How to choose the best Make-up artist for your wedding.

How to book the best Make-up artist.

Being a Pro Make-up artist with over 27 years of experience, including working on London Fashion week, magazines, T.V and theatre, (14 of these working exclusively with Brides/weddings and private make-up lessons), I regularly hear horror stories of how people have bad experiences having their make-up applied, this often gives seasoned Make-up artists bad press and a hard time gaining trust with potential clients.  I also often hear of how people are uncertain about the kind of things they should be looking for when booking a Make-up artist.

Sometimes people go for the cheaper option when booking a Make-up artist and in turn, they mostly end up paying more money in the long-run as they soon find out they are not going to deliver what they expect on their make-up trial.  Thus, they then have to pay out for a higher end Make-up artist so have ended up wasting time and money, often the higher end Make-up artist is not available, so more stress!

The right Make-up artist will be spending several hours with you and the rest of your wedding party, therefore, its essential you actually like being around them and have a good rapport.  Trust and confidence is key here.  Its so important to be able to talk to them and be yourself.  A good Make-up artist should have this skill naturally. Giving moral support and being a calming influence is very important as nerves are always present, especially on a wedding morning.

Not only should a good Make-up artist apply beautiful make-up but she needs to be professional, work hygienically, be a great time keeper, be calm and like working under pressure, this in turn will help you on what will be one of the most important days of your life, so you need to choose very wisely.

Here are a few tips to help you choose and avoid making expensive mistakes when choosing a Make-up artist -

Look at the Make-up artists social media/website/blog and read their reviews - this is a very important indication of the artists' level of professionalism and dedication to her career.  First impressions count.

Make sure you get at least 3 good reviews for the Make-up artist you have in mind.

What experience have they got? How many weddings/Brides have they worked on?

Do you like their make-up style?

Do they have a contract? - A Pro will have a contract in place, (mine is devised by my solicitor and updated every year.)  Be wary of any artist who does not provide a contract or does not require a deposit.

Make sure they provide you with receipts of any money paid and keep all correspondence.

Are they quick with correspondence? A good artist will not keep you waiting for days to answer your e-mail/phone call.

Does the artist have a back up plan in place on their contract? if for any reason she cannot honour your booking on the wedding day?

Does the artist appear calm and professional? (even if this is via e-mail/telephone.)

If you meet them for the trial - does their kit/brushes look well stocked and hygienically clean and sanitised?  Are they hygienic in how they work? (I lose count of the amount of times I see "artists" using the same wand out of mascara! and using that on lots of different people....ewwwww!  Do they clean their hands before touching your face? Ask them how they clean and sanitise their brushes/kit and how often.  Are they presentable in their appearance?  Do they work in a clean and tidy workspace on the trial, (if they work from a studio.)

Study the artists portfolio - this will give you an indication of their style and versatility.  Can she follow your brief and the rest of your wedding parties?

Where did they study make-up? and for how long? how long have they been a Make-up artist?

What are their rates? This is indicative of their experience and service. Make-up artistry is a luxury service, and the price should be a reflection of that too.

How long does it take them to apply each persons make-up? (On the wedding day it takes me about half an hour per person, with the Brides about an hour. Trials about an hour each.  I can apply make-up for up to 10 ladies make-ups in one package.)

Do they have knowledge/experience in Beauty therapy? as this will ensure they have the relevant knowledge about any skin conditions that may arise, so they can be dealt with in the correct manner.  Do they have knowledge about sensitive skin or acne for example? or how to camouflage a black eye? (I have had to do this on numerous occasions!..a long story!)

What brand/s do they use? Choose an artist who can cater for every skin tone and requirement.  Also ensure they have a wide range of skincare for each skin type.

How long does the make-up they apply last? - Pro products and the way they are applied last longer than your usual shop bought make-up.  Be prepared to re-touch at least the t-zone and lips, if anything.  (I supply a personalised face chart and product list on my make-up trials so touch up items can be purchased prior to the wedding day.  I often get feedback from my Brides that the make-up lasted well into the evening...and some the next day as they didn't want to remove it!)

Do they have their own studio? do they travel out to you on the wedding day? are they insured?  Do not book an artist who isn't.  Ask to see their Public, products and treatment liability certificate as proof.

Do they sell the products? If so, most artists are more passionate about the art of make-up than selling actual products.

Do they apply false lashes for you? (from my experience full strip false lashes look better and are less harmful than individual false eyelashes.)

These are just a few things to take into consideration.  Don't be afraid of asking questions.

(Note - the image used was from a recent enquiry.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethereal, dusty blue bridal.

Ethereal, dusty blue shoot.

As you may remember, I had the honour of working with Jess Petrie photography and Alison Jenner hairstylist recently.  Our shoot was featured on the prestigious Wedding Sparrow, (A wedding blog for the stylish fine art bride, Wedding Sparrow is an award winning inspirational website specialising in fine art weddings.) - www.weddingsparrow.com

Jess explained - "The main concept of this shoot was “less is more.” We wanted to replicate the bride being prepared for her Spring wedding at her boudoir. It’s a simplistic shoot that is enchanting, raw and emotive. At the start of the day/shoot the bride looks nervous and shy, but as time progresses you can see her confidence growing, she becomes playful and she is transformed into a beautiful bride, a shining star. Towards the end of the shoot she displays the magic and enchantment of a beautiful bride-to-be as she cries tears of joy as she visualizes seeing her love.

The buzzing sounds of glorious nature, the pink hues and the sweet smell of the magnolia flower, with the explosion of greys and blues in the sky, along with a creative team, all brought this romantic Spring bridal story together.

The bouquet was made from paper flowers and real branches, we wanted to focus on textures and colour palettes that complimented one-another, and that also helped to tell the story of a bride in Spring."

I loved being part of this shoot.  I played around with 3 make-up looks, ranging from very natural and pretty to a more dramatic, chic look.

For the look I have attached here I used the following -

MAC strobe cream, Bobbi Brown foundation stick.  Brows - Maybelline Brow drama.  Eyes - Tom Ford beauty Eye colour quad palette in Lilac dream.  Chanel mascara in Blue Night.  Liner - Bobbi Brown Cobalt Blue.  Cheeks - Bobbi Brown Pot rouge in Fresh Melon.  Highlighter - MAC strobe cream.  Lips - Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Pale Pink and MAC dazzle glass.  False lashes were from Chelsea Boutique in No 19.

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Wedding make-up on myself.

Wedding make-up.

I had the pleasure of attending my niece's wedding yesterday and on myself I decided to opt for a smoky eye look and nude lips.  I was wearing a Topshop green dress and so wanted something a little dramatic to compliment it.

I had prepped and had a bit of a tan with my beloved Sisley fake tan, I then covered any imperfections with my Nars tinted moisturiser and Bobbi Brown foundation stick, I don't tend to use powder as my skin is a little dry.

Under the eyes I used 2 Amazing cosmetics concealers, to hide my under eye shadows then I like to add a bit of my YSL touche eclait.

Brows - I used Anastasia Dip brow pomade and then added a Diego Dalla Palma tinted brow gel to add texture.

I then used a Bobbi Brown cream eyeshadow stick to act as a base, on the lid, above crease and under the eye in Sand dune.   I then used a Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quad, (the Sophisticate.)  Using the mid tone on the crease and outer lid, and a little underneath.  The deeper tones blended on the top and also along the top lash line.  I then added a BECCA gel liner along the top lash line.  Finishing with the neutral eyeshadow on the lid and under the brow.  I used a Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara, (top and bottom), then applied some Ardell Demi wispie false eyelashes, adding more mascara. I then used a Bobbi Brown long wear eye pencil in Mahogany and blended a bit into the lash line and tight lined too, blending again at the lash line.

I used a little bit of my Bobbi Brown bronzer in medium along the cheekbones and forehead.  I then added a Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot then highlighted with my Bobbi Brown pink glow highlighter along the top of the cheekbones.

Lips - I used Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Ballet pink then added my Tom Ford lip colour in Blush Nude, keeping the lips matte and finishing with a little bit of a deeper lip pencil by Bobbi Brown - called Bobbi.

 

Burghley house, Stamford.

Burghley house wedding, Stamford.

I love travelling around the U.K, working on various weddings and yesterday I had the honour of visiting beautiful Stamford.  I had no idea what a great place it is to visit!

Burghley house, Stamford.

Burghley house, Stamford.

It was the gorgeous Rachael's wedding and she was getting married at the very majestic, Burghley house.  It is huge!  I had to do her wedding make-ups at The George in Stamford, which is a gorgeous old hotel, with lots of character, great food and amazing staff,

I took over the room slightly with my make-up kit, (as usual!), lighting was not too bad to work in and all went perfect on the wedding morning and we had such a giggle.

The George hotel, Stamford.

The George hotel, Stamford.

I had the Bride, Mum and 3 gorgeous Bridesmaids to make-up.  Rachael rocked a smokey, sparkly eye with nude, pink glossy lips and the Bridesmaids went for sparkly eyes and pinky glossy lips, apart from one of the Bridesmaids, who went for a slightly stronger look.

Rachael, make-up by Tina Brocklebank.

Rachael, make-up by Tina Brocklebank.

Rachael looked amazing in her fitted, lacey wedding gown. The Bridesmaids were in champagne floor length gowns.  The flowers were so beautiful, and as the Groom was Swiss, they incorporated Edelweiss into their flower scheme.

Beautiful Bride, Rachael.

Beautiful Bride, Rachael.

Rachael's make-up was kept natural but with definition on her eyes.  I used golds and bronzes, with a gorgeous gold sparkly eyeshadow from Make-up Forever.  Skin was dewy on the cheekbones and a flush of pink on the cheeks, lips were nude pink with shimmer lip gloss.

A wonderful, happy morning and I wish Rachael and her Husband lots of love, luck and happiness!

Beautiful bride, Rebecca.

Pretty, natural bridal make-up...

I love this photograph of the beautiful Rebecca.  When Rebecca came to see me we discussed all options regarding her Bridal make-up look.  Rebecca doesn't wear much make-up as is a Dr (and a Mother now!)  Rebecca is blessed with lovely skin so I didn't have to use too much foundation or concealer, but I did use a small amount of each where needed.  I always prefer to use less than more, and I love to be able to still see the skin through the make-up.  I then enhanced her natural beauty by defining her features and also highlighting them too.  I think you will agree, she looks radiant and beautiful, without looking overly made-up.

Photo - Merika Green.

Wedding make-up artist of the year 2016 for East Midlands.

For those of you following me on Facebook, etc, you will know I entered The Wedding Industry awards and won the Wedding make-up artist of the year award for the East Midlands region.  This week I took a trip to London where the nationals were held, at the Cafe de Paris in Leicester square - it was a great experience.  I did not manage to win but receiving the feedback and amazing comments from all of my lovely clients made me realise, I am already a winner.

Right outside our hotel we were also lucky enough to see there was the premiere going on for The Revenant.  We saw Tom Hardy and Leonardo Dicaprio - very exciting!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to vote for me and for all of your lovely messages of support - it means the world to me.  Upwards and onwards!!xxx

wedding-make-up-artist

2016 - 2017 prices.

When you book Tina you are safe in the knowledge that you are booking a Professional make-up artist.

Tina's price reflects her - Luxury service, expertise, reputation, time, knowledge, personalised customer service and client care plus a thoroughly clean and sanitised make-up kit.  Tina also invests a lot of money into updating her make-up kit with only the highest quality products and tools.

Similar to photographers, the time Tina spends on one client is not just the couple of hours spent on the make-up trial and on the wedding day/occasion.  Tina spends on average 4 hours per client minimum, (this includes phone calls/e-mails and messages/research/feedback, etc.)

Quotes and packages are bespoke to suit the clients requirements and needs.

Make-up lesson - *£150 (1 hour.) This includes - research prior to your consultation and any e-mails, before and after photograph, in-depth consultation and make-up lesson catered for your needs and requirements, personalised face chart and product list, step by step make-up procedure, (e-mailed after the lesson.)

Bridal make-up trial and wedding day make-up - *£250, (includes initial consultation and make-up trial at Tinas' make-up studio, before and after photographs, occasion make-up at your home/venue on the wedding day, false eyelashes for both the make-up trial and on the wedding day.)  For other ladies requiring make-up in your wedding party, Tina will work out a personalised quote for you.

*Travel may be added and is calculated upon receipt of your enquiry.

Please fill in an enquiry form and Tina will respond within 24 hours.

 

Make-up by Tina Brocklebank

Make-up lessons galore and a Happy new year to you all!xxx

I have been inundated recently with requests for make-up lessons.  From Mothers who are at their wits ends from their daughters contouring habits, Husbands who have been constantly asked for a make-up lesson with me and also from ladies requiring help with applying their own make-up - we are never taught at school are we!! I believe this should be part of the curriculum!  Make-up is such a powerful tool.

Christmas has been a very busy period for me and I have loved helping all of my lovely clients.  I have also had the pleasure to work with some amazing, professionals recently and this past year.  This has been my busiest year to date.  2016 is nearly booked up and 2017 is looking very busy too.  I really am so grateful and love working with you all.  Thank you all so much for all of your lovely e-mails, comments and for following me on Facebook, etc.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy, healthy new year.

Never underestimate the power of make-up, not only is it good for you in your appearance, but it goes hand in hand with your well-being and confidence.  A slick of lipstick and you can feel better instantly!  Happy new year!xxx

2016 Wedding Awards -national finalist

Wedding Make-up artist of the Year 2016!

 

Thank-you to all of my lovely Brides who took the time to vote for me for The Wedding Industry awards recently!  I was blown away by the lovely comments, it means such a lot so thank-you so much.

I will now go on to compete nationally in London in January.  I am so grateful to you all and just to get this far is a big achievement for me xxx

Booking

Lila Doe

+123 456789111

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Gina Copper

+123 456789222

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