Lately I have had a influx of brides dropping out of booking with me, losing their retainer and all.
Why? — “Because my friend is really good at makeup and will do it for free“.
Which is a super nice gesture and that’s fine it’s your choice. But I want to ask: why did you think of booking me, a professional in the first place?
Maybe you just thought it was the thing you are supposed to do?
Or that its a luxury that you get when you are a bride?
I can tell you, I didn’t hire someone else to do my makeup on my wedding day either. But I am a makeup artist of 15+ years. I am also very stylized into what I liked and if I had brought in what I wanted to another artist(who didn’t know me) she probably would have said no or tried to talk me out of it. Which brings me to my first point:
You should want to look like you on your wedding day. NOT you in this decade. The point of wedding makeup is to look timeless.
Ever look at your parents wedding photos and just cringe at the 80’s look?! The blue eye shadow and the big hair/perm/mullet?
Only one word comes to mind: Dated.
Well I get tons of requests for this:
This will date you. I know it doesn’t seem like that now but it will. Already I see tons of articles about how dated the instagram brow is already.
I bet I get that eye picture handed to me with almost every client. And sometimes it works, it suits you and looks beautiful. But more times then not it doesn’t. I can lighten the dark tones and it still looks pretty.
I had one client come in with it and I told her I thought it’d be too dark on her fair complexion. Also she wasn’t big on makeup to begin with. When I finished she was stunned and said “I look like a goth, its too dark!” I hadn’t even done half of the dark smokey eye yet.
That is why bridal trials are good. If you do not want to to pay for both the trial and the day of makeup, at least have the trial. Go through what you want and try it out and get a professional opinion.
I mentioned above clients not feeling comfortable with makeup, and matching that with my third photo with the extreme contouring.
I will contour your face to your comfort level. Especially after we have had your consultation about your wedding. Why does the time, date and place of the wedding matter? What about the photographer?
Because my dearies, it makes all the difference! You can look like you, washed out or drag queen.
Your wedding day is not the time to want to try a new trend with a friend for makeup. If you don’t understand contouring and how it works in different lights, don’t experiment.
A professional makeup artist will have the understanding of all these factors. Example:
You are getting married outside in the summer, it calls for it to be bright and sunny no clouds at all. You have a photographer who’s style is to lighten everything in photoshop to give their signature bright and sunny look (they might dial it back because of the day) and you are taking photos out side. You are comfortable with makeup. — Okay great! I can contour your face a bit more with concealers and cream bronzer to really pop your cheek bones and make sure you won’ look washed out in the sun.
vs
You don’t like makeup at all, you are getting married inside with a amateur photographer. I want to use more mineral based powder highlighter to still accent your eyes but it won’t feel heavy. Lighter colours will be used on your eyes as to not give you a sunken eye look in the dimmer light.
My years of experience and knowing venues, photographers (and their style) and getting to know you help me formulate the plan for how your makeup with be applied.
You aren’t just paying for the special makeup I use, some makeup artists have a mixed bag of product lines they like and find work best. I too have a few things from other lines that I liked.
You are paying for my experience, my college education in makeup history, application and cosmetic chemistry. For my connections with other wedding vendors, venues and photographers which all give me a better insight. And for my direction in what you want.
Sweet Cherry Spa 