To help get on the same page as your client, valuable information provided before their trial can really help them understand what is realistic and what isn’t when designing a makeup look. Here are a few topics you could cover and have as a drafted email to send to all your brides:

 Asking them what is currently in their makeup bag.
This reveals so much information to us! We know our products and brands, so if they mention wearing Estee Lauder double wear we then know they like fuller coverage. If a pot of vaseline for the lips is mentioned, it may indicate they aren’t lipstick wearers. Little nuggets of information such as these will give us a clearer understanding of their relationship with makeup. When we have this insight, we can be confident to create a look they will love and feel like themselves in.

Getting them to send you images of their dress, shoes, veil, jewellery, bridesmaid dresses, groom outfits, hair and makeup styles they are drawn too.
This combined with your knowledge of the venue will help you to understand what type of bride they are, are they going for a modern approach? Are they leaning towards understated and relaxed? The makeup must reflect their style and fit in harmoniously. Remember, one makeup doesn’t suit all!

Skin tone, I’m sure I can speak for many of us when I say we are often shown makeup look’s that are sun kissed and bronzed.
You must educate your clients and recommend they come to their trial with their skin tone as close as possible as they are wanting it for their big day. It is so common for summer brides who have a trial in winter to come much paler, and you know as much as I do that makeup styles look very different compared to bronzed styles. 

Mentioning to them that they will expect to feel very ‘done’ after the makeup is finished.
Encourage them to come in a dressy top (preferably in white / ivory / same colour as their dress), hair done special occasion like, to wear their wedding jewellery. Putting our client’s mind in the head space of ‘wedding’ will help them settle into their makeup look.

Skin care, I could honestly speak about this in one blog post alone but this is an absolute must to communicate about.
Teach you client that without proper cleansing, moisturising and exfoliating the makeup will not sit as smooth and the skin will not be as glowing without this homework.

What we can do to prepare

Studying their inspirational images ahead of the trial and making notes of how you perceive those makeup looks is vital. A client may not understand the amount of makeup used and it is down to us to tell them at the start of the trial. 

Have a few white robes in the studio to offer them to wear if they don’t have a dressy top to wear to the trial. A range of white, blush and gold is good and this can easily be thrown on to bring the bridal vibe. I get many of mine from shein, cheap and cheerful and does the job.

The post Managing client expectations appeared first on Laura Carroll.

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These appointments used to be referred to as a ‘trial’, however as you are officially booked in this is more a separate appointment we provide our clients to get to know you, your relationship with makeup and understand your wedding ‘vibe’. This is crucial for us to design and create the perfect wedding makeup look to reflect every other detail you have so carefully put into place when planning your wedding day.

What can you do to prepare for you appointment and ensure you get the best outcome of how your makeup will look on the day?

Here are some tips:

One
Before your appointment, send your artist over some inspirational makeup images. You don’t need to be specific here just makeup look’s you are drawn to that you have seen. One tip we recommend is to look for people/ faces with similar colouring to your own, skin, hair, eyes etc. 

Two
If you are having a summer wedding or plan on having a tan for your special day, please attend your appointment tanned in some way. A fair skin complexion compared to a tanned skin complexion will give very different results to the makeup. If you attend with skin paler than you intend to be on the day and you are wanting to achieve a ‘sun kissed’ look, we will not be able to go as bronzed as you may like to be. Remember, we match our foundation shade to your face and body, we need the overall tone of the makeup to look even everywhere as often chest & arms are on show when wearing a wedding dresses.

Three
Skin care, this is an absolutely GAME CHANGER when it comes to makeup application! We always want to help our clients get the best regime going possible for optimum makeup results. It does not have to be complicated, but daily routines of the right products will ensure your skin is super smooth and hydrated. The 3 main elements to the regime are: 

• Thorough cleansing with a flannel (this will help softly exfoliate the skin and grab any dirt you won’t take off with just your hands)
• Exfoliating will help remove dead skin cells that sit on the surface of the skin. Removal of these will bring a brighter, smoother and fresh feel to your skin. This is the biggest game changer to makeup sitting smoothly and will add radiance. As a makeup artist, colour correction of blemishes, marks is our forte! As much as we can try and smooth skin texture, this is ultimately down to the skincare regularly administrated by the client.
• Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! Keep your skin super hydrated, not only from the outside but the inside too. Drinking plenty of water is proven to brighten, plump and rid your skin of any blemishes! When purchasing a moisturiser ensure that you choose a suitable one for your skin type (dry, combination or oily). Generally speaking oily skin can actually be mistaken for dehydrated skin. Moisturiser needs to be applied twice a day, morning and night. 

Four
Wear a white/ ivory or light colour top, even a similar neckline to your dress if you can find something! When choosing colours and tones in the makeup it is vital that you are wearing a similar colour to what you will be on the big day. Wearing a light colour means we have to ensure the colour and depth is brought back in the face! You’ll be surprised at how different makeup looks when wearing black for example compared to a light colour. Same goes for bridesmaids or mums also having a makeup design appointment, please get them to wear a similar colour to their chosen outfit for the big day.

All these tips are provided to help you envision your makeup look as it will be on the day. It can sometimes seem out of place if you don’t have hair styled at all, casual clothes on that are a different colour to what you will wear on your wedding day. If you can come with the tips in mind above, you’ll feel more in the headspace of the bride you will be!

Remember this is a fun design session, to celebrate you 

The post How to prepare for your wedding makeup design appointment appeared first on Laura Carroll.

I met Mara when being asked to be a part of her new A / W collection 2024 launch in the autumn of 2023. Mara brought together the A-Team to bring her vision to life and the shoot was based at the stunning Sudeley Castle & Gardens in the heart of the Cotswolds. The castle has many historic royal connections from the past, it’s grounds provide the most romantic walks for couples looking to wed there!

Mara’s collection ranged from simple classic fabrics to feathers that would dance the night away. Mara’s design range certainly gives a style for every type of bride, her creativity will also make ay bride stand out. My brief for the makeup was something fresh, timeless yet modern. I worked alongside hair stylist Becky (www.bridalbybecky.com) and together we created the most gorgeous bridal looks on models Klaudia & Candy.

Scroll through the images below of the shoot for the ultimate wedding inspiration the team created:

Find the full list of suppliers below along with insta handles:

Bridal Designer @maramariebridal 
Photographer @poppycarterportraits
Videography @rixweddings
Planner @availedevents
Venue @sudeleycastleweddings / @sudeleycastle
Models @thuzar_wintlwin / @klaudia.lucja / @bodylondon_
Floral @thewaytobloom
Make-up @lauracarrollmakeupartistry
Hair @bridal_by_becky
Rentals @cotswoldvintagepartyhire / @theluxecollectionuk
Shoes @emmylondonofficial
Accessories @botiasaccessories / @megantheresecouture 
Stationery @ivoryisledesigns

The post Wedding dress designer Mara Marie Bridal  appeared first on Laura Carroll.