Similar to the tale of the Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Bride (BATB) will examine a relationship fraught with mistrust, deception, fear, and hopefully, a happy ending.  BeautyXposé will follow BATB as she traverses the perilous landscape of wedding-day beauty leading up to her September nuptials.  Have a question for BATB?  A topic you’d like her to cover?  A conspiracy you’ve uncovered in the Wedding Industrial Complex (WIC) you’d like exposed?  Email her at: beautyandthebride@beautyxpose.com.

There are lots of things that my fiancé likes about my beauty regimen.  He likes that I highlight my hair in the winter and let it get blonde in the summer.  He likes my minimal amount of makeup and always appreciates it when I don’t use lip gloss or lipstick, so he can get a smooch whenever he wants.  But there are also things he has strong opinions about that I just don’t get.

For years now, I almost never do my nails.  It’s not (exactly) that I don’t enjoy the process or have the time to pamper myself.  It’s that maybe seven years ago my fiancé told me that he didn’t really care for “the nail polish look.”  He thinks it looks silly.  All of it — reds, pinks, purples — don’t get me started on more bold, fabulous colors.  The only thing he likes at all is a French manicure, and even that he thinks is just silly.

He likes my hair short.  Now for the past couple of years, he hasn’t won on this point since I’m growing it out.  But if he had his way it’d be as short as could be.  Bob, pixie, you name it, he likes it.

Usually his requests are easy to consider.  I can do a bolder eye instead of that red lipstick I was considering.  And trimming and buffing my nails makes them look just fine.  But with all of the beauty decisions surrounding the wedding, there was bound to be a point of slight disagreement.

False eyelashes.  Not something I consider for a normal evening, but for a day where I imagine I’ll be shedding several tears in happiness, I thought they’d be a nice alternative to mascara.  And one of my bridesmaids is having my makeup artist put some on her too, so I thought it’d be fun.

When I mentioned it in my fiancé’s presence, he made a horrible face.  “Ew.  Really?”  I knew he was talking about the gaudy, elaborate, spidery ones, but there was no talking himself out of it.  “Do whatever you want… but eww.”

Now I’m sure if I did it, he’d have no problem with it.  But knowing he doesn’t like it means that I won’t.  And I’m sure I can find some great waterproof mascara.  My makeup artist even suggested that we just do it and not tell him — but I thought that actively hiding something from my husband while I’m taking my vows seems a bit…well wrong…

Does your significant other have something they love or hate about your beauty process?  How do you handle it?

Photo Credit:  Cover Image – sundeip arora; Inside; nails – Ruxandra Papp; false eyelase – shu eumura