12 Tips To Make The Most Of Your Hair And Makeup Trial

This post is about the most important tips for your wedding hair and makeup trial.

If you’ve decided to hire a professional hair and makeup artist for your wedding day, then a trial is an absolute must.

Your wedding is not the time to try to wing it! There are ways to get the most out of your bridal hair and makeup trial.

Here are our top 12 tips for a successful bridal trial. 

1. Wear A White Top With A Similar Neckline To Your Dress

We recommend wearing a white top that has a matching neckline to your chosen wedding gown. This way the makeup artist can truly test out the exact shades that will make you look your best against the white dress.

It’ll also allow you to truly envision how you will look on the day. It’s hard to judge the end result when you’re wearing a bright red top, for example.

Choose a similar neckline too so the hair stylist can create a look that fits with the neckline. Again, it helps you envision if you really will like this look too. 

2. Book Your Trial Earlier In The Day

Schedule your hair and makeup trial for earlier in the day. This is important as it allows you plenty of time afterwards to test out the look. You will have time to move around, eat, drink etc.

Give yourself the chance to test if the hair stays in place long enough. It’s also helpful to see how the makeup lasts throughout the day when you might sweat a little. See if you’re happy with how your skin looks by the end of the day.

Wearing the look longer also gives you more time to decide if you really like it. Sometimes wearing more makeup can feel a little shocking at first and you need time to adjust.

3. Test The Look In A Similar Climate

The most ideal situation would be that you book your bridal hair and makeup trial in a similar climate to your wedding day.

For example, if your wedding is in a humid, tropical place like the Caribbean – ensure that your trial mimics that environment as much as possible.

The durability of your look could differ hugely between, for example, a dry vs. humid place. 

4. Bring Realistic Inspiration Photos

You should definitely come prepared by bringing inspiration photos. This will help the hair/makeup artist understand what you’re looking for. Most of us don’t really know the right way to articulate precisely the vibe that we want to achieve. 

But try not to bring only photos of supermodels who’ve been photoshopped and filtered.

You’ll likely feel disappointed that your result doesn’t match the inspiration photos that well. It also makes the artist’s job tough as they’re fighting a losing battle from the start with you having too high expectations. 

Also avoid bringing photos where there is strong studio lighting on the models face. The end result, even if done exactly like the photo, rarely looks the same in natural lighting.

It’s better to seek out photos of ‘normal’ brides in natural lighting. We recommend looking for photos of past clients from the artist’s portfolio.

This way you know that it wasn’t taken in professional studio lighting and is more realistic. Bonus: You know that the artist is capable of achieving this look!

Pro Tip: Seek out example looks of brides who look similar to you. Similar skin colour and type, hair colour and type, eye colour etc.

It’s more likely that the result is possible on you too. And you’re less likely to feel disappointed that your look doesn’t match the photos. 

5. Write Down Questions Ahead Of Time 

Come prepared with all of the questions that you want to ask your hair and makeup artists! More questions may come to you during the appointment too.

Having your list ready means you’ll likely get through them all one-by-one during the appointment. It’s easier to get a fuller answer in person than messaging them later.

Plus it gives you something to talk about – hair and makeup trial’s can last hours so talking points can be helpful! 

6. Nail The Setup

Many go to their hair and makeup artist’s studio for the trial but it’s also common for them to meet you e.g. at a hotel or your home. 

Your bridal hair and makeup artist will likely work best in an environment where there is natural lighting, a big table, and a high bar chair for you to sit on. 

The natural lighting helps the makeup artist use the correct tones and shades to make you look your best. The big table is so that they can lay out all of their tools and products. And the tall chair makes it easier for the makeup to work on you without needing to hunch over for hours. 

Everybody is different though. One question to ask them is what set up they personally prefer for your wedding day. 

7. Be Honest About Feedback

Your hair and makeup trial is for you! You’re not there to please the hair and makeup artist. So be honest when they ask for feedback. It doesn’t benefit anyone for you to lie or hold back your true opinions.

Don’t be shy to give feedback during the appointment – not necessarily waiting until the end. They’ll likely ask for feedback at the end too.

We also recommend taking a photo of your hair and makeup several hours after the trial to show them how it’s lasting. Give your final feedback then too (as you might change your mind).

8. Bring Your Veil and Accessories

Don’t forget to also bring your veil if you’re wearing one so that your hair stylist can ensure everything works together.

They’ll also test out how to attach the veil securely to your hair. If you have any accessories like hair clips, or statement earrings or necklaces – bring these too. You basically want to replicate the real day as closely as possible. 

9. Bring Your Favourites 

There’s always no harm bringing your favourite beauty products with you. For example, if you have a lip colour or foundation that you absolutely swear by then bring them with you.

It may turn out that your makeup artist doesn’t end up needing them but there’s no harm bringing them!

This can be especially helpful if you’re worried that your makeup artist might not have a foundation that suits your skin tone perfectly. 

10. Hydrate Your Skin Beforehand

Makeup always applies best on hydrated skin. So do your best to be well hydrated beforehand – drink plenty of water, sleep well, apply moisturiser, and avoid alcohol. Of course, follow these steps on your wedding morning too! Here are some extra tips to hydrating dry skin.

11. Time Your Hair And Makeup Trial!

Try to time how long your hair and makeup trial takes. This way you’ll be able to accurately plan out your wedding morning schedule.

One more bonus tip: It’s probably obvious but don’t forget to take plenty of photos of your final result. You might think you’ll remember the look but better safe than sorry! You can refer back to these photos when choosing other elements for your wedding like any accessories, your bridal bouquet and more.

Feeling more ready for a successful bridal hair and makeup trial? Remember that you don’t need to limit yourself to one trial – if you feel like you didn’t nail the look on the first try, book in another trial.

The point of these trials is so that you can show up to your wedding morning not feeling stressed about your bridal look.

Getting married in Europe soon? Looking for a wedding content creator to capture all of the special moments of your day – even including the Getting Ready time? Reach out to us at Love Stories Content – we specialise in luxury weddings within Europe.

This post was all about the most important tips for your wedding hair and makeup trial.