Bridal Artistry won this award from Wedding Wire as the top 5% of Bridal Makeup vendors nationwide for the 3rd year in a row, thanks to our awesome brides who took time to review us so favorably!
Also, in 2012 we are again named “Best of the Knot” among all Metro DC Area professional makeup artists/hairstylists! We are thankful~

Once you’ve decided to go with a professional makeup artist and checked out their website, set up a trial consultation so they can work out the bridal look you will love and feel comfortable with on your own special wedding day. Here are some things to consider as you decide who to hire:

Does the makeup pro

1) Ask you what look/makeup style you are comfortable with and would like to try for your wedding day? Working out your look step-by-step, showing you progress in the mirror at each point to be sure they are on track with what you want is comforting to you and saves a potentially unpleasant “surprise” if they wait until the end.

2) Ask about your wedding plans, colors, hairstyle choices and flowers to get a “feel” for your wedding style? Your makeup should make you look and feel gorgeous in the flow of the whole day.

3) Arrive on time for the appointment and stay pleasant? The lack of either will be a red flag for the actual wedding day!

4) Use good hygiene standards? Clean brushes, disposable sponges/applicators, a fairly organized makeup kit — all indicate the artist takes pride in protecting their clients and their reputation.

5) Have a professional demeanor? They should be friendly and relatable but maintain a professionalism that will stand up to the often fast-paced and sometimes chaotic wedding day prep time atmosphere.

6) Really listen to what YOU want and not try to force you into any look you are not comfortable with? It’s your big day to feel special and happy. When YOU feel pretty, everything is good!

When you like the artist and the look – book it!

How about factoring it into your current routine by making a few easy additions?

It will take some discipline, but you can do it!…  especially between now and your wedding. (21 days will make it a habit, so you will be doing yourself a lifetime favor.)

ROUTINE:   You take a shower every morning.  Put your cleanser (not a bar soap) in the shower and use it on your face. Set one or two specific days that you use an exfoliating scrub before the cleanser. Maybe Monday and Thursday—reach for the scrub (get a good one with rounded “polishing” grains) and use circular motions for 1 minute to freshen and remove excess dead skin cells. Then use the facial cleanser. You will be amazed how rejuvenating it is!

ROUTINE:  You put on makeup.  Put a container of cotton pads and your toner right by the mirror, so you start by prepping your skin for success J with the toner.  Your moisturizer sitting right there comes next.  Now your makeup will glide on so much better, promise!

ROUTINE:   You keep a coffee mug on your desk and refill it through the day.

Get a 32 oz. nalgene bottle of water and make it your goal to drink the whole thing by the end of the day. You will notice you won’t need as much coffee and you will feel healthier and more hydrated. (I’m not even going to mention the dehydrating effects of caffeine.)

ROUTINE:  You grab lunch and a soda.  You know what to do by now… I’m sure you’ve got the idea!

Weddzilla.com/blog & www.relentlessbride.com

Heard about the WOW!! factor of false lashes for your wedding day but worried about the pop-off possibility, the heavy lid-distraction, the Tammy Faye image?

Let me clarify your thinking… Every bride should look the way she wants to on her special day, but also the way she wants to be remembered in those wedding photos around for posterity.  So… most brides go with a more or less feature-enhanced classic look.

Are your lashes short, thin, straight and resistant to curling? You are a prime candidate for false lashes.   Individually applied lashes, especially from mid-lid to the outer corner of the eye can be lovely ~ brightening and lifting your eye without looking or feeling heavy.  A full strip of thin, lashes carefully applied right up against the existing lash line adds beautiful volume and maximo glam to your look.  You can even  (once waterproof glue is fully dry) add a bit more black mascara to blend the real lashes with the fake and volumize.  A light hand on the mascara here will avoid the Tammy Faye mistake, especially since you can buy black lashes.

Are your lashes long, full, naturally curled?  Why, oh why would go fake when nature can be enhanced with a great volumizing and waterproof (note emphasis here) mascara.  Let the first coat dry only slightly before adding another coat.

The pop-off factor can be minimized by putting an extra dab of lash glue at either end of the strip or on individual lashes.  The glue dries clear and unnecessary excess can be pilled up and pulled away from the skin (like rubber cement) after fully dry.  When the tears flow – come on, you know it – blot under the bottom lashes and never rub or press on the whole lid.  Waterproof glue and mascara will keep the lashes from suffering run-off and you will look more demure…

Finally, if you decide to go with lashes, experiment in advance of the wedding.  After a bit you won’t even notice any extra “weight” on your lids, and, of course, if you show up one evening in jeans and false lashes ….

Should you expect to do a “free trial”?

Time is a premium in the wedding business.  With only 4 weekends a month, the really great makeup pros cannot afford to give “free trials”.  If a no charge trial is advertised, you might expect to feel some pressure to either buy product or definitely book them.  At Bridal Artistry we include the trial in the total price package, but allow brides to opt to just pay for the trial, if they aren’t ready to book right away.  A makeup artist who doesn’t value her time may not value yours!

Should you come alone to the trial – bring a friend? Your mom?

Up to you.  Some know the look they want and come alone confident in judging the experience themselves… others value the input of their mom or a trusted friend to help in the decision.  Just consider that the more opinionated people you bring for input, the greater the possibility for a confused bride.  You know your friends and mom and how this might play out.  Consider what sort of input you need.

What should you bring to the makeup trial?

Ideally, you should wear a white top so you see how the makeup looks with white! A scoop neck or cami top is best to simulate the gown neckline, too. Bring pics of makeup looks you like from magazines as well as pics of your gown, the bridesmaids’ dresses and your floral colors.  Getting a “feel” for your wedding style should be important to the makeup artist before doing your makeup. One more suggestion:  Plan something fun that evening, so you get the most out of your trial makeup!

The bridal “glow” comes from within…but take care to avoid the outward “shine”… the shine that comes without keeping a matte finish to your makeup for those wedding pictures. While a more-than-dewy complexion may look fine to the wedding guest, it can translate into an unattractive shine in photos. There’s even the horrifying chance you’ll look like you just finished a workout and slipped right into the wedding gown!

I recommend using a finely milled powder matched to your skin tone exactly and touching up throughout the wedding day. Blot any oil or sweat that appears with a facial blotting sheet (drug store purchase), and then lightly touch up your look with additional powder. The powder absorbs light and keeps a more matte look that allows your features to project your “glow” – not shine! Pressing, not rubbing, blotting paper on your face absorbs the oil/sweat and pushes the powder back to the surface of your skin.

Here’s an emergency tip: those disposable seat covers in the ladies restroom make great blotting paper … no residue, readily available. Shhh… only tell your girlfriends.

The scoop on powder :opt for a compact rather than loose powder. It’s so much easier to control in a hurry. Avoid bare mineral powder bases. In certain lights the edges of the ground minerals reflect light and give an odd luminescence. They also don’t have the staying power or light-absorbing power of talc-based powder products. A makeup pro experienced with on-site makeup (out of the controlled lighting of a studio) can further advise you on this. We use Artistry Flawless Powder Foundation, which has gotten rave reviews!

Relax… just a minute for a quick touch-up takes away the shine and brings all the attention back to your expressive eyes and lips – where a little shine enhancement projects rather than distracts!

…adding a bit more for a makeup pro is money well spent. Consider a makeup professional’s skill for giving you a flawless skin look (even with last minute break-outs), making your eyes pop with the right tones and shadow contours, and making you feel absolutely beautiful on your special day. Now ask yourself, do I want/need that? Can I confidently do that myself? Then consider if you are completely happy with how you look in past photos. Artist-grade cosmetics photograph wonderfully and last the whole day. On the other hand, some mineral-based foundations and shadows that you may wear on a day-to-day basis may photograph poorly, even if they seem to look fine in person. A pro that knows how to achieve the look you want and will give you much-needed pampering to take the stress out of getting ready for your big entrance is worth every penny!