Please read this before you even think of hiring your wedding makeup artist

On what you think may be the most important day of your life; one wrong move can screw up everything. No pressure, right? On this blog entry, we’d like to share some helpful tips to save you from making a big mistake on your big day.

We’ve had the pleasure of working as a wedding makeup artist for seven years. Traveled different locations for trial makeup preview, engagement sessions, bachelorette party glam sessions, and of course, professional makeup application for the main event, the wedding! We enjoyed making our beautiful brides look and feel more beautiful on the most special day where they are the center of attraction. But as any wedding makeup artist will tell you, working behind the scene is not as easy after all.

Things went wrong. Brides freaked out. And worst, makeup miscommunications lead to unhappy clients. Hiring a professional makeup artist can give you peace of mind so you no longer have to worry on how to get the perfect look on your wedding day. But in able to get the best wedding makeup experience, there are some things you need to know in advance.

Here’s what it takes to make you special day a success:

Know what you want

Prior to booking a makeup artist, you should know exactly what look you want, and how you want it to look on your face. Some brides want their look natural, almost barely there. Some like to have a makeover. And then there are those who want the in-between. Knowing what type of look you want saves you from having a big trouble on the big day. Your personality plays a huge part on deciding on this matter.

If you are not a makeup person, going full blast makeup on the wedding day may not be the best option. People will barely recognize you and that is not what you want. On the other hand, if people are so used to seeing you fully made up in almost every single day, then toning it down a bit should suit you well.

“Knowing what you want makes it easier to knowing who you want.”

Do your research

Once you are certain on the type of look you are going for, search for makeup artists whose style you believe suits your preference well. Create a shortlist of three to five professionals to inquire for date availability, rates and other fees.

You would also want to know if the certain artist does one wedding per day. This way, you are sure that he or she would not immediately leave you while running towards their next gig. No offense to those who double book, but of course, you’d want an artist who could stay with you all throughout your event, making sure you are photo-ready and picture-perfect all the time.

Also do a background check; look for reviews or feedbacks from their former clients. Are they a good company to be with? Are they pleasant? Your makeup artists are working closest to you so you would want him/her and his/her team to be as personable as possible. Most of the time, your makeup artist serves as your happy pill and gives you an extra boost of confidence to smile and pose for the camera.

Always schedule a trial makeup preview

Always, always, always (did I say always?) Just like you would never buy a fancy car without a test drive or a dress without a fit, don’t even think about hiring a wedding makeup artist without seeing his or her talent on your face. Trial makeup preview is nothing to be skipped so that you are 100% sure that you will look exactly how you imagined yourself walking down the aisle. Trial sessions will also help you feel the working relationship you will have with your artist.

If you already booked with us, this is the best time for us to experiment what look suits you best without the pressure of getting it right the first time. This is also the perfect time for our team to get to know you, your personal style and preferences, and check if your fiancè is gwapo!

If you haven’t booked with us, then this is the time to check if our style of doing makeup is what you are aiming for. To maximize your trial makeup, most brides book their trial makeup preview for their prenup / engagement shoot or for a special event. It is a great way to check how your skin will react to the makeup products, how you register in photos, and how long the makeup stays on you even after hours of walking around. 

We have had a lot of clients though who didn’t book the trial makeup preview and it turned out equally well. Majority of them are overseas brides who don’t have much time to do it. If you are confident enough not to have one because you loved what you see in our portfolio, then we’re good to go.

Know what to look for

Your wedding makeup consultation with a potential makeup artist is kind of a big deal. Not only are you on the lookout for a skilled artist whose style you love but for an above-board professional with sanitary makeup application practices.

At the trial, pay attention to how sanitary and organized the makeup artist is. If the artist is double dipping in cream-based makeup and using the mascara wand right out of the tube, then that artist is spreading germs with everyone like candy. Creams should be scooped out onto a palette or even the back of a sanitized hand. Disposable wands or a mascara fan brush should be used when applying mascara.

Make sure the artist is taking pictures and writing down products used at the trial. The look has to be documented in some way so it can be recreated on the day of your wedding. Before and after photos is necessary so later on you can check specific parts of your face you may need more concealing or highlighting.

Don’t scrimp

Deals may be tempting – especially when you factor in thousand of pesos in your wedding expenses. But let us remind you that beauty has a price and quality will cost you. A Php 2,500 bridal makeup is tempting but it is also a sign of someone with little experience.

Makeup artists who are charging ridiculously low prices are usually those who are just starting out, do not value themselves at a high standard, and/or are very insecure about their work. The average price of wedding makeup is Php 9,000 (or up) for the bride and Php 2,000 (or up) for additional people. Always remember the saying: you get what you pay for!

Prep your skin months before

To get the finest wedding makeup look, it would take a little skin-vestment a few weeks or months in advance. Use the months leading up to your wedding as an excuse to pamper yourself and nourish your skin so that your wedding makeup goes on flawlessly.

Want to glow on your wedding? Get facials at least once a month for a minimum of three months before the wedding date. Facials help relax you and get the skin into its most amazing shape.

Moisturize! Dry skin does not blend well with makeup, so it’s very important to use a moisturizer for your face and lip balm for your lips before going to bed. Make it a habit!

No amount of makeup can match a beautiful skin to start with.

Be nice

It is a well-known fact that the wedding day itself may be one of your most stressful days, but take a beat before your go full blast Bridezilla on a well-meaning professional who is only there to help.

Ladies, on your wedding day, your makeup artist is there to make you look and feel beautiful. Please be nice. Yes, we are hired to do a job, but you are only going to look beautiful if we can do our job without stress and interruption.

Talk about interruption — prior to the start of your makeup sessions, endorse all wedding details and DIYs to your maid of honor or coordinator. This way, people would not have to interfere and you could enjoy each and every minute of your glam session.

Trust your makeup artist

Trust. Wow! Big word! Kidding aside, this last point is perhaps the most important of it all. It could make or break how you feel about your face hours into your ceremony. If you have chosen a wedding makeup artist you can trust, and if he or she gives you expert advice, take it. A professional is a professional for a reason.

What works in magazines doesn’t work in real life, especially for weddings! Here are a few examples: In a magazine, ultra-dewy skin is gorgeous — in real life, if you start off dewy, you’ll look like an oil slick by the time your ceremony starts, and your makeup will slide right off! Consider our tropical climate even in the coldest places of Tagaytay or Baguio City. In a magazine, super glossy lips look so kissable — in real life, I never use gloss for weddings! It transfers, gets on your husband and on your teeth. Moisturized lips with a more matte lipstick will look better and last longer.