"What Your Makeup Artist Wants you to Know" - SheKnows Feature

I was thinking the other day....exactly how many weddings have I done over the course of my career?  Well, I didn't keep a good count in the early days, but by conservative estimation, the total is getting close to 1000! That's a lot of weddings and a lot of brides....

But if you're going to be a bride?  This is your ONLY wedding....your once chance to have your very own fairytale.  Nothing will screw up that fairytale faster than not looking and feeling your best on your big day.  When it comes to wedding day beauty, there are a lot of little things that you might not have thought of... but not to worry!  Your first step is to hire a pro who specializes in weddings...we HAVE thought of all of those things....big and small. Everything from how to prepare for a bridal trial, to how to prep your skin, to deciding on a color palette that is perfect for you.....everything you need to know to make the beauty part of your wedding easy and stress free.  Our goal is to for you to look exactly as gorgeous as you've always dreamed you would on your big day, and understanding the process helps make that dream a reality. 

 SO....when fab beauty resource SheKnows reached out and asked me to contribute some tips to an article on things your makeup artist wants you to know, I was more than happy to!  I sent them several tidbits and other makeup and beauty pros did as well....check out the full article here for just a few of them.


Still have questions?  Ask me directly at lipservicemakeup@gmail.com!  You might see YOUR question highlighted in a future blog topic....

Don't Make this Bridal Beauty Makeup Mistake! (Bridal Guide Magazine Featured Tip of the Day)

I love doing wedding makeup for lovely brides each week...it's amazing to help a woman feel beautiful on the most important day of her life.  I'll never get tired of bridal artistry and the creativity that goes into it, but I also really enjoy being a practical resource and a problem solver for my brides!  I love sharing advice and tips that will make the planning process easier and less stressful. After 20 plus years in the biz, I've been there, done that and seen it all!  (Am I jinxing myself by saying that!?! Hope not...) As a wedding beauty expert,  I frequently contribute articles and tips to magazines and blogs on anything related to bridal makeup (and sometimes food too..hey, whatever they want to know, I'm happy to help!)

Check out Resources like Bridal Guide Magazine for Tips!

Let's face it, wedding planning is OVERWHELMING! It's takes lots of time to plan, there are a million details and sticker shock can throw you and your fiance for a loop.  There are so many things about wedding planning that you may not know....but not to worry!  There are tons of resources out there for you....blogs, articles, magazines...all filled with tips and tricks to make planning your nuptials a total breeze. Bridal Guide Magazine recently asked me to contribute a few tips on "Top 25 Wedding Day Makeup Mistakes Brides Make".  I shared several things, but one stood out, and I'm so glad it was featured in the magazine's Tip of the day...because it's one that brides truly don't know.....

So what's the tip?

Plain and simple...DON'T WAIT!  I've been a makeup artist for a long time and the timeline for booking makeup has really changed!!

Engaged girls used to book makeup dead last....2-3 months out from wedding day was very common and that "suggested timeline" was even listed in bridal planning guides as standard.  These days?  Girls book EARLY....I've already had a few inquiries for 2016, and I know other artists have too!  Brides have access to a lot more information, they tend to get more in-depth suggestions from other vendors and thanks to social media and websites, they can easily check out an artist's work months ahead of time without even having to make an appointment.  Add to that the fact that bridal beauty has been ranking higher than ever on the "must have" priority list of many brides, and it all adds up to girls identifying and booking their favorite artist much earlier now... about 6 months to a year in advance.

Truly, there is nothing sadder than getting an excited "I love your work, can't wait to meet you!" email or phone call, just to tell the bride her date is already booked up and I can't help.  I recently spoke with a bride who has been following me on social media for over a year, but didn't call until 3 months out....yep, her date was totally full and I had to refer her on to someone else.  We were BOTH really sad about it, I think we would've been such a good fit for each other!  She truly didn't realize that the makeup timeline had changed....she told me that she hadn't heard anyone talk about it, nor had she seen that information on any bridal magazines or blogs. I realized that although wedding insiders knew things had changed, newly engaged chicas may not have gotten the word yet.

Image: somethingturquoise.com

So ladies, if you are a bride to be and you're reading this now....don't wait!  Call or email today so your artist can assemble a price quote for you and get the process started with plenty of time to spare. There's really no such thing as too early, and you'll feel great knowing you've got your preferred artist booked and you won't have to scramble!

 

Want to find out more tips that'll prevent YOU from making a bridal beauty mistake?  Check out the full article from Bridal Guide Magazine here.....

26 Beauty Hacks...be your own Beauty MacGyver!

Do you love a good "Beauty Hack" as much as I do?  Maybe you're asking...what in the world is a beauty hack?  For those who don't know, a beauty hack is a new and unexpected way to use a

product...usually when you're in a pinch or out of whatever you would traditionally use.  Example?  I wear red lipstick daily and somehow that darn red lipstick tends to get on everything....especially a light colored jacket or blouse.  When that happens, I whip out a makeup wipe (I love these by Garnier) instead of a Tide pen or Shout Wipe.

Why? The makeup wipes are dual purpose AND cheaper then Shout Wipes, plus they are specifically formulated to remove makeup and work beautifully!  I keep a pack in my purse at all times for makeup touch ups, clothing fixes, even a quick hand wash if I can't get to a sink.  I've used them to get makeup off my steering wheel, my office phone....oh, and yes, I've even used one to get chocolate off one of my nephews when the baby wipe container was empty.  That, my friends, is a great beauty product hack...making something work for a bunch of things that it wasn't necessarily intended for.  Multi-purpose items are at the core of a hack, that's for sure!  Another hack I've been doing for years?  If my hair is a little frizzy and I don't have hair serum handy, I'll use just a bit of body lotion to tame the mane....bonus points if the lotion smells yummy.

 One more?  Baby Shampoo...the original kind. Sure, you can wash your kiddo's hair with it, but what else can you do?  In a pinch, wash your face, use as shower gel AND wash your makeup brushes.  Need to rinse out your undies? Baby shampoo makes a great lingerie soak, which is especially helpful in hotels away from home, One of the best uses.... remove your eye makeup, even mascara...with no irritation and no tears!  The gentle formula and PH balance make it ideal for a number of uses.


So, we're just barely scratching the surface....ready for a BUNCH of hacks? Check out this article from the editors at Allure Magazine...if anyone knows beauty, these ladies do.  There are 26 tips here...some you may have heard of, some might be new....some you may have been doing for years and didn't realize anyone else knew about!

What about you...are you a "Beauty MacGyver" when it comes to re-purposing beauty products?  Share your favorite makeup or beauty hack below in the comments!