We have a guest post by makeup artist Radha Subramani. She is based in Ottawa, Canada and you’ll recognize her work from the fab Old Bollywood glam shoot and her glam makeup tips. Her portfolio is available at www.radhasubramani.com or you can find her on Facebook. Thanks Radha for sharing your insight!
For many brides, choosing a makeup artist is a daunting task – on your wedding day, everyone will be looking at you! Most brides want to look like themselves – just a little bit better. But how will you find the right person?
Photograph by Simmy Ahluwalia
There are a few questions you should ask at your trial or as you are interviewing makeup artists:
1. See the portfolio.
Every artist should have one! When you look through it, evaluate how varied the portfolio is: has the makeup artist worked with lots of different skin tones? Can they do lots of different looks? If you are someone who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, a makeup artist that only has traditional South Asian looks in her portfolio might not be the right fit for you on your wedding day.
2. What does the trial include?
Trials can be “photo-ready” applications, where you can leave and go to your engagement shoot. Other artists will try a few different looks, and might adjust colours and shades to get the right look for you. Some makeup artists include false eyelashes at the trial, others might charge extra. If you have more than one event but only one trial, ask which looks/events the trial covers.
In India, it’s very common for the makeup artist to also dress and do the bride’s hair. Be sure to ask your MUA if they will do that and if not, whom they can recommend.
3. How much does the trial cost, if anything?
There’s no hard and fast rule, but in general, in-demand makeup artists will charge for their time and the product they are using. If trials are included in your package price, remember to ask what their policy is if you aren’t happy.
4. What should happen at my trial?
Your makeup artist ask you a lot of questions about what your skin is like, how much makeup you wear normally, how you want your wedding makeup to look, what colours you are wearing for your various events, and perhaps even suggest a skin care regime leading up to your big day.
After that is the fun part – you get your makeup done!
5. I want my makeup artist to only use [insert name] products!
Most freelance makeup artists keep products from a few different lines in their kit, because they’ve been tried and tested under various conditions. For example, during a summer wedding, you might be outside for photos, then inside, then in air conditioning – then outside again. Your makeup artist will have products that will hold up under all of these conditions and still look great on camera.
Lots of makeup artists use a variety of professional lines designed for film/photography, so you may not recognize all the products they use, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t exactly what you need for your big day!
6. Take photos!
Take photos at the trial, to remember what you liked, and see how it looked. At the end of your trial, you should feel beautiful, but also feel very comfortable in your makeup artist’s chair – you’ll be spending a lot of time with them during a high-stress portion of your day!
If you leave the trial, and decide you want something adjusted after a few hours, you should always let the makeup artist know.
Remember, the trial is about determining what would make you look best for your wedding. Keep an open line of communication with your artist and you will be amazing on your wedding day.