So he did it, he pulled off the perfect proposal. Now comes the fun part; planning the wedding. From the venue to flowers, to photographer, the list of things you need to get done is endless. Sometimes, makeup and hair are one of the last vendors to get booked, but we believe we should be right up there with the dress and flowers. Why? On your wedding day, you will be the center of attention and you will be THE most focused on subject (even more than your beautiful venue, decor, and flowers) of the day. In this article, we want to make sure that in your search for a wedding beauty team, you know exactly what to look for.

We’ve created a list of five things you should be looking for in a Wedding Makeup and Hair Artist and how to tell you are hiring not only a professional, but also the right professional for you.

Reviews

There’s nothing more telling and reassuring than testimony from past clients. Reading about past clients’ experiences with their Makeup and Hair Stylist can be just the thing you need to feel confident about your decision. Brides who’ve worked directly with Stylists can give you a great idea of what they went through and some of the things you yourself may be wondering as a client. Ask the Stylists you are interested in to direct you to any review links to read first hand accounts of what it’s like to work with them, it can be the most beneficial tool to narrowing down your decision.

Portfolio

This is one requirement that will distinguish who is a real professional: the portfolio. When looking for Makeup and Hair stylists, their portfolio to should have a diverse range of skin tones, ages, eye shapes, and clients and most importantly photos of clients that look similar to you. Although we all know doing makeup on ourselves is a skill in itself, portfolios full of selfies should be a red flag. As a Makeup Artist who has worked on hundreds of faces, doing makeup on ourselves is an entirely different skill set as working on others’ faces. No two faces are alike, yet a good Makeup Artist knows how to work on any and every face and feature. At the same time, it is important to see clients that have similar features like eye shape (i.e. monolids, deep set eyes) and skin tones (golden, olive, pink undertones) to put you at ease before you make your decision.  See our clients’ compliments here.

Aesthetic

With a service like makeup and hair, finding someone with the right aesthetic and style is extremely important. When looking through a Stylist’s photos ask yourself if that is what you would want to look like on your wedding day. Are you comfortable with the amount of shadow or foundation you see the Artist’s clients with or is the hair soft and romantic or slicked back and classic? If you’re a working professional who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup and prefers a more natural look, find a makeup artist whose work reflects a more natural and soft style. This will save you a lot of time and effort if you choose an Artist who not only creates a style that you like, but also wants to talk and collaborate to ensure they understand what your vision is for your wedding day.

Professional Business Practices

In the era of social media, everything from makeup artists to photographers are a dime a dozen. People can now pick up a makeup brush or camera and slap professional “enter profession here” to their name without any knowledge of actually being a working professional. It’s very easy to create an Instagram page with just pretty, filtered photos of work, but how do you really get to know the business and if they are true professionals, what kind of services they offer or if they’re even a good fit? Every legitimate business should have a website with a portfolio, services, client reviews, and at least a short description about their business. A website will ensure the person or business you’re interested in has taken the time and effort to show that they are in fact a real, professional business.

 

“Makeup and Hair stylists should offer all clients a legal contract, the proper licensing if required, and liability insurance upon securing them to work with you.”

 

Like every other vendor, Makeup and Hair stylists should offer all clients a legal contract, the proper licensing if required, and liability insurance upon securing them to work with you. This may be one of the most important things as you will be sure you are working with a professional who takes their job with the utmost seriousness. Not only do these things protect the Stylist, but they also protect you the client from any injury, damage that is the fault of the Stylist.

An exceptional professional Makeup Artist should always correspond to some degree with your other vendors to coordinate the proper timing to ensure they are completing their work on time for your to move into the next part of your day and help you to start your wedding day off so you feel relaxed and confident for the day ahead. Always ask any vendor you are considering if these practices are implemented as it could save you a lot of unnecessary stress and allow you to focus on what’s most important; enjoying your wedding day. See some of our work here.

Sanitary and Professional Products/kit

A professional Makeup and Hair Stylist should understand the importance of sanitation. Aside from artistry, having a sanitary, clean kit is crucial to determining whether you are working with a true professional. Makeup and hair Stylists should have 95% professional grade products in their kit as well as a large kit of disposable mascara and lip wands and spatulas to avoid directly double dipping into product. A big red flag to be aware of is if you see artists double dipping into mascara, lip products and applying them, do not be afraid to say something as this can unsanitary practice can lead to infections and the spread of bacteria.

 

“A big red flag to be aware of is if you see artists double dipping into mascara, lip products and applying them, do not be afraid to say something as this can unsanitary practice can lead to infections and the spread of bacteria.”

 

Also be weary of “Instagram” brands which go unregulated as their manufacturers are in China. Although these are currently popular brands, it may made from cheap materials and ingredients. Always ask your Makeup and Hair stylist what kind of products they use on their clients before booking.

We believe in carrying the best professional and luxury grade products that are long-wearing, HD friendly, humidity resistant, and work on all skin types and all Blush Stylists are required to carry not only professional grade products, but also keep a pristine makeup and hair kit.

We hope this list is helpful in your search for your Wedding Makeup and Hair Stylist. We understand there are an endless number of choices out there and we want to help guide you through to refine your choices to find the right Stylist for you. Is there something we missed? What other factors do you think go into finding the right Makeup and Hair Stylist? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Are you interested in seeing if we are the perfect Beauty Stylists for you? Book a Compliementary 15 Minute Phone Call with us to see if we are the right Stylists for you on your wedding day.