As a licensed esthetician working in a busy spa I always get asked many questions about clients' skin. The second most popular question is about the difference between professional makeup and makeup that a person can do on their own.
Why would I choose makeup services for my wedding day if I'm good at makeup myself? Wouldn't that be so much easier just to use the products I love and swear by and be sure I like how I look?
That's exactly what I thought when I decided to do my own makeup for my wedding. But after doing so, I still regret my decision. I came to the conclusion that on a wedding day someone else should be taking care of you and things, not the other way around. Here is why.
You get to have free hands during the makeup application
Sounds funny? But that is so true because you will need your hands to answer text messages, put on the music, make phone calls, point to others where different things are and also put some food in your mouth, hold a glass champagne or water.
The makeup artist will have a sturdy hand.
The amount of shakiness and anxiety on the very emotional day is unbelievable. Need a straight eyeliner line or evenly attached eyelashes that will stay in place all day? Can you perfectly see yourself in that light in the venue and have several mirrors to check if the foundation and contouring are applied without patches? This can be very tricky to have a low light situation or not a perfect mirror to see yourself from different angles. If you feel nervous or out of place that can be even more difficult. It's also important to know that camera might emphasize something that you can't see in person. It might look great to you and your bridesmaids but it might not be as perfect when you take pictures with professional camera.
Skilled professional wedding makeup artist uses the right products
The makeup artist that has done many makeups for weddings and special occasions or makeup for TV and photoshoots definitely knows to a T what products to avoid and what products to use to ensure longevity. Some products that claim they are long lasting don't work on certain skin types. The other problem is application. The makeup artist as rule of thumb knows how to apply the products so they last throughout the day, how to layer products, how to set them in place. If the makeup artist is a licensed skin care professional you will get tips on how to prep your skin before the wedding day. I always recommend to my clients how to follow a specific skin care routine and always take care of the skin on the day of.
Tricky application of eyelashes.
This one is very important. If you want a maximum natural effect or a wow effect with your wedding day makeup it might be the best option to use individual eyelashes to enhance your eye makeup since you can customize any look with them. It can be very hard to apply individual lashes on yourself. I can do client's both eyes in 10 minutes or less but I can't do them on myself. It's very tricky, your hand is in a very uncomfortable position, and lashes will want to go in a different direction than you want them to.
Getting ready process is full of distractions
Believe it or not, everyone gets distracted on the wedding day. Even when brides have a top-notch coordinator they get bothered all the time which adds time to the whole preparation process.
Choose people you feel comfortable to be with next to you on that day, including the makeup artist and hairstylist, I'm sure you will be grateful to yourself you took that off your shoulders.
It's good to have people that you trust by your side and encourage you.
To know if you trust your makeup artist or hair stylists , it's always best to book a trial and then leave that trial only knowing you love how you look. Don't hesitate to tell your stylist what you would like fixed and what you love. If there is nothing that you love , you should be honest and let a person correct the mistakes . Sometimes it's just a couple of pins or a different lipstick and you'll look at the result in a different way. I always try to spend as much time as possible on the makeup and hair trial to make sure we both are happy with the result.
Pamper yourself instead of giving yourself extra work
Wedding day is for us to enjoy and remember for a long time. We all know that the bride is the center of attention on that day. No matter what the reason is, it's always a day full of distractions as I already mentioned. On my wedding day in the morning I had to greet the venue representatives, the florist , the videographer, some relatives and bridesmaids, figure out the dress steaming process, get distracted buy my bridesmaids and so on and on and on... I couldn't concentrate on myself and just sit and enjoy the beginning of the new life stage because I was doing my own makeup and hair. If I had a second chance , I would never do it myself again.
