The Blushing Bride-To-Be
Makeup artist Bridget Foster offers her tips for new brides-to-be, and tells you what you can expect from your makeup trial.
August and September are my busiest months, I have done all sorts this season, ranging from big glamourous hotel weddings in the Lake District to the smaller intimate weddings of couples escaping a fuss. Over time I have really seen some spectacular and special moments. People who follow my Instagram will have seen all the different venues I have been lucky to visit.
Some brides have had many trials and some have had no trial. Many people cannot believe
I turn up to a bride’s day with no trial, however these are my favourite jobs. It’s off the cuff,
I step up to my challenge and the bride is generally more open to my skills and knowledge.
They are the ones who really look into my website, read about my experience and
look through my photos to see a variety of looks.
This season I have fallen in love with Bobbi Brown’s full coverage concealer at £21. It’s been so popular it was out of stock for a while. I even had to get a friend to pick up more on holiday
as I knew I needed to replace it in my kit. If you don’t use concealer, this is ultimately where
you are probably going wrong in creating a flawless base.
Mac bronzer in dark sun, I love these bronzers, as they match client’s actual tan which
means your face blends into the same colour as your chest or arms. I know many have
opted for a contour but honestly, done wrong they can make the skin grey,
dull and the wrong colour. This is the first skill I learnt becoming a makeup artist; match
the skin.
Loreal 642 lipstick, £8.99 is a perfect nude colour and ridiculously cheap. I have gone through
four. Finally, my Zoeva Palette in nude spectrum, £28 has every basic colour you need and is light to carry. I understand these are not local products but they are available online.
Every time I see a client their skin and the environment they are in is different on a daily
basis. You all know about good skin days and bad skin days, we are never exactly the same. I tend to look and work out what I need to recreate the look you want. That may mean mixing up shades and textures, or adding a primer, so when I do 1-2-1 tutorials I make sure clients have products they can mix to suit them over the different seasons.
The purpose of a trial:
- Achieve the look you want
- See if the makeup suits and is suitable for your skin and what we need to do if it
changes
- Get to know and trust me
- Me to get to know you
- Any allergies
For all of the above I need you on a 1-2-1 basis.
The most ridiculous phrase I here a lot is “you need more for the photographs.” This is completely untrue. Yes, it needs to be photographical but it also needs to work in real life and on camera. Just look at the models online modelling for ASOS or Topshop. They are not wearing much at all.
The best advice I can give a bride-to-be is:
- Research the makeup artist and see the variety of looks they can achieve
- Have some pictures of what you like and also a picture of what your own makeup
looks like on a night out or day to day
- Just relax and enjoy the experience even if it’s not what you expected
- Don’t ever ask a makeup artist to just do eyes, I’m 33 with a career not 16.
This summer I have decided to meet up with some of my makeup artist friends to start a
little project of my own, which I am super excited about and can hopefully share with you in the next article. In the meantime, I really hope the information above helps newly engaged girls and also new makeup artists starting out.
Images are by Joshua Wyborn
Vicky Kinard’s wedding in Augill Castle, Kirkby Stephen
Share It:
