The Expert Corner

Rosie Hunter Artistry is professional on-location makeup & hair styling services to enhance and celebrate your unique beauty. Helping women worldwide feel empowered & fabulous since 2015.

Rosie Hunter Artistry offers a variety of bridal packages, hairstyling, headshots, boudoir photography, special event beauty including blow-out, make-up, extensions, lashes and theatrical make-up plus lessons! Today Rosie will share her expertise on Bridal Beauty! Enjoy!

RADIANT, EMPOWERED, AND UNFORGETTABLE: NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF BRIDAL BEAUTY

with Rosie Hunter Artistry

Congratulations! You’re newly engaged! This is certainly one of the best, most memorable times of your life. Once the adrenaline wears off, chances are you might think to yourself, “OMG! I have SO much to plan!”, and then usually at the top of the list is how you’re going to look on your wedding day. Will you be a classic bride like Grace Kelly? Will you be full-on glam a la JLo? Will your hair be up, down, or half-up? Braided? The choices are truly endless.

No matter what your bridal beauty vision is, hiring an expert to guide you on your journey is an absolute must. As someone who got married pre-Pinterest, I totally did my own hair and makeup on my wedding day. I was 22, just figured I’d throw it together and it would work itself out. I didn’t do a practice run, OR fill in my eyebrows, OR wear false lashes (OMG). Granted, I was a mildly experienced MUA (fresh out of college and stage makeup galore), and I knew how to make myself look presentable ca. 2006. When I look back on the pictures now, I see a sweet gal who is so in love, yet blissfully unaware she could have looked even more fabulous had she had the direction and support of a seasoned artist.

Read on to discover how to navigate the world of Bridal Beauty with confidence and amazing results!

GO WITH A SURE THING

Today, everywhere you look there is someone claiming they’re a makeup artist. In this digital age it’s challenging to know where to start when seeking out a fabulous artist for your wedding day. There are a million images and portfolios online–how do you know what is real and what is edited beyond belief? How truly talented is this person?

When seeking an artist, referrals are always an excellent place to start. If you’ve seen someone look fab on their wedding day, or at an event, or were a member of a bridal party where the stylists knocked it out of the park, reach out to them. Google, Yelp, Wedding Wire, and The Knot are also excellent resources for selecting a bridal team or artist. Often when teams are reviewed, specific stylists are singled out for their performance–you can always request their availability.

BEAUTY LOVE AFFAIR

When hiring an artist, hire someone who does work you LOVE that also matches your aesthetic. If you scroll down their IG and literally are swooning, imagining yourself in all their glorious looks, reach out to them. And remember, if you are someone who has a more natural aesthetic, don’t hire an artist that creates over the top, dramatic looks as their signature. If you want a super sculpted hair look, don’t hire someone who only has soft, romantic waves in their portfolio. Hire an artist with an extensive portfolio of looks you love and who is consistent in their craft.

IF YOU LIKE IT THEN YOU SHOULDA PUT A DEPOSIT ON IT

Once you find the artist of your dreams, do NOT wait to book them. Weddings and many events book 1 year in advance. Locking in your bridal beauty team alleviates a huge amount of stress.

The process to secure an artist differs from person to person, however all reputable artists will have some sort of formal contract in place to not only protect themselves but their client as well. When an initial deposit is paid and a contract is signed, all parties are taken care of logistically, physically, and financially. All that’s left to do is to create beauty magic and enjoy the moment of your special day.

DO I REALLY NEED A BRIDAL PREVIEW?

With my clients I use the term “bridal preview” as opposed to “trial” to convey the impression that this time together is a glimpse of how you WILL look on your wedding day, not how you MIGHT look.

The preview is when you are finally able to meet the artist face-to-face (so exciting after months of IG stalking), ask them to create your vision, learn about how they communicate, ensure they can execute your beauty wishes, and see if your personalities gel (this is so important).

Your artist is going to be with you on one of the most momentous days of your life, so it’s vital you trust them and love their energy 100%. Yes, you are making an additional financial investment by selecting a bridal package that includes a preview, but trust me it’s money well spent. You will never regret taking the extra time to ensure you really love your inspiration look and adore your artist, however will 100% regret feeling like a hot mess on your wedding day after realizing you unexpectedly hate a messy bun with dramatic eyeliner, and your artist doesn’t know how to mitigate the situation (dumpster fire). Your bridal beauty is not the place to cut corners. Have a bridal preview.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

If you arrive at your preview without any idea of what you’d like to look like, it’s going to be very hard for your artist to do their job. A successful preview is dependent upon excellent communication between you and your artist. Coming prepared with inspiration images is a great jumping off point, because without pictures much can get lost in translation.

For example, descriptions like “natural, smoky eyes, curled hair, and volume” can all be interpreted many ways. ‘Smoky’ to me might mean something dark and full of black tones, while to you it might mean a swipe of light brown mascara. ‘Natural’ to me might mean very minimal makeup with no false lashes when what you really want is to look like is Kim Kardashian. You get the idea. Bottom line: have a picture.

YOUR ARTIST IS NOT A MAGICIAN

A professional artist will be honest and transparent with you regarding what is possible vs. what is not. The realm of possibility might be dictated by things such as time, physical attributes, and many more factors. Just because you show your artist a picture doesn’t mean they can make you look exactly like that. The image is likely photoshopped to erase every wrinkle and pore, their hair is likely enhanced with multiple sets of extensions (which can be added on the wedding day or at a subsequent preview), and the image might even be of someone who is a completely different complexion than you (yes, I too wish I looked like Beyonce).

The images you select to show your artist must be inspiration only. Give your artist the chance to make the look you love come alive for you. You too can have that JLo Glow no matter what you look like, even if it’s the dead of winter—it’s about creating a customized aura and glow for your unique features. Give your artist the flexibility to make edits, suggestions, and adjustments along the way to ensure you look your absolute best.

THE PEANUT GALLERY

The expression “too many cooks in the kitchen” absolutely applies to your bridal preview. If you’d rather not fly solo to your appointment, make sure you have someone with you who fully supports your bridal wishes. If you know it’s hard for you to speak up if you’re unhappy, bring someone who can help you communicate your goals.

While it’s so much fun to share the bridal journey with all your friends and family, this is a time for you focus on making a connection with your artist and not listening to the opinions of your entourage. That being said, if you know someone will be joining you (like your Mother), and she is VERY opinionated, please give your artist the heads-up.

It’s very important to know who to please at the preview, and if that’s the Mother at the end of the day, it’s very helpful to know this in advance.

SPEAK NOW…OR FOREVER GET WHAT YOU GET

If you see something you don’t like at your preview, or at any point on your bridal beauty journey, PLEASE speak up. Any professional artist will not be offended if you’d like adjustments.

Hair & makeup is a collaboration between you and your artist, and if you don’t let them know they aren’t hitting the mark, they never will be able to achieve your wishes. That being said, know that when your beauty is happening it will go through a variety of stages and can look a little wonky mid-process. You might catch a glimpse of yourself and start to panic thinking you look like something out of Married With Children (I totally dated myself there). Unless it is clearly going down the wrong path, reserve full judgement of your look until it is completed by your artist.

Remember they are the professional, you hired them for a reason, so sit back and allow them the chance to wow you.

Rosie Hunter is the owner and artist at Rosie Hunter Artistry, Inc. Rosie has been a professional makeup artist for 13 years and updo stylist for 5 years. Rosie has helped more than 120 brides in the last 5 years on their special day in Chicago, Wisconsin, Japan, Maine, and Virginia. She is a former professional singer and actress having performed extensively in the New England area and has been featured on several Chicago One shows and industrial films/print ads. Rosie is a proud military spouse and has been married to her high school sweetheart Dan for 15 years (together nearly 20). Rosie & Dan reside in Mundelein, Illinois with their two amazing children Stella and Henry, and her wonderful Mom, Carol. Rosie is an avid half marathoner, kid-chauffeur, home decorator, gluten-free baker, and lover of all things chocolate. Rosie loves empowering women from all walks of life through beauty and is grateful for this privilege every single day.

*This post was sponsored by Rosie Hunter Artistry

Rosie Hunter Artistry Beauty Expert