So you’re searching for the best bridal makeup artist and hairstylist for your wedding day. When you come across one (or two) who you think may be the the most suitable for you you’ll most likely want to book in for a trail session to see how they work and try out some looks. Having done 500+ weddings myself, and of course many more if we include the K-Team, I’ve learned through experience how to get the best out of your trial:
Choose a makeup artist/hairstylist from what you see in their on-line galleries and social media posts. If they specialise in natural looks, you
might struggle to get high-glamour if that’s what you’re after. The correct choice of the most compatible makeup artist/hairstylist for the look you’re after is the key. When choosing, ask yourself – “do I want to look like the women in the galleries?”
- Have a selection of Pinterest images of makeovers that you love for us to refer to. Ideally choose images of women who have similar skin type/tone and hair length as yourself. The same makeup style can look dramatically different on different skin tones and eye shapes. If you’re naturally lighter-skinned, for example, don’t choose a makeup style that you see on olive skin tones – stick to images as close to the way you naturally look as possible;
- Arrive at the trial wearing your usual makeup or if coming from home wear your special occasion makeup. This will help us to see the amount and intensity of makeup and colours/textures you are used to wearing. At the very least bring some photographs of you on a night out – ideally well lit-up so that your makeup habits are clearly visible. Makeup artists want to achieve the look best suited to you, but often women like to stay close to their usual colour schemes and textures. We want to pay consideration to your makeup habits and help create the best look for you whilst bearing in mind your dos and don’ts;
- Be realistic in what is achievable when comparing to Instagram or Pinterest images – heavy contouring might look great on camera enhanced with lights and filters but in reality it might be a bit (or considerably) overwhelming. Everything, including contouring, can be achieved with a less dramatic and more flattering effect which will still look great in photographs as in real life;
- Book a trial at a time of your choosing. Some brides go for a year in advance to feel confident that they’ve picked the right makeup artist/hairstylist. Most have their trials 3 to 6 months before the wedding day as by then they’ve picked the dress and can really start visualising how they want their complete styling to look. We take photographs and make detailed notes so that we can easily recreate the makeup and hair from the trial on the day itself;
- Trials are very important to ensure that your skin and/or eyes do not react to any makeup products you may not be used to. We use great brands but sometimes there still might be some ingredient that the skin doesn’t like. This way we both know that on the day there’ll be no nasty surprises. It almost never happens, but some people are more sensitive than others so it’s good to know;
- We will not share your makeup trial images before your big day unless you’re OK with it or want to showcase your look. Everyone has their own opinion on this but in my experience most brides prefer to keep their look under wraps for the big reveal on the day. We’ll always also ask if you’re happy for us to share your wedding day/trial pictures AFTER the wedding;
- Makeup trials generally take up to 2 hours and hairstyling trials up to 3 depending on the complexity and variety of looks you wish to try;
If you’re having a hair trial arrive with freshly washed and dried hair with no products. By all means bring any hair accessories if you’ve already bought some or the hairstylist can recommend some options that will work with your chosen style. Be open to trying out hair extensions – some styles won’t be possible without using them and well chosen and applied hair extensions will look super-natural and make your own hair appear voluminous whilst making those curls last longer;
- We recommend that you wear a top/dress that is similar in colour to your wedding dress as the colours you wear, especially if they are strong will reflect onto your face and affect how the makeup appears. The same makeup can look different in intensity and tone against red, white or black tops; and
- Always bear in mind that the makeup/hair looks created for you are meant to be styled to your beautiful wedding dress for a stunning venue which will have many fancily-dressed guests. If you opt for a natural bridal look, for example, it will look a little bit more than just natural at the trial where you’re wearing everyday clothes. Allow a little bit more intensity at the trial to ensure you don’t look less defined on the wedding day. The style of clothing that you wear can affect how intense/natural makeup appears.
If you follow the pointers above you’ll have a very effective and enjoyable bridal trial, all part of the experience of looking the best you ever have on the big day itself!
