How to Find the Perfect Makeup Artist for your Wedding Day

As a makeup artist, I do various different genres but one of my favourites is bridal work. Over the years, I have had the privilege to play a very important role in many a bride’s day. For a lot of women, our wedding is something we have dreamed about since we were little girls and whether we like it or not, all eyes are on the bride, so how we look, from the dress to the hair and makeup is an important consideration for many.

I am not just a makeup artist for my Brides; I can be their stylist, confidante and friend. I work very closely with them so that everything is as perfect as they want it to be and I am still in touch with many of my bridal clients. I have mediated arguments, soothed nerves, put cakes together, fed babies and helped many brides into their dresses. As much as I take this part of my business very seriously, this is undoubtedly one of the best parts. Having had the wedding of my own dreams, I can fully understand how even the smallest thing can mean the world to someone getting married and I do whatever it takes to make their vision of how they wish to look a reality.

Sadly, this can’t be said for some other makeup artists as incidents over the years have shown. Unfortunately, far too many brides have had their artists not show on their wedding day. There is no justification for letting a bride down this badly on her wedding day and I have many times come across this or been called to the rescue of a bride having been harshly let down by someone she had placed her trust in.

Over the past decade, I have attended several weddings where the booked makeup artist has cancelled last minute with a flimsy excuse, done a disappearing act or simply just not shown up.

Here is a selection of some of the excuses that I have heard, as told to me by the Brides themselves;

1)   A week before her wedding, the Bride contacted the MUA to confirm all details for her wedding. In a spectacular U-turn, the MUA informed the Bride that she was no longer happy to work for the agreed price and demanded more money. The shocked Bride politely informed the MUA that she couldn’t pay more but kindly offered to cover her travel costs as well, only to be then verbally abused and told “I don’t work for charity”. If none of that was bad enough, the MUA then blasted the Bride over Facebook, threatening physical violence.

2)   I was called to one wedding last minute due to the Bride being informed by her MUA that she wouldn’t be attending as she had gone out the night before, had only just come in and was still drunk but she “could come around later”.

3)   Upon arrival, the attending MUA informed the Bride that not only did she no longer have time to makeover the waiting Bridesmaids, she could do eye makeup only on the Bride as she had clients that afternoon who wanted makeup for a night out.

4)   Another Bride, upon waiting for the arrival of the now late MUA, decided to call her to find out where she was. Apparently, the MUA hadn’t realised this was the time she was required to come and had she known it was so early, would never have taken the booking. It was for 9:30 am.

5)   One bride told me of her horror to receive a phone call from the MUA the morning of her wedding apologising as she would no longer be able to attend following the death of her child. It was later discovered that the MUA had in fact gone on a 3-day drinks and drugs bender. I am also pleased to report that her child is very much alive and well.

6)   A lovely young Bride became my client after the previous makeup artist went silent. The Bride contacted the MUA a few days before just to confirm the booking whereby she was promptly blocked! The Bride to this has no clue as to why this happened and is one of the nicest women I have ever met.

Clearly, not all makeup artists are built the same and a small minority are currently damaging the credibility of the industry. With makeup as popular as ever, there is a huge influx of new artists emerging. This is great as it is nice to see new talent; however, for a few at least, this is seen more as a hobby, and therefore not treated with the respect it deserves. 

With social media now, it seems anyone can now put MUA behind their name, put a couple of selfies and put statuses up saying they are now accepting appointments.

But how do you separate the good artists from the bad? How can you be sure that not only is your chosen artist going to turn up, but also be capable of actually applying makeup to a professional standard? 

What follows is my advice on how to ensure your choice is the right one or, at the very least, minimise the risk of things going wrong;

Go with who you know– If you use a regular artist, then obviously they should be your natural choice for your wedding. If you don’t, ask friends and family who they have used and have had good experiences with, then make an appointment.

Be wary of recommendations– While this may seem in complete contradiction to the above, just bear with me for a second and allow me to explain. My husband is a solicitor. If you called me and asked me did I know any good solicitors or asked me on a Facebook group as you need legal advice, I would naturally recommend my husband. Now, I have never been a client of his so I don’t know how well he does his job but because I love him, want to help him out by getting him a new client and you need a solicitor, I’m going to go ahead and recommend him to you. Now, for all I know he could be terrible at his job (he isn’t) but I am allowing my personal relationship with him to cloud my judgement. Some of the recommendations I see on Facebook wedding groups are for artists who I wouldn’t trust based on reputation alone, and some were even those responsible for the horror stories above.

Don’t be fooled by pretty pictures– I have seen many a bride drawn in by a seemingly impressive portfolio of beautiful makeup only to be mortified when the reality doesn’t live up to their expectation. With the invention of Facetune and other similar apps, photo editing is no longer solely for photographers; anyone with a smart phone can now edit their images. It is a well-known fact that some makeup artists over-use editing to such a degree that it makes their makeup look far better than it is. 

Also, be sure the images they are presenting are actually their own. I have sent many a letter threatening legal action to self-proclaimed MUAs who have attempted to pass my work off as their own. Check for consistency and that the skill in the photos matches the experience they tell you they have. If you think there is something not quite right, you can now do a reverse image search on google to check the origins of the image and to see if it appears on any other websites.

Price can mean everything and nothing– Just because an artist is the cheapest doesn’t mean they are the worst and similarly just because someone is the most expensive, doesn’t mean they are the best. However, like a bottle of wine, price can tell you a lot. If a makeup artist is charging less than £20 for bridal makeup then it’s a fair assumption that the artist lacks experience and is fairly new to the industry. Don’t let this put you off as there are some fantastic new makeup artists out there and we all started somewhere. 

If a makeup artist is charging that little but is alleged to be very experienced, I would be wary about parting with any cash until I had seen them in action.

Please book a trial– Contrary to popular belief, makeup artists don’t pluck figures out of the air then times it by 30 to come up with a price for bridal clients. With the amount of behind the scenes work, kit costs as well as necessary admin, our price will cover that and everything else. It costs more because it is more work than standard makeovers. When we suggest a trial we aren’t telling you to book one because we want to make more money off you, we are suggesting it because you are unlikely to have ever met us plus this is a chance to get everything perfect for your big day. 

If you really object to the cost of a trial, then at the very least book with your preferred artist for eye makeup so you can see how they work. The only time I would say it was safe to forgo a trial is when you have used the artist before or have seen their work first-hand. For the cost of less than a night out, it is advisable though to schedule your trial for the same day as your hen night so you can take your pretty makeup and show it off.

With all this in mind, it’s only fair to point out, that life is life. Sometimes, even with the best will in the world, the best makeup artist may find they are unable to fulfil an obligation to a client. You can’t protect against or legislate for serious illness, true emergency or bereavements. However, the indicator of a true professional is how they handle the situation. If worse came to the worst, I know I could get another fantastic makeup artist to my client and there is no way I would leave someone high and dry on their wedding day.

Do your research and don’t take anything at face value. Check references. Most importantly, get to know who you are booking. You wouldn’t hire an employee without extensive interviewing, so why should it be any different with the person in charge of making you look even more beautiful on the most special of days.

For the Love of Makeup

I have always been obsessed with makeup. The texture, the glossiness, and the transforming abilities that are apparent when you apply it. From a very young age, I was regularly teetering over the bathroom sink applying my Mum’s Chanel face powder with the wild abandon of a child who doesn’t realise how expensive products actually are. My mother loved makeup as much as I do now, particularly expensive makeup. Like most daughters, I blame the poor woman for most things in my life and my love of makeup has the blame placed firmly at her door. 

I grew up in Australia and at the time (and still by all accounts), makeup and skincare were prohibitively expensive. As a young pre-teen, my budget did not extend past the occasional lip smacker. As lovely as these were, and still are, my heart yearned for the products that I read about in magazines such as Dolly or Cleo. I would spend hours writing lists of my must haves and dreamt of the day I would be able to do more than browse. 

My salvation came in the form of my lovely Dad. Seeing his daughters getting to the age were we wanted some freedom but also wanting to instil work ethic into us, he proposed a solution to my economic crisis; if I were to work in his office 3 days a week after school helping with admin, he would pay me $50 a week (a very large sum back then).

I was delighted. With this, while I could still not afford Chanel, I could finally start to begin to purchase products I had only been able to pilfer from testers before. I remember L’Oréal being a huge favourite, as were Revlon, Red Earth, the Body Shop, and Aus. With this bubbling away inside of me, it was only a matter of time before the obsession was instilled.

Not long after, I was in a local shopping mall and stumbled across something that would change my life. Browsing the book shop, I spied a book by the famous American makeup artist, Bobbi Brown. Simply titled the Makeup Manual, I fell upon it like a life raft at sea. Despite it being the ungodly sum of $45, I joyfully parted with my cash and ran home. Well that was it, within those pages t I discovered that I could actually have a job as a makeup artist, plus all the necessary information on to actually achieve that goal. It was a life altering moment and it set me on the path that would eventually lead me to where I am now. I still have that book and regularly consult it.

The difficulty was that in Australia in the 1990s, despite a world-renowned film industry, being a makeup artist wasn’t actually seen as a career. Beauty therapist or hairdresser yes, but why would anyone pay for anyone to have their makeup done? The opportunities in film and television were (and still are) heavily male dominated and difficult to get into. To have a career in the industry, the only routes were to go to the UK, I travelled to the UK itching to start my career.

Unfortunately for me, my parents had different ideas; specifically, an education and career with a pension so I could have a financially comfortable retirement. Though I resented them bitterly at the time, I can now thank them for pushing me to actually get a thorough education.

Despite doing a course and qualifying as an artist, it remained a hobby for a number of years. I would do the occasional friend’s makeup for a wedding or night out and was always on hand to offer tips and advice, but I was still very much an amateur.

This all changed for me on a trip to New York. While I was talking to the lovely Clinique lady in Saks 5thAvenue of all her stock, I mentioned to her that I would love to be a makeup artist like she and she said to me “well honey, why aren’t you?”. I was flabbergasted. Why wasn’t I makeup artist? It suddenly made perfect sense to me and that gut-wrenching insecurity vanished. That day, I emailed a resignation to my astonished employers who asked me if I was quite right in the head. Yes, I assured them and continued to assure everyone who asked me the same question as I spelt out my plans.

To make sure I knew what I was doing and what trends were current, I enrolled on various makeup masterclasses and courses. What followed was a very hard slog where many a time I regretted my decision. 

The road to becoming a freelance makeup artist is difficult. To become successful, is even more difficult. For 3 years I plugged away, networked and begged anyone I knew for work. It was soul destroying at times and at many points, I felt like giving up. The thing which stopped me was that I knew not only did I love makeup, but that with the right experience, this was something I could be very good at and I carried on.

My big break came in the form of basically being a body in the right place at the right time; a photographer I had been testing with was due to shoot an editorial for the Arcadia Group the next day and their makeup artist had dropped out. Would I be able to step in? With a shaking voice I confirmed that of course I would and that was it.

From that moment on, jobs trickled in and I found not only was I working, but I was very busy. The day I was chosen to be part of a makeup team for London Fashion Week I cried. The day I was chosen for Paris Fashion Week, I cried. The day I spotted my work on the front page of a magazine in a newsagent in Soho, I cried. I still cry now with tears of joy that not only am I doing well, but I can finally say I do a job which I love with all my heart.

The best moment was the evening I got an email from a London agency looking to represent me. Again, I cried and bounced on the bed shrieking with happiness. I have since parted ways with the agency but appreciate the guidance I received for an important stage in my career.

There have been low moments too. With social media, there is a rise of keyboard commentators who, for some reason, feel the need to tell you that your work is rubbish or that you have no reason to be an artist. This used to really bother me but eventually I realised that as long as I and the people hiring me where happy then I should be too.

This is a career not for the many, but for the few. It is a hard-worn path to success but once you get even close to where you want to be, the feeling is amazing. I am very proud to say I have played a part in so many lives and hopefully made many women feel amazing and with the rise of popularity in makeup, I’m sure there will be many more highs I can continue to aspire to.

8 Objects that Inspire my Creativity

As an artist, it is important to reflect on what influences and inspires us. Those influences are usually telling as to our personality. In order to consider this further, as an exercise, I found 8 various objects that, for one reason or another, inspire me creatively.

•Letters

Specifically, letters from various family members. Throughout my life, I have lived in different parts of the world and before social media became a ‘thing’, as phone calls were expensive, I would write letters to friends and family members as often as I could. To be able to look through these now and reflect back enables me to consider how much my life has changed and relive various moments again.

•Red Lipstick

Despite being a makeup artist, I was once scared of wearing bright colours when it came to makeup. I felt, and still feel self-conscious from having small lips. The reason for this I realised, while doing this exercise, is that I am secretly a shy person who does not like to draw attention to myself. In order to gain confidence as a makeup artist, I felt the red lipstick was a defining moment as it allowed me to create a persona which I could bring in as my “work self”. Interestingly, around this time, I also changed my hair colour from it natural red to blonde.

•Books

Specifically, ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ which was a book I read as part of my exams in secondary school and is one of the first books that I found I was able to really enjoy and identify with the female protagonist. The story is focused on a teenage girl who is first generation Australian from Italian descent and details her struggles with her identity. This resonates with me as this is also something I struggle with and I use my artistry to enable me to work through some of these issues.

• Plane Ticket

This object made me laugh as it made me realise how materialistic in some ways I had become. I have kept this plane ticket as inspiration and to remind myself how successful I have been in my career. I had not been able to visit my home country for a number of years because I could not afford to travel in business class (!) as it was a very long flight (24 hours plus connections).Finding this led to a conversation where I discovered that my need for perfection and the “finest” things can come at a cost to what is important to me, namely being able to see friends and family in this particular case. 

As an artist, my perfectionism and need to be the best is something that does hold me back and stops my progression. I have become better at this during my time at university, but this is something I think I will always struggle with.

•StoneElephant

I have been extremely lucky in the fact that I have been able to travel extensively, and I bought this elephant during a trip to Thailand. I feel that travel broadens my mind. I also have found that my experience with different cultures has made me more curious and has allowed me to interpret what I have learnt into my skill base when creating.

• Photograph

Having had an extremely close relationship with my now deceased parents, I always keep a photograph of my parents and I close by. My mother was a very strong woman who instilled in me work ethic while my father was also a creative who taught me that it doesn’t matter what job I have, if I don’t enjoy going to work, no job is worth it. This sentiment encouraged me to become a makeup artist and not focus too much on the negative as the benefits outweigh this in the majority.

•Running Vest

I enjoy running as I feel it benefits me both physically and mentally. Also, I have found that it clears my mind and I have some great, creative ideas while running.  After I run, particularly if I do it in the morning, it provides me with a feeling of being centred and helps me focus on the day ahead.

• A Painting from my Son

My son is extremely creative, and I find him to be a constant source of inspiration. He enjoys writing, drawing and painting so we often sit side beside one another working on projects together. Despite his young age, he is always able to give me good ideas as to what I can try in my own work and enjoys seeing some of the images that I help produce. On a personal note, my son is also my main driving force as I want him to have a strong female role model who is successful in her chosen profession as I feel this is important to his development.

As a task, this was a very interesting method of self-discovery. I am obviously someone who finds creativity through emotion. All the things I keep close are objects I have had for years. I feel this comes through in my work, as I prefer more classic styles of makeup compared to very out there avantegardework, and this has continued to be an exercise I revisit when I’m struggling to find inspiration.

It is clear from the objects important to me that I am sentimental and reflective artist who uses my life experiences to guide inspiration. I draw on those around me to bring ideas to life, valuing other opinions and input.  However, I tend to become anxious and can be scared of making mistakes or not being “perfect” which can limit my creativity. In order to develop as an artist, it is important that I acknowledge these limitations and take steps to limit or overcome this. While striving for the best is not a bad thing, it limits my creativity meaning I am less likely to take risks.