Wondering when you should have your wedding makeup trial?

It’s a popular question, so I thought I’d put together a blog post to help you along the way.

SHOULD I HAVE A BRIDAL TRIAL BEFORE OR AFTER BOOKING?

This can vary artist to artist. However, my opinion and current booking process is that the trial comes after you’ve secured the date. A trial is an opportunity to create your perfect bridal makeup and get to know your artist better, it’s not an opportunity to trial the artist. There is so much content now on social media that showcases makeup style and skill to help brides see how their makeup could be. So you really shouldn’t have to have a trial first. I find a trial prior to booking also creates a slightly different dynamic to a bride that wholeheartedly trusts and is excited to have booked their wedding makeup.

That being said, if you’re really nervous and it’s not a case of having trials with multiple artists. I’m always happy to talk prior to booking to look at the possibility of a trial first.

TIP: One thing I will point out however, is to be wary of artists that edit their photographs.  Facetuning and super bright lighting change the true representation of makeup and is where you might end up with something different to your expectations.

WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY WEDDING MAKEUP TRIAL?

I like to get in touch with my brides 3 months before the big day to book trials, as I advise to have these approximately 6-12 before your big day. This is a prime time because you’ll likely have a better idea of how you’d like your makeup. It’s also likely to be a similar season to your wedding day, something to consider is that your skin can be completely different in the summer as it is in the winter, therefore products may perform differently.

Make sure to check when your artist provides trial appointments; many are really busy during the weekends due to weddings so it’s useful to have different options for your availability.

TIP: If possible it’s always lovely to have your makeup trial on a day you may also be having your hair trial and/or dress fitting so that you can get a better idea of how everything will come together.

Darina Stoda Photography

Come prepared

• Gather some makeup inspiration pictures.

A good place to start is your artists portfolio and social media posts, after all you chose them because you like their style. It’s also really handy to have some photos of yourself showing how you’d normally do your makeup. The clearer you are on what you’d like will really help your artist.

*I’ve put together some bridal makeup inspiration boards for you here. Make sure to follow me and pin some looks you love.

• Come with your hair styled.

It can really help bring the visual together. Even better if you loosely style it similar to how you’d like your hair on the wedding day, of have your hair trial prior.

• Skin Prep.

Before your trial make sure to check-in with your skin, is it a little dry and textured? If so, have a good exfoliation the night before and really hydrate with serum/moisturiser and don’t forget to drink plenty of water. This will make a great difference for your makeup application.

• Consider coming to your trial alone.

Sometimes best if we don’t have too many or conflicting opinions, and it’s also a really nice time to get to know your artist. If that’s not for you though, it’s usually ok to come along with a mum, bridesmaid or friend to share the experience with. 

TIP: Wear a white/ivory/cream top or a colour thats close to your wedding dress shade, this will really help when selecting colours for your makeup.

Communicate and Collaborate

I ask A LOT of questions, from skin type to personal preferences on colours, textures etc. It’s necessary for me to do so to create an image in my head of what you’re looking for. Communication is key during your trial. If questions aren’t asked and you don’t describe how you’d like your makeup, it’s very likely that what you end up with isn’t going to be close to what you envisaged.

I always tend to work in stages and get each area of makeup (i.e skin, eyes, lips) signed off by the bride before going on to the next. This helps us to build a look that you love gradually and means we can tweak the look as we go along. Be truthful, if you don’t like something or you feel you want a slight adjustment, tell your artist. They should not be offended, after all the whole point in your trial is to work together. There’s nothing worse than being told everything is perfect, only to be told later that it wasn’t what you wanted, when amendments can’t be made. You should walk away from your trial happy and confident with your makeup!

Lee Scullion Photography

After your bridal Trial

Seeing how products perform with your skin is one of the main reasons for a makeup trial. Understand that what might work perfectly for someone else, might not for you. So if part of your makeup didn’t wear very well after your trial, don’t panic, just let your artist know. It can be as easy as swapping out a product, setting your foundation a little more or even something a little bit of skincare TLC can sort out.

I always talk about skincare routines with my brides, if you don’t already have one and your skin is in need of some loving, it’s always a good idea to get stuck into one well before the wedding (no less than 4 weeks). I always give as much advice and recommendations as I can, but if you really do have troublesome skin it’s recommended to see a professional skin therapist. If your skin needs some TLC it’s likely going to show in your makeup, so it’s always good to look after your skin in the run up to your wedding.

And finally, relax and enjoy the fact that you’re going to look incredible on your wedding day!

If you have any questions that I may not have covered in the post, don’t hesitate to get in touch, comment below or send me an email. I’ll be happy to help!