Recently I had the opportunity to work with Amanda Rae, an amazing makeup artist and esthetician.  Her work is so gorgeous that I asked her to be a guest blogger to provide helpful advice for our brides.  She has been in the business for over 12 years and is amazing at what she does.  Today I bring you her Top 10 Tips for Bridal Beauty.  A big thank you to Amanda for taking the time to write up this post for our readers!  I hope you enjoy it.

My name is Amanda Rae and I am a licensed esthetician & makeup artist.  Makeup is such a powerful thing because it can really make a woman hold her head a little higher, feel more confident, and love herself just that much more.  I love that I get to be a part of that transformation.  Even more, I love being a part of the special journey to a loving couples wedding.  Over these past years, I’ve seen it all! So I wanted to share with you some tips I think you should know to make the best decision for yourself.

1. Expert Skin Analysis – It is highly recommended, newly engaged or not, to take the time to meet with a skin specialist.  Whether it be a dermatologist or esthetician, it is so important to know what kind of issues you have and what steps to take to better your skin’s integrity.  A facial once a month can really give your skin the boost it needs.  When the time comes for makeup, everything will sit so smoothly and your photographs will look flawless.
2. Home Skin Care – Home Skin Care is just as important!  A booster treatment is great once a month, but it’s the at-home regime you have that is really going to make the difference.  It helps to maintain the benefits after the booster treatment.  I don’t mean that you have to have a 7+ product regime, but a proper cleanser, toner(if needed), vitamin C serum, moisturizer, and an eye cream can improve your skin significantly.
3. Selecting a Makeup Artist – Where to Start?!  Some brides-to-be may be lucky enough to have a friend that does makeup.  For the rest of the brides, it helps when an artist has a website with pictures.  You want to look for consistent looks in their pictures.  Every artist has a style, you just have to find one that jives with your style.
4. Airbrush vs. Traditional Makeup – Digital Photography and HD video is all around us now.  With technology evolving, makeup had to evolve as well.  Traditional liquids and creams can still work well, but in very experienced hands.  If not done properly, you can actually see a brush mark on film or video.  Airbrush, on the other hand, deposits on the skin almost in a tiny dot pattern, similar to pixels in a picture.  The dot pattern is what helps the makeup to read on film/camera as actual skin, not as makeup.  Airbrush is for everyone! It gives a flawless finish with a weightless feel.  So anyone who doesn’t really wear makeup, this is especially for you!
5. Rates – Rates for makeup services range based on experience & quality of products used.  It can be anywhere form $35-$500+ for an application. Average cost is around $85-125.  You know that saying, “You get what you pay for?”  In most cases, that holds true in this field.  An artist could do a very nice beauty application, maybe more than you usually do, but how does it photograph? How did it wear over time?  They might only be $35, which is great for the wallet, but you want to make sure that their work holds up.  With that said, someone who charges $500 may use more expensive products and have some fancy tools, but does the work match the price?  I highly suggest bringing a real camera to any trials(no cell phone-the flash can cast a blue tone over you) and see how your makeup reads on film.  What matters most is how you feel in the makeup because you will wear it all day on your Big Day!
6. Trials – Trials are so important! Not only is a great run through of the makeup, but it’s also time to really get to know each other.  Just think, on the morning of your wedding, emotions and nerves are high! You want to know that the people working on you(makeup and hair) are fun and calm to be around.  You are going to be together for a few hours, so you better like being around each other! I am still friends with many of my brides over the years to this day!
7. Engagement pictures – Engagement pictures often get overlooked for makeup.  The shoot is meant to produce a picture that is going to be sent out to everyone you know and love-don’t you want to look your best?! For these pictures, depending on your vision, you should have complimenting makeup-whether it’s an airy-whimsical look, a natural casual, or a more dramatic flair. You can even schedule your trial on the day of the pictures to get some real use out of the makeup!
8. Logistics – So after you get on the right skin care path, figure out who is doing your makeup, how much your budget is, and get the engagement pictures out, it is a good idea to think about some logistical setups for the morning of the Big Day.  Whether you are getting ready in a house or a hotel room, it is important to take into consideration where makeup & hair will happen(close to outlets hopefully!).  Usually in a house setting, a kitchen or living room usually works best. it still keeps everyone near each other, but not in the way.  In a hotel setting, sometimes it is helpful, if possible, to use a separate room from the bridal suite because the room can get a bit messy and then you want to get dressed in that room, maybe even take pictures in it.  Just something to think about, if it’s possible.
9. Maintenance – Once the morning is over, the dress is on, and the cameras start firing away…how do you stay looking great all day? Even with the best application, oils start to come out and lips need to be retouched.  An option for a bride is to have your makeup artist stay on for the duration of your photographs-especially in the warm months! This past July, I had a few weddings where I was armed with 3 handheld fans, ice water in spray bottles, and towels because the heat was just so bad.  Of course pictures where outside, in direct sunlight at some points, so I had to constantly just help to make sure no one looked sweaty in pictures-I got my workout on those days let me tell you!
10. Connecting with your Makeup Artist – All these reasons are just to stress how important the connection is with your makeup artist.  This person is going to be with you on some of the biggest days of your life-engagement pictures, rehearsal dinner, wedding day! But the relationship doesn’t stop there… Now you have someone you can trust for future occasions-going to other weddings, your own makeup consultant, maybe even pregnancy pictures! Whenever something comes up,  you know you have someone to count on.  To this day, I am friends with so many of my brides.  I look forward to being there for all their special moments when they need me.  You should have someone like that too!

Interested in contacting Amanda for your makeup?  Here is her info!
amandarae@araemakeup.com
Twitter:  @AmandaRaeMakeup
Facebook:  Araemakeup
Phone:  732.978.2241

For more Tips for Brides click here. Happy Wedding Planning!!