The Ultimate Bridal Trial Checklist: 7 Things You Must Do Before Your Makeup Trial
Your bridal makeup trial is one of the most exciting appointments in your wedding planning journey! It's our dedicated time to collaborate, experiment, and design the look that will make you feel like the most beautiful version of yourself on your big day. To ensure we make the most of our session, a little preparation goes a long way. Here are my seven essential tips to help you prepare for your trial, ensuring it’s productive, fun, and leaves you feeling confident and excited.
1. Gather Your Inspiration (But Don't Overdo It!) Start a Pinterest board or save Instagram photos of makeup looks you adore. Look for examples on people with similar skin tones and eye colours to your own. This gives me a fantastic starting point to understand your vision. However, try to limit it to 3-5 of your absolute favourite images. Too many options can become overwhelming; we're looking for the feeling you want to achieve, be it romantic, classic, or softly glamorous.
2. Wear a White or Ivory Top The colour you wear has a significant impact on how your makeup looks. Wearing a top in a similar shade to your wedding dress (white, ivory, champagne) helps us to accurately visualise how your makeup will look against your gown on the day. It helps us balance tones and ensures the final look is perfectly harmonious.
3. Come with a Fresh, Clean Face Please arrive at your trial with your face completely free of makeup. This gives me a clean canvas to work on and allows me to properly assess your skin type. Follow your usual morning skincare routine (cleanse, moisturise, SPF), so I can see how your skin behaves naturally. Don't worry about any blemishes or imperfections, that's what I'm here for!
4. Bring Photos of Your Dress & Hair Inspiration Your makeup is just one part of your overall bridal look. Seeing a photo of your dress helps me understand the style you're going for—is it a classic ballgown, a modern minimalist dress, or a bohemian lace number? Likewise, having an idea of your hairstyle helps us to create a cohesive look. An elegant updo might call for a different makeup style than soft, flowing waves.
5. Think About Your Everyday Makeup Look It’s helpful for me to know how much makeup you wear on a daily basis. Are you a tinted moisturiser and mascara person, or do you love a full-coverage foundation and a winged liner? This helps me gauge your comfort level. My goal is to make you look like an elevated, flawless version of yourself, not like a completely different person.
6. Don't Be Afraid to Speak Up! This is your face and your day. My job is to bring your vision to life, and your feedback is a crucial part of the process. If you feel the foundation is too heavy, the lip colour isn't quite right, or you'd like to see more shimmer on the eyes, please tell me! We can tweak and adjust every single element until you look in the mirror and feel that magic spark.
7. Plan Something for Afterwards You are going to leave your trial looking and feeling gorgeous! Don't let it go to waste. Plan a dinner with your fiancé, a night out with your bridesmaids, or even your hen do. This is the perfect opportunity to 'road-test' your makeup, seeing how it wears and how it makes you feel over several hours. It’s the ultimate confidence booster.