We’ve been doing this wedding thing for a little while, and so we’ve got some helpful hints to optimize your trial experience.
HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. Your trial is your time to be honest. You’re trying to figure out what you like and what you don’t. Don’t shy away from speaking up or worry that you’ll hurt our feelings. We promise- you won’t! Your artist expects that there will be things you won’t like, and your trial is your opportunity to communicate that with them. It’s easy to make adjustments to your look while you’re one-on-one with your artist at your trial. In the end, you’ll leave feeling confident in your artist.
YOUR TRIAL IS A SPECIAL TIME RESERVED FOR BOTH YOU AND THE ARTIST THAT WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU ON YOUR BIG DAY. During that time, your artist is getting a sense of your personality and needs for the day while executing the hair and makeup look that is best for you. Having other people around can really distract from the time you and your artist have together. If your mother, maid of honor, or whomever comes along with you have them hang in the waiting area until you’re done with your services. Because there are many stages to completing a look, mid way through your trial is going to look a lot different from the final look…You wouldn’t interrupt Picasso in the middle of his work, would you? All jokes aside, we’re all about getting feedback from your bestie, but have them wait until after the whole look is completed. That way you and they get a realistic idea of how you’ll look on your day.
IT’S BEST TO COME TO YOUR TRIAL WITH CLEAN/DRY HAIR. A common myth is that dirty hair is best for styling, but that’s not necessarily the case. Having clean hair allows for your artist to use as much product as they need to get the job done. Plus, we know exactly what we’re putting in your hair and which products do and don’t work well together. Come with your hair prepared the same as you would on your wedding day. For instance, if you’re wearing your natural curls and you like to diffuse them yourself then come with your hair prepared like that.
BRING PHOTOS. Your artist is not a mind reader, and pictures will help with making sure your artist understands exactly what you want. We recommend bringing in three hair pictures and three makeup pictures. When referencing the pictures, be clear about what it is that you like and why? “I like the braid from this photo, the bun from this photo, and my hair parted like this”. The more communication the better. On a side note, blonde hair photographs differently than brunette. So if you’re referencing an updo picture of a blonde and you don’t have highlights, it’s not going to look the same. When choosing makeup photos, try and find ones where the person has similar features (hair/eye color) to yours. And remember to be realistic- 99% of the photos out there have a filter on them, so the model in the photo doesn’t look like that in real life either. Lastly, take a video of each of your trial looks (even the ones you don’t like). Photos aren’t always true to life, and you tend to look more like yourself on video than in a snapshot.
WHAT YOU WEAR TO YOUR TRIAL CAN IMPACT YOUR OVERALL LOOK. It’s helpful to wear a top with a similar neckline to your dress. If you want, bring along your hair accessories and jewelry, too. That way you’ll really be able to envision the hair and makeup on your day.