Beauty By Violett: How To Do A Traditional Bridal Trial

Makeup artists do a variety of different jobs such as TV/film, photo shoots, runway, sfx and bridal. Usually makeup artists will specialize in one of these. Bridal is one of the most common types of jobs and I do a lot of weddings. With each wedding I usually always do a trial.

Always allow about an hour for a bridal trial. Make sure you have a consultation form, face chart and a contract if you haven't already gotten one signed.

The first thing you're going to do is have the bride fill out a consultation form. This will give you details about the event, the brides desired look, her skin and her typical makeup routine.

Knowing The Brides Typical Makeup Routine

Knowing the brides typical makeup will tell you whether or not she wears a lot of makeup or light makeup. If she wears very little makeup then you will want to start out really light. Even a moderate amount of makeup can look like a lot on her if she's not used to seeing herself in full makeup.

The brides skin type and skin care routine will tell you many things.

Skin Type

Knowing the brides skin type is going to help you determine the types of products to use. If she's dry, you're going to have to use different products then if she's oily. For example, for oily skin types use an oil free primer.

Skin Care Routine

If your bride is missing a part in her skin care routine or not practicing good skin care at all, you may have problems applying the makeup. Another problem you will have is that this can often affect the look and wear of the makeup. This is going to help you to understand how to properly prep the canvas.

Prepping The Canvas

How the canvas is prepped, if done properly will make your job so much easier. Take the time to do this right.

Wash the face using a cotton round or an esthi wipe. Remove any eye makeup with eye makeup remover and a cotton pad and Qtip. Use a toner on a cotton round or esthi wipe to take off any dirt, oil and debris.
I always use a toner and a moisturizer prior to my makeup applications. The reason for this is a few things.

1. You will use less foundation
2. The foundation will blend in more easily
3. The clients skin is hydrated and moisturized
4. It creates a barrier between the skin and the makeup

There are a few reasons to alter the way that you prep the canvas based on skin type and skin care routine.

Skin Types and Skin Care Routine Impacts On The Canvas Prepping

I usually carry a cleanser, 2 moisturizers (1 that is very moisturizing and creamy and another that is light and oil-free),a clarifying toner(a toner with salicylic acid in it to control oil production, a hydrating toner(something with vitamins, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid is great) and a gentle cream exfoliator(this is only for extenuating circumstances.

Skin Types

Oily Skin - Use a clarifying toner and a moisturizer that is light and oil-free. If the skin isn't properly moisturized it will over compensate by creating more oil and oiliness can cause makeup meltdown.

Dry Skin - Use a hydrating toner and a that is creamy and very moisturizing. This will create a barrier so that the product isn't sucked up by the skin before you can blend it.

Combination Skin - Use a clarifying toner and a light oil-free moisturizer. Not moisturizing can create an over-production of oil in the t-zone and also dry out the other parts of the clients face.

Sensitive Skin - Use a hydrating toner and a very moisturizing and creamy moisturizer. You really want to create a protective barrier with these clients to keep their skin from being irritated by the cosmetics.

Skin Care Routines

Lack of exfoliation - If your client does not exfoliate, their skin could be rough and dry in areas. This can cause the foundation application to be difficult. The foundation won't blend, the skin will suck it up and it'll get to heavy and caky in areas. Use a toner and a creamy, rich moisturizer.

Lack of moisturizing - If your client doesn't use a moisturizer, you can have the same issues listed above. Use a toner and a creamy, rich moisturizer.

Skin Conditions and Concerns

Dry, Rough Skin - If your clients skin is rough and dry in areas the texture will really be accentuated by the foundation. This can also cause the foundation application to be difficult. The foundation won't blend, the skin will suck it up and it'll get to heavy and caky in areas. Use a hydrating toner and a creamy, rich moisturizer. If you're still having problems, use a gentle, cream exfoliator.

Mature Skin - If your client has mature skin, use an under eye cream, hydrating toner and a rich creamy moisturizer. Hydrating will plump the skin and the products will go on smoother and won't settle as much. When I apply the under eye concealer, I'll usually mix in a little under eye cream and this really helps so that the concealer doesn't settle into the lines and wrinkles.

Flakiness - Usually flakiness is dehydration but it can be really hard to work with and the foundation can make it worse. Use a hydrating toner and a rich cream use a hydrating toner and a creamy, rich moisturizer. If you're still having problems, use a gentle, cream exfoliator.

Many artists don't worry too much about these things but believe me, you will have a much easier time and you will run into difficulty with certain skin and really struggle. As you can see from my video, the bride I used just happened to have psoriasis. If I would have just started the application without properly prepping, it would have been a nightmare.

Foundation Primers

Apply a foundation primer as the last step to prepping the canvas. This will make sure the foundation stays put. Use an oil-free primer for oily, normal and combination skin. Use a regular primer for dry skin. For sensitive skin, use a green primer.

My favs:

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
Make Up For Ever HD Primer #0(clear)
Make Up For Ever HD Primer #1(green)

Correcting

If you have someone with a lot of redness or blemishes, it's a good idea to use a green corrector first. You can use green to correct redness, broken capillaries and acne. If the person has dark under eyes, use a peach or orange corrector(I like the salmon color). If the under eye's are more purple use yellow. To correct dark spots on the face such as age spots and melasma, use a yellow. It seems to work best. This will make concealing easier later.

My Fav's:

Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Pot #17 Green
Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Pot #16 Yellow Green
Make Up For Ever Camouflage Cream Pot #20 Orange
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer(under eye area)

Foundation Application

Odds are you'll have to mix your foundations to get the right shade. Hold the foundation bottle up to the skin. Choose the closest one. If it's too light add a bit of a darker foundation. If it's too dark add a drop of your lightest foundation.

Check the shade on the jawline. If it matches it should disappear when it's blended in.

Apply a very small amount in spots all over the face. Foundation is buildable so you can always add more. Use a damp beauty blender to blend it in. You won't get brush marks and the foundation will move around and blend easily. The moisture will thin out the foundation a little so it goes on as a lighter application.

My Fav:

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

Eye Primer

Apply an eye primer to make sure the eye makeup stays in place. It will also make it more pigmented and it'll blend easier with less fallout.

Eye Look From Video

I did a simple eye look on the video. It's easy and will look great on everyone.

Here's what I used:

MAC Orb e/s
MAC Bronze e/s
MAC Patina e/s
MAC Carbon e/s (Liner)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (Upper Waterline)
Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz (Lower Waterline)
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Concealing

I wait to conceal until the top lid is done in case you get any fallout and have to clean up.

Use a concealer palette to conceal any blemish. Use something in a pot or that is very thick for this. If it's too liquidy it won't cover and will move around.

My Fav:

Kryolan Dermacolor Mini 16 Shade Concealer Palette

Use a emollient, creamy, liquid concealer under the eye area to conceal. This area will get dried out and cakey if you use a pot. I like to use a damp beauty blender to blend it. It fits nicely under the eye area and the dampness thins it out a bit. It also covers a larger area so it's faster. If the client has fine lines or wrinkles mix in an under eye cream to make it more hydrating. Then it won't settle into fine lines and wrinkles.

My Faves:

NARS Creamy Radiant Concealer
MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer

Set

Set everything with a setting powder. Use a small, dome-shaped brush to get under the eyes to make sure the concealer is set.

My Fav:

HD Powder Make Up For Ever

Bottom Lash Line

Now that the concealer has been applied and set you can do the lower lash line.

Brows

For bridal I use a shadow to fill in the brows. It's much softer then a pencil or brow mousse.

My Faves:

MAC Brun e/s - Dark Hair
MAC Omega e/s - Blonde Hair
MAC Cork e/s - Light Brown

Bronzing

Use a bronzer that is just a couple shades darker then your clients skin to add some warmth back in. Use a large brush so it is more diffused.

My Fav:

MAC Scultping Powders

Blush

Use a large brush to apply a blush to the apples and backs of the cheek bones. This will make it look more diffused. Use a peach color on fair skin light skinned clients and something that's more deep on people with darker skin.

My Faves:

NARS Blushes
MAC Blushes

Highlight

A highlight looks great in photos and can add that soft shimmer that makes all the difference. Apply it to the tops of the cheek bones.

My Favs:

MAC Silver Dusk Powder Highlight
MAC Skinfinish

Lips

Start with a lip pencil. Line and fill in the lips. This gives the other lip products something to stick to.

My Favs:

MAC Subculture
Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Lip Pencil #1C

Next, apply a lip stain. I like these for bridal because they last longer and don't transfer.

My Fav:

Laura Mercier Lip Stain (Shy Pink)

Gloss/Tinted Balm

Then, apply a gloss or a tinted lip balm. Both work nicely and give shine. I like the lip balms if a clients lips are a bit on the dry side.

My Fav:

MAC Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms

Setting Spray

Finish off with a setting spray to make sure the makeup lasts all day and all night.