Makeup That Says 'I Do'

As a little girl, about the age of five, I would find my way on top of my mother’s bathroom vanity balancing on my knees, fingers aimed at the little black box that contained a transforming sort of magic.

Opening the lid the oval of frosted sea foam green swept me from my happy go lucky childhood to being a grown up all with the stroke of a plastic stick topped off with a sponge. 

Eye shadow may as well have been the armoire from C.S. Lewis’ "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

Decades later I no longer needed to crawl on top of the vanity, I have my own. I may be trying to cover up a few things rather than wow my face with bright color, but thankfully, I’ve moved away from sea foam green. However, the transforming feeling make-up can bring still stirs excitement.

It’s that excitement that pulled Peters Township make-up artist Bette Cunningham from her college endeavors at Penn State in pursuit of her passion.

Since 1995, Cunningham has had her fingers wrapped around brushes creating fresh looks for women. Her training ground could be found at the cosmetic counters at Lazarus and Kaufmann’s in South Hills Village.

It didn’t take long for her to move from trainee to trainer. Cunningham quickly moved up the makeup ladder, and as a top producer was teaching her craft to other aspiring artists.

Hundreds of bottles of eye potions, foundations, liners and lipsticks later, Cunningham has moved from the mall to her home studio where among other endeavors, she sets the look for a bride’s big day.

“The key to bridal makeup is to keep the bride looking good for 12 hours,” she said. "Fadeless foundation, mascara that doesn’t run and lipstick that sticks are essential to a bride’s long day down the aisle."

That all starts with the consultation where Cunningham and the bride-to-be build the look for the wedding day.

“We talk about the type of look she’s trying to achieve, the theme and colors she likes," she said. "Then we do a trial run, perhaps at a bridal shower, a bachelorette party or even engagement photos.

“There is such a feeling of excitement on a bride’s wedding day," said Cunningham. "I’m so happy to be a part of a woman’s special time. The bridesmaids have their iPods playing their favorite music, the mood is so special and upbeat.”

Fortunately, Cunningham can’t come up with any real “Bridezilla” stories, but she does recall working with a client who was a highly-educated woman conducting medical research, who had never worn makeup.

“She watched what I was doing, where I was placing color and in the end was so grateful," she said. "It was like I showed her something she didn’t even know was there.”

Outside of preparing brides for their nuptials, Cunningham works with professionals who are having portraits made; college graduates preparing to enter the workforce; stay-at-home moms who are resurrecting their careers; and women heading out for that special event who want to add a spark to their usual makeup regime.  

And for the daring woman, Cunningham works with photographer Elizabeth Craig to create boudoir glamour.

So, how is it a little war paint can tender a difference in a woman’s self image?

Perhaps that’s answered with the experience Cunningham had with a legally blind woman.

“She nor anyone else had ever put eye makeup on her," she recalled. "She wanted to learn. So we sat for an hour and her sense of touch told her how to place it."

Cunningham answers critics who say the makeup industry is a superficial one. "Simply put, we value beauty, but more deeply," said Cunningham, “understand if makeup empowers a woman to look and feel her best, she can go into her world and do what she does well with confidence and polish.”

And so the intrigue in my house is fed once again with a little stash of sparkling eye shadow reserved for my girls to walk through the armoire and for a moment pretend that they’re even prettier than they already are, which could never happen.

To refresh your look, contact Bette at makeupartist76@yahoo.com, call her at 412.443.2387, and check out her website at bettemakeup.wordpress.com.