6 Top Pre-Wedding Makeup Tips from Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

2018-06-14 By Laura-Louise Leave a Comment

My first wedding magazine article hits the shelves….well…. screens!

In March, I was incredibly lucky to be invited to write an article in the 2nd edition of the Finest Wedding Magazine. The Finest Wedding Magazine launched officially in 2017 and has experienced substantial growth and since the Wedding Industry Awards, with more and more engaged couples choosing to read this magazine, full of real life weddings and articles written by knowledgeable industry professionals.

I’m definitely not a writer, but I must say that I did really enjoy writing the article “6 Top Tips” as it helped me to explain as succinctly as possible why it is important to have a pre-wedding skincare regime ahead of any Bride-to-be’s big day. I do discuss the important of pre-wedding skincare regime with my Clients at their makeup trials but putting it onto paper means that I can help even more people in what can be a pretty stressful time.

I recently created the wedding makeup for Naomi, her Mum & Bridesmaids. 6 weeks ago, Naomi had her trial. Before discussing makeup, I asked some important questions establishing what skincare regime Naomi followed. Naomi declared that she works outside on a daily basis and is vulnerable in the harsh weather conditions of the winter and recent warm weather/heat. I informed her about the value of following a pre-wedding skin regime ahead of the big day.

Naomi followed the suggestions I had made and just look how her skin looked, blemish free and glowing (and freckly!) thanks to the beautiful sunshine we’ve been experiencing recently! The key points are: respecting your skin and maintaining a regime will definitely pay dividends. Your skin will glow and it will be the perfect canvas for your wedding makeup artist to create your chosen look. Invest in your skin starting TODAY!

Read the article below to find out how…. 6 Top Makeup Tips To Prepare Your Skin Ahead of Your Wedding Day by me, Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

WEDDING AWARDS 2018 REGIONAL WINNER – Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

2018-03-15 By Laura-Louise Leave a Comment

I was lucky enough to find out today that I have won an award!

The Awards Night

On Thursday, 8th March 2018 I attended the Wedding Awards 2018 event at the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool. The event was a fabulous success and it was wonderful being surrounded by so much talent, expertise and professionalism in one room. On the night, I came away empty handed but found out today that my name had been missed off the list and that I was in fact a Regional Winner as a Makeup Artist and I am now officially an award winning makeup artist!

My dream has literally come true!

What the Awards Stand For

For those people who say that awards are popularity contests, this award certainly isn’t. The Wedding Awards pride themselves on carefully measuring each and every finalist alongside a set of criteria including website, communication and feedback, ensuring reviews are real and feedback is factually correct. Only previous customers can vote for you and provide feedback.

Having had a few days to take in the news, to share it with my family and friends I feel so immensely proud of all my handwork, determination and commitment. Since I trained in London in 2016, I’ve had laser focused plan to reaching out to Brides-to-be who are looking to connect with a makeup artist who fits their makeup requirements for their wedding day. Practising my craft and keeping up to date with training is important to me to become the very best that I can be!

From the bottom of my heart….Thank you!

Firstly, I would like to thank each and every customer from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to vote for me and for reviewing the service you received from me. I was very lucky to receive such a lot of love and support and this has not gone unnoticed.

Receiving this award is such a huge accolade for me; it celebrates all my hard work and effort and it is a huge compliment to be a regional winner. I will use this award to spur me forward and achieve even more for me and my customers in the coming months and years.

And finally… a huge thank you to Yvonne from The Wedding Industry Network and the team of judges for their hard work in the run up to the awards. It was a truly amazing night and I am proud to be a part of this fantastic network.

Elegant, Natural makeup for Bride-to-be Lindsey

2017-08-28 By Laura-Louise Leave a Comment

I’m proud to be able to share with you some gorgeous wedding photographs from a recent wedding where I was lucky enough to be chosen to create the makeup for the Bride-to-be, Lindsey, Mother of the Bride, Sue and Bridesmaid and Sister, Katie.

Wrexham Wedding Trail

I first met Lindsey her Mum and Sister at the Wrexham Wedding Trail wedding fair in January 2017 at St Giles Church, Wrexham. Lindsey had not found a makeup artist who had a natural makeu-up style who she thought met her requirements. After talking to her and discussing her needs in more detail, Lindsey booked me, Chester based Laura-Louise Makeup Artist, to create her wedding look.

Lindsey knew she wanted a natural yet elegant make-up look on her wedding day and wanted to have a red lip. She was confident wearing a red lip on nights out and special occasions, and knew that she wanted this on her wedding day too. I was so excited to create this look and looked forward to the trial sessions.

Trial Makeup Session

At the trial, I ensured that the tone of red I chose suited her porcelain skin and hair tone. The colour looked fabulous on her and made her smile even more when she looked back at herself in the mirror once I had finished her makeup on the day. Lindsey also loved the individual lashes and the glamorous look they gave her. Lindsey’s Mum and Sister also had a trial and afterwards they went out for a meal to test-drive the makeup. They were all impressed with how long it lasted and how many compliments they received!

On the morning of the Wedding

Bridal preparations took place at Lindsey’s Mums’ house. On arrival, there was an air of calm which didn’t change throughout the morning. The vibe in the house was excitement, fun and laughter throughout and Bluedoor Photography captured this brilliantly! Oh how we laughed!

Lindsey wrote a fabulous review and I can only thank Lindsey, her Mum and Sister Katie for their kind words and recommendations. I’d like to wish Lindsey and Josh a very happy life together!

fabulous wedding day makeup by Laura-Louise makeup artist

natural, elegant and long lasting makeup by Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

Mirror close of makeup by Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

Bride Laughing with Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

Huge Wedding Blog Success for Cheshire Makeup Artist Laura-Louise

2017-06-14 By Laura-Louise Leave a Comment

Photoshoot Success leads to National Wedding Blog Exposure

In April 2017, I was lucky enough to take part in a wedding photoshoot at Park House Hotel, Shifnal. I am super excited to reveal to you that since the shoot, the photographs have been chosen to be in the prestigious wedding directory website, Hitched.co.uk wedding blog and here is that link!

I’m so excited, I think I could burst! Photoshoots are often kept under wraps by those who have taken part in the shoot but here is a unique insight into the day from makeup artists’ viewpoint.

Wedding Makeup Styling to Meet the Brief

I arrived at Park House Hotel to a warm welcome from the Hotel Manager, Ross and his fabulous team. I was promptly shown up to the bridal suite to set up my makeup table, chair and products ready to start soon after. Next to arrive was Sarah, from Sarah’s Mobile Hair, the chosen hairdresser for the shoot. We hadn’t worked together before. Once we had set up, we took time to discuss the requested bridal “looks” that we had been asked to create and discussed the style ideas we had for hair and makeup. As a makeup artist, I have to work quite quickly on the day and establish some basic facts when it comes to styling and expectations to ensure I am meeting the photoshoot brief.

At 8.45am our first model, Jess arrived along with her partner and fellow model, Josh. We also saw the wedding dresses for the first time and Julieann from Julieann Bird Designs showed us the range of hair accessories/jewellery to ensure that they fitted with the overall “look”. It was time to start! To ensure we captured all the images required, the schedule was tight; keeping to time was crucial. Having worked in the wedding industry for 13 years, I’m used to timescales.

Elegant Wedding Makeup for Blue-eyed Jess

I started with Jess’ eyeshadow and individual lashes, which when completed, looked elegant and glamorous. I chose warm colours which complimented her blue eyes, the classic look gave her a warm glow. Sarah prepped her hair whilst her eyes were being completed, giving Jess a real feeling of VIP pampering, she said she would love this attention when it comes to her wedding day…she just needs to secure the date with her fiancé Josh!

The off-the-shoulder style of wedding gown meant that I had to ensure her makeup didn’t stop at her neck/chin but was blended perfectly. As with every client, I ensured her makeup looked flawless, so that it could be photographed from every angle. I even added some highlighter to her collar bone to accentuate the neckline perfectly.

Makeup Artists Constantly Check the Fine Details

Once dressed, I applied a little bit of finishing powder and setting spray before models Jess and Josh headed off downstairs to the photoshoot. As a makeup artist, it was my role to ensure that the models’ makeup was looking flawless at all times including lipsticks topped up and ready for the camera at all times. All suppliers at the photoshoot, we were also to be on hand to help change “scenes” and tidy up where needed, which gives us perfect behind the scene experience of all aspects of the photoshoot from start to finish. We were even allowed to share images from behind the scenes using the hashtag #BTS .

On Location Around the Wedding Venue

The first wedding photoshoot scenes were located on the stunning staircase which wraps around the main hallway in the original part of the building. With several landings, there was perfect opportunity for photographs to be taken with the Bride and then with the Groom. We then moved to capture some fabulous images of the Bride on the LOVE letters in the hallway before we made our way into the civil ceremony room for some wedding ceremony shots. The models laughed and smiled for the camera, whilst Caroline and James from JOL Photography worked hard to capture the all important photographs.

Changing Colour Creates A Different “Look”

I was asked to change the Bride’s lip colour for the second half of her shoot and chose a rich plum lip colour and magenta cheek colour. Being dark haired, Jess looked stunning with this new colour and rocked it brilliantly!

Ethereal Look for Model Bride Sophie

After a short break, our second model arrived. Sophie is a beautiful blonde with long hair and the hairdresser, Sarah decided to create an ethereal half up/half down “do”. Makeup wise, the brief was english rose with a pink lip. I blended the eyeshadow colour to compliment Sophie’s sea blue eyes before applying individual lashes, some rose blusher and a rose pink lip. Sophie looked so beautiful…mission accomplished!

We headed down to yet another ceremony room which had be beautifully decorated with blossom trees by Perfectly Unique Occasions. The room looked like a scene from a movie and provided the perfect backdrop for the photographs. My makeup artist role complete with topping up the lip colour, Sophie was handed her beautiful hand tied bouquet, the look was complete. I’m sure you will agree that she looks breathtaking!

Action Shots of Laura-Louise Makeup Artist

Photographers James and Caroline led Sophie into a room at the front of the venue and set up this gorgeous scene on the beautiful Chesterfield sofa located in front of a window. Whilst in situ, the Brides’ makeup needing touching up and so James captured this action shot of me doing what I do best, ensuring the Bride shone from each and every direction! I love these action shots… thank you James!

That’s a Wrap…

The photo shoot and the high energy levels continued until 9pm that night and right up until the last moment, the models were looking fabulous thanks to the long lasting makeup, professional application and lip touch ups throughout the day. All the suppliers who could, stayed behind to help pack away at the end and by the end of the day we really felt like #TeamBride.

It was hard work but totally and utterly worth the early start and the late finish, I’m sure you will agree that the Brides look AMAZING. Thank you Jess and Sophia for writing such fabulous testimonials about my service on the day. You can read the testimonials from Jess HERE and from Sophie HERE

I hope you love the photographs as much as I do,

7 Reasons to book a wedding makeup artist for your big day

2017-03-31 By Laura-Louise Leave a Comment

Your wedding dress has been lovingly chosen and the wedding venue has been booked. The seating plan has been finalised and the menu tasting was fabulous, wedding excitement is building and a Bridesmaids asks the Bride-to-be “who is doing our makeup on the day of the wedding?” The Bride responds…..”Me!”
For some Brides-to-be, the thought of saving money and putting it towards “something else” is more important, however I’m here to give you 7 reasons why you should invest in a professional wedding makeup artist for your wedding day.

1. You will save money in the long term

It will seem strange when I say this, but choosing the right makeup artist will actually save you money in the long term. “How?” I hear you ask…. Well, by the time you pay for a professional makeup lesson and then buy all of the products that you fell in love with when they created your look, you’ll have almost doubled the entire wedding budget and you’ll probably never use any of it again! However, if you research wedding makeup artists in your area, perhaps visit a wedding fair to meet them and book them for your big day, you will actually save money.

2. YouTube can only teach you so much…

If you are an avid Youtube watcher and love watching Mario contouring the Kardashians, remind yourself that not all makeup skills can be taught via Youtube. Many professional makeup artists have a vast array of skills and experience in application and corrective skills and these skills are invaluable. Makeup artists will attend training courses and invest in their kit all of the time. When there is a room of females all wanting to look their best as your Bridesmaids, all with different skin tones, skin types and desired looks, the makeup artist is the one person to bring all of those looks together, so that they fit your theme and style. These skills come with training, experience and knowledge and a professional makeup artist will bring those skills to your bridal makeup preparations. Don’t get married without one!

3. Set a budget for your makeup artist because it is part of your overall wedding look

With the average UK wedding costing £20,195 (2016 – Perfect Wedding Magazine) , it is possible to build a professional wedding makeup artist into your budget for your wedding day. Take a step back for a moment. If you’re spending a large proportion of the wedding budget on your wedding dress, veil, shoes and hairdresser, it makes sense to find a fabulous makeup artist to make you feel special on your wedding day and style you as you wish. Remember that you work hard to earn your money and you’ve hand selected all of the elements of your day. Your wedding makeup artist should be no different!

4. Surrounding yourself with professionals will give you extra confidence on the day

You didn’t ask your friend to make the necessary adjustments to your wedding dress, nor did you ask your chief Bridesmaid to make your bridal bouquet, did you? So why would you accept their offer to do your bridal makeup? Your cake maker is amazing at making cakes and your wedding co-ordinator has planned and executed many weddings prior to yours and has all the necessary skills and experience to deal with any problems. Wedding makeup is no different. On the day, you could have a breakout, sensitive skin or feeling over-emotional. An experienced makeup artist will have an extensive kit and experience to cope with all eventualities and then some! When you stand in front of the mirror doing your final check before leaving for your ceremony, you will be overjoyed that you chose to have a fabulous MUA to bring all the elements together. Every Bride-to-be deserves a makeup artist to help them look amazing and feel fabulous.

5. Look fabulous on your wedding photographs

Your wedding photographs are the longest lasting memories that you will have from your wedding. Photographs from your big day are the one thing that you can pass down to your children and their children and share for years to come and therefore you want to be looking your best. A professional makeup artist will ensure that your foundation is the right colour, your blush suits your skin tone and everything is blended perfectly so that you can be photographed from all angles and still look flawless. Don’t scrimp at the last moment on the finer details as you could regret this for years to come and have photographic evidence to prove it!

6. When things don’t go to plan

If things don’t go to plan on the morning of the wedding, call on the experience and skills of your makeup artist. They will have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to deal with most eventualities. Having worked in the wedding industry for 13 years, there aren’t many situations that I haven’t seen. Don’t panic! Take a deep breath and ask for help.

7. Sit back and give yourself permission to enjoy your bridal preparations!

“Yeah right!” I hear you shout! But as a woman, I cannot think of anything more special than a fully trained and experienced bridal makeup artist coming to my hotel room to create my chosen wedding make up look before I slip into my beautiful, handmade wedding gown and walk down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams. When I compare that to the stress of trying to glue a stubborn eyelash to my eyelid for the umpteenth time….make booking a makeup artist your priority!

I hope this blog post provides 7 reasons why booking a wedding makeup artist for the big day is a great decision. I hope you have a fabulous wedding day when it arrives and enjoy every single minute of being a Bride. Be sure to look back at your reflection in the mirror and tell yourself how beautiful you are!

For those of your who are eager to get organised and book a makeup artist, you can find out more about me here and you can contact me here by filling in this enquiry form. Happy wedding planning!