Professional makeup vs DIY

Hello Kristina and congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I am not a makeup artist, but in my opinion, on your wedding day, you will want to be "picture perfect".

If I were you, I would hire a makeup artist to do yours and your bridesmaids makeup.

In our area, I know that Gene Juarez does an exceptional job with makeup and you can get your hair and nails done at the same time; maybe even a spa treatment.

Im having an outdoor wedding so the makeup does not have to be as heavy as if I were having an indoor one so I am doing my own makeup using mineral makeup from ELF, AVON and some regular makeup from covergirl. I like the mineral makeup because its kinda hard to mess up and it feels light. But you do need to put a bit more on then you would on a normal day just for the photos. As for the cost it depends on the salon you go to. There is a high end salon by me that charged $50 for a half hour lesson (paid for me and my BM's so we could do our own) and for a bridal application it was $75-$100 I think. Just shop arround.

After I looked into the cost of buying the "good makeup" and the stress of making sure it was applied correctyly, I decieded to spend the $45 dollars and have my makeup done. I know that you also need to have it alittle darker than normal for the pictures and I would have had a hard time doing that myself, because I wear my makeup really light.

I too am getting married outdoors - my friend was supposed to be coming to our wedding to do my makeup, but she can't make the trip with us. I hired a make up artist through the spa at the resort JUST IN CASE - but my friend has been giving me personal lessons. If I feel comfortable doing it myself, then I will - I have been practicing and applying my make up every weekend, and so far so good. It really depends on your comfort level with applying your makeup. I think if you seriously want to do it on your own, start taking classes, getting tips from magazines and get to practicing. As the wedding approaches and you don't feel comfortable, hire a make up artist. Check out the MAC website - I took a class with them earlier this year at the local Nordstroms (dept store) they go all over - you have plenty of time! GOOD LUCK!

Kristina, I disagree with the girl who mentioned the mineral makeup- don't use it! It reflects in photographs and will end up making you look shiny. I'd stick to the professionals and not stress about it!

There are two types of makeup, mat and glittery. Stay away from the kind that says illuminating or glow and the reflective shine issue the last poster stated will not be an issue. I only use mineral make up now because I had more shine issues using normal makeup then I do now. I also have a mineral booser product that helps set makeup and absorbs oil.

This could be part of the PP paroblem but I found that most store brand mineral makeup all have reflective particles in them. Its the kind you order like mirabella that have the nice clean mat finishes.

Hi Kristina,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Just want to give you a Makeup Artists perspective on the high cost of our services. Most professional makeup artists have been trained to do makeup in a way that is most flattering to the individual, and also to last for a substantial amount of time. Correct tools and high end products also complement the expertise. Time and travel to your locations are also part of the equation. You hire professionals to take care of all of the other parts of your big day-a makeup artist compliments these services. If you do decide to do your own makeup, first of all, know what you are getting into when buying product-unless you go to Sephora, where the staff does not work on commission, you will probably be buying things you don't need! Practice on yourself, and take pictures wearing white in different lights from different distances. Use water resistant products, and don't go too heavy on cover or foundation and see how they look after wear-GL!

Hi Kristina,

Im going thou the same problem. I do my makeup on a dayley bases but I want to look picture perfect on my wedding day, Im only spending 40$ on my makeup to be done with mineral makeup.

I have to say thou if your wanting to do it your self, spend the money and learn how to do it yourself because thous are skills every woman needs, and it would make you feel super hott and give you more confidence in your self.

If you go to the vendors section on here(weddingwire) put in your zip code and click on the beauty and health and it will come up with vendors near you, give them all a call to price=]

I would suggust a trial and error tatic, You can do your make up however you think will look good for the big day, with the help of a experienced friend, and then head outside and start snapping pics of you and our dolled up face, that way you'll be able to get an idea of what your make up looks like on camera, if you think it wasn't bad, but needed a little more, head back inside, add a little more of what ever you need, A few make up tips I have:

When you put on eyeliner, It may seem like alot in the mirror, but in pictures, it really makes your eyes stand out.

Haven't tried, but have heard, that if you line the inner rim of your eyes with white eyeliner, will make your eyes look bigger, (not sure how this works if you also have outer eyeliner)

After I have put on my foundation, I add blush next, after I use the bluch brush, my cheeks are little more red..

The makeup artist for my wedding is charging $100 for the me the bride since i get a trial and my make up is a little more important. The bridesmaids and mom's are all $50 a piece, flower girl $25. This was the cheapest I could find. I got a quote from someone that was twice as much. I would encourage anyone to get a makeup artist, your face will be in all your pictures! It's just as important as having a hair dresser do your hair to me at least. Another thing to think about is lighting. My photographer encouraged a makeup artist that has done weddings before because the lighting can take out pigmentation thus needing a little something on your face. I was in a wedding party where we all went to the clinique counter and had our makeup done. You just need to spend $25-$35 on makeup But you could just get the lipgloss or lipstick they use on you to touch up later. I would double check on cost on this though, you can do this at any makeup counter in a mall. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Before you spend alot of money getting your make up done... look into glamour shots...they do your make up and your hair for free and usually run specials so you get a free picture with option to buy..its a wonderful for the small budget wedding but you can only book up to 17 days in advance sadly

good luck!

Thanks for all of the advice! It's all been really helpful ^^. I'm still not completely sure which direction I'll take (it'll probably depend on our budget as we get closer), but I think it's a good idea to start practising and playing with ideas. If nothing else I'll at least have a few more make up skills, which is something every girl should have, right?

Hi and congrats on your wedding. Getting your makeup done by a professional not only takes some stress out of the day, but you get to be pampered on your special day. Also, please please dont get your makeup done by Glamour Shots. Nothing wrong with them for photos, but the makeup is pretty much caked on. Someone suggested make some calls-see what mua in your area charge and if they offer airbrush makeup. This would be your best bet-hope this helps.

I went to my sister's wedding this past weekend in southern Illinois, and she had to cancel her professional make up appointment (for various reasons), and my mom ended up doing her skin stuff, while I did her lips and eyes. I have to say, she looked fantastic!

I was debating between regular professional makeup job or airbrush for my own wedding, and now I think I will have my mom do it! She used Sheer Cover, with their Base Perfecter, and then the normal concealer and mineral powder that they sell. My sister's skin looked flawless. And in the insane humidity of southern Illinois, it didn't shine, and yet you couldn't see any powder. I've used sheer cover myself, and it did in fact come out looking shiny in pictures (maybe also I was sweating - I was dancing). Can anyone weigh in on this? I was really impressed, especially b/c the trial run my sister did at the beauty salon with "all mineral makeup" looked awful - just pasted on.

Kristina,

On the one side, since you are not too likely to use the makeup you purchase again, hiring a makeup artist would be a good way to spend that portion of your budget. You will not have to worry about how well you can apply the makeup. You will still need to purchase a lipstick and/or lipgloss and some powder for touchups.

On the other side, by spending your budget on the makeup basics (primer, foundation, powder, blush, mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick) and taking the time to practice applying them, you will gain a skill that will benefit you the rest of your life, whether you wear makeup every day or just a few times a year.

I suggest starting with one item, say the foundation, and practice that until you are happy with the results. Then move on to powder and then blush, etc.

Hi,

As a makeup artist we are trained to apply makeup for different looks, skin, seasons, and photography. Your everyday makeup photographs different and that's when a professional comes to play. You won't have to worry about buying makeup and one less thing to worry about on your wedding day. Trust me on the day off your wedding and once you get your pictures, you'll be happy you hired someone!

Good Luck and if you need any help feel free to contact us at myglam2go.com

I'm in the same boat. If you don't already wear makeup often, I think you would be happier hiring a makeup artist, especially as you say you are not good at putting on what you do wear at this point. Plus, do you really have the time and energy to commit to practicing makeup between now and your wedding? Yes, you will have the stress of researching artists ahead of time, but for me that pales in comparison to the stress I know I'll have on the morning of the wedding, so having my makeup done for me will be one less thing on my to-do list (and to-pack list) that day. Once you find an artist you like (definitely do a trial!), she can also do your attendants that day if they want theirs done too.

Considering that you and your bridesmaids are not religious makeup wearers, I would look into contracting a makeup artist. I definitely think it would be worth the money! If you wanted a makeup artist for your bridesmaids you could also get them sessions and put it towards their gift. Some makeup counters (like at the mall) will quote you a price that is cheaper than using a makeup artist that you find using the internet. Good Luck!

Megan Garrison

Owner, Photographer

www.megangarrison.com

Don't pay a salon for it - I put a wanted ad in Craigslist for my local area and a local woman that does make-up sessions in her home replied. She is doing me on location and my bridesmaids for only $35 each. She did a consultation too to make sure I get what I want.

Doing your own make-up really depends on how you want it done. It sounds to me like your best bet would be to get your make-up done. Doing your own make-up, even with plenty of practice, could be a stress factor and a time cruncher. If you make an app and have a professional do it you'll be more likely to have more of a stress free day.