An interview with a wedding makeup artist

My name is Victoria and I have been a bridal makeup artist for nearly twenty years and I still love it as much as I did when I was first starting out. There is nothing I love more than being there on the morning of a wedding and creating beautiful, timeless makeup.

I offer bridal makeup and hairstyling for the bride and her bridal party, even a little bit of blush and sparkle for the little ones too so they don’t feel left out. 

I use a high-end range of cruelty-free and luxury makeup brands to make the bride feel indulgent and pampered on her big day. I also use airbrush makeup that is designed to last and stay put all day long! 

I’m based in Braintree in Essex but I can travel all over, as far as Suffolk and Norfolk. I’ve travelled to London before as well. My favourite places to work tend to be my local venues such as Gosfield Hall, we are so spoilt in Essex to have some fantastic venues.

Brides often worry the most about their skin, especially if they are prone to breaking out. I can go through a skincare routine prior to the big day, but in the event that we have an uninvited guest then this is where the power of makeup comes in.

The airbrush makeup I use is like waving an eraser over problem areas, it will conceal most anything, even tattoos. We can always fix a problem like a breakout!

I would always recommend the bride purchasing the shade of lipstick that she wants to use for the day, if not I can always provide some in a pot for her to use.

If the bride finds she tends to get oily throughout the day then having some blotting papers is usually a great idea, which again I can provide.

Sometimes brides are in the situation where they have to do their own makeup and in this instance, a bridal makeup lesson is a great idea.

It is a chance for her to relax and still have her makeup done, but she can learn hints and tips, plus get a full shopping list of up to date products to purchase. All the products that I use are current and I make sure they are available to buy either online or in a store before I recommend them.

I would highly recommend any hair removal treatments, using wax or heat be done at least a week prior to the wedding in case of any mishaps!

This also goes for tinting as well, in case of reactions (always get a patch test done in advance). Also be aware of the use of tanning beds close to the date, as they can really dehydrate the skin.

I always allow an hour on the wedding morning for my brides. I would usually try to get them done maybe second from last, not last like most would think. This is nothing to do with the makeup looking freshly done, it’s more that I want to make sure that the makeup has settled on the skin so if anything needs touching up, I’ve got plenty of time to do this before she gets dressed. I would then allow her to get dressed and I can be there for any last-minute retouches before she is ready to go.

I would always recommend having a trial, not only will we get to know one another better but it’s a wonderful opportunity to try out the bride’s preferred style, we can discuss ideas, skincare, products and also the important timings on the day.

Trials usually take place at my home in Braintree, where I have a small studio. I take lots of photographs, which I then send to the bride to be to keep as a reference. She can then take the photos to her hair trial to make sure the look she has chosen ties in with the hair, dress and accessories.

Every bride is unique and each will have something different that will set off her nerves or tears. For some it will be her flowers arriving, many get set off by the groom’s gift and card.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to make sure you have people around you that really know and care about you. So many brides feel obligated to have distant cousins and relatives as bridesmaids but this can often mean having people there that might add unnecessary stress to the day. If you have a small group of people who really care about you and the groom, and your day then you’ll be in safe hands, as these are the people who can keep you calm, sort out any last-minute hiccups and let you relax.

Yes, music is great to have playing in the background as it can really set the mood! I’ve heard some brilliant wedding playlists over the years, from Disney, to musicals or R&B. As long as it’s not drum and bass, but that’s really more about me! 🙂 I’ve also had people put on their favourite films in the background, like Cinderella or Clueless.

The best possible lighting is natural daylight, which in some venues is hard to find, but we will find it, even if it’s a square inch. Essex venues being very old are often very dark, with heavy beams and sloping floors, big oak panel rooms, if we find ourselves in these situations many of us have ring lights we can bring that mimic natural light.

I think in recent times a lot of venues have realised that brides need a bit more than a dressing room to get ready in, as it’s a place where they spend their entire morning plus lots of photographs are taken in there too.

So I think they have taken this into account when designing the layouts of the bridal prep rooms and the ones that spring to mind would be the rooms at The Fennes and also Braxted Park. But in my opinion, nothing can beat the bridal suite at Gosfield Hall. I know they don’t start the morning there and are moved across but its simply stunning, and the light is perfect.

I’m always up to something whether its learning new skills, photographing my own studio portfolio sessions or photoshoots, so the best place to keep up to date with me is on Instagram.