A chat with beauty stylist – Cassandra de Bruin
A chat with beauty stylist – Cassandra de Bruin
A chat with beauty stylist – Cassandra de Bruin
A chat with beauty stylist – Cassandra de Bruin

A chat with beauty stylist – Cassandra de Bruin

Cassandra de Bruin is one sought after lady – and why wouldn’t she be? Not only does Cas come with a wealth of wedding and fashion experience, but she’s also extremely down to earth, professional and adds a beautiful energy to any wedding day.

It can be tough navigating the world of beauty, so we sat down with Cas to learn more about her style,  and some great hints and tips to achieving the perfect dream-day look!

 

Tell us a bit about yourself Cas, how did your passion for hair styling come about?

I am a self employed freelance hair and makeup artist. I’m still on the salon floor part-time and the rest of the time I specialize in bridal hair and makeup, photo shoots, as well as events and functions of all kinds. I have been hairdressing for 16 years and makeup for 10 of those.

I was lucky enough to do my apprenticeship under Darren Grayson and a very talented bunch of stylists. From a really young (hairdressing) age I was exposed to fashion, photo shoots, competitions and award winning hairdressers. I watched, learned and assisted. As I went on I found myself thrown into all sorts of photos hoots and competitions myself. I think this is when I realised that I had a natural ability for styling and long hair and that I loved doing it! It was so different from day to day salon work.

I grew up loving anything artistic and a lot of my family are creative. I have always been surrounded by the performing arts and theatre from a young age and have always loved the hair, makeup and costumes.

You work across weddings, but also on many fashion and editorial shoots, what do you love about both?

My job is different every day! I love that every wedding/photo shoot is different and so diverse.

Weddings are creative and unique, and so is the individual bride and her look – and that is what I love. I get to work with so many talented and artistic people in the industry. I love to make it as special as I can and make them look and feel like a million dollars.

When it comes to photo shoots- I get free rein (most of the time!) They allow me to be super creative and steer away from the mainstream. I get to have more freedom with lots of room to play!

 

 

You have had a huge wedding season working on the many hair do’s of brides, was there any specific trend you saw over the season just gone?

Personally I had a lot of brides this season opting for full hair-up styles but with a relaxed and modern vibe. Once again it is so diverse and personal that it’s hard to pin point any one stand out style. Hairpieces, veils and/or flowers were among the top choices for accessories as you’d expect.

What can you anticipate will be the trend for this coming season?

I am starting to see a shift towards a more free approach when it comes to hair as well as accessories/adornments. For example, opting for loose individual flowers scattered throughout the hair or creating an arrangement that works into the completed hairstyle. I love flowers!

Braids are the new flower crowns. I’m calling it! Think Coachella, beach and bride all mixed together.

I feel like lace and jeweled combs are a thing of the past and head-wear is now more geared towards crowns and metal head-wear. Be bold. There is so much out there to choose from.

Of course the classic styles will always stay, but add a modern take to them. This is the direction I am heading towards.

What are some of your tops tips for choosing a hairstyle for your wedding day? What should a bride consider?

  • Source some inspiration – whether it be Instagram, Pinterest, celebrities, magazines or fashion week. These are some great places to look.
  • I always love to do a full consultation to help the bride to determine all the factors that go into choosing a look –  face shape, gown, neckline, wedding feel/style, personal style/preference.
  • Listen to the professionals – we work hard on keeping up to date with our industry and trends and have loads of experience and words of wisdom to help you out.
  • Try and visualise the whole look –gown, hair and makeup,  jewelery etc. This will help determine whether you opt for a full hair-up, half-up or down.
  • Make sure you feel comfortable. You should still feel and look like yourself – only more fabulous!
  • Find a hairdresser whose style matches your own.
  • In some cases you may need to factor in the weather and location.

 

 

What’s your advice when it comes to the hairstyles of bridesmaids? Should they be matchy-matchy or individual looks?

There’s really no right or wrong as it is really up to the bride and her personal preference. I personally am not the biggest fan of matchy-matchy as not everyone is the same. We all have different hair, face shapes and our own personal style. In saying that, I am a big believer that the styles chosen should all tie-in together. You want your girls to feel comfortable and beautiful standing beside you.

 

 

How should a bride-to-be best prep her hair before the big day?

6-12 months out – speak with your hairdresser (and if you don’t have a good one, find one) and figure out a plan! Talk about your hair colour, length and condition and what you want to achieve with your look. This gives a bride something to work towards if you need to grow your hair out or change colour. Be sure to have regular haircuts and give your hair some love with salon quality products/treatments.

Pre book in a colour/cut appointment for the week of the wedding. I usually recommend at the start of the week so it has a couple of shampoos to settle in.

Do not put a nourishing treatment in the week or day before because it can make it too soft to work with.

The night before your wedding day or on the morning of (depending on your stylists advice) wash your hair. As a rule if you are having; hair up- the night before x2 good shampoos, a light condition and a fluff dry (just blast it dry with the hairdryer- no irons!) or hair down – x2 good shampoos and a light condition the morning of. If you have fine or oily hair you may need to wash in the morning regardless.

However, please always check with your individual stylist as to their own instructions.

 

 

Weddings can be a long day, what are some of your key tips for maintaining a fabulous long-lasting look?

Choose a style that works for your hair – padding and/or extensions can help you out, but only so much.

Try and be gentle and careful in the morning while you are getting ready. Rushing around and running errands (even for bridesmaids) makes it very hard to keep your hair and also makeup clean and fresh before your ceremony. I like to also leave my bridal parties with an emergency travel size can of hairspray and a bobby pin stash, just in case. Also, wear a top you can unbutton!

Weather can also be a determining factor, it can be so temperamental especially in Victoria- hot, humid, windy or wet. In some cases your style may need to be adapted on the day depending on what mother nature decides to throw at you.

What three beauty items will you never leave home without?

Can I make it four?! Here are my picks –

Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner

Napoleon Bronze Patrol

Mac Patentpolish Lip Pencils – in Go for Girlie and Look Lively

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rollerball Perfume

 

 

What is the Cassandra de Bruin mantra when it comes to hair styling?

This one is tricky! It’s not something I have given great thought to, but if I was to label my style and approach I guess it would be –

‘Earthy and effortless, undone but polished.’

To snap up the services of Cas, be sure to enquire here.

 

Photography by Alli Oughtred & Stefani Driscoll




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