You've booked your wedding hair and makeup trial (or maybe a few!), now what? It's important to know what to expect and what questions you should ask your hairstylist/makeup artist.

Here are a few key pointers for brides to prepare for the trial:

Bridal Makeup Previews

Many artists prefer the client to have a fresh, clean face. This is a good question to ask about if your makeup artist doesn't mention it. For me, I don't prefer a bare face to a made up face or the other way around. There are pluses to both. A clean face allows me to see your skin as it will be the morning of your wedding: clean, bare, ready to be toned, moisturized, and primed. The benefit to an "end of day" makeup look, is I get to see how you are use to seeing yourself and where your comfort level lies in wearing products. "A lot" or "a little" as a description of your makeup routine is completely subjective. Your makeup allows me to see where you day to day routine sits, how oily/dry your skin is throughout the day, how your current products are working for you, and more. Either way, there are benefits to me and I'm going to cleanse your skin prior to application.

Other tips:

1. Similarly to the "a lot" or "a little" concept, pictures for inspiration help us more quickly get on the same page for you look.

2. Wear a white shirt! If you are wearing white, of course, otherwise wear the color of your wedding dress. Many of us don't frequently wear white. Putting on a white shirt can make it easier to imagine how your makeup and skin will pop on your big day.

3. Your makeup artist should ask during consultation, but let us know if you have any allergies! Fragrance mix could be in the foundation he or she is using, there is almost always latex in eyelash glue unless formulated for latex allergy, etc.

**If he or she doesn't mention this, be concerned. Please see my blog post on Pointers for Choosing a Makeup Artist HERE.

Bridal Hair Previews

All set for your hair trial?

Your hair stylist should do a thorough consultation. How are you looking to wear your hair? Is this ideal for the setting/weather of your wedding? For your hair's texture? Length? Are you planning on wearing extensions? A veil? These are just a few off the top of my head.

Make sure your are clearly communicating your concerns to your stylist. Ifyour hair never holds a curl, mention it. He/she might just be the stylist who can figure out why.

Here's a quick check list for your hair trial:

1. Have your hair naturally dried or blown out. If it's been hot-tool styled the appropriate bonds in your hair have already been broken and it won't hold a curl properly for us.

2. If you are wearing a veil, have it at your trial. Make sure it sits comfortably and can be easily removed if you plan to take it off following the ceremony. Similarly, any hair jewelry, clips, bridal combs/adornments should all be available so you can see how they look and sit in your hairstyle.

3. Have your jewelry, and a picture of your dress so your stylist can see the neckline. This helps us know where your hairstyle should sit to create appealing visual symmetry with your look

4. Inspiration pictures: Visualization helps us get on the same page so we can look at the photos and discuss what you like and don't like about them before we even get started.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Be sure to click the little heart below and share with your friends :)

With love,

xoxo Farah

Have questions or concerns about your upcoming trial or what to ask your stylist? Comment below.

When you are planning your big day, there is so much to figure out on your own. The last thing you are probably thinking about is choosing your makeup look--unless you are a makeup fanatic. Many friends or family members may have advice to give, but it truly is best to discuss what works for you (and won't make you regret your choice down the road) with a professional.

Makeup styles that are in fashion constantly change. This can happen so quickly, in fact, that a look "in" during your bridal preview may be "out" by the time your wedding rolls around. This is why I always suggest a bride do something a bit more classic. You don't have to be plain Jane conservative (especially if that's just not you), but I don't think you want to look at your wedding album in 20 years and wonder, "why did anyone let me dress/style/hair/makeup like that!?". I think this is a big reason brides are now opting for classic or vintage styles more so than ever--something timeless and beautiful no matter what decade we are in.

My top 3 bridal recommendations:

1. IT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR SKIN.

Aside from your eye and lip looks, make sure your makeup artist can make your skin look flawless on camera. Skin is the base of your face and therefore must look as close to perfect as possible. As artists, we cannot physically change your skin texture. We can, however, create that illusion with our photo-friendly products and technique knowledge. You are paying a lot of money for your photos that you will keep for the rest of your life. These expensive photos will be what you reference visually to remember this once in a lifetime event--YOUR once in a lifetime event. Make sure you are confident in the fact that you look the best you have ever looked.

2. THE FLAWLESS, GLAM FACE.

A classic neutral, light "naked" eye, but still with some definition by adding a thin (or thick if you want to add a bit of drama) winged eyeliner. This can pair with any lip color suitable to you skin, style, and wedding details. You could also skip the wing and have an artist lightly press color into the lash line for definition for something very natural but camera-ready. I would add a touch of color to the lip but avoid reds due to possibility of smearing, getting on your teeth, having to touch up, etc.

3. EYES TO DIE FOR.

A very light smokey eye. Read: I don't mean dark all over your lid--unless that's what you desire. A soft, light smokey eye gradient will help to define your eyes and create shadows and shape, and to round or elongate them if needed. This look can be very versatile and can range from light neutrals to dark depending on the bride, time of day, and amount of definition she desires.

Key looks to stay away from:

1. RED OR DARK LIPS

Unless this is a style you commonly wear and are prepared to handle the maintenance on this type of look, avoid it. You don't want all your beautiful, expensive pictures to showcase that lipstick on your teeth or faded lipstick after you ate and drank all day/night long.

2. OVER THE TOP LASHES or BROWS

If they look like caterpillars, they're probably too much and will be out of style in 2 months....or were they ever in style?

3. ANYTHING THAT SEEMS LESS THAN STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL

This is your big day. It's the way you feel that matters the most. Don't let someone else convince you to do a look you aren't happy with.

Happy planning,

Farah xo