Make The Most of Your Wedding Makeup Trial

I wanted to share my top tips list with brides, and other bridal makeup artists, so that we can all get the best out of a wedding day makeup trial. I've found myself coming across the same challenges during trials, and I feel that with better planning and advice prior to the day of the trial, you end up with a more seamless application, flawless result, and less scrambling to come up with solutions for the day of when the pressure is really on!

Here is a note of the three main things I always discuss with my brides prior to their wedding day regarding their makeup application.

Skin

If you have the luxury of time ahead of your trial booking then I recommend discussing a skincare regime with your bride. Ask them how they feel about their skin, what their skin is like, what their skincare regime consists of, what products they are using and how often. While their analysis may not be 100% accurate, and without you actually seeing how their skin responds to the makeup application, it is certainly worth being a step ahead of a skincare issue by gathering as much info ahead of time as you can.

Dry scaly patches on the skin are often invisible until foundation is applied. This will obviously affect the finished look, making it look dull, flat and not the dewy, flawless airbrushed look your bride is hoping for. While primer can be a solution by providing an even canvas for a more even foundation, some brides desire less product on their skin and feel uncomfortable wearing layer upon layer of product. Honestly, most brides desire a look that shows the beauty of their natural skin, and as an artist, I prefer that look too.

I often find that while brides may not have pressing skincare challenges, there can still be some dry spots here and there even after proper skincare prep, and even if the skin is oily. This dryness makes makes the foundation look scaley, cakey, dull and unattractive in areas.

My advice to brides in any case is to invest in long term natural beauty and healthy skin by committing to making skincare a part of their everyday routine. Then I recommend a product list for them to use. It was my brides, and these challenges we faced which inspired me to create The A-List Beauty SKIN kit. It is the perfect skincare set for both brides to use daily, and for professional artists to keep in their kit.

The creation of this kit was inspired by the situations I am writing about now with our brides. I wanted to provide an affordable, one-stop skincare solution for our brides and artists alike. Twice daily moisturising (morning & night) with a decent moisturizer is a must for soft dewy skin. This will help create a naturally soft, youthful, dewy and smooth fresh appearance to the skin. If the brides skin is oily, it is often due to the skin producing more oil to compensate for dryness and dehydration. Do not skip moisturizer thinking it will make it worse, and do recommend drinking plenty of water to hydrate the skin from within.

Lip Care

More often than not, brides do not achieve the plump, full and attractive look they want on their lips due to improper lip care prior to the application of makeup. Even if we apply balm and attempt a scrub, it is still far better to get a head start with a lip care regime before the wedding trail and day of.

The bride should be advised to begin using lip balm daily, and even better a lip mask at night. A lip scrub can be used too and is perfect to create a smooth base for lipstick. Dry lips will look diminished and unsightly under lipstick, especially if its a creamy or matte finish they desire. Every bride wants to look kissable and attractive on her wedding day, and beautiful soft lips are a MUST!

I advise my brides to use The A-List Beauty LUXE Balm as a balm during the day, and a more intensive mask for the lips overnight. I also love a lip scrub two or three times a week. An inexpensive way to create your own at home scrub is to smear your LUXE balm generously over the lips and a soft bristled toothbrush to buff over the lip, sloughing away any dry skin patches. A result with be nicely moisturized and smooth lips that look more plump and dewy. It will also create a smooth soft lip line, making the appearance of lipliner more attractive with less feathering throughout the day.

Brows

Last but certainly not least, the eyebrows. I recommend a good tidy up ahead of the trial as it certainly makes a big difference when the brows are on point, especially under that brow bone area that we like to lift with a highlight. It can be tough to get the full effect of that look when there are a lot of thick, dark and unruly hairs living there. Always remember to have a discussion your bride about the condition of her eyebrows prior to her trial date, and recommend a separate appointment to have them shaped and cleaned up if need be.

The brows are a central point of the face, and while they may not be the main attraction they are certainly an important aspect to the impact of the overall look. I am a brow technician, and always require a separate appointment for brow services as the skin is typically irritated, inflamed and very red and sore, especially after a wax. Always chat with your bride about her brows, and recommend a clean up at least 3 or 4 days prior to the appointment. Same applies to the wedding day.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my top tips on how to make the most out of your bridal makeup trial, to achieve the most flawless glowing look your bride desires! Your goal is to have a happy and satisfied bride who loves your work, and often I have found that these three tips have been the most detrimental factors which prevented me from creating the exact look my bride wanted, even when I know as an artist I am more than capable of creating the look they desire.

It is not always the level of artistry that creates the best (or not so great) result, it is sometimes a fact that there are components to the facial features and skin that do need modification prior to the makeup application, and it is certainly worth taking the time to have these discussions with your bride ahead of time.

If you enjoyed this blog please leave a comment, or post any questions you may have. I appreciate it!

Ashleigh