Thanks for being a part of our community! We are so excited you are here and can’t wait to share more info with you! Today’s blog topic is trials - let’s jump right in!

You have your makeup trial scheduled, what should you expect? You may find yourself full of nerves or completely unsure of how it will turn out. Or perhaps you’ve worked with Gals & Ghouls before or have had your makeup done professionally and are relaxed, looking forward to a day of pampering. Either way, let’s talk a little about what to expect at a makeup trial, how you can prepare and a few fun tips!

What to Expect

Questions!
At your trial you can expect your artist to ask lots of questions about your desired look and what your daily makeup wear is like. These may seem repetitive considering your artist may have already asked you to fill out a pre-trial form, but your artist is ensuring they meet your needs and expectations. Our job is to make you feel comfortable and confident.

Time!
You can also expect the trial to take more time than the day of your event. During your trial your artist may try several lip shades or make changes to the eye makeup so that you can see a few options. You can also take this time to discuss your expectations for the day, any restrictions you may have for your bridal party and more.

Open and Honest Communication!
Something to keep in mind during the trial is how YOU feel! Do you feel confident, beautiful and comfortable? Do you feel like the best version of yourself? If not, speak up! We tell our clients all the time, you won’t hurt anyone’s feelings but your own if you are unhappy. Communication is key!

How to Prepare

Fill Out Any Forms!
Many artists will send over a pre-trial form with questions pertaining to your daily makeup wear, ideal look, color scheme of the wedding and more. It is important to fill this out and provide all the detail you can. A lot of artists leave space for you to attach inspiration photos, too. This form, along with an in-depth conversation about your expectations for the day, is key to creating a long-lasting look you will love for years to come!

Have A Clean, Dry Face!
We ask this so that we can jump right into discussing and creating the perfect look for you. Having a fresh, clean canvas allows us to properly prep and prepare your skin for the upcoming application. Leaving makeup residue or applying products your artist does not incorporate into their application can cause unwanted issues with the wear of the makeup. Your artist will have a process and will know what products work best with others and which to stay away from.

Bring Inspiration!
Providing your artist with some inspiration is imperative to creating the perfect look! Many brides love utilizing Pinterest for their bridal inspiration and some even create boards with their ideas and share it with their artist. A simple Google search of bridal makeup or red carpet looks will provide some great inspo too! Keep in mind that you want to effectively communicate your ideal look to your artist and having too many photos can cause confusion. Limit to 2 or 3 photos and decide what specifically you like or don’t like about them.

Wear White or Solid Colors!
Wearing a solid color shirt in the color of what you are wearing, can help you visualize what the makeup will look like on the day of!  In general, wearing a solid color shirt in a neutral color (black, nude, grey etc.) will help with the big picture. Wearing bright colors or loud prints (not that we don’t love them!) can sometimes clash with the makeup and make it hard to focus on the overall look.

A Few Fun Tips

• Schedule your makeup trial for the same day as your bridal shower, bachelorette party or engagement photos. This is a great opportunity to see what your makeup will look like in photos as well as test the longevity.

• Never had an airbrush application before? Most people that wear makeup are familiar with what traditional foundation looks and feels like. Take your trial as an opportunity to see if you are a good candidate for an airbrush application and test it out!

• Take pictures!  One of the biggest reasons for having makeup on your wedding day, even if you are looking for a very natural look, is so you don’t look washed out in your wedding photos!  Makeup can look different from different angles, lighting and even in person vs pictures. Take pictures of your trial makeup in different lighting and different angles so you can accurately see the whole picture!

We are looking forward to continuing this blog and sharing with you our new projects, behind the scenes looks, beauty insights and more! If you have any questions, or requests for future blog posts, we would love to hear from you!

- Meghan