You're excited for one of the BEST & most fun pre-wedding activities: your Hair & Makeup Trial! Whether you're trialing with us at Blush & Brush or anywhere else, keep these tips in mind for the most successful trial experience.
Here is our list of Top 5 Things You Must Do Before Your Hair & Makeup Trial to make the absolute MOST of it:
Step One: Book Your Hair & Makeup Trial
We recommend booking your bridal hair & makeup trial between 6 months to 1 year out from the Big Day.
This will give you ample time to determine your bridal style and fine tune it as needed before the wedding day.
The Blush & Brush Trial Experience is an extensive, luxurious, & pampering one. We spend approximately 3 hours together and in that time we get to know you, your style, your expectations for the wedding day, information about your bridal party, and begin building your Personalized Morning Prep Plan.
You will spend about an hour in hair and an hour in makeup where you'll communicate your vision to the artists. The last hour is spent with your dedicated Personal Event Stylist & Beauty Concierge Manager discussing your wants, needs, and goals leading up to the Big Day! She will be your go-to contact from this day until the wedding bells ring!
Things to keep in mind when deciding when to book your trial:
Do you have your dress yet?
Many brides prefer to have picked out the dress before coming in for the trial as the shape, cut, or overall look of the dress may determine the direction for hair & makeup style.
Will you be wearing a headpiece and/or a veil?
If you plan to wear one or both, bring these items with you to the trial. If you are unsure or have not decided on this, we have a collection of luxe headpieces for you to try (and purchase if you love!) as well as a veil so that you can see the whole finished look!
Time of Year
Keep in mind that availability to trial may be limited during peak wedding seasons. Scheduling your trial in advance will be key! Additionally, you'll want to be a similar complexion at the time of your trial that you plan to be at the time of the wedding. We don't recommend trialing in the summer if you are getting married in the winter and vice versa. More on this in Step Three.
Pro Tip: If you know you want the Blush & Brush Experience for your wedding day but aren't prepared to schedule a trial yet, book B&B immediately to secure your wedding date & stylists. Then trial with us at your leisure & worry-free of losing your date!
Step Two: Visit an Esthetician
It is imperative that you visit an esthetician prior to the wedding and ideally, even prior to the trial. Paint is only as good as the canvas on which it's placed. The first step to flawless makeup is flawless skin!
Visiting an esthetician early will give you time to identify problem areas and treat them with proper care.
If you don't already have a good skincare regimen in place, this visit will provide you with the opportunity to get on the right path for achieving great skin for your wedding day and for the years that follow!
At your first esthetician visit, we strongly recommend determining and scheduling all pre-wedding treatments with your esthetician that day so that you feel accountable for each appointment.
Remember, this is your FACE! Treat it as such and consider all the benefits investing in its health now will do for you in the future.
Now ladies, please, for the love of all things beauty, pleaseeeee DERMAPLANE! The difference that this short, painless service makes in the wearability of your makeup is insane! Do not walk on this one, run! We highly recommend that you dermaplane before your trial so that you can experience the magic yourself and won't question it for a second before the wedding day, it's truly a MUST.
Dermaplaning is the removal of dead skin cells and light peach fuzz that lay atop the face. The result is softer, more supple skin that enhances the penetration of your skincare products and provides a flawless base for makeup application.
This treatment is best suited to take place 3-5 days before your professional makeup appointment.
Last but not least, nothing says "level up" like a set of snatched brows. Your esthetician can help you build a game plan to achieve the perfectly shaped eyebrows you've always wanted!
Pro Tip: This is your wedding year. If there was ever a time in your life to make significant investments in your aesthetic beauty, this is it! You have a year full of BIG days celebrating your Bridal Beauty - including but not limited to: Engagement Party, Engagement Photoshoot, Bridal Shower, Boudoir Photos, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Day, & Honeymoon. If you have ever considered any of the following services, we recommend this is the year to do it!:
Regular Facials (quarterly, monthly, etc.)
Microneedling or Powder Brow
Eyelash Extensions
Botox / Fillers / Injections
Step Three: Decide Whether You Are Spray/Bed Tanning for the Wedding & Do the Same for the Trial
The goal is to be the same complexion at your trial that you plan to be for your wedding day. This simple step is largely overlooked so please consider this before coming in to trial.
Whether you will be tanning in a bed/outside or getting a spray tan for the big day, you must be consistent. Whichever method you choose for the wedding day, you need to follow the same method before your bridal trial.
Following this tip will ensure that your makeup will look exactly the way you that you expect it to based on your trial.
This serves a dual purpose as it will also help you in determining inspiration for your bridal makeup look.
Pro Tip: When choosing images for makeup inspo to show your artist, remember the 3 C's:
Complexion
Color (Eyes)
Color (Hair)
You want to choose images in which 2-3 of the 3 C's are the same or similar to you. Doing this will give you a more realistic gauge of how the makeup look will appear on you.
Step Four: Drink a Ton of Water & Get as Much Sleep as Possible
No time like the present (or the year leading up to your wedding day) to give your body the things it needs most: Water & Rest.
The laundry list of benefits that drinking more water will have on YOU as a person is just unreal. It seems so simple but what upping your water intake will do for your skin, your hair, your gut, your mind, your mood - please take a moment to pause reading this blog post and go get yourself a glass of this super nectar!
Welcome back, Beautiful! Now wasn't that refreshing?!
Equally as important to maintaining your glow from within is plenty of dedicated rest and nights of good sleep. Get into the habit of limiting your screen time, especially at night, and aim to get the same number of hours of sleep each night. For some it may be 6 hours while others may be 10 hours. Figure out what is best for you and be consistent - set an alarm to get in bed and an alarm to get out of bed at the same time each night & morning.
Pro Tip: For optimal sleep, purchase an alarm clock and leave your phone in another room at night. It seems daunting but trust me, you won't believe what a better night's rest you'll get without that phone at your fingertips or under your pillow!
Step Five: Plan a Whole "Wedding Prep" Day Around Your Trial Appointment
Too often we are asked, "Why can't I do my trial on the weekend?" "Am I going to have to take off work to come in for my trial?" "What's the latest appointment available so that I can come after work?" "Why does the trial take 3 hours, I've already had a long day?"
And to this we simply say, "Treat Yo Self, Beautiful!"
Blush & Brush is all about the bride, Blush & Brush is all about YOU! We want you to fully enjoy every ounce of this once in a lifetime experience as much as we enjoy offering it to you. Why? Because YOU deserve it!
Not to mention, weekends are reserved exclusively for our brides' wedding days where our undivided attention is on her and her only that day, just as it will be for you on your day!
We urge our clients to use the Trial Day as a dedicated "Pre-Wedding Prep" day. Use this day OOO to check some boxes off of your wedding to-do list: plan a meeting with the florist or DJ, organize your invite list, make a Wedding Day Playlist. We know you have a lot going on so use this day to your advantage!
On the flip side, forget everything you just read and use this as nothing other than a well deserved "Me" day. Sleep in a little, go to the gym or for a walk outside, take a long shower, make yourself a nice breakfast and then get your butt in here for some champagne and girl talk!
Whichever you decide, let your trial experience show you all the reasons you are and deserve to be the most beautiful woman in the room!
Final Pro Tip: Finish off this amazing day with a dress fitting to see and fully appreciate your bridal beauty and/or show off your flawless look on the town - plan a cocktail hour with the girls or a dinner date with your hubby-to-be!