Bridal Makeup - How much should I expect to pay?

Ahh bridal make up. It's a make up artist's bread and butter, but most of all, especially for me, it's the best part of a make up artist's job. I love the buzz on the morning of a wedding but also, it's such a nice feeling to know that you have been a part of somebody's big day in such a special way. Just think about your hair and make up on your average night out - if it goes wrong, it has an effect on the way your whole night goes because the way you feel about the way you look effects your attitude for the whole day. As shallow as it sounds, it's the foundation on which my whole job is built. Making somebody feel good about themselves is addictive. And on no other day is this more important than on your wedding day. And, it's the reason why people seem to get away with charging so much for bridal make up.

That having been said, I completely agree with a higher charge for a bridal application. Bridal make up is not your average Saturday night make up. I have had various people say to me that they want their make up the exact same way that they wore it last Saturday and despite the fact that it may look the same, there will be subtle changes such as a different primer, or highlighter to avoid flashback. A different texture lipstick to avoid an awkward hair stuck to the lip situation as well as waterproof eyeliner and mascaras. Not to mention the fact that more time, care and effort is taken to ensure that the makeup fits in perfectly to your theme. 

I ask where you're getting married, what style of dress you're having, the colour of the bridesmaids dresses, the time of day, the flowers. I want to know every little detail, and not just because I'm being nosey, but because all of this adds to my thought and creativity process when designing a look just for you. Say for example, you are having peach bridesmaids and soft peach and white flowers and I put a pink blusher and lipstick on you, this will be glaringly obvious and will stand out a mile. 

Then there's the weather on the day! Last July saw one of the hottest days on record for us in the UK and as I was on my way  to my bride that day, I could feel the sweat on my forehead and knew I would have to make changes to her make up so that it would stay all day. And it did. Because she hired a professional who charged her that little bit more for her expertise. I do charge more for a bride than for a bridesmaid because that extra time and effort goes on the bride on her big day. I will of course give the mother of the bride and bridesmaids a fabulous service that they will not be unhappy with, but there's no denying that it's the bride's  day and it's so important that they are happy with their make up and how they feel on the day. They are going to be photographed more than they have ever been in their lives. 

So you should expect to pay more for your bridal make up - not a ridiculous amount but if a make up artist was giving you the same service that they give you on a Saturday night, then they're not doing their job properly. 

Body Shop Tea Tree Range

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we all know my skin is problematic and very, very oily. We all know I do the odd stint at MAC - put the two together and it spells disaster for my skin. I'm now used to wearing minimal makeup when going about my daily business and only ever really wear it when I'm going somewhere nice, like having lunch with friends etc. Wearing it every day really took its toll on my skin and I had a breakout. I feel like I've tried every product on the planet. 

I didn't go into the body shop for skincare. I went into the body shop for a facial massager. Which I got, and I've got to admit, despite not really having used it enough to see a difference, I'm not really sure what the point is. Perhaps it's one of those things that needs to be used regularly enough to see a difference. It feels nice though. However, I'm waffling. I saw a bottle of Tea Tree Facial Wash (£5) and thought it couldn't hurt to give it a whirl. I saw an instant difference in my skin. The next day my skin was visibly clearer. I had two massive spots on my cheek and they had almost completely gone. So much so that my boyfriend, who knows to tip-toe around the whole skin issue, mentioned how clear my skin looked. He even used it himself and was so impressed that he asked me to buy him a bottle for his own house. He loves it too. 

I use it every morning and every night. In the morning as a first cleanse and in the evening as a second cleanse, once I have removed my makeup. Loving it. And so cheap! I want to buy some other bits in the range. The website says the evening lotion is a best seller so I may give that a try next time I'm passing The Body Shop. It's so cheap, and I've honestly not found anything that has been so effective for a while!

Give it a try if you have oily, problematic skin!

On a side note, I have been using simple moisturiser throughout my dermaroller process but reverted back to my Clarins Hydraquench lotion again last week - my skin came out in a million tiny little bumps. I think it's just too rich for my skin, which is a shame as I have a full £40 tube of it left!