Originally written in 2005, for the Brides to Be on various internet forums, this has proved to be a useful tool for them, many having actually sat with this article in front of them, whilst they make initial phone calls to potential makeup artists. I hope you also find this useful.
Questions to ask when getting a quote.
What products do they use? If they are quoting a high price, but are only use low end brands then they can’t really justify a high price. Those brands are great for colour and fun nights out, but just don’t have the longevity needed for a wedding day.
What applicators do they use? The answer should be a range of top quality BRUSHES and disposable applicators for anything with its own wand in the bottle (i.e., mascara, lipgloss, liquid eyeliner). Brushes are easily washable, but foam eye applicators aren’t. Disposable applicators are now a requirement within the makeup artistry industry because the applicators that come with the bottles are impossible to keep hygienically clean.
Do they do a variety of ‘looks’? You don’t want yourself and your bridesmaids and your mum to have ‘identikit’ makeup…!
What colours do they recommend for a bride? If they give you an answer, then don’t go any further!!!! How can they possibly know without seeing you and meeting you and getting to know you!!! You want to have makeup that suits YOU not what they think is right for all and every bride…!
If you choose to book a trial, book it for as close to the same time of day as you would be wanting it on your wedding day. There is no point having it done in the evening if you’re having a daytime wedding. You won’t know if it has lasting ability. Also, even in the height of summer, the light won’t be right.
Ask how long the trial should take. The answer should be around 2 hours.
Ask what happens at the trial. The answer should be that the artist will spend time getting to know you and your personality; she will want to know all about your wedding style and theme. If you’re having a lunchtime summery wedding with a floaty bridal gown, you won’t want full on glam makeup as though you were going to hit the town clubbing (unless of course that is your usual look and what you want!), and in the same token, if you are having a sophisticated elegant wedding, you don’t necessarily want to be sparkling all over your face (again, unless that is your chosen preference!)
When you book in a trial, try and get it as soon as possible. some of the concerns that I”ve heard recently are the following -
“I want to have a trial near to my wedding day in case I have a tan…”
Any decent makeup artist will have an array of foundation colours in her kit, so colour matching on your wedding day shouldn”t be a problem. if she got it right at your trial, she”ll get it right on your wedding day!
“What if the artist tells me to have a trial about 3-5 weeks before the wedding, and I end up not liking what she”s done….?”
This is one of the MAIN reasons for booking in a trial as soon as you decide to have your makeup done.
what if you don”t like her?
how is she keeping your booking guaranteed for the wedding day?
Why is she not keen to get you trialled straight away???
Hopefully now you”re happy to book in a trial with a makeup artist… read on for what to expect!
At the Trial
All conversation about what look you are after should happen BEFORE any makeup comes near your face! I can’t count anymore the number of brides who’ve had ‘free’ trials at makeup counters, beauty salons or with other artists and have come away feeling and looking like Aunt Sally! Or have felt unhappy with the look because it was the artist’s idea of what should be wedding makeup, but hadn’t taken the time to find out first!
Any decent makeup artist should get the look right or as near as perfect first time out that they apply the makeup to you. This will be because they have spent time talking with you. They should also start off with light makeup and build it up to achieve the right look you want. You don’t want to have to scrub off heavy makeup at your trial and have to start over again, your time is precious too!
Unless you choose to, please run scared from any makeup artist who suggests that you and your bridesmaids should having lilac eyeshadow to match their lilac dresses (for example!!!), this is a very 70s/80s concept and really not a good modern look.
Also please consider the makeup artist who suggests that ALL brides should wear pink eyeshadow and pink lipstick. This is not a scare story, but a trainer I once had believed all brides should wear these colours (we’re not talking that many years ago either…!).
the same goes for an artist who suggests that you should match your lipstick to your/your bms’ bouquets as a standard rule of thumb. Sometimes it works and looks fab, sometimes it clashes horrendously with your own colouring… just think how often you’re chief bridesmaid is going to have her bouquet stuck up by your lips – not that often…!
Other things to consider are that it IS okay to wear red lipstick on your wedding day, you don’t have to wear pink or natural shades – what suits you and what you like is what you should decide on.
(If I followed all the above supposed ‘rules’ on my wedding day, I’d have had blood red eyeshadow and ivory lipstick, I actually didn’t I had smokey brown and chocolate eyeshadow and deep brick red lips – anyone who’s seen my website will have seen a pic of me!)
Your makeup artist should be selecting the colours that suit YOU and your colouring – not the general concensus…! It should be a joint decision – if you have favourite colours, go for them, take advice from an artist – she should never be too much a know it all, but be working WITH you to achieve the best for you for the day.
Confirm the time that they will need to do your makeup and everyone in the bridal party on the wedding day itself. Unless you are having just mascara and lipgloss (in which case, don’t pay someone to do it!), they should allow half an hour for each person having their makeup done. This allows time for unexpected delays – i.e., late return from the hairdressers, florists arriving and wanting you to check the flowers, photographer/videographers wanting to take posed shots etc etc.
Finally, remember that YOU have the final say. You need to get on with your artist, she’s performing a service on you and you don’t want to feel like just another bride, you want to feel special and she should make you feel like the most important bride in the world, no matter how many weddings she does. If you get on well with her, then you’ll be confident in expressing your feelings with the makeup. If it’s a little too pale or dark, or not quite the right shade of lipstick, you’ll have no problem saying so.
I hope that is a help to those of you in the process of considering booking a makeup artist or who have done and are about to ‘trial run’ it!
Oh, and I’ve been a bride, so I know exactly what its like to plan and organize a wedding, and if I could do it all over again, then I would! I’m the biggest ‘girly’ around and adore weddings!!!!
Sam Donald
