Almost every bride marrying in summer asks me the same thing: whether her makeup and hair will survive the heat. For a bride from a cooler country the question weighs even more, because a wedding here lasts from morning to night and much of it happens outdoors.
Why the preparation depends on the area
The answer starts with where the wedding takes place. An inland estate, where the heat is dry and strongest at midday, is not the same as a hotel by the sea, where humidity is added to the heat. So skin and hair are not prepared in the same way in one place as in the other: inland I think mostly about heat, and on the coast about heat and humidity together.
Preparation for the inland heat of Andalusia
In the heat, skin sweats and produces more oil, and that is what moves makeup: the base shifts, shine appears and the colour fades within a few hours. So the skin comes first. It is cleansed, hydrated and prepared according to how it is that day, because stable skin is what holds makeup. Then the makeup is built in thin layers, the areas that shine most are set with powder and the whole look is fixed to resist sweat. In the hair, heat and sweat loosen the shape, so it is prepared from the base to give the style structure without making it stiff.
Preparation for the salt air, wind and humidity of the coast
On the coast, besides the heat, there is humidity, sea wind and, near the beach, tiny drops of salt water that the air carries onto the hair. Humidity is what punishes a hairstyle most: it undoes waves quickly and softens an updo that was not designed for it. So I work the hair with dry products, nothing that weighs it down, and anchor it where the wind is going to pull. On the skin, the makeup is set with waterproof products that protect it from humidity and sweat.
Why no makeup or hairstyle is completely foolproof
Even so, no makeup and no hairstyle is foolproof, and I prefer to say so clearly from the start. This preparation makes them last far longer than a standard service, but after a whole day of heat, hugs and dancing something will show: the hair will be a little looser and the skin will want a touch of powder. That is what the touch-up kit is for, and with it you reach the evening with the same makeup you left with in the morning.
