So sometimes other makeup artists want to light me on fire when I say things like this. But I’ve been in the industry for twelve years, and what I can tell you for sure is that if you have a good makeup artist, there is no moment at the end where they’re like, TADA, here’s this beautiful look that I created for you. Do you like it? Instead, what they’re doing is having conversations with you ahead of time, ahead of that appointment, so they can get a feel for what you’re looking for. You probably have found already some looks from their portfolio that have helped guide them to the look that is your vision for the day. And then lastly, at the appointment, they’re asking for your feedback throughout the service and getting a feel for what you like or don’t like so that they can make tweaks, ultimately makeup. Yes, we are artists and we have egos, but the makeup is about you, the bride, right? And it’s not really about the artist. So you should feel comfortable sharing your feedback and asking for the help if you need it.

If you get to the end of that appointment and you still don’t like it, and you’ve done all of the previous steps that I mentioned, it is okay to just find a new artist. But if you suspect that you’re a person that might go into this feeling that way, I would recommend doing your trial way sooner than the recommended four to six weeks. Because if you don’t like that artist, you are going to need time to book another one. And often the most in demand folks, the best folks, if you will, will already be booked out for your date. So think it through.

I guess my question is what bridesmaid is not going to be okay with you making a request like this? Do you need new friends if they won’t let you look special on your wedding day? I’m mostly kidding. But I have been a makeup artist for twelve years, and what I can say I don’t do hair. But what I can say when it comes to beauty, it is completely okay to make requests of your friends and the people that are in your party. Ideally, they already get that it’s a special day for you. So if you need my permission, or maybe you need the words, here’s how I might word it. I might say hey friend, I’m thinking of doing my hair like this as a braid or a bun or whatever it might be. I think that I’d like to have all the party members have a different hairstyle so that mine stands out. Are you cool with that? I bet they’ll be okay with it.

Okay, hear me out. So, most of the time, in an ideal world, four to six weeks out is probably the best thing to do. But I would never call it a bridal trial or a tryout or even think of it that way. By the time you reach this appointment, you should already feel so confident in the artist that you’ve chosen that this is going to be a bridal preview or a preview of the day, your big day that coming up. If you insist on looking at it as a tryout, then I would say do it about twelve months out. Because, hey, if you wait until six weeks out and you don’t like what you get and you need to find a new artist, you will be hard pressed to find a better one that close to the big day.

It’s when it is most convenient for your schedule. Hey, what’s up? My name is Megan, I’m a vintage curator and stylist and today we’re talking about when to schedule your hair and makeup trials. So everybody’s bridal timeline looks different. So I would say above all else, make sure that it fits for what you are looking for and what you need within the year that you’re planning. But also I highly recommend leaving a little buffer of time just in case it’s not exactly the person that you want to work with. You don’t want to screw yourself and do it way too close to the wedding and then you’re not able to find someone else, but at the same time you don’t want to do it too far out because you might change your style, might change your stylist, might change a little bit. So you want them to be aware of you and your energy and who you are and vice versa. Right? It’s so important to match energies with your vendors as well. But I wouldn’t think too hard about it. Don’t compare it to other brides because every bride is on their own timeline. But I would definitely recommend I think that sweet spot would be maybe three, four months out because it gives you some time to kind of pick someone else if necessary. But honestly, if you do your research and you pick confidently, you’re trial should really just be for you to get to know each other and to make sure that you’re on the same page, not necessarily that you’re like weeding through all these different vendors. Hope that helps. Cheers.

You know, maybe I’m a jerk for saying this, but I think you’re asking the wrong question and here’s why. I’ve been a makeup artist for twelve years. What I can tell you is the best foundation and the best lipstick on all of planet Earth ain’t shit if it’s not prepped the right way. Okay? So if you have oily skin, your prep is going to be different than if you have dry skin. So start right there. Hopefully your makeup artist knows this, okay? In general, oily skin is going to do best and behave best. Get the longest wear out of foundation options that have a matte finish. Doesn’t necessarily have to be full coverage to get a long wear. So remember that the other things to know if you’re oily is prep is going to look different. So you’re probably going to want, for example, your artist will clean your face with something like a bioderma or something like that. They should do a gentle exfoliation with something like these guys. This is just a peel pad, very gentle. Then they’re going to want to do some kind of ceramide serum that is going to keep the skin and the moisture barrier stable. So you’ll be less likely to have oil breakthrough and imbalance interacting with your makeup. Lastly, a moisturizer with mattifier in it will be really helpful. I’m going to show you what I use this guy. Different makeup artists will have different products in their kit. That’s completely okay. But you do want a skin routine that is mattifying and then a priming option that is also mattifying, and a foundation option that is matte to get the longest wear for oily skin. Hopefully they know that if you have dry skin, you want something completely different. None of that matte stuff, mattifying options, none of that serves you. If you have dry skin, remember that too. If you have dry skin, you’re going to probably want a foundation that has a more radiance to it. For example, it might be something like a hydrating foundation, something like that. There are lots of options out there. And again, makeup artists, hopefully if they’re worth their salt, they have options like this in their kit. But preparation is key, maybe especially so for dry people. So you’re going to need something to cleanse the face. Again, something gentle like this. The bioderma will do a great job. A peel pad, something to gently exfoliate. Still really ideal for somebody who has dry skin. Dry skin tends to get more buildup and kind of like flakes on the surface of the skin that will not look pretty under foundation trust. Once you’ve exfoliated, then you want to go in with a serum. Again, those ceramide serums are really super helpful for maintaining the moisture barrier so that your skin does not interact with your complexion products. After that, you’re going to usually want a richer moisturizer depending on how dry you are. There’s a lot of different options. Some makeup artists will even use oils. Those can be really beautiful for dry skin especially. Yeah, if you’re a combo, then your artist actually kind of has to treat each section of your face a little bit differently. They should know that ideally they do. If they don’t reach out to me, I can totally help. But yeah, it’s going to kind of be different depending on you. Same with lips. Lips has less variability, but most folks are going to need some kind of exfoliation on the lip. We don’t want dry crusties like lip peeling that looks gross and weird in photos. You’re going to want some kind of lip priming option. There are lip primers on the market that will actually give you a little hydration and help keep product in place longer. After you’ve primed, you’re going to want to do or your makeup artist will want to do lining. Lining provides a base for any lip product to stay on longer. On top of it, if you’ve worn liner before, you’ve probably already noticed that. And then if you’re really concerned about longevity, a liquid lip is going to give you the best longevity, but it can also give you some dryness. So if you’re already prone to dryness, it may not actually be the best choice for you. If you are super, super concerned about longevity, like you just really want to be perfected from the moment of your wedding until you close down that bar at your reception, then what I would say is book your artist for touchups. You will have way less to think about. You won’t have to think about if your lipstick still looks perfect because they’ll be able to help you. I hope that helps.

1 hour per service is your sweet spot. And here’s why. I have a team of over 20 artists. We have played with every timeline known to man. Yes, we can do a service in 30 minutes. We can do a service in 45 minutes. However, the 1 hour sweet spot is perfect, because what it does is it allows a little wiggle room in case something goes wrong. It allows for someone being a couple of minutes late to the chair. It allows for being thrown a curveball and somebody wanting a more intricate look. It allows time for us to wash our brushes and reset in between. And also, it helps you to feel pampered, because you are not just a number to us. We want you to feel pampered. We want to give you the time and attention that you deserve, that you’re paying for. And each service, in addition to obviously doing the upstyle or doing the makeup look, we have to do a proper consultation with each person, talk about what their comfort level is, what they’re envisioning. We like to go through their inspiration photos and discuss what it is they like about the inspiration photos because there’s a little time that needs to be allotted for that, because the picture can say a thousand words. So we need to make sure that we’re clear what you’re communicating with us. It also allows ample time for those foundational techniques. So if you have an artist that’s like, no, I can whip it out in 30 minutes, and they’re trying to cram as many people as they can, probably so that they can make some more money, then what you run is the risk of that look not holding. Because there are certain things that take time. There are certain foundational techniques we need to do to make sure that curls hold, that pins stay, that makeup lasts. There is one caveat if you are desiring a more intricate style, you have hair extensions. You want a Hollywood glam wave? You want that instagram makeup. Then you’ll want to allow some more time, probably an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes, even 2 hours. Whatever your artist suggests, go with that. But again, be forewarned. If they’re saying they can do people and 30 to 45 minutes, that to me, would be a red flag.

Well, I can’t speak for everybody, but I can speak for me. I usually take about an hour to get my best work out. I will say though, that you need to listen to whatever your artist tells you. Because if you have an artist that takes, for example, 2 hours and you have a large party or even just a tight timeline and you only budget an hour, it’s going to be a problem, right?