Makeup Secrets Of Serena Williams
It never hurts to look to popular celebrities for makeup and beauty inspiration, and in this brief post, we’re going to take a look at the soon-to-be most radiant mother in the sports world. Serena Williams is currently missing the U.S. Open expecting the birth of her first child. In fact, as of the time of this writing, she’s in labor! But last we saw her she looked as stylish and beautiful as ever.
It never hurts to look to popular celebrities for makeup and beauty inspiration, and in this brief post, we’re going to take a look at the soon-to-be most radiant mother in the sports world. Serena Williams is currently missing the U.S. Open expecting the birth of her first child. In fact, as of the time of this writing, she’s in labor! But last we saw her she looked as stylish and beautiful as ever.
Williams has been about as dominant a sporting personality as we’ve seen in the last 20 years or so. At the outset of the 2017 tennis season, she was picked to lead the pack at the Australian Open and indeed wound up winning. Little did we know at the time that she was already pregnant! That about says it all regarding the type of athletic force Williams has come to represent. But throughout her illustrious career on the courts, she’s also defined herself with bold styles and seemingly effortless beauty.
Her Makeup Secrets
The tennis star has never been shy about playing the role of beauty icon or model, even if her main focus has remained relentlessly on athletic achievement. And during the 2016 U.S. Open we got some interesting insights into her routine thanks to an interview with her makeup artist, one Natasha Gross of Miami. The interview was conducted by New Beauty, and here we’ll mention a few of the key takeaways.
Gross opened up by discussing her love of NARS products for Williams’s editorial shoots (of which she does quite a few, naturally). The French-based cosmetics company has a full line of products, though Gross singled out the foundations and concealers as her favorites, and credited them with bringing out the luminosity to Williams’s skin – one of the features that are often highlighted with regard to her appearance.
The interview also covered the notion that Williams’s lifestyle could conceivably have negative effects on her skin. Indeed, rigorous athletic activity, sweat, and a lot of sun exposure can all be difficult to overcome in this regard! But here, Gross mostly referred to Williams’s dietary habits as reasons why her skin has never appeared to be anything less than flawless. To hear a career makeup artist simply say that eating healthy and staying hydrated makes the biggest difference is a nice reminder to all of us – even if we aren’t out chasing tennis titles for our professional lives!
And as a final point of interest, Gross actually seems to support a minimalist approach in general. Asked about Williams’s frequent smoky eye appearance on the courts, Gross simply said that the athlete does her own makeup for matches, focusing primarily on eyeliner and high SPF. Similarly, for red carpet appearances, it’s minimal eye shadow, lashes, and contouring. Given how striking Williams tends to look in general, this is a nice endorsement for the idea of achieving a great effect with relatively little product. Of course, Williams’s natural beauty comes into play a great deal as well. But mostly, her looks seem to come down to healthy skin and a few strategic touches!
The Bride Experience: Behind The Scenes
The filming of "The Bride Experience" was so much fun and involved so many vendors that I thought sharing the making of the commercial with some behind the scenes footage would be fun to read.
The Bride Experience Commercial
The filming of "The Bride Experience" was so much fun and involved so many vendors that I thought sharing the making of the commercial with behind the scenes footage and production notes would be fun to read. Join us on the journey of concepting, producing, and executing an entire day at The Van Dusen Mansion for "The Bride Experience".
But first, let's start at the end and watch the final commercial...
What does the day of your wedding look like with WarPaint International? Take 2 minutes and see for yourself.
The vision behind "The Bride Experience"
Everything starts with a vision. And when you're working with creative professionals that know what they're doing, sometimes your ideas can really come to life. We work with a professional videography company that shoots our seasonal Trend Collection, Holiday shoots and more, to concept, produce, and execute the stories that we want to tell. Take a look at these initial storyboards that eventually became the finished product you just watched above.
The Production Schedule
The Van Dusen Mansion
7:15AM - Setup bedroom scene (block light from window, build camera)
Setting up the bedroom at Van Dusen Mansion
7:30AM - Shoot bedroom wake-up scene
The bride's "wake up call".
8:00AM - Setup room and film for Artisan Prep Scene.
8:30AM - Start filming hair and makeup (Tara + Katie & Naseem)
The men
- Film Erik + groomsmen getting ready
11:30AM - Film First Look // End Scene
Scene 2 The Booking Process
The booking process video. Watch how WarPaint International walks you through the bridal consultation process.
Hear WarPaint Founder, Jessica Mae, and her right-hand lady Mariah, walk you through what the booking process looks like with WPI.
The dress, the ring, the flowers
The bride was drenched in luxury and beauty. The gown was provided Minneapolis bridal boutique, Posh Bridal Couture. The amazing flower bouquet was designed by Jessica Wonders Events & Floral. And lastly, our beautiful bride Tara, was outfitted in nearly $100,000 of breathtaking jewelers from a small, family owned jewelry shop in downtown Minneapolis called Gittelson Jewelers.
The Models, Crew, Team, & Vendors
Vision/Producer: Jessica Mae | WarPaint International
Director/Videography: Gerick Engle | Engle Olson
Art Director/1st A.C.: Jenny Olson | Engle Olson
Location: Van Dusen Mansion
Wedding Consultant Team
Jenni Marko
Claire Donnelly
Erin Cooney
Kristina Johnsen
Amy Stenstrom
WPI Artisans
Naseem Rafiei | Makeup Artisan
Katie Rote | Hair Artisan & Director of Education
Mariah Jere | Market Manager & Artisan
The Cast
The Bride: Tara AnnMarie Thatcher
The Groom: Eirk Alan Thompson
Bridesmaids: Ashley Lynn Graaf, Justina Proue, & Kim Graaf
The Groomsmen: Sammy J Koza, Michael Gittelson, Ron "Maceo" Wright
The Vendors
The Bride's Dress: Posh Bridal Couturé
The Bride's Diamond & Jewelry: Gittelson Jewelers
Bowties/Neckties: Mill City Fineries
Bridesmaids Dresses: Flutter Boutique
Florals: Jessica Wonders Events
Wedding Party "getting ready" Robes: Oh Sugar Studio
Hair/Makeup/Production: WarPaint International Beauty Agency (yours truly)