8 Tips for Booking Your Wedding Makeup Artist

How exciting - you’re on the search for the perfect makeup artist for your wedding day! Someone who will help tie together your bridal look, make you look and feel the best that you ever have. They’ll help give you the confidence to walk down the aisle to the partner of your dreams.

It’s just a matter of finding a Makeup Artist who is available for your date and booking them in, right? Actually, there’s so much to consider when choosing a Makeup Artist to avoid disappointment from cancellations, misaligned styles and more…

Here are my top 8 tips to help you in your search!

1. Do your research

What so many people don’t realise is that anyone can call themselves a makeup artist in Australia. You don’t need any formal training, just a few brushes and some makeup and off you go! Scary, right?! Unlike hairdressing, you don’t need a license, formal training, insurance, a contract, or a certificate to start working as a makeup artist. Those who say they’re ‘certified’ or ‘professional’ could have taken as little as a 3-hour course in makeup.

My Tip: Check their portfolio, work experience, how long they’ve been in business, their reviews on Google and Facebook, ABN, do they even have a website or are they just an Instagram influencer?

My experience is varied and extensive spanning over 25 years internationally. I welcome you to check out my hundreds of reviews online including Google!

2. Find a Makeup Artist whose style speaks to you

If you’re a minimalist and don’t wear much makeup day to day don’t choose a makeup artist who does big bold, glam looks because you will look and feel overdone. Unfortunately by the time you realise your artist isn’t your style you may have invested a lot of money and have run out of time and the ability to find someone else.

I had a bride once describe the look she didn’t want as being that of Barbie. I thought that was such an accurate description of what overdone makeup can do to your face - turn you into a plastic looking doll.

My Tip: Check makeup artist portfolio pictures carefully, does the bride’s skin glow and look realistic or is it matte, heavily done and artificial looking? Are their lashes way too big and over the top? Is the lighting so blown out it’s impossible to see any details, and are they using filters to hide application imperfections?

My signature style is less is more, while still having that glow and glamorous feel that brides love. Check out my portfolio to see my work.

3. Consider your desired level of service

If you’re okay with not knowing who you’ll be working with on your wedding day, then you might be fine with booking a with a makeup business who filters their bookings out to different artists.

But if you’re a person who wants to know who will be in your personal space before your big day and want to see exactly what their work is like, then the best option is to work with a solo artist like myself. It depends what kind of service you value. If you like the idea of one-on-one personalised service with a supplier that you deal with from start to finish, then a solo artist will likely make you feel the most comfortable.

My Tip: Check with any Makeup Artist you’re considering booking whether they’ll be doing your makeup personally. Even artists who trade under their own names may still book you out with one of their colleagues - always check this before booking!

I work one on one with my brides from our initial email to final touch-up. If you value personalised service, lots of experience and a calm presence then I think we’d be a great fit.

4. Consider hygiene and sanitation practices

Since COVID it’s important now more than ever to be aware of hygiene when it comes to personal services like makeup application. You would hope you could trust a makeup artist to take 100% care in this department, but I’ve been doing this a long time and unfortunately, I’ve seen some really gross things in the industry over the years.

Poor hygiene practices in makeup application are things like double-dipping, no or improper brush cleaning, blowing on brushes, a kit that looks like it hasn’t had a clean since 2015, reusing disposables like makeup sponges and mascara straight from the tube, using fingers and hands as palettes, etc.

I’m sure you don’t want a stye, cold sore or life threatening staph infection after having your makeup done!

My Tip: Ask questions about the sanitation and hygiene protocols of any artist you’re considering. If they seem uninterested in answering your questions or don’t sound thorough enough, then move on. Your health is most important!

I take hygiene and sanitation seriously and ensure everything is clean, safe and hygienic when working with clients.

5. Rethink your friend’s offer to do your wedding makeup

When you plan a wedding you’ll get recommendations from everyone about who is the best supplier. Some family and friends will even offer their services to you for free! It’s tempting, I know, but if they don’t work professionally in this field day in day out, what does that mean for you on your wedding day?

So many things could go wrong, and with makeup and it’s often evident at your makeup trial. I get calls from brides trying to get in with me last minute because they booked with a friend, or a friend of a friend, or they went with their friend’s recommendation, etc.

My Tip: Do your own research and you’ll find the right artist for you!

Take a look around my website, my work and reviews and see why I’ve been voted in as a Top 15 Makeup Artist in Australia by my amazing brides.

6. Choose a makeup artist whose personality suits your own

As a makeup artist I’m part mind reader and part psychologist! I’m pretty good at reading people, and knowing how I need to fit in to make sure your day stays relaxed and stress-free. When you start looking for a makeup artist you need to make sure they’re easy to work alongside, are not overbearing and that they’ll make you feel comfortable and not on edge and anxious on your special day.

Hair and makeup preparations set the tone for your day, they’re the first suppliers you see so you need to make sure your stylist’s approach and personality is what you want to be around on your day.

My Tip: Schedule a call with any artist you’re considering booking or read reviews from other brides.

I’m more than happy to have a chat with you, you can always reach out via email and read my over 550+ reviews in many places online including on Google.

7. Consider the products they use

Look into what brands Makeup Artists are using. Most will happily tell you. What you want to look for are professional brands, and a variety of them. You don’t want a one brand only makeup artist as it can often mean the look and finish will suit most people, but not everyone. You also don’t want predominantly drug store or mineral makeup as these won’t hold up on a long wedding day. Trust me I know, I’ve been doing this 25+ years.

If cruelty-free, sustainable and eco-friendly practices are important to you then this is something to consider as well.

My Tip: Ask Makeup Artists what brands they use, if you don’t know them by name give them a quick Google to verify their quality and reputation.

My carefully curated kit is all cruelty-free and vegan friendly containing pro quality and industry respected brands. I also recycle and use sustainable disposables like bamboo to reduce the waste I create in my business.

8. Don’t book your makeup artist based on price alone

Remember this isn’t like buying a product where shopping around gets you the exact same item at a lower price. When it comes to booking wedding day services it’s like comparing apples with oranges, you just can’t compare two service providers based on price alone as the end result will always be different, the service, the personal touch they provide, plus their experience.

How much you pay for your wedding day makeup will depend on who you book, how long they’ve been in business, their level of service, the market you’re getting married in and how in-demand the artist is.

I can’t deny the financial investment of a wedding day can add up. But knowing what I know of what goes on in the beauty industry, trying to find the lowest price when it comes to makeup can cost you in other ways.

Let’s say you receive a quote for makeup and its $250 more than another. Divide that amount over the months you have to save before the wedding (perhaps 12-18 months) and that’s only $21-$14 extra a month to save for a once in a lifetime event and photographs you’ll forever cherish. The math speaks for itself!

My Tip: Read reviews on Google and Facebook and other review platforms. See what words past clients use to describe their experiences…are clients saying their experience was just ‘great’ or did they say ‘she went above and beyond and made me feel and look amazing. I felt on top of the world’.

Related: Airbrush Makeup Vs. Traditional Makeup Application

Want to get in touch about your wedding makeup? I’d love to hear from you - get in touch!

– Tasleema