Bridal Makeup & Hairstyling: Preparing for a Trial Session
A trial for your bridal makeup and hairstyling is definitely recommended, especially if you are someone that does not wear makeup often. It is after all the one of the most important day of your life and you will want to know what kind of looks you will be having for your wedding day.
There are some considerations when planning for the perfect wedding look and you will want to be fully prepared for trial makeup session with your makeup artist to make it a fruitful session.
When to do your trial makeup and hairstyling ?
This is one common question we get asked very often - when should I do my trial? There are 2 purposes to a trial makeup session and the purpose determine when you should do the trial.
The first purpose to a trial is to find out if a particular wedding makeup artist style fits what you are looking for. If this is the case, you should do this as early as possible to decide if the makeup artist style fits your liking. This is recommended to be done even before you secure a booking with the makeup artist.
If you are certain of the makeup artist you prefers to work with, then your purpose will be the second category, which is to determine the kind of wedding makeup and hairstyling you desire for your wedding actual day. For this scenario, trial is usually recommended to be done 2-4 weeks before your wedding day. Reason for this is that you would have confirmed your gown, your hair length and face condition is also current to your wedding day.
In Autelier, we will usually reach out to our client 6-8 weeks before your wedding day to schedule a trial makeup & hairstyling. Trials are usually done at weekdays due to the hectic schedule our artists have on weekends.
Below are some guides we have collected from our years of experience for your wedding makeup and hairstyling trial session:
Research and communicate your likes and dislikes
It is best to do some research on your preferences on the kind of styles you like. Are you looking for a minimalist style, a boho-chic or a Hollywood glamour style? Do you prefer more clean & sleek looking hairstyle or a romantic braided wedding hairstyles?
These are questions you will need to consider and communicate with your makeup artist. With the ease of access to abundance of images on social media, it is best to illustrate your preferences with images. Feel free to browse thru our Instagram for wedding makeup & hairstyling inspirations.
Wear a top with the colour and neckline similar to that of your wedding dress
Sometimes clients come for a trial makeup session in a T-shirt and it is very hard to visualise the whole look. It is always advisable to come in a top that is close to the colour and neckline of your wedding dress so that it is easier for you to see how will the hairstyle complement the dress. If your wedding gown and evening dress are ready for collection, you can bring them along for your trial session too. You can get a very good feel of the overall look. Sometimes client will schedule a fitting session after the trial session so they can see how the wedding hairstyle and makeup look matches the gown.
Prepare pictures of your wedding gowns and evening dresses.
In order for us to give better advise on the kind of bridal makeup and hairstyling that is suitable for you, it is very helpful to show us pictures of your wedding gown and evening dresses.
Theme of your wedding
The theme of your wedding determines how we would advise on the looks. For example, if it is a beach wedding, we would recommend a let down romantic style whereas for a solemn church wedding will usually goes well with a clean up-do with a long veil. So do share with us the theme of your wedding, the venue as well as the programme for the day.
Come with cleanly washed hair with no conditioner/serum
While you may be tempted to come with very smooth and silky hair, you might be surprised to know that it is actually the least ideal for bridal hair styling. This is because hair that is too soft and silky is hard to style and curls doesn't last long. As such, it is recommended not to use any conditioner, hair oil or serum. It is not necessary to cut or colour your hair before the trial as our makeup artist will advise on what cut or colour is suitable for the hairstyles you have chosen.
Bare face
Do come bare face with your contact lenses on if you intend to wear them on the day of your wedding. It is fine to come with sunblock on.
Choose the right person for your trial
If you intend to bring someone for your trial makeup to give you a second opinion, we encourage you to do so. However do choose someone whom you think have similar taste as you in terms of styling. And do not bring too many people as you might end up with too many opinions and eventually find it hard to decide.
Give some thoughts on the accessories and veil
Before coming to the trial, do also check with your bridal studio on the selection of bridal veils available for use on your wedding day. This will be part of the consideration when we are proposing a wedding hairstyle too.
We do not recommend purchasing hair accessories before the bridal hair trial unless you really fancy certain piece and we will work your wedding hairstyle to complement the hair accessories. We work closely with Gioielli (https://gioielli.com.sg/) in coming up with the perfect style. Clients can choose from ready made pieces in our studio or have their hair pieces custom- made by Helan herself.
Leave your makeup on
We propose for you to leave the makeup on for a period of time after the trial makeup and hairstyling is done.
This is to test how long the makeup last, how long the curls stays in the humid Singapore weather. Take mental note of areas that you will like the makeup artist to make adjustments and communicate with your makeup artist. This will ensure your makeup stay fresh and more lasting on your big day.