Your Wedding Hair and Makeup Trial...Top Tips You NEED to know!

Bride and Wedding Photographer Brittany Elena

Your wedding is hopefully 6 or more months away and if you haven't already done so, NOW is the time that you starting setting the plan for your beauty into play. Don't be a bride that 

is either struggling to find someone new or thinks you and your bridal party don't need the help of trained professionals to make your wedding day beauty a memory to be fond of for a lifetime. Before you sign on the dotted line make sure you give your hairstylist and makeup artist a trial run. There is nothing wrong with being prepared, trust me you won't regret it. 

               Hair and Makeup by JBI Intoxicating Beauty at Chez Nicole Hair and Nail Salon

Below are a few sure fire things you want to know before you embark on the journey. 

You absolutely need a wedding hairstyle trial (with a few exceptions)....Don't fool yourself thinking you don't need a trial because you're undecided or you know what you want will look nice. There could be all types of unseen or unavoidable catastrophes waiting to happen/ Your should always consider doing a trial if at all possible, unless. For one, depending on your location in relevance to your artists location being far, sometimes forces you to make a choice to either pay for your artists to come to you or take your time and money to go to them Two,if  you’re using the same wonderful stylist or makeup artist you’ve been going for years of gone to before. I suggest having a detailed conversation before your wedding day with lots of photos. The last exception is if you are using a highly refereed, documented salon or onsite team and your are getting a simple blow out and simplistic makeup without all the frills of lashes, contouring, etc. 

Find and fact check a great onsite team....

Get your referrals verified by a number of ways. Most onsite beauty teams and salons in the wedding business are listed on wedding portals such as WeddingWire or The Knot. View their photos, badges on the sites and reviews. Another good way to find onsite teams are to check forums and groups online or social networks, getting a feel by previous brides are a great place to start. 

Bring photos with you to your trial.... Wedding hairstyles.

Load up your phone or cut out you favorite or not so favorite styles to bring to your stylist/artist. Makeup artists and hairstylists should and could be great communicators but your version of "teased" hair or a "smokey" eye may translate different in both your minds. Having a or many photos of your likes and dislikes paint a very clear picture of where you want to land. You could bring in photos of yourself in your best personal makeup looks. Because we aren't all selfie queens, take it a step further, and just do your makeup and wear it to your trial so the makeup artist knows what your comfort level is. You can always quickly clean your face before you makeup portion of your trial begins. 

A trial typically costs the same as your wedding hairstyle....

Though some brides feel a trial shouldn't cost as much as the actual day, it truly does. The trial can often  take much longer than the actual day and though truly fun, requires quite a bit of communication and "playing' with the hair and makeup to get shape and color correct. Unless you are going to someone you've gone to frequently or at least once before, the stylist has to familiarize themselves with you skin tone and hair type.

However long it takes the stylist to do your trial SHOULD NOT take as long  on your wedding day.....Trials can take two to three hours with all the consulting, minor changes and product choosing. Any stylist worth their salt should be able to cut the time at least in half for your wedding day. To be safe, allow half of your trial time plus another 30 minutes to complete your look on your wedding day. If your stylist/makeup artist believes it'll take them as long on your wedding day as your trial, you might want to book someone else. 

Bring anything you might want in your hair or face to the trial...

I usually suggest doing a trial no earlier than one month but not sooner that 3-6 months before your wedding so you have all the necessary accessories for your hair and a clear mind of your desired makeup looks. The earlier you do your trial the higher the possibility you don't have your customer made hair accessory(ies), which you should definitely bring with you to your trial. If you don't have your hair accessory, try to at least purchase a similar one. DON"T wait for your wedding day to place your pretty, pearly, bedazzled headband. Think about bringing your favorite lip color(s) for the makeup artist to use or to at least know your comfort level.  Make sure you have your jewelry and wear a blouse similar to the color of your gown or light in color.  Even wearing a blouse with a neckline similar to your gown will give you almost the full preview. 

Free Trial?...There isn't a such thing as a free trial. Some stylists/artists offer a
"free" trial based off of you pre-booking with them, offer a sizable discount as a courtesy or a reduced fee "half-trial". A "half-trial" is suitable for someone who just wants to get the gist or idea of their hair should look like, i.e. whether up or down or what lip or eye color would be best. As said before this could work and actually be less time consuming and save money but keep in mind, If you go with a reduced fee trial and don't have your entire hair and makeup look completed how will you know exactly how your hair will look, accessories and all? 

Test out your style.... All that beautiful hair and makeup and nowhere to go? ACTUALLY...make your trial worth its while by treating yourself (and a bridesmaid or mother) to a night out or a nice dinner at least to show it off or better yet test it out. Test if your naturally straight hair holds the curls, if your edges stay controlled or if your eyeliner smudges after an hour. 

HAIRSPRAY AND MAKEUP SETTING SPRAYS ARE  YOUR FRIENDS!...

Okay ladies, I get no one wants to have 

helmet head or extra crispy curls BUT you also don't want flat hair 30 minutes into your reception or before you even make it into the ceremony. Depending on your style choice choosing between a movable hairspray like Sebastian Shaper or Tresseme. For soft curls styles or humidity prone hair try Garnier Fructis Humidity Resistant Strong hold hair spray or Tresemme Tres Two Climate Protection Finishing Spray. For those "need to stay all day" styles try a heavy holding hairspray like Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play Harder Spray or Schwarzkopf got2b Freeze spray. Whatever you do, make sure your stylist gives you a good spray before, during and after styling your hair.

Makeup setting spray makes makeup go a long way! There are formulas and finishes for all skin types. Urban Decay is one of the leaders in the pack offering a spray for Dry skin ("Chill"), Oily Skin ("DeSlick") and one for combination ("All Nighter"). Want to have a small yet affordable one for touch ups?, try NYX Dewy or Matte Sprays. Got sensitive skin? Try Mario BadescuAloe, Herbs and Rosewater facial spray, Pur Cosmetics Miracle Mist which will not only set your makeup but give you a nice refresh on your makeup after a few hours of celebrating.

Your trial shouldn't leave you broke, frightened or underwhelmed. Make sure you understand what to expect at your trial and use these tips to ensure your confidence on the big day. 

BE BEAUTIFUL!