I love working with brides of all ages, complexions, and personalities! I am going to use one of my recent bubbly, beautiful brides to outline the bridal makeup trial and application process here at Glam by Jeet!
Step one: Research!
Search online for pictures that represent different aspects of your likes and dislikes for makeup. With the plethora of images on Pinterest and Instagram, this task is pretty painless if you search different keywords that represent your personality. Popular searches are "soft and romantic bridal makeup", "south asian bridal makeup", "fresh and glowy bridal makeup" etc.
Here are some examples of what you may find (all images from Pinterest here):
Overwhelmed yet? Each look is pretty different. We have some glitter, some intense colors, some nude colors, matte, smokey, dewy, and everything in between! In order to make sure you know what you are looking for, do some research and look for the pictures that stand out to you. This will help your experience be a positive one when choosing your makeup artist and completing a bridal trial. Don't hesitate to ask your makeup artist questions if you don't know that much about makeup and don't know what to search or need help with defining some terms. I have a very open door policy with my clients- feel free to call or text me whenever you'd like. I am here to answer all of your questions.
Through your research, you will find what you like and dislike. Can't stand highlight? Maybe you prefer your lips to look a little bigger than they naturally are. Maybe you're curious about trying a smokey eye but feel a little nervous about it. Maybe you've had your makeup done before and had a bad experience. Write down some of your concerns and some of the things that you love. Do you want to stay on the natural side? Are you looking to emerge as a new woman when you walk down the aisle?
Step two: Search for a makeup artist!
Just like traditional artists have different styles, so do makeup artists. It is important to go through portfolios on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and individual websites to get a feel for what type of work each makeup artist is putting out. Are we all pretty capable of recreating a look from a picture you provide us? Probably. But why not go with someone that seems to get your soul and knows exactly what you like because every single one of their pictures makes your heart flutter with excitement? I am personally this particular about my hair stylist. I even take this philosophy and apply it to my clothes- I will go through my favorite brands' seasonal campaigns to see what speaks to me and what doesn't.
I love following new trends and playing with color. All of us aren't comfortable with that. I put great effort into making sure my portfolio includes lots of different skin complexions, ages, eye colors, and sizes! You probably will notice a theme - my girls all seem to have a flair for the dramatic ;) and I love providing that for them. I have had some understated ladies as well and have kept communication very comfortable and open to make sure I don't step over the line that makes them go from loving their look to hating it.
Do you want someone that has a beautiful studio? Do you want someone to come to your house? How much time do you want to spend with them? These are all factors you should take into consideration when making your choice. I love being mobile because my mommas don't need to get sitters, clients can stay in pajamas if they'd like and avoid traffic, appointments are so much more flexible than what you find at a salon/mall, the list goes on! Decide what's important to you for your big day.
Step three: Call and make an appointment!
Now that you've decided on a few looks to try, and found a couple makeup artists as well, it's time to take the plunge and make the appointment. Keep your overall budget in mind. Being prepared with step 1 and 2 will prevent you from having to go to 5 or 6 trials instead of maybe 1 to 3. Most makeup artists charge for trials because they'll be spending up to 2 hours with you getting to know you and trying all your looks out with you (this includes product and lashes as well). I believe the trial process is so important because your makeup artist will take notes and have that personal relationship with you from the get go. That in itself is pretty priceless- read below as to why!
I've heard many horror stories about trials being done at stores such as Mac, Sephora or other department stores-- the trial goes great, but then when it comes to the day of the wedding, the sales reps are not the same ones that the trial was with so the trial look and the wedding day look don't match at all (remember we talked about styles? :) ), they hit a ton of traffic before and/or after the appointment, and the stress of running around on the wedding day makes for extra sweating/oiliness- you get the point.
Side note about wedding guests or members of the bridal party that may be nervous or particular about how they look the day of the wedding- it is advised that they also get a trial done so that they can put their mind at ease and reduce any stress on the big day! Everything moves more smoothly and seamlessly this way.
You'll also notice that I am telling you to call your makeup artist-- why you may ask? Email is a great way of communication, as is text, but a phone call helps to establish a relationship and get your vibes going with each other because it requires fluid conversation. You'll know if you're hitting it off or if things seem way too awkward to make it to an in person meeting. Remember that all your vendors will be part of your magical day, and you want all your vibes to be positive, happy and stress free :)
Step four: Relax and enjoy your trial!
Alright- the day is here! Make sure to drink plenty of water (always lol but definitely focus in the 3-4 days before your trial) to clear up any blemishes or irritations and keep hydrated. Your skin reflects hydration in elasticity. Make sure that you've cleaned off all makeup and moisturized your face at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Use any scrubs for your face and lips the night before to prepare your face for your makeup artist. If your lips tend to stay dry, definitely use your favorite lip balm or chapstick and keep it with you during your appointment. Matte lipstick is all the rage right now and dry/cracked lips don't do well with that type of product. Don't forget that list of likes/dislikes and concerns as well.
Let's bring all my banter to life now and talk about a typical trial! My beautiful bride, "Ms. S", came to me a couple months ago with a little problem. She told me that she LOVES darker/smokier eye looks, but wasn't sure about whether it was appropriate for a wedding day. I assured her that as long as she is happy in her skin and her look, then she won't have to worry about whether it'll be too dark because her confidence and happiness will be shining from within and that's all that matters. Confidence always shows in your pictures, ladies! Either way, she came to me prepared to try both looks and see which one looked best! She also brought her sister for moral support :)
Ms. S had sent me pictures of her dream smokey eye and pictures of a softer romantic look with rose tones throughout before her trial date so that I could prepare for the session. She told me her concerns about getting married in July heat and her fear of looking too oily. She also told me that she didn't like a lot of highlighter on cheeks because it seems to enhance the oiliness. I took all her concerns into account when I created her looks for her! Here they are--
Ms. S was really happy with both looks but took a day or two to decide on which look she ultimately wanted for her wedding day because she wanted to discuss it with her family. I took notes during the session and plenty of pictures to document exactly what I needed to recreate for her look later in the year. We kept in touch between the trial and wedding (yesss, see what I meant by open communication? :) ) and she told me that she found some gorgeous lashes on her own that she wanted to use (they were Lilly Lashes - great choice, girl!). She went with the softer look, but wanted to smoke out her crease a little bit more to create a happy medium between both trial looks.
Here is what her final glam consisted of! I was so excited with the final product. Because she went with Glam by Jeet's Super Glam Bridal Package, we did a full heavy contour/highlight face prep and baked the highlighted areas to give her face an extra bit of oomph and brightness! It looked ABSOLUTELY stunning and I cannot wait to see her photos with the dress on.
Future Glam by Jeet Brides- Thank you for reading this! Please don't hesitate to contact me to set up your trial and chat about what you're looking for. I cannot wait to meet you! <3
