8 Reasons to Hire a Hair & Makeup Pro
Photo: Larry Fagala
Jewelry: Diamond Cellar - Donoho's Jewellers
Marchesa Gown: Joan Pillow Bridal Salon
Hair: Dennis Clendennen
Makeup: Victoria Callaway
1. It All Starts With Your Skin
For a professional makeup artist, the bride’s skin is the canvas. And like a painter’s canvas, that skin needs to be prepped, primed and ready for a masterpiece of makeup artistry that will look as beautiful in real life as it does on film. Preparing the canvas of your complexion begins with taking care of your skin. Long before your wedding day, a professional makeup artist will be able to examine your skin, identify any problems that need addressing—excessive dryness or oiliness, sensitive areas, blackheads or blemishes—and recommend a skincare regimen, and products, that will take care of these concerns.
2. Looking Natural Takes Expertise
No bride wants to greet her spouse-to-be at the altar looking altogether different than herself. Similarly, no bride wants to gaze upon her wedding photos, years down the road, and wonder, “Why do I look so pale? Why am I so shiny? What was I thinking with that lip color/eyeshadow/blush?” A professional makeup artist is trained to create a look that enhances, rather than obliterates, a bride’s natural features, from her eyebrows, to her cheekbones, to the curve of her lips.
The best makeup artists know that the wedding day camera requires more than everyday—even every evening—makeup, and they have the skills to create a look that balances camera-ready with groom-approved, flawlessly.
3. Professional-Quality Products Do Matter
You probably have your favorite cosmetic products—products you trust to come through for you every day, whether you’re at the office, on a date with your darling, or chilling with friends at a backyard barbecue. But just as your wedding is different from any other occasion in your life, your wedding makeup needs are different, too. Your daily go-to makeup products aren’t necessarily the ones that will work under the all-day demands, in-the-spotlight moments and camera flashes of your wedding day. A professional makeup artist is well-versed in the latest professional makeup products—those products used in magazine editorials, television shows, and, yes, the YouTube makeup tutorials you love to watch in the wee hours, to make models look, well…how they look. Whether your artist uses name-brand products, signature products they have developed and created themselves, or a combination of both—as is the case with many top Houston makeup pros—you will benefit from their product knowledge (and save a lot of money that you might have squandered on a ton of untested products that looked nice in the package, or seemed “hot” from user reviews).
4. About That Tan...
Let’s face it, most naturally pale brides want to amp up the glow factor for their big day. But subjecting yourself to frequent suntanning, whether outdoors or in a tanning bed, can be a recipe for wedding day disaster, not to mention a major stress on your skin, now, and in the future. The optimal solution? Professional-quality sunless tanning. Let’s repeat that: PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY sunless tanning.
If you’re thinking about picking up a drugstore fake-bake product a few weeks before your wedding, and slathering it on in the hopes of achieving a passable sun-kissed glow, please, stop. Take it from us, and from countless brides we have talked to in our three decades of publication—there is nothing worse than splotchy ankles, knees and elbows, nothing more embarrassing than white neck-lines or a massive “missed patch” on your exposed back, as you walk down that aisle.
Instead, opt for a physician-formulated, non-staining and easy-to-apply tanning soufflé rather than a cream or spray, or treat yourself to an expert airbrush tan, for this very special day.
5. We All Have Something To Hide
That jewelry you inherited from your mother, grandmother or great-grandmother? It can be a fabulous addition to your wedding day. Those deep, dark under-eye circles they passed along to you? Not so much. A professional makeup artist has the art of concealment down pat. Using a combination of highlighting and contouring techniques that amount to makeup magic, your makeup pro can eliminate even the most glaring “flaws” in your complexion. And not just on your face. Blemishes, rough spots, even tattoos, that you may wish to cover up on your chest, back or arms, for your wedding day, are no match for the masters of disguise that are Houston’s most skilled makeup artists.
6. Not A Hair Out Of Place
Come wind, rain, humidity or….dancing, your wedding hairstyle needs to be ready to endure the elements, and the revelry, of your big day. A professional hairstylist will make sure that it does, and will work with you to create a hairstyle that fits your face, gown and personal style. If your regular stylist is great at color and blow-outs, but lacks experience with the kind of elaborate updo you desire for your wedding look, it is perfectly OK to seek expertise elsewhere for this very special day.
Look for a stylist who has a portfolio of bride images, and talk to former clients to find out about their experience, and ask if the freshly styled ’do you glimpsed in that album held up for the duration of her wedding day…and night. If you’re eager to convert your ceremony hairstyle into an entirely different style for the dinner and dancing that follows, let your stylist know—don’t assume that you can just pull out a few pins and let your hair down, literally or figuratively.
7. Pretty Maids All In A Row
When planning and budgeting for professional wedding hair and makeup, don’t forget the girls who will be at your side when you are a bride. Springing for hairstyling, professional makeup and mani-pedis for your bridesmaids is one of the best investments you can make for your wedding day. Not only will it ensure that your gals look gorgeous in those wedding day photos, but it will also show your best friends and closest female family members how much you appreciate their love and devotion, by giving them the gift of professional pampering. To ensure that you and your maids are made up and styled in time for pre-wedding photos, allocate at least 45 minutes for each girl to get “done,” and give yourself up to two hours to allow your stylists to complete your look. And don’t forget to have your photographer on hand to capture at least some of the prep work—your candid “getting ready” photos will be among the images you cherish most from your wedding day.
8. Perfection Requires A Preview
There is no better way to feel confident about your wedding look than by having a chance to look at it—and make adjustments if needed—in advance of the big day. Whether you preview your makeup and hair by having them done for bridal portraits in the weeks leading up to your wedding, or you visit your stylist for an in-salon consultation prior to your event and snap pix to review and discuss, a pre-wedding trial run is a must. Yes, you’ll pay for the opportunity to have your hair and makeup done once before go-time, and yes, you may find that you’re not 100-percent in love with the original look you may have envisioned for yourself. But that investment, and that chance to tweak the details of your styling, will give you more peace of mind, and more gorgeousness to look forward to, than any amount of money you’ll spend.
