Hello there! While it’s technically not Friday anymore, I have been up since Friday so it’s still the same day for me 🙂 In the wee hours of the night, I now bring you today’s late edition of the TGIF tips. This one is for all you brides out there!

A friend recently asked me for advice on how to find the best makeup artist to do your wedding makeup. Having been doing wedding makeup for 7 years now, the following are the top tips that came to mind:

• Firstly, think about what kind of makeup you’d like to see on yourself. natural, glamorous, smokey, etc. Having pictures of what you like is the easiest way to communicate what you’re looking for (Thank god for pinterest!) 

If you’re not sure what kind of look you like or don’t have time to do the research, your makeup artist should be able to show you some examples of different styles to get a feel for what you like. I have a lookbook of great makeup inspiration images for many looks, and try to establish what kind of look my client wants before we meet for the trial. This way it saves alot of the bride’s precious time.

• Take a look at the makeup artist’s portfolio. do they showcase a range of looks, or is it one specific style?

• Ask around and see if anyone has worked with the makeup artist before, or perhaps the makeup artist has client feedback on their website.

I recently added the client testimonials page ( https://makeupbyneda.com/client-testimonials/) to my website after being a vendor at a wedding show. Having the feedback there definitely let’s people get to know more about my personality, artistry, and professionalism. If a makeup artist you’re considering doesn’t show clients’ feedback, that could be a red flag.

• Doing a trial is so important! they may have done beautiful work on others, but don’t leave it to chance. Do a trial in the morning so you can see how the makeup wears throughout the day. Don’t forget to take pictures to see how it photographs.

Many makeup artists these days charge an additional cost for trials, or don’t offer them at all. I think that’s silly, so that’s why the trial is included in my bridal makeup price. Rather than just have my clients sit quietly in the chair while I do the makeup, the trial is basically a conversation I’m having trying to figure out the brides likes and dislikes until we find the perfect look. I do all my trials in the daytime so in addition to having beautiful daylight, the client can see how the makeup wears throughout the day. Within 24-48 hours of the trial, my clients are emailed pictures from our trial so they can decide if they’d like to make any changes to the look. Seeing what their makeup looks like in pictures is so important, because the camera doesn’t lie!

If any of you out there are brides, or are trying to help a bride find a makeup artist, don’t hesitate to contact me for more advice! Hope you all have a great weekend 🙂