tucking it behind your ear. Spray lightly with hairspray. And remember, no up-do you create on yourself will be perfect, so just go with it!
