How To Ensure You Have a Perfect Hair & Makeup Trial

All too often I have brides come to see me that are  feeling anxious and deflated after having an unsuccessful or sometimes even horrifying first trial with someone else. So I thought I'd  share my tips on how to get the best out of your hair and make-up practice to try and make it work for you perfectly the first time.

Make sure that you book well in advance so you can get a time of day to suit you and not leave you feeling stressed trying to squeeze it into a busy week. I personally think that it is a good idea to have your trial in the morning as it would be similar to your wedding day, giving you chance to see how your hair and make-up last and what you need to ask your artists to do more of or make longer lasting. 

Think about who you bring with you. While it’s tradition to bring mum and your bridesmaids along to every wedding planning event think about who makes you feel good about yourself. I've noticed that often mums, and family members, as well as being your biggest cheerleaders can often be your worst critic. Of course honest opinions are good but not to the point where it makes you feel awful! Think about friends who have a similar style to you or whose look, hair and style choices you admire.

Start to build mood boards for hair and make-up either in ‘real life’ or on a virtual platform like Pinterest. Pin pictures of things you love and note down what it is you like about them. Also, saving things you really hate or don’t want give your stylist a very clear idea straight away as to what NOT to do!  The minute I have a new bride register for a trial I immediately start a new Pinterest board for us to be able to share our visions for their look.  This means that when they walk in for their trial I already have a pretty good idea of the look that they would like to create.

Think about your dress. I always encourage my brides to have picked her dress first and to show me a picture. This is so important and of course I absolutely LOVE it! Are you looking in general to be elegant, romantic, boho, trendy, vintage or timeless? Your style of dress will guide me on the perfect hair and makeup for your wedding day.

Be realistic – before your trial talk to your stylist if you’re unsure whether your hair has enough length for the style you’re dreaming of. If it doesn’t there are always options such as bun rings, padding and hair pieces. But to help your trial be successful you will need to organise getting these or asking your stylist for help to source them before the test run. 

If after trying several hair and make-up looks you’re still not over the moon with any, or get cold feet on the look once you leave the trial, don’t despair. Breathe, relax and just think about what wasn’t quite right. It’s like finding ‘the dress’ or even ‘the man’ sometimes they aren’t 100% perfect straight away but with a little tweaking or adjustments you can get it just right. Talk honestly and openly to your stylist as they aren’t mind readers and most likely can change something to make it exactly how you want. If they are defensive or unwilling to listen then maybe they aren’t the right professional for you! 

Lastly, enjoy it! This should be a really fun session and with good communication you will end up with the look you are dreaming of.

Emma x