Dubai accessories designer Lilian Afshar invited Emirates Bride behind the scenes at her wonderfully classic wedding held in the city of Rome this September. Here, the 26-year-old Iranian divulges her pre-wedding skincare regime, a ‘lifesaving’ miracle product and the secret behind her enviable brows…
Describe your wedding style: Classic and romantic.
Who was your hair stylist and did they understand your style? My hair and make-up was done by a salon called Mauro Lulli in Rome. I had a trial back in April with the owner, Mauro, who was the one who did my hair on the day and he understood exactly what I wanted.
He curled my hair using a really interesting technique that I’ve never seen done before and created a half up-do that was perfect with the Spanish veil I wore on the day.
Describe your make-up look, were you happy with the final result? I wanted to go for a warm brown and gold look for my eyes and the make-up artist [using these shades] created a beautiful soft, neutral smoky eye. On the day I was just so happy and excited, the small details didn’t really matter.
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Tell us about about skin prep on your lead-up to the big day: I did the AFT laser facial at Aesthetica Clinic (04) 3428383 once every two months this year, which gave me a great glow on the wedding day.
What was in your wedding day skincare prep kit? I’ve always used the Mesoestetic Facial Gel Cleanser and Nimue Purifier face cream and I didn’t change this.
But for the night before I applied the By Terry Cellularose Hydraradiance Mask (Dhs234 at netaporter.com) and on the day, just before my make-up application, I applied the Hourglass Veil Primer.
Who did you share your ‘getting ready’ experience with? My mum, my aunt and two of my best friends, Nadia and Juline, all got ready with me while we played Frank Sinatra classics in the background. It was such a beautiful memory that I’ll cherish forever.
How many days did your nuptials run for and did you switch up your beauty look over the course of the celebrations? We had a two-day celebration. The first night was a cocktail party at a very traditional Italian restaurant, we even had an opera singer come and perform in the piazza where it was held. I wore a very minimal white Bouguessa jumpsuit so I decided to leave my hair down with loose curls and opted for a heavier eye look.
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We have major brow envy, can you reveal your secret? I naturally have thick eyebrows, all I have to do is grow them out a bit. I got them threaded 10 days before the wedding at Anastasia Beverly Hills salon (04) 4250011 in Dubai and then the make-up artist filled in the gaps using a sharpened eyebrow pencil.
What was your biggest beauty concern ahead of the big day? My biggest concern was my shiny T-zone, but just before the wedding I discovered this miracle product called Cosmelan II by Mesoesthetic, which is perfect for my oily skin.
From first use my dead skin began to peel off but after a few days of heavy moisturising my skin became super fresh with a matte finish. This mask was definitely a lifesaver.
Tell us about your dress, shoes and jewellery: I designed my own dress using plenty of lace and opted for an off-the-shoulder style. My shoes were Gianvitto Rossi, my wedding band was Harry Winston and the rest of my jewellery was designed by my husband – he loves diamonds.
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What the expert says: “Applying a lighter foundation to the T-zone will brighten and open the face, then use a darker shade for the outside triangle to contour”, says Dior Pro make-up artist Ralph Lteif, who created a face chart of Lilian’s wedding day beauty look.
“A stroke of Diorshow Maximizer 3D primer (Dhs170) on the lashes will give extra volume and will make sure lashes stay soft and curled all day. Followed by Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara (Dhs169) which will open up and lift the eyes.”
Lilian’s Make-Up Kit
1.Volume mist, Dhs146, Show available at Harvey Nichols Dubai. 2.Blush, Dhs165, Nars. 3. Naked Palette, Dhs174, Urban Decay. 4. Cologne in Indelebile, Dhs660 Frederic Malle. 5. Oil-Free Foundation, Dhs300, Chantecille at Bloomingdale’s Dubai. 6. Fall In Love Illuminator Collection, Dhs266, Laura Mercier. 7. Radiant Creamy Concealer, Dhs159, Nars. 8.Cellularose Hydraradiance Mask, Dhs234, By Terry.
Images: Supplied
