wedding makeup questions

[musincy]

I was seriously considering having MAC do my wedding day makeup, but after hearing about so many people''s bad experiences, I''m not sure anymore. I can only go to the MAC store a few days before my wedding for the trial, and I''m worried that it might not work out. I know some of you recommend Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown... do any of you know how much they charge for a trial and makeup the day of the wedding?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

In my experience there''s no charge. They just expect you to purchase makeup. Remember, the artists work on commission, so your "tip" should be made in the form of a purchase. Someone please correct me if this is generally wrong.

 

[kama_s]

I had my make-up trial this past weekend with my mobile MUA and it was terrible (she didn''t know how to choose colours for a medium skinned person). I went to MAC today and asked them to do my make-up (just eyes and lips, since I have all face stuff at home), I explained the look I wanted and also took several of my MAC eyeshadows with me. They used a whole lot of my own make-up along with some newer colours and it looked terrific! I''m going to have my crappy MUA use all the MAC make-up I have (including the new stuff I bought today) on the day of the wedding. I absolutely LOVE MAC, so I would suggest not giving up hope on them without atleast trying them out.

I also have some Bobbi Brown make-up and it''s really nice. Except, I find their colour selection isn''t as diverse.

 

[katamari]

My issue with a lot of counters is that they don''t let you make appointments with MUAs specifically, just with the counter itself (at least what I found), so it is really a crap shoot with what you are going to get. I have not been able to find a make-up counter that lets you schedule with a specific employee and that is why I would be hesitant about the idea.

 

[SapphireLover]

I know that MAC in the UK charge a £25 non refundable deposit on make up, redeemable against the cost of products. If I know I need to spend £25 at their counter (eg need new bronzer and a lippie) I''ll book in for a makeover. I think in the US they charge between $30-$50. I have a girl that I like and specifically book with her.

One thing I would recommend is making sure you have photos taken after you have your trail to see how it looks as often IRL makeup looks so different on pictures.

Other bridal MU tips would be
- Trying to avoid foundation with built in SPF. Quite often these give a white cast on pictures, so leaving you with a ghost face that looks pale
- Blush/ bronzer can often look washed out on pics
- Don''t always go with their mascara. If you have one that you know and love and are 100% confident it won''t run when you blub tears of joy on your wedding day, then stick with it. If you are worried about having panda eyes, maybe consider having falsies- the individual lashes are the most natural.

Do you live anywhere near the counters where you are getting married? I would walk around the MU hall and look at the counters for girls who have the best MU on and speak to them. Make sure you book in with them and not just generally with a counter. Some of the girls at counters like Bobbi Brown, MAC and Laura Mercier will also do freelance work, so might be able to come to your venue etc.

 

[musincy]

Thank you all for your help. Maybe I''ll continue to consider MAC. I was a little worried about the other counters not scheduling appointments. The problem is that I don''t live anywhere near where I''m getting married, and won''t be able to check out the counters until the week of my wedding... that makes me a little nervous!

Do you think it would be okay for me to just buy the makeup at one of the counters and do it myself? Maybe I should do that instead. Also, I had heard about not using SPF foundation, but it seems like all of the kinds at MAC have SPF... am I missing one?

 

[SapphireLover]

Hmmm- you could have a trail at a MAC counter where you live and get the MU Artist to write down all the products that she used and get the artist near your venue to use them?

 

[Aloros]

I''m using MAC for my wedding day, but I''m applying it myself!

I did a trial there. LOVED what she did with my eyes, but I think she went a little heavy on the foundation (my FI said my face looked "flat"), and didn''t like the lips at all. I was required to make a $50 purchase. No problem with that - I do think they make a quality product!

 

[zipzapgirl]

I did Laura Mercier at Henri Bendel (NYC) and had a great experience! They made a specific two hr. appt for me and a friend and the bridal specialist showed me everything! We practiced and she wrote it all down so that I could do it myself on the day of the wedding. Only drawback was that it was quite pricey...but now I have my dressy makeup for special occasions going forward and can do it myself.

 

[SassyB]

Date: 6/16/2009 11:24:46 AM
Author: zipzapgirl
I did Laura Mercier at Henri Bendel (NYC) and had a great experience! They made a specific two hr. appt for me and a friend and the bridal specialist showed me everything! We practiced and she wrote it all down so that I could do it myself on the day of the wedding. Only drawback was that it was quite pricey...but now I have my dressy makeup for special occasions going forward and can do it myself.

I also did this! I LOVE LM products. They scheduled me and took lots of time showing me how they put the products on. Then they wrote out a sheet for me that detailed all that was used to get my look.

I believe that it''s normally $50 but waived if you purchase $50 in products which is easy to do. It is spendy..... I went to one of their "events" at Nordys and it was free.

I''m gong to another free event this Friday just to try other colors. If you have these free events in your area they are a great way to check out colors palettes for the face.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Okay...a couple of things....

1. Some of the advice you''ve gotten is good...but not completely accurate.
Blush and bronzer are a must wear on your wedding. When applied correctly and evenly, they give the appearance of the bridal-glow. How could you not wear that on your wedding day?

SPF in your foundation is just fine don''t be afraid of it. Brands have differing formulas when it comes to consistancy...but for the most part I think all foundation should have a level of SPF in it, and many higher end brands due have some in it.

Also, I highly recommend mascara. Waterproof. But don''t skip it even if you''re wearing fakes. Not wearing mascara is like leaving a painting unfinished but still hanging it on the wall...people will look at you and feel like something is off--a full face of makeup sans mascara just isn''t done.

2. Going to a counter-girl is fine. But, I often use the comparision between a freelance artist and a counter-girl in terms of cars. If you were having your car worked on, would you prefer a car salesman or a mechanic to do the work? Probably a mechanic, no brainer, right? MUA''s are much the same way. Your counter-girls are trained sales people...similar to a car salesman...they are there to push a product, they have brand loyality even if a different product line would have something better suited to you. They also may know the lingo...and can pop the hood...but you''re not going to get the same full service with a sales guy as you would a gear-head. But a true MUA has little bias, they are simply the techinical help. They don''t have "brand loyalty"...they just want to make it work.

 

[Inanna]

Has anyone done a makeup trial at Sephora?

I''ve been considering doing my own makeup for the wedding but would likely do a consultation and purchase my makeup at Sephora instead of one brand''s makeup counter. Perhaps that would eliminate the brand-loyalty issue that Italia described.

 

[musincy]

Date: 6/16/2009 12:29:07 PM
Author: Inanna
Has anyone done a makeup trial at Sephora?

I''ve been considering doing my own makeup for the wedding but would likely do a consultation and purchase my makeup at Sephora instead of one brand''s makeup counter. Perhaps that would eliminate the brand-loyalty issue that Italia described.

I was wondering about Sephora too. Maybe someone can give us some info.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 6/16/2009 6:01:07 PM
Author: musincy

Date: 6/16/2009 12:29:07 PM
Author: Inanna
Has anyone done a makeup trial at Sephora?

I''ve been considering doing my own makeup for the wedding but would likely do a consultation and purchase my makeup at Sephora instead of one brand''s makeup counter. Perhaps that would eliminate the brand-loyalty issue that Italia described.

I was wondering about Sephora too. Maybe someone can give us some info.

I love Sephora. I find the quality of the staff to be better than that at the counter...they certainly have more education and are versed on multiple product lines as opposed to just one...this fact alone makes them a better choice.

The line I work for is actually carried in Sephora, so part of my job is educating the sales staff on our products---and before my promotion to Director, I worked in many of stores doing multi-day interactions, so I know for a fact just by knowing Sephora''s procedure they get quality education constantly. Most of employees have a passion for makeup, which makes them really strong at sales and actual artistry.

My best advice though, would be go into the store and browse. Find a SA that you have a good repore with and develop a conversation from there about their services. The cool thing about Sephora is that sometimes these SA are working there to get extra income but may also be freelance on the side...meaning they''d have a kit and be willing to come to you on your wedding instead of you trying to go to the mall for your makeup. Yes, you''d have to pay...but you''ll know what you''re getting because you will have developed a relationship.

I recommend taking your wedding day makeup pretty seriously just because it will determine a lot--not only how you feel, but how you look and your pictures. Don''t be afraid to spend some money to get what you want...better that than a fistful of regret later, because you don''t get a do-over.