I can never stress it enough how important it is to do a trial makeup run prior to your wedding day. The only suitable exceptions for not having a trial is if you live in a different state or you booked your artist the same week of your wedding and they can't squeeze you in. That's it. It's THAT important. This relieves a lot of stress on you and your makeup artist the day of your wedding because you each know what to expect. Here's some helpful tips when preparing for your makeup trial:
Pick your artist based on their style.
If they only do dramatic "Instagram" makeup, but you are looking for a natural, glowing look... they are probably not the artist for you. Do your research! If you are looking for a certain look from an artist that doesn’t look like their “style”, have inspo pictures available so they can do their best to recreate it or keep searching until you find an artist that fits your achieved style more. One of the biggest compliments I get is when someone sits in my chair and I ask what they want their makeup to look like and they bring up my website or Instagram and show me pictures of my past brides.
If you hire the right artist, they will know what's right for you.
Hiring someone you trust is BIG. I’m not sure why you would hire someone you don’t trust? Lol. Putting your faith in the person you hired to have your best interest in mind will always yield the best results. I run into a lot of brides who aren’t used to wearing makeup. So, when they see themselves they are usually shocked. A few things to keep in mind… 1) it’s going to look very different (and possibly slightly dramatic) up close 2) Makeup gets blown out about 30% in photos. I assure all my clients that I’m not going to put something on your face that I think looks bad.
Take care of your skin!
A makeup artist can have the best techniques and use top dollar products but if you’re not taking good care of your skin, it is going to end up looking like trash (sorry, a little blunt). A skincare routine doesn’t have to be anything dramatic and extensive. Cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. If you have any questions, I offer one-on-one sessions and I’d love to spend some time chatting about appropriate products for you. Not only will this set you up for great makeup applications, but a good skincare routine will have people thinking you’re sipping from the fountain of youth.
Don’t let others influence your opinion.
This is where things can get a bit testy. I am in a professional wedding group on Facebook, and I see entirely too often where the clients come back to the artist after a trial and say that their husbands didn’t like the makeup. Excuse me, WHAT? SOS! Your friends and family members are likely not used to seeing you with any or very little makeup on, so it is easy for them to think it’s “too much” (refer back to second topic). If you are happy with your makeup after your trial, but someone else isn’t… go with your gut. Your opinion is truly all that matters. I understand you value others opinions, but after all, it is YOUR day and these will be YOUR pictures that you'll have forever. As long as you and your makeup artist are on the same page, you shouldn't have to worry about anything.
Do not schedule on a day when you are in a time crunch.
I allow up to 2 hours for a trial. Truly, I am willing to spend as much time as necessary (within reason, of course). I do not recommend scheduling your trial on a day when you or your makeup artist have to “squeeze” the appointment in. We spend time getting to know each other a bit and I figure out what products, formulas, and colors are going to work best for you. Trials take time and can run over. Although, I love when the timing works out and you can schedule your trial for engagement photos or bridal showers. Just don’t force it if either of you have potential scheduling conflicts.
Give feedback!
I always encourage open, two-way communication. I usually save the “big reveal” for the end. Things can go bad if clients have access to a mirror while getting their makeup done (look up the Cardi B vs. Houston MUA drama – not to that extent, but ya get it). Makeup always looks worse before it looks better. But if you don’t like something the only way it’s going to get fixed is if you let us know. Otherwise we are going to assume everything was good. I don’t like to let anyone leave my chair unhappy. Life is better when everyone is happy.
Hopefully these tips and tricks help your search for and journey with your wedding makeup artist easier. Leave me a comment telling me what you look for in a makeup artist. Thanks for stopping by – see ya’ll soon J