Weddingbee Blog

The wedding-planning process has been fairly problem free so far. Because of this, I decided there were certain areas that I just did not need to worry about for a little while. Such as immediate decisions on beauty experts. A few weeks back I decided to halfheartedly start searching for a makeup artist. I actually prefer to do my own makeup, and I don’t think I am half bad at it. However, on my wedding day I do not want to be worried about doing my own makeup. I would rather just leave it to a professional.

I started browsing the different artists in the area, looking at reviews and so on. I did not feel like I needed to commit to anyone yet. There was one particular makeup artist who had fantastic reviews and came highly recommended. I emailed her with my wedding date and asked for some pricing. She emailed me back with a sad-face emoticon and a “Sorry, I am booked for your date.”

{Image via: Just in Case You Were Wondering}

Are you serious? How can this even be possible? I have been so on top of things to book my vendors early. There is a bride out there who is actually quicker than me? This was a wake-up call that I’d better make a move on things. The wedding is coming quick and I’d better start booking the rest of our vendors before it is too late.

At that point I decided to whip out my venue’s handy dandy preferred-vendors list. They recommend Shana Beals, and so I hit the internet again searching for reviews and a website. She had high marks across the board. I quickly sent her an email to see if she was available for my date. She answered me back within 10 minutes. I just love technology. She was booking quickly for May, but our date was still available. We decided to set up a trial so that I could see her work before I booked. This was very important to me, because I have had my makeup done numerous times in the past, most of which did not turn out so well. Natural does not mean no makeup, and glowing does not mean a ridiculous amount of glitter splashed on my face. Simply put, I was trying to avoid this look:

{Image via Lovelyish}

As soon as I arrived at my appointment she quickly got to work, and in just under 30 minutes she was completely finished—eyelashes and all. Not only was she quick but she was just lovely to be around. Easy going, funny, and friendly. At the very least, I knew I could work well with her. I slowly looked in the mirror with my fingers crossed that I would like what I saw. Here was the finished result:

{Ladey always steals the spotlight.}

I thought she did a fantastic job. It was the perfect blend of looking natural but still wearing makeup. It is really difficult to apply makeup so that it not only looks good in person but also in photos. The flash can have a tendency to drown out the colors. She is very experienced, though, and has perfected this technique. Not only that, but my makeup lasted all night long. Too bad I had nowhere to go afterward except the grocery store. Oh well, I looked pretty polished while I was picking up a gallon of milk.

The makeup trial gave me a great indication of who she is as an artist, and I am completely confident that she will do an amazing job. At least I hope so, because I booked her on the spot!

Are you planning on having your makeup professionally done? If so, were you slightly nervous going into your trial like I was?

{Unless otherwise noted, all photos are personal.}