I’m a big fan of make-up. Especially experimenting with it. But most of my experiments don’t make it out of my bedroom door as I’m simply not brave enough! I’m also pretty bad at putting it on. Despite having a steady hand when painting on canvas I am utter rubbish at painting on myself and the art of getting eye liner straight still escapes me! My embarrassing make-up tip for eyeliner is to actually put it on really messily then fold up a cotton pad saturated in eye make-up remover into quarters (thus creating a fine point) and then sweep that over the eyelid to remove the messy bits!
Due to that terrible tip you may understand why I’ve found an expert in the field of make-up to give you some wedding day advice!
Much thanks goes to Carla, a make-up artist splitting her time between Trinidad & Canada, who I discovered through a friend. She’s produced some stunning work (which I’ll dot throughout this post for you) and has some great information for brides deciding on a look for their wedding day. Over to Carla:
In the beginning
Growing up I figure skated so right from an early age I enjoyed dressing up and playing with make-up. I got the knack of colours early! After high school I went into film production. While I enjoyed being on set and the behind the scenes aspect, I didn’t feel I was in the right place. Then I started talking to the make-up artist on set! I asked her about where she went to school and what work in that industry she had done and was planning on doing… it was a 100 questions! And that is when I had my ‘Ah ha!’ moment. I already enjoyed make-up and it just seemed a perfect fit to mix my love of make-up and being on set! So I went home and started researching schools!
Image above shot by Laura Ferreira
Beauty School
I found a school in Toronto: Complections and went on a tour. I knew as soon as I stepped in that this was the right place for me. Complections train their students to be well rounded professionals. I took courses in everything from hair design for special occasions to make-up for fashion/modelling shoots and film/theatre to SPFX and prosthetics.
That was 5 years ago! Today I am still loving what I do. The best part is working closely with my clients, really listening to what they want, whether it be a bride for her special day or a company and a photographer for an ad. Getting to know their ideas and then seeing how they react when they see the finished product. There is no better look on a bride’s face when she is fully ready with beautiful hair and make-up. You know she feels magical!
Skin suggestions
Whether you are a bride that is doing your own make-up, or a bride that is shopping around for a make-up artist, everyone wants to look their best. As it gets closer to your day make sure you are drinking a lot of water: being stressed and dehydrated takes a major toll on your skin. Also stay clear of any facial treatments at least two weeks before your wedding. Your skin needs time to heal from a facial, it naturally does this in steps that take about a week to fully complete. For any facial treatments, make sure your spa or aesthetician knows you are getting married and your wedding date so they can advise you accordingly.
When it comes to the actual make-up for your big day there are a few things to keep in mind:
DIY make-up
If you are doing it yourself:
- Stay with colours and products that you are comfortable with. If you are usually a minimalist when it comes to make-up, keep your make-up simple for your wedding. A soft pink eye and dewy pink cheeks, paired with a light gloss lip can look gorgeous. Don’t pick your wedding day to try the newest product on the market or an outrageous colour palette!
- Even if you aren’t having a professional do your hair and make-up, still give yourself a trial. Pick a day where you can try doing a few different looks on yourself and time how long each look takes. This way on the day of the wedding you know exactly how long it will take you to get ready and what products you are going to use. Knowing exactly what you are going to do and how to do it makes for a much more relaxing morning!
- Not sure what look you want or how to achieve it? Go get some advice. Many of the make-up counters do complimentary makeovers when you purchase an item or two. This is a great time to get an expert to try out new products and give you a great look. You’ll pick up a few tricks along the way and walk away with the products needed for the look you want.
- No one wants their make-up to look heavy and cakey on their wedding day so to keep the shine down have a pack of oil blotters to hand. If you feel you really need to touch up with powder use a loose mineral powder. They are much lighter in texture and settle nicely on the skin.
Pro make-up
Going the professional route is a great idea! The artist can come to your house, or wherever you are getting ready, and make your morning a lot less stressful!
- One thing when looking for a make-up artist: look for one whose work matches your personality and look. View their portfolio. If you know you want a soft clean look don’t go with the artist that has a retro punk feel to their work. As with photographers, while a good artist should be well rounded, many have a genre that is their style.
- Always do a trial! A trial should be done about a month before the wedding date. Many artists will include this in their price packages. This is when you can really communicate with your artist about what you want. Have pictures on hand: if you see a made-up eye in a magazine that you like rip it out. If you see a different picture with lips that you adore rip that one out too. Having visuals that you can show just guarantees you get exactly what you want.
- Trials are also good for an artist to get a sense of your colouring and skin textures (helps us determinate what the best products to use are) If you’re planning on tanning (the real or fake way) let your artist know that your colouring may change before the big day.
- On the subject of tanning, I know brides often like to have a little more colour on their wedding day but it is best to avoid long sessions in the sun, this makes the texture of your skin change and if you’re out there too long your skin can get a leathery texture that no make-up will work well with!
- Airbrushing make-up is something that is becoming very popular but can be more expensive (see bit on budget later). However, you will feel the difference in texture on your skin with airbrushing make-up. Its smoother and much lighter. If you have problem skin at all this is a great way to go because you don’t have to have a ton of layers on to hide any imperfections and it lasts much longer. If you’re not sure whether to choose airbrushing make-up or stay with regular foundation a trial is a perfect time to ask your artist to try both applications.
Awesome images courtesy of Carla. Images above shot by Laura Ferreira
Budget
Everyone knows that budget is a big factor when planning your special day, this is why it is important to choose an artist that fits into your budget. Shop around and get some quotes. Keep in mind that the price of the artist will reflect their experience. This isn’t an area I recommend going for the cheapest option. Having an experienced artist you can trust is important. They know how to get that perfect look and keep it looking perfect all day. They are the expert, you will appreciate their level of expertise if anything goes wrong on the day of your wedding.
Another thing to keep in mind when budgeting, as I mentioned earlier, is the kind of make-up application you are looking for. Not a lot of artists do airbrushing make-up so if you find one that does expect the charge to be a little bit more. It’s going to be a long day, if you are getting married in a hot climate or do have problem skin I highly recommend the airbrush application, it is worth the extra spend to know you don’t have to be constantly running off to do touch-ups!
Whatever you choose, it is a special day, relax and enjoy it knowing you look beautiful!
Debs & Carla
Vendor Details:
Facebook: Carlotta
Email: carla@carlottamakeupartistry.com
Phone: Canada 705.794.4955/Trinidad 868.749.5685
