A makeup trial is a very important component in achieving the perfect makeup look for your wedding day. It's a relatively small additional cost but the value it gives you in return in incredibly worthwhile and personally I think that wherever possible you should have one before the big day.
But I trust my makeup artist - do I need to have a trial?
A trial isn’t really to determine whether the makeup artist is good at their job; you should be able to discover this by checking out their online profile and portfolio. Look at their instagram and website, check out reviews and look for references. Word of mouth is often the best way to go where possible. A trial is more of a chance to collaborate and decide on the perfect look for your wedding day. It gives us a chance to show you the look you’ve asked for and then you have the opportunity to make any adjustments you’d like on the actual day. It could be tweaking the lip colour or changing the false lashes or option for a different finish on the skin. It also gives us the chance to see how the products wear on you throughout the day (every skin is different) and if we need to make any adjustments in the skin prep to ensure the finish you’ve requested will last longer.
When should you book the trial?
I say usually 1-3 months prior to the wedding day depending on when it is. Keep in mind that makeup artists around November and December are typically extremely booked up, and coming into wedding season Friday and Saturday mornings won’t generally be an option as your makeup artist will have other weddings on those mornings. Try to get a morning to early afternoon appointment so it gives you the chance to wear the makeup throughout most of the day.
What should I bring to the trial?
Bring a photo reference for the makeup you think you’d like. This should be someone of a similar skin tone and hair colour (ideally eye colour too) to you so you know the colouring will work in the same way. Also I find lip colours can be quite personal so bring a few of your favourites to give your artist and idea of what you like. Let your artist know if you’ll be having a spray tan or lash extensions on the wedding day.
What about after the trial?
Wear the makeup for the whole day and, at the end of the day, make notes of anything that you think you'd like to change or anything that could be improved in terms of the wear. Keep in mind lipstick will only last a few hours and you'll get a bit of shine after a few hours as well (these two things can be easily managed by you throughout the day). Other than that everything else should last perfectly. Email your makeup artist with any questions or adjustments. I'd suggest asking your partner, even if they're not remotely versed in makeup, because you want to feel beautiful in their eyes too. Besides them, maybe ask for one other opinion from someone with a similar style to you. Be careful of asking too many people their opinions as at the end of the day makeup is totally personal preference and so you'll likely end up with a lot of conflicting advice. As long as you're happy and your partner thinks you look gorgeous that's literally all that matters.