You shouldn’t wear white to a wedding. That’s generally true—unless you’re headed to Colette Laxton and Mark Curry’s wedding. The co-founders of skincare brand The Inkey List tied the knot in Paris as guests—instructed by the bride and groom—wore black and white for the black-tie affair. “When Mark and I first got together, we said we wanted to be ‘black and white’ with each other—transparent and honest. It’s also The Inkey List’s color palette because we’re a transparent brand,” Colette explains. “But it was funny—I had a few people message me asking, ‘Just to confirm… can I wear white?’” The bride herself wore an Emilia Wickstead gown and her signature red lip. Below, she shares every detail.
Dear ITG,
I can’t believe Mark and I tied the knot two months ago! I smile every time I think about our wedding—and I’m dying to tell you about it—but you’re probably wondering how we met…
Mark and I both worked at Boots, the British beauty and health retailer. I was on the skincare and makeup side; he, a scientist by training, was a healthcare buyer. I knew of him—this suave guy who always had a coffee—but we only exchanged the occasional hello. A couple of years after we’d both left Boots, I got a LinkedIn message from him saying, “Hey, I heard great things about you at Boots. Would you be up to meet? I’m thinking of starting a business.” In a serendipitous twist, I had just left my job that day and logged on to update my profile. We met for breakfast the next morning, and I was instantly drawn to his energy and entrepreneurial spirit. I fell in love with him immediately—though not in the way you’d think.
I helped him pitch his brand for investment. When we secured funding, the investors insisted on backing both of us. I told them I was just Mark’s contractor, but they said, “No, no, no, no, no. We’re investing in this. You two. There’s something here and we think you’re going to be amazing." Mark had the science and finance background, and I was more market and consumer-facing. We launched The Inkey List in August 2018—and by the end of that year, we were a couple.
There was one night when everything shifted. We were in Paris visiting Sephora’s head office and ended up at this really grimy and run-down fondue restaurant for dinner. We chatted all night until we realized the restaurant had emptied and it was just the two of us. Mark put on “Slow Dance” by John Legend on his phone, grabbed me, and we danced in the middle of the empty restaurant. That was it.
I was shell-shocked when he proposed. It happened to be my birthday the weekend we went to Paris for Sephoria, so Mark suggested we stay to celebrate. We stayed in this dingy hotel because we are The Inkey List, and therefore, we’re always very careful about money. But Mark secretly planned an upgrade. He checked us out and took me to the Shangri-La, where he’d booked a room with a Juliette balcony. When I opened these beautiful French doors to walk outside, the Eiffel Tower was right there—it was wild. We went out for a walk, but I asked to go back to the hotel so we could enjoy the incredible room while getting ready for dinner. He seemed nervous when I said that and suggested we stay out a bit longer, and after a while, I was just done; I really wanted to go back. What I didn’t realize then was he was madly messaging the hotel, “Oh my God. Go, go, go, go, go,” so they could set up candles. He had even arranged a photographer. That night we decided to marry in Paris, our happy place.
We chose Montmartre for its village vibe. I hired a planner to help with the language barrier and bring my “non-wedding wedding” vision to life. I told her, “I hate weddings. No round tables, no favors.” She delivered. The ceremony was held at the Museum of Romantic Life, a gorgeous old building with gardens and Parisian rooftop views. From there, two little white petit trains ferried guests to the reception at a coffee shop halfway down the Sacré-Cœur steps—when she pitched it to us, our wedding planner said, “I’ve got something slightly controversial.” The upstairs space was a blank canvas with a terrace that overlooked both the basilica and the Eiffel Tower. It was absolutely magical.
Beauty-wise, I prepped my skin with The Inkey List: Hydrating Cream-to-Milk Cleanser, Exosome Hydro-Glow Complex, Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturizer, and Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist. I didn’t have a lot of time to have facials and other treatments, but I’d tested the exosome complex for six months and used it religiously—it gave me the smooth, hydrated canvas that let my red lip shine. My makeup artist Wahib Ayed Riani, a recommendation from our CMO Natalie Manivong, kept everything sheer and fresh using Armani Beauty: Neo-Nude A-highlight [editor’s note: discontinued], Fluid Sheer, High Precision Retouch concealer [editor’s note: discontinued] and a touch of YSL Touche Éclat, Smooth Silk eyeliner, and Eyes to Kill Stellar eyeshadow. He didn’t use false lashes—which was shocking—because the Eyes To Kill mascara did all of the work. It was phenomenal. And Natalia Florea did my hair.
Red lipstick is actually very meaningful to me. I was a ballet dancer as a child and I would get nervous and self-conscious before every recital. But I would always wear red lipstick—that was the thing even at age five. Now when I wear red lipstick, I feel like I’m ready for the show; any anxiety goes out of the window. I wore a red lip to every job interview, and it’s gotten to the point where I don’t feel done without it. Mark knows that now, too. When we’re about to hit the stage or go into a big meeting, he’ll say to me, “Get your lip on.” It was only fitting that I wear a red lip to my wedding.
Of course, I’ve worn red long enough to know which shades suit me and which don’t—even just the slightly wrong shade makes me look super pale. I tried an orangey-red a few years ago, and I’ve never gone back. It really lifts my face and brings out my blue eyes. But both of the shades that I initially loved were discontinued. I went on a hunt—I asked TikTok and Instagram for recommendations and sort of regretted that because I had hundreds and hundreds of suggestions—and even thought about making my own. But on a trip to Paris, I discovered La Bouche Rouge at a department store. I asked a sales woman for help and she immediately picked up the right shade: Folie. The first time I wore it was on my wedding day. That was a bit risky looking back because it could have gone all over Mark’s face or my dress or just not lasted, but it was bold, not drying, and pure perfection. This is my official new red—and now every swipe takes me back to Paris and that unforgettable day.
With love,
Colette Laxton
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographs by Ayata Studio