what to look for in your bridal makeup artist

here comes the bride…

Every little girl dreams of their wedding day. Some dream of every little detail, but it’s safe to say that every girl dreams of what they’ll look like on their big day. The two biggest factors that go into your look other than your dress are your hair and makeup. Picking a makeup artist (MUA) is tough. Most people have a salon or hair stylist that they trust for their cut and color jobs that they’ll trust well enough for their bridal hair. Make up is different.  Most people don’t get their makeup done on the regular so chances are you are picking a MUA for the first time. Here are some key details to focus on when choosing your bridal makeup artist.

• Budget- For starters, plan out how much you would want to spend on your wedding makeup. Depending on your location, some makeup artists are more expensive in more densely populated cities, such as New York City or Los Angeles. Also, think about your bridal party. A lot of times brides will give their bridal party their makeup as part of their gift. So if you’re hiring a makeup artist that charges well over $100 for bridesmaids, or mother of the bride, etc. be aware of your budget and how much you’d be willing to spend. Or if you’re not giving them that as part of their gift, just think of the cost they would each need to spend in order to get their makeup done. 

• Time- Start looking for your makeup artist at least 6-9 months in advance. It sounds crazy, but makeup artists get booked up fast, especially during wedding season. Also, discuss tanning. If you’re someone that wants to be tan on their wedding day whether you sit in a booth or get a spray tan, that matters. I always suggest to brides that go tanning to get their trial when they’re tan, because being tan not only changes your foundation shade, but also your blush, your highlight, your bronzer, concealer and sometimes even your eye shadow! A lot of times if you’re using a color too light on your skin, it can turn to an ashy look. No one wants that on their wedding day. Best to be prepared, reach out to a MUA 6-9 months in advance and discuss the possibilities. 

• Trial- This is an absolute must. If you take anything away from this list, this is the MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL. I will not do a wedding without doing a trial. The trial is where the bride and the MUA get together and plan your look. Brides have a vision of their look, and you want your MUA to be on the same page and capable of creating that vision. When I do my trials, I consistently ask questions, take photos and make sure they’re 100% completely happy with their makeup before I leave. I write every detail down so when their day comes there is no guessing, there are no questions and the bride is usually the fastest one. My job is to not only enhance your beauty with makeup, but to make you as stress free as possible. I want my brides to trust me in making them look and feel their best, all day long. The trial is everything. The trial is when the bride can also see how the makeup wears all day, they can take a million selfies, send them to her friends to get their opinions and confidently know they made the right choice with who they chose. You can definitely ask for more than one trial with a makeup artist if you want to change a lip stick color or an eye shadow or add or remove liner. I’ve had several brides do a second trial for minor changes, and they’ve all loved their look on the day of and are some of my best work. 

• Reviews- When you go to choose your MUA, be sure to look them up and see if they have reviews. Actually read their reviews and take notes. If brides loved their look and their MUA, they will let you know about it in their review section! Most wedding sites also have a star rating system, pay attention to that as well. The rating system is usually regarding their professionalism, quality of service, value, flexibility, response time, etc. These are important factors, and need to be considered when choosing the right artist.

• Social Media- If shopping for a Makeup artist, the number one thing people want to see is pictures of their work. Photos are everything for a makeup artist and I would definitely recommend looking up potential artists’ pages for their recent work. If they don’t have any, reach out and ask. 

• Word of Mouth- Not sure where to go or who to trust from social media or the internet? Ask a friend. Look at friends or family pictures of their weddings and ask who they hired. Word of mouth is the greatest referral a MUA can receive. 

These are just a few of my top key elements that go into choosing the right bridal makeup artist for your wedding day. How did you pick your makeup artist? Share your thoughts and comment below!