Over the weekend, Naomi Biden, the eldest granddaughter of President Biden, wed her husband Peter Neal on the South Lawn of the White House. For the big day, she wore a Grace Kelly-inspired lace dress by Ralph Lauren featuring a high neck with a dramatic train and veil. Also calling to mind Princess Grace of Monaco? Biden’s elegant beauty look. Her honeyed brunette lengths were swept back into a sleek Old Hollywood royalty-worthy updo, while her soft, lit-from-within makeup was punctuated by a diffused cat eye and pretty pink lip.
“It’s a timeless bridal look,” says hairstylist Xavier Velasquez—who met Biden through her longtime brow artist Azi Sacks—of the sculptural bun look he crafted. To create the style, Velasquez began by blow-drying lengths smooth and using a tail comb to perfect a poker-straight center part. After securing the hair right below the crown and building volume by backcombing and teasing the middle of the hair, he molded the bun and pinned it in place. Sure to inspire legions of brides-to-be, Biden’s wedding-day hairstyle wasn’t just a beautiful complement to the high neckline of her dress, but also a break from the trend towards hair worn down or in a half-up style. “Over the last decade, a lot of brides have been wearing their hair down with waves or curls,” explains Velasquez. “This is a really universal and beautiful way to nod back to something that’s very classic, while still feeling current.”
In the same spirit, makeup artist Shayna Goldberg dreamed up a “clean and bright” makeup look. “She has such prominent brows and beautiful blue eyes; we didn’t want anything distracting from her natural beauty,” explains Goldberg. Ahead of the nuptials, Biden’s skin was prepped with a bespoke facial from celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram, who focused on “hydrating, lifting, and toning” treatments to create a glowing and luminous canvas. Furthering this effect, Goldberg administered minimal coverage with a lightweight skin tint to “let her freckles” show through. Then, she swirled on cream blush and contour for a soft, sculpted flush and added a swish of dewy highlighter across the bridge of the nose and into the brow bones.
On the eyes, the pro used a small buffing brush to blend creamy ash eyeliner along the upper lash line, the stroke extending to the outer corners to smoky, gradient effect. “It’s a grayish charcoal—almost black, but not quite, which really complemented her blue eyes,” explains Goldberg of her choice of sooty shade. Finally, a wash of “natural, flush-like pink” on the mouth, achieved with a stain as a base for longevity, then layered with sheer lipstick and a gloss, completed the equation. “What makes [this look] most appealing for a bride is that it accentuates her natural features,” says Goldberg. “We didn’t do anything distracting that would take away from her beauty, but it still made a statement.”
While being a part of a White House wedding is an inherently high-stakes affair, Biden’s glam team credits her and her family for making the entire day feel relaxed and intimate. In fact, they felt right at home as they crafted a beauty look sure to go down in history. “There were moments where I felt like I was at her grandparents’ house,” says Velasquez with a smile.
source by: https://www.vogue.com/article/naomi-biden-wedding-hair-makeup-beauty-look
