Finding the perfect makeup artist is just as important as finding the perfect dress. Every bride wants to look and feel their best on their wedding day! Below are some tips to take note of when you begin searching for your perfect makeup artist…
Looking at inspiration will help you create your own vision on what it is that you want. This is where Pinterest comes in handy! Have a look at different bridal makeup styles until you find a style that you love. This can seem challenging at first as there are so many to choose from. If you’re not usually one who wears makeup very often or perhaps doesn’t know what makeup looks suit you best, you can always ask friends and family and get their opinions and ideas too.
As a friendly tip from a photographer; natural makeup looks usually translate much better in photos and makes them much more timeless, not to mention you’ll still look like yourself too.
Create a collection of images that you can share with your chosen makeup artist as this may be easier than tying to describe the look for those who are less savvy with makeup terms like ‘baking’… which is not the type that involves cake!
It’s good to keep in mind the location of where you’ll be getting prepped on the morning of your wedding as a rather large chunk of this time will be spent with a makeup artist. You’ll need to know if and how far your makeup artist would be willing to travel. The same goes for your hairstylist too!
When you begin your search for the perfect makeup artist, you should start by choosing a handful of potential makeup artists but don’t be too hasty in signing off! Get in contact and spend some time getting to know them and how they operate such as discussing availability, prices and looking through their previous work. Take a look at customer reviews, how long they’ve been in business for and what training they’ve had. Do they have a proper website as well as their social media pages?
We all know that weddings aren’t the cheapest and everyone has a different budget and different areas that they’re willing to splurge a little more on than others. The cost of a makeup artist varies depending on their level of expertise, the products they use as well as other costs such as their travel.
It can be tempting to go all out once you find a great makeup artist, but always try to stick to your budget as much as you can.
It’s super important that you inform your makeup artist of any skin conditions or allergies that you may have. The last thing you want to deal with is an angry skin reaction right before you walk down the aisle!
Letting your makeup artist know in advance will give them a chance to cater to any allergies that you may have.
It’s okay to ask them questions such as what training they’ve had, or how many years they’ve been in the makeup artist industry. You’ll ideally want someone with experience. However, if their portfolio is consistent and they do a great job of your makeup during your trial run, you don’t necessarily need someone with over 10 years of experience. And the length of someones experience does not always translate into their quality of work. The important thing is that you like their work, you trust them and that you feel comfortable and relaxed around them. Weddings can be really stressful with so many things going on. You don’t want to worsen this by being around people who aren’t calm and collected or those you don’t get along with.
Most Makeup artists will do a trial run with you as a chance to showcase their work and give you an idea of what to expect on the morning of your wedding. It also gives you a chance to see how different makeup styles and colours look on you and mix and match different lipstick or eyeshadows until they create the perfect look for you. Once you have settled on a makeup look that you love, be sure to take a couple of photos. This way your makeup artist will be able to refer back to them on the wedding day.
Hygiene First! Another tip when doing a trial run is to carefully take note of how hygienic and sanitary your makeup artist’s set up is. Good makeup artists will be super hot on this topic, following proper protocols such as not ‘double dipping’, blowing on brushes, reusing sponges, etc. We would all like to think that everyone who is trained in this profession follows these rules but unfortunately this is not always the case. Some aren’t always as clean as you’d expect.
Once you’ve found your makeup artist, be sure to book plenty of time in advance. Makeup artists will often have very busy schedules. The most popular times include weekends particularly during the summer, as well as bank holidays and Christmas/New Years. It’s generally best to book no later than 8 months prior to your wedding.
We hope you found some of these tips helpful and wish you all the best in your search for a wedding makeup artist!
You may also want to check out: How To Find The Perfect Wedding Photographer