Weddingbee Blog

It’s been a while since I’ve really talked about my wedding day look, but given that I finally had my hair and makeup trial, I guess it’s time I returned to the subject.

Remember how I originally wanted a loose, soft, curly updo for the wedding? Well the second I showed Mr. Parasol my inspiration pictures, he pointed to the one curly half-up photo I had and said, “Oh, I like that. You should do your hair exactly like that.” Boys. What do they know?

But when I listened to Mr. Parasol’s reasoning, I realized that he actually knew what he was talking about. In the first place, I wear my hair up all the time. Doing my hair requires a lot of work, and most days, I just don’t have the time or the energy to style it, so I usually throw it up into some sort of bun. When I want to dress up and look my best, though, I usually wear my hair down. So in Mr. Parasol’s mind, an updo=everyday casual hairstyle while a half-up=fancy special occasion hairstyle. Plus, he says he really likes it when I wear my hair down and curly. That was the deciding factor for me because, above all else, I want to look beautiful for Mr. Parasol.

I could have stuck with the original inspiration picture that Mr. Parasol really liked:

Image via The Knot / Photography byLaura Negri Photography / Hair by Bob Salon

But I realized this isn’t quite what I want. It’s lovely, but I knew I could find something better.

Image vie imgfave

This hairstyle is exactly what I was looking for. I love how soft and full her hair looks. I love that it’s more wavy than curly. I love that it’s a little messy instead of pristine and perfect. And this is how I want my hair to look on my wedding day.

As far as makeup goes, I never looked for any particular inspiration pictures. I knew that I wanted to look fresh and natural with pink cheeks and lips. I basically wanted to look like the best version of myself.

Prior to my trial, I was dreading looking for affordable hair and makeup artists, especially since I’ve never had my hair or makeup professionally done before (I know!). But Sister Parasol came through again. Her usual hairstylist also has a professional hair and makeup business with her sister. Dani and Taylor specialize in wedding hair and makeup, and fittingly, their company is called Beauty by Sisters. I also couldn’t believe how affordable they are: $75 gets you a hair and makeup trial, hair and makeup on the wedding day, and they come to your house. Unbelievable!

Anyway, let’s check out the results. This is what I look like on a normal day without hair or makeup:

Personal Photo

This is what I look like when I do my hair and makeup:

Personal Photo

And here’s what I looked like after my hair and makeup trial:

Personal Photo

With my veil and a few more curls. / Personal Photo

Personal Photo

To say that I love this look would be an understatement! It was such a treat to have someone else do my hair and makeup, and I’m thrilled with the results.

Even so, we’ll be making a few tweaks for the wedding day: originally I had a pretty nude lip, but I felt like that washed me out too much. I swapped that for my own usual shade of gloss, and day of, Dani will bring a pinker color that will make my lips stand out. The fake eye lashes will also be smaller. They’re pretty long and full right now, and while Sister Parasol and the girls love them, they’re just a little too much for me. Something a little more toned down will be perfect.

As far as the hair goes, Taylor will place the half-up lower down on my head so that it’s at ear level. You can’t really tell in these pictures, but the pins start really close to the top of my head, and at first, I had some Snooki-like puffs.

NOT what I want to look like on my wedding day. / Image via Reality TV Magazine

I quickly vetoed those, and thankfully, a few pins put the offending puffs back into place. I’ll also have more curls. The back looks awesome, but the two sections in front were a little limp, so they’ll be more curly on the day of the wedding. Taylor also wants to make it more curly overall so that the curls will hold longer throughout the day. We want to prolong the inevitable limp for as long as possible.

I’ll also be adding temporary hair extensions, which Taylor is really excited about. I was worried when I first suggested extensions that she wouldn’t be able to work with them, but she love them and thinks that they’ll be the perfect addition to my wedding day look. They’ll give my hair a little more volume and length, which will be fantastic. If any of you have recommendations for temporary hair extensions, I’m all ears!

So what do you all think of my trial results? I’m still debating asking for a touch of bronze eye shadow because that’s closer to how I do my own makeup. I guess I’m not used to having such a light powder on my eyelid. What do you all think? Should I leave my eyes as they are? Or do I need a little bronze? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

How did your hair and makeup trial go? Were any of you as excited as I was to get your hair and makeup done professionally?