Many of my conversations with students who come to learn with me involve difficulties in communicating and managing the expectations of our bridal clientele. It is crucial as a bridal MUA to understand our clients vision, bridal style and their personal relationship with makeup.
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.
