MG Hair and Makeup

Hair, Makeup

Yes

Yes

Make sure that you schedule your trial run through at the right time for you. There is no right or wrong time to schedule a trial run. If you are incorporating your mother’s veil or a specific headpiece into your hairstyle, make sure you have it for your trial run through as the hairstyle needs to be worked around it. If you are growing your hair out, make sure you wait until it is long enough or else the trial will be a waste of time and money. But make sure that you schedule your trial run through well in advance so you can schedule out haircuts, color/highlights, etc. up to your wedding day. This way there’s no last-minute panic that your stylist is on vacation so you have to get in with someone else resulting in your hair being cut too short for your style, with too many layers, and the wrong color.

Don’t be afraid to speak up. Your trial run through is not the time to pull the “Yes, it’s fine” card that we’ve all pulled at a salon or makeup counter, got up and left, and then drove home in tears. If you don’t like it, tell the artist/stylist what you do like about it (if anything), and what you want to change. It’s okay if you change your mind about liking the style/look once you see it on you versus when you saw it in the picture. Just make sure you have some ideas of other things you want to try or suggestions/pictures of other types of styles you like. This will give your artist/stylist something to start with.

Don’t become frustrated or overwhelmed with the multitude of choices for your makeup. Contact your wedding planner, venue, friends/family or bridal associations in your area to get referrals for professional makeup artists with a good reputation. Having someone else take care of doing your makeup (and not having to purchase it all yourself) will often times lighten your to-do list before and on your wedding day. Remember that though they may be the professional, this is your wedding—not theirs. And if the artist doesn’t listen or try what you would like, look for another artist—there are wonderful makeup artists out there who can make you feel and look your best.

If you are going to do your own makeup, make sure you choose your type of foundation based on the type of coverage you want. If you have troubled skin, a lot of discoloration or acne, you may want to choose a full coverage foundation. Many full coverage foundations now come more in lightweight formulas than in the past so the makeup won’t feel as heavy on the skin. Always make sure you try out the foundation first and wear it throughout the day before purchasing it so you can experience the wear of the foundation on your skin and the color in different types of light (outdoor/natural light, florescent, dim/candlelight, etc.). If you feel like it is too heavy feeling on your skin though, try a different lighter coverage foundation. There is bound to be one that is just right for you.

Don’t wear a skin luminizer or shimmer all over your face as it will reflect the light of the flash and make your skin look a lot lighter than the rest of your body. If you want to wear some shimmer on the brow bone or a little on the cheekbone to highlight, go ahead and do so as it generally gives a bit of glow to the skin.

Be aware if your foundation or moisturizer has SPF in it as it can reflect the light from a flash and make your face look like it doesn’t match the rest of your body. Also be aware of your face powder if talc is a main ingredient as it will also make your face look mask-like in photos. Yellow-based powders are usually best as they tone down redness and also look natural in pictures.

Try to get enough rest the night before your wedding as well as the week of your wedding if possible. You will most likely have a lot of other last-minute details to finish, however the more rest you get, the less stressed you will be, which will in turn reduce the chance of stress-related breakouts on your wedding day and also hopefully help you deal with family and friend personalities with greater ease. Emotions run high surrounding a wedding and you don’t want to be upset and crying as the artist is trying to apply your makeup because everyone has you on your last nerve.

Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand with your wedding day beauty routine. Remember that your skin is an organ and shows signs of stress. Exercise will also help with your stress reduction, make you feel better overall and even look better in your dress. Reducing or eliminating smoking, alcohol, and foods with high sugar and fat contents will change the luminosity of your skin. Remember that makeup can only do so much and that it does sit on top of your skin—it is not a real mask.

If you are on the fence about what style or look to choose, take pictures. If possible, try to take them in natural light versus inside with a flash as it will make the picture look differently than how you look in real life. Take pictures from the front, sides, and back and then write down on a piece of paper what you think about it when you look in the mirror. Then go on to style #2 and do the same thing. Your artist/stylist shouldn’t make you decide on the spot what style you want for your wedding day hairstyle or makeup look (unless it is your wedding day that day). Let the decision marinate a bit, look back at the pictures and at your notes. If there is someone who helps you make good decisions, make sure they are there at your trial run through to give you honest feedback. Pictures are great but there is nothing like seeing it in person.

Don’t leave booking your artist/stylist until the last-minute. Finding out that you’ve waited too long to book the artist/stylist you wanted for your wedding day can leave you in a panic. Generally you want to book between 1 year to 6 months in advance to make sure that you not only have someone for your wedding day but also so that if you have your trial run through and decide that artist/stylist is not for you, then you have enough time to search for another one. Regardless of when you book your artist/stylist, you want to get a contract—your vendor for hair and makeup should be no different than your vendor for your flowers, caterer, venue, etc.

Try things out at your trial. If you are unsure about the way you want your hair and/or makeup for your wedding day look, be sure to try out different styles and looks at your trial run through to make sure you are comfortable with whatever you choose. Choosing a hairstyle that is more formal than your everyday look is a delicate process, and choosing a style from a picture and then seeing it on your head with your amount of hair are two different things. Remember that the model, celebrity or bride in the picture may be wearing extensions, may have a different hair type than yours (i.e. you have baby fine hair and she has thick coarse hair), and don’t forget that your head shape/face shape may be different as well. All of these factor into if the style will “look like it did in the picture”.

Have an idea of how you want to wear your hair prior to purchasing your veil -- unless your veil is a specific item that your hairstyle choice will work around. Veils come in many different lengths, materials, details (or lack thereof), and some are meant to be worn under your updo and others are meant to be worn above the style on the top of your head. This is especially true when the veil has a blusher. You want to be sure of your purchase--especially as some bridal salons will not take back veils or headpieces after you buy them.

Choose a hairstyle that you will be comfortable with the whole night through. If you are the type of person who may start the day with your hair down but puts it up by the end of the day, you will want to choose an updo or some kind of modified half-updo style so your hair is away from your face and off your neck. You don't want to have your reception pictures with you in your dress and your hair thrown back in a ponytail, especially after you just spent all that time and money getting it done.

Make it last. At your trial run through, really “test-drive” your makeup. If possible, try to schedule your trial run through for a morning so you can see how the makeup lasts all day long. This will help you understand if you need touch-up products or not. Ideally, you would want to have the makeup last with little to no touch-ups required being that once you have your dress on, the rest of the day goes by in a whirl—you have people to see, pictures to take, vows to make, dances to dance—and the touch-up products end up being forgotten until you empty out your purse the next day.

Do not try any new products the week or two prior to your wedding day. This includes facial cleansers, moisturizers, toners, serums, creams, treatments, shampoos, conditioners, styling products, makeup, etc. Your hormones can make your skin more sensitive due to your stress level so close to the wedding day, and you definitely don't want to deal with a major breakout or reaction on the day of your wedding.

Gather together an emergency kit. There are adorable kits available for purchase, but in reality, you can pull this together with little to no money. Get a makeup or toiletry bag and designate it for your emergency day-of kit. Include safety pins (small gold, small silver, regular sized), double-sided sticky tape, needle and thread/small sewing kit, small scissors, tide-to-go pen, bobby pins, hairspray, gum/mints, razor, deodorant, band-aids, small packs of tissue, nail polish remover, clear nail polish, emery board, nail clipper, makeup remover wipes, tampons, etc. Be prepared for what can go wrong so it doesn’t ruin your day.

Don’t be deceived by the makeup counter salespeople who tell you that you need every product and powder because “you want to make sure you look good in the pictures”. It is important to be aware of the lighting and environment of your wedding so that you understand how it will affect the way you (and your makeup) look in pictures. However more does not always equal better.

Get rid of the old…skin, that is. Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis leading up to the wedding will make a dramatic difference in the way the makeup sits on your skin. Applying makeup to a fresh layer of skin versus a dry layer makes the makeup look more like your own skin and less like makeup. Don’t forget about exfoliating your lips as well. The best time to do this is right before you get out of the shower, take a washcloth and a mild face scrub and gently rub your lips pulling them taut as you go as if you were applying lipstick. Don’t scrub too hard or you will end up with raw lips. Afterwards, make sure you apply a lip conditioner/balm to keep the new skin layer fresh and moisturized. Your lipstick/gloss will look a million times better!

Designate someone as your point of contact for the wedding day. Generally it is best if this person is not in your wedding party or a mother as they will have other things to tend to that day. Give this point person all your vendor information, phone numbers, schedule and any other information to help this person act as you would when you are in “wedding planning mode”. Make sure you also give your vendors that person’s phone number to call in case of emergency, if they are lost or need directions, etc., as well as the information where they should go to once arriving at the venue or hotel and who they should ask for. This will hopefully prevent the bombardment of phone calls and inquiries you need to deal with on the day of—you certainly have enough else to do that day!

Remember that this is a personal day of celebration that will be documented in pictures. If you are uncomfortable with the amount of makeup you are wearing on your wedding day, it will be more unflattering than if you wore no makeup at all. These are your friends and family who have seen you in all different stages of life and amounts of makeup—not to mention blue eyeshadow and 80s spiral perm with high-sprayed “wall” bangs and side “wings”. They will know if you are unhappy—and a happy bride is always the most beautiful.