What an exciting prospect: you’re looking for the ideal makeup artist for your wedding day! Someone who can help you put your bridal appearance together and make you look and feel your finest. They’ll give you the confidence you need to walk down the aisle with your perfect partner.
Isn’t it just a case of finding a Makeup Artist who is available on your date and scheduling them? No, there’s a lot to think about when hiring a makeup artist…
We at Agani are happy to provide you with several handy tips to aid you in your search!
- Do your study
Many brides are unaware that in Sri Lanka, anyone can call oneself a makeup artist. You don’t need any formal training; all you need are a few brushes and some cosmetics, and you’re ready to go! Isn’t it terrifying?! To practice as a makeup artist, you don’t need a license, formal training, insurance, a contract, or a certificate, unlike hairdressers. Those that claim to be ‘certified’ or ‘professional’ may have only completed a 3-hour makeup course.
Our advice: Look at their portfolio, work experience, how long they’ve been in the industry, Google, and Facebook ratings, and whether or not they have a website or just an Instagram account.
- Look for a makeup artist with a style that you like
If you’re more of a minimalist who doesn’t wear much makeup on a daily basis, avoid hiring a makeup artist who specializes in big, bold, flashy looks since you’ll appear and feel overdone. Unfortunately, by the time you realize your artist is too heavy-handed for your unique taste, you may have already spent a significant amount of money and have exhausted all other options. When you go down the aisle, I’m sure you want your fiancé to recognize you and not question who you are or where their fiancé went, right?
A bride once compared the look she didn’t want to having to that of Barbie. We felt that was a great way to describe what overdone makeup can do to your face: it may turn you into a plastic doll!
Our advice: Check whether the bride’s skin glows and looks authentic in the makeup artist’s portfolio photos, or is it matte, overly done, and artificial looking?
- Think about the amount of service you want
If you don’t mind not knowing who you’ll be working with on your wedding day, a cosmetics company that assigns assignments to different artists can be a good fit for you. The other alternative is to work with a single artist if you need to create a relationship and trust in someone before your big day and know exactly what their work is like. It depends on your personality; if you prefer the one-on-one individualized service of scheduling with a supplier who you deal with from beginning to end, a single artist will likely make you feel most at ease.
Our advice: Check with any Makeup Artist you’re thinking of hiring to see if they’ll be doing your makeup themselves. Even if an artist works under their own name, they may book you with one of their coworkers, so double-check!
- Think on hygienic and sanitation procedures
With the ongoing Covid situation, it’s more vital than ever to be mindful of hygiene when it comes to personal services such as makeup application. You’d think you’d be able to trust a professional to take extra precautions in this area, but in our experience in the field of photography, we’ve seen some pretty disgusting things.
Double-dipping, brush washing, blowing on brushes, a kit that looks like a bomb went off in it, recycling disposables like Beauty Blenders, and using fingers and palms as palettes are all examples of poor hygiene practices in makeup application.
Our advice: Ask any artist you’re thinking about hiring about their cleanliness and hygiene standards. Move on if they don’t appear interested in answering your questions or don’t seem comprehensive enough. It is critical that you take care of your health!
- Think twice about accepting your friend’s offer to perform your wedding makeup
When planning a wedding, everyone will give you recommendations for the greatest suppliers. Some of your family and friends may even volunteer to help you for free! It’s enticing, I know, but what does it mean for you on your wedding day if they don’t do this professionally every day? So many things may go wrong, and with cosmetics, it’s generally obvious during your makeup trial. There were incidents where brides have tried to book a professional at the last minute because they booked with a friend, or a friend of a friend offered, or they went with a friend’s recommendation, etc.
Our advice: Do your own research to locate the perfect artist for you!
- Find a makeup artist with a similar personality to yours
A competent makeup artist should be able to read people, read a room, and understand how they need to fit in to ensure that their client’s day is as stress-free as possible. When you’re looking for a makeup artist, make sure they’re easy to work with, aren’t overpowering, and will make you feel relaxed rather than tense and frightened on your wedding day. Hair and makeup preparations establish the tone for your wedding day; they’re the first suppliers you see, so be sure the tone of your stylists matches your vision for the day.
Our advice: Schedule a phone call with any makeup artist you’re thinking about booking, ahead of time.
- Take into account the things they utilize
Look into the brands that makeup artists use. Most of them will gladly enlighten you. Professional brands, and a selection of them, are what you want to look for. You don’t want a makeup artist who only works with one brand because the style and finish may suit certain people but not everyone. You also don’t want to rely on cheaper brands because they won’t last during a long wedding day.
If you value cruelty-free, sustainable, and environmentally friendly techniques, this is something to think about. There are cruelty-free and vegan brands that are equally high-quality and well-known in the market.
Our advice: Ask makeup artists which brands they use, and if you don’t recognize them, conduct a fast Google search to confirm their quality and reputation.
- Don’t hire a makeup artist only on the basis of cost
Remember, you’re not buying a thing here where you can acquire the exact same item at a lesser price if you browse around. When it comes to buying services, it’s like comparing apples to oranges; you can’t compare two service providers just on the basis of pricing because the end result will always be different, as will the service and personal touch they provide, as well as their experience.
The cost of your wedding day makeup will vary depending on who you hire, how long they’ve been in business, their level of service, the market you’re being married in, and the artist’s availability. We can’t dispute the fact that a wedding day’s financial investment might add up, so if you’re on a budget, that’s fine. However, given our knowledge on the beauty industry, we would not recommend you to shop for the cheapest makeup service available.
Our advice: Read reviews on Google, Facebook, and other review sites. Take a look at the terms that previous clients have used to describe their experiences… Is it just ‘good,’ or are clients saying things like “they went beyond their limits and helped me feel and look amazing?”.
