Wedding Make-Up

Katie 2 is getting married exactly one year from today! (Don't worry, this isn't going to turn in to a blog all about wedding stuff.) There have been a lot of things to plan and consider, and the costs rack up quickly. After Katie 2 started complaining about it, Elizabeth jumped in and offered to do Katie 2's make-up for the big day. It's a total win-win because it gives us a chance to make sure we can spend time together that day and Elizabeth loves doing people's make-up. Plus, Katie 2 doesn't want to have to rely on someone she doesn't know.

We decided to dedicate a post to the idea, not because all working women are getting married, but because we learned some important lessons during our initial trials that you may be able to use in your own life for a special occasion.

1. Transfer-proof lipstick is not the same as long-wear lipstick. If you're a make-up guru a la Elizabeth, this is obvious. But Katie 2 never really thought about it. When searching for the perfect color, Katie 2 noticed that all of the brands that were recommended for long-wear came off pretty easily during the "kiss test"- which her fiance would not be too excited about. When shopping (for a wedding, other special occasion, or just life), be sure you know what you're looking at. (While they didn't have the perfect color she was looking for, Katie 2 was most impressed with the non-transferring, long-wearing Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick. The $20 price tag isn't bad either. Be prepared for the drying feeling- make sure your lips are well hydrated before application.)
2. Be specific. Whether you're working with a make-up artist or talking to someone at your local make-up counter, you need to be very specific about your wants, needs, and concerns (especially your concerns). This includes not only the look you want, but also your skin type.  Different prep and products are called for depending on whether you have dry, combination, or oily skin.  
3. Options. This works no matter what side of the make-up brush you're on. We started the make-up trails with a "Wedding Beauty" Pinterest board, where Katie 2 posted a bunch of pictures. What ended up happening is way too many thoughts and ideas. Elizabeth then suggested that Katie 2 come up with 2 or 3 pictures for each feature. What we ended up with was 3 eye shots, 2 lips, 3 cheek/contour... you get the idea. The result helped Elizabeth hone in on what Katie 2 liked about each look (which was very hard for Katie 2 to articulate, because she doesn't really know how any of the looks were achieved). It also worked well because Elizabeth pointed out that the same girl can be photographed at the same event, with the same make-up, and look completely different because of lighting. So what you think you see and like isn't what is really there. Options are helpful for every-day looks too, because it gives the expert an idea of an overall vibe. Elizabeth gave Katie 2 some options during the trial, too. ("What about if we added this to the eye?" "NOPE!" or "YES! LOVE IT!")
4. More is better. OK, so this one may not apply to every day make-up wearing. But if you're going to be photographed (for a wedding or professional head shots or whatever), you will need to probably wear a bit more make-up than you're used to because flash photography can remove up to 20%-30% of the color and intensity from your makeup. HD is not your friend, people.
5. Take test pictures (if prepping for an event). If possible, makeup should be checked under the lighting that will be used in the photograph. Sunlight, incandescent, and fluorescent lighting will all affect how you look in a picture. If you are doing makeup for a special event where you know you will be photographed, try to take some pictures after the trial in different lights to see how it looks. Similarly, other colors in the shot will change how the look translates in pictures.  Think of someone with blue eyes wearing a blue shirt making their eyes look more blue.  Elizabeth had Katie 2 wear a white shirt during our trials to mimic what she will be wearing on the day.    
6. Know whose opinion counts. At the end of the day Katie 2 has to be happy with how she looks. It's her big day after all. So if you don't love what the makeup artist is doing, let them know.  Telling the artist that you don't like the color or something about the application is not being a Bridezilla. They can't read your mind. If it's a professional, they want a happy customer who will recommend them to others, and a friend should always want you to be happy. Elizabeth is still trying to encourage Katie 2 to move a little more out of her comfort zone (she is a little concerned that Katie 2 will be washed out in pictures if she doesn't) but she knows that Katie 2 is a "natural bride" and wants to strike a balance that makes Katie 2 feel comfortable and beautiful both on the day and in the pictures.