Caroline Kosmetik

A personal beauty studio in Aarau's old town

Caroline Kosmetik is a beauty studio at Golattenmattgasse 2 in Aarau, which its homepage describes as a personal cosmetics studio in the old town. The cosmetician behind it writes that she has worked with passion as a cosmetician in Aarau for more than 40 years, more than 25 of them self-employed, and that personal advice and plenty of time for individual needs are at the center of her work. The studio offers facials and skin care, anti-aging care, body care, manicure and pedicure and hair removal, for women, men and teenagers. For a wedding, the relevant pages are Braut Make Up and a bridal manicure, both priced from CHF 78.

For a couple from abroad, the practical points are straightforward: the studio publishes starting prices, it has online booking, and the bridal makeup is done in the studio in Aarau. The site is written in German.

The bridal makeup

The bridal page sets out what she aims for. A bridal makeup, she writes, should look refined and elegant but still natural and suit you: your personal style and taste, your skin, hair and eyes. It should harmonize with the wedding dress, the hairstyle and the hair accessories. Whether subtle, natural or sophisticated, it should be matched to your type, so that you feel comfortable and radiant at your wedding.

She puts particular weight on durability. The wedding day, the page says, is an emotional event, so the makeup has to suit the skin type and keep the bride comfortable all day, whether she starts sweating or is moved to tears: in the page's words, "das Make up soll halten", the makeup should hold. She also writes that she takes time in preliminary conversations for all of the bride's wishes, advises on the right bridal makeup and then carries out those wishes on the day.

The page sets out an order for the whole bridal look. The dress comes first, as the centerpiece of the ensemble; then the hairstyle has to be right; the accessories are matched last; and the wedding makeup, in her words, forms the highlight of the bridal styling. The art, she writes, lies in making all these elements work together. The page also connects the makeup to the style of the wedding. The dress, hair accessories and hairstyle determine the right makeup tone, and each theme, from classic and elegant to extravagant, calls for matching styling; the wedding makeup takes up the chosen colors and influences of the wedding in a discreet way.

Under the heading on the advantages of professional bridal styling, she notes that a wedding needs a lot of planning and the interplay of trusted specialists on the day, and invites the bride to hand the responsibility for the makeup to her experienced hands and enjoy the day without stress.

A trial is available: the page closes one section with an invitation to arrange an appointment for a trial makeup ("Probe-Schminken"). As preparation, she recommends a gentle deep-cleansing facial beforehand.

Bridal manicure

The second wedding service is the Braut Manicure, also from CHF 78.00 including VAT, for well-kept, soft hands with professionally polished nails. The page puts it simply: after all, the wedding ring should show to best advantage. It also mentions finding the right manicure and pedicure for the day together with the makeup, as part of the overall look.

Prices

Both bridal services are listed "ab CHF 78.00 inkl. MWST", from CHF 78.00 including VAT. The page gives no price for the trial makeup and does not say whether it is included. Each service has a link to learn more and book, and the homepage invites clients to choose a treatment and book an appointment online. The footer adds "Termine nach Absprache", appointments by arrangement, and gives the phone number 062 823 52 55.

Products and other treatments

The studio works with four product lines: BABOR, Lydia Daïnow, Arabesque and MALU WILZ. The homepage describes MALU WILZ as a leader in makeup collections covering complexion, eyes, lips and nails, with new trend colors twice a year and additional limited editions, and highlights an intensive course of BABOR's highly concentrated beauty ampoules. Products are chosen, the site says, according to skin type, skin condition and the care goal, and clients get a personal recommendation for care at home.

The facial treatments are put together individually, from classic care and intensive hydration to targeted anti-aging care, and start with a careful skin analysis. For a bride planning ahead, this and the deep-cleansing facial she recommends before the wedding are the treatments to ask about. The site also offers gift vouchers, and has a separate menu section for men, which may be of interest to a groom.

What the site does not settle

The site does not say whether she comes to a hotel, home or venue on the wedding morning; the bridal page refers to her beauty salon in Aarau, and nothing on it describes travel. It does not give the price of the trial, the full price of the bridal makeup beyond the starting figure, or what drives the price up from CHF 78. It does not say whether she can also make up bridesmaids or mothers on the same morning. It does not give a lead time for booking a wedding date, a deposit or cancellation terms. And it does not say which languages she works in; the site is in German only. There is a "Kontakt/Anfahrt" page for directions, but the pages here do not describe how to reach the studio.

Who it suits

Caroline Kosmetik suits a bride marrying in or around Aarau who wants a natural, durable makeup from an experienced cosmetician, and who is happy to come to the studio in the old town on the morning. The bridal manicure at the same address, the online booking and the published starting prices make it simple to arrange from a distance, and the recommended facial beforehand fits a bride who wants to prepare her skin as well.

The caveats are that the site is German only, gives no travel option and lists only starting prices. A couple planning from abroad should ask about the full cost with trial, the language, and how early on the wedding day she can start.