For brides who are on the fence and considering doing their makeup themselves, I would offer a few things to ponder:
1- Most ladies' everyday makeup is not the same as event makeup – it doesn't need to be. As an artist for MAC Cosmetics, I rarely recommended the same products for my customers' daily use as for their special occasions. Over the years, I have experimented with just about any professional line you can name, and I have found the products that do the best job of staying in place, photographing beautifully, and holding up to tears, heat, etc., while still looking soft and natural. Wedding or event makeup does not have to look heavy or harsh to do it's job – you can have the best of both worlds if you get the right artist! A professional will be able to choose the appropriate products to work with, specific to your needs. For example, an artist may choose airbrush if the client's event is only a couple of hours, but for a wedding or event that lasts several hours or all day, she will choose products with more modern longwear technology combined with primers underneath. I personally no longer offer airbrush– it can't compare to the newer technology that professional lines are using now, and it just isn't the novelty that it was a dozen years ago.
2- The wedding day is not the day to experiment on yourself! If the look that you envision for your wedding day is a departure from your norm, you should definitely set aside time in advance to try it out and determine if that's truly the way you want to go. Wedding day jitters on top of trying something new can end in disaster – and even if you are hiring a professional, you will want to schedule a trial run in advance! This will give you the opportunity to try out new things, make sure you are comfortable in your wedding day face, and then you can look forward to the big day, confident in the fact that you will be at your very best with no surprises.
3- Have fun! Schedules are tight, things are coming together at the last minute, and it would be a shame to add needless stress to a day that should be full of great memories and enjoyment with your bridesmaids and family. You won'thave to feel like a slave to your timeline if you have a team of experts making things flow along as they should. A good MUA not only shares her talent, but she is often a grounded, calming influence in a day of potential chaos. Choose well, and it could be one of the best decisions you make for your wedding day.
4- Oh, those lovely lashes! Since I began my own company 3 years ago, my focus has been on weddings. So I see all the trends that brides-to-be ask about and the Pintrest pictures they bring to their trial run appointments. One of the big trends right now, not only for the bride but for the entire bridal party, is the popularity of false lashes. MUAs love them, brides love them, and photographers definitely love them! Clients tell me all the time that they wish they could get the hang of applying them – and the truth is – it really does just take practice! But for a majority of us, false lashes are never going to be a part of our regular routines, so there's really no opportunity to get good at it! A MUA can help you choose a style of lash that will complement your eye shape, look appropriate for the occasion, trim and fit the lash to your lid, and apply it in just 2 or 3 minutes! Ta-da! Instant glamour and emphasis on the eyes!
