Monday, July 25, 2011

Natural Bridal Makeup

The more weddings I do the more I start to develop my own little niche in the market.  That isn't to say that this is all I do but I do definitely find that there is a certain style of bride that tends to search me out and hire me.  What is my niche you ask...well I would definitely say it's the "Natural Bride".  This is a bride that probably typically doesn't wear a lot of makeup day to day but understands that on her wedding day she's going to need a little extra something to make her wedding day and her pictures stand out and look beautiful.

My personal philosophy when it comes to bridal makeup is to make a bride look like the best version of herself. I personally don't really believe that any bride wants to people to say "Wow, I barely recognize you" on her wedding day.  I think most would probably want people to say "Wow you look so gorgeous and glowing".  But it is important to remember that natural makeup doesn't mean NO MAKEUP...there is a BIG difference and it actually takes a very skilled artist to achieve a natural look that just enhances the bride's natural beauty and features.

I think it's also important to remember that yes, for those brides that never wear makeup it will of course feel like more than usual but that doesn't mean it needs to feel like it's caked on.  Often I hear ppl talk about the idea that you have to cake on the makeup for the pictures.  Yes, it is true that you do need a little more makeup for your features to stand out in pictures but that doesn't mean the bride can't look beautiful up close and in person as well.  I don't think any bride no matter what style of makeup she is wearing should ever feel like she's wearing a mask.  I often actually ask my brides throughout the trial if they are feeling comfortable or if it ever feels like too much makeup or too heavy on the face...most respond w/ no lol.

As I mentioned before natural doesn't mean that a bride can't wear makeup...and in some cases a good amount of makeup.  It just means the artist working on her has to understand what her face can carry off and what products/colours are best going to accent her natural beauty.  Different faces can carry off different levels of makeup and colours and it's always important to remember this when working on a client.  Also, a good artist can actually put on a good amount of makeup and still make it feel natural and like the bride is barely wearing anything...it's all w/ technique, blending and having a good understanding about the products you use and how much is really necessary to achieve the look you want.  IMO a lot of times what separates a BAD makeup job for a Passable to Good makeup job is literally just taking a fluffy squirrel brush and blending out the eye makeup for an additional 30 secs...seriously the wonders that will do to a face.

I know I keep referencing it but a great example (w/out sounding too vain lol) of a lot of makeup still being able to look natural was my post on Cover FX makeup.  It has Heavy Duty coverage...like it can cover scars, birthmarks, acne, tattoos etc. but w/ the right technique you can actually still make it look very natural and glowing.  Many people have commented on how natural I look in the end result pics when really I'm wearing A LOT of makeup!  If only I actually looked that "Natural" w/ no makeup lol...truth is NO ONE DOES!

I know woman often also say their fiances/boyfriends don't like makeup or don't want to see them w/ caked on makeup.  Again, truth is men LOVE makeup...they just don't realize they LOVE makeup (naive and stupid little creatures lol).  What they HATE is bad makeup or too much makeup...that's the only time they really notice makeup is when it's bad.  Truth is like a lot of things when it's good you won't even notice it but you'll definitely notice it when it's BAD and that's why we sort of take it for granted.  I have NEVER had a man say to me that I wear too much makeup...you know what I wear a lot of makeup if I'm going out they just can't tell b/c they don't know any better.  But I will tell you that I have had men/people ask me if I'm sick when I'm not wearing makeup lol. So again it all comes back to technique and that again is why even if a bride is looking for a natural look it is so important to hire a good professional that knows what she/he is doing.

I received a couple of pictures from my bride Karri just recently who just got married last mth.  To me Karri is a perfect example of a "Natural Bride" - glowing/clear skin, natural but still defined eyes, touch of colour on the lips.  Some of you might also be surprised to know that she is wearing false lashes in the picture.  Again, you can still wear false lashes and look "natural" it's all in the style of lashes and ALMOST ALL of my brides take me up on the offer for lashes (esp. since I don't charge extra for them).  To me it's important for my brides to look as beautiful as possible on their wedding day and to me that includes false lashes.



This is just a reminder of a quick snapshot I took of her the day of her wedding.

Brides this is also why a trial is so necessary to make sure both you and your artist are on the same page for everything.  If during the trial the artist does things a little more intense then you want speak up - you are hiring them at the end of the day and you need to feel comfortable (I'll be completely honest a lot of times what other artists call "natural makeup" is not at all what I would call natural makeup so don't worry).  A good artist will not be offended or insulted that you want to tweak things a bit.  In fact I welcome the bride's opinion - it's her face after all and I want her to leave feeling comfortable and happy.  Of course listen to your makeup artist and their suggestions too b/c they might know something you don't but at the end of it if you still leave feeling misunderstood or like they didn't quite get you or weren't receptive to your ideas or worse yet were rude to your suggestions and were insulted by the idea of changing anything don't completely lose hope and forgo hiring a makeup artist completely just understand they weren't the right makeup artist for you.  It might take a little more searching to find your right match...it's a lot like dating sometimes you have to go through some bad apples before you find a good one!

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