So……
Joy Fennell of Joy Does Weddings wrote a long post for you guys about why it's a bad idea to let your 16-year-old cousin do your wedding makeup (DUH), and why makeup for photos is different from everyday makeup, and why it is so worth it to hire a professional (who shows up with her own bucket of products) and not have to worry about that shit on the day…..
And there was a good bit about the Makeup Artist's Wedding Oath, which Joy takes very seriously: "Thou shalt not allow the bride to walk around looking like a hot mess."
But I think we should just let her work speak for itself.
I mean. Right??
I flew a hair/makeup artist across the country for my wedding, and it was -- I'm not kidding you -- some of the best money I've ever spent.
Joy is based in NYC, and she comes personally recommended by that rad lady who did my wedding makeup. Joy Does Weddings provides makeup services for brides, bridal parties, engagement parties and destination weddings. She will make you look AH-MAZING!
totally should have done this. I mean, my makeup was fine, but it also looked like I do every.single.day.
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I must respectfully disagree. Every single makeup artist who has ever touched my face has made me look like a hooker. A nice hooker, but seriously, not at all the way I wanted to look on my wedding day (or any other day, for that matter). I know there are exceptions to this, but why waste the time and money on finding a makeup artist if you have the ability to do it yourself? For the record, I am not great at makeup, but with a few hours practice/experimenting and a great excuse to buy a few new tools and eye makeup colors, I came out looking pretty good on my wedding day. More importantly, I came out looking like myself (and the photos turned out fine).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that, Libby. I always feel like a very beautiful drag queen when my makeup is professionally done. That is to say: very well made-up, but way more made-up than I would prefer to be.
DeleteI know there are talented make-up artists out there who actually honor the "natural" look, but I don't know how to find them and initial conversations with a number of professionals made me feel like they, at least, didn't get me at all. So I think I'm going to make a trip to Sephora and enlist the help of my artist friend on the day-of. Unless someone here knows a great make-up artist between Boston and Southern, ME.
I want nice pictures, but I just really want to look like a sparkly version of *myself* on my wedding day more than anything.
"I'm glad to hear that, Libby. I always feel like a very beautiful drag queen when my makeup is professionally done. That is to say: very well made-up, but way more made-up than I would prefer to be."
DeleteThis. Oh this.
Doing my own wedding makeup was one of the best decisions I made. Clearly not for everyone -- I know for some people it would be STRESSFUL LIKE WHOA -- but in wedding photos, I wanted to look like ME.
That said -- I did have my hair professionally done. Because I am a hot mess when it comes to hair.
So with you. I've actually had some extremely schmancy bridesmaid makeup done, when everybody who knew me took one look and said, "Dizz-amn!" But I just felt effing weird. HOWEVER: I did come to see what a difference a well done brow makes, as well as the importance of a setting spray and some deftly applied highlighter. So I went the DIY route and was very happy I did. The pictures/video look great and I felt more beautiful than I had anticipated, by far. So nothing wrong with spending $150 at Sephora, getting a make-up trial, amping up your eyes a few notches the day of, and feeling like yourself.
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gorgeous work.
ReplyDeleteam hoping her services include "turn me into that middle girl or at least transfer all her hair onto my head."
I'm opting to do my own makeup for one because my wedding+reception will only last 5 hours. I totally understand why women would employ a makeup artist if their event is basically an all day affair - that shiz needs to LAST.
ReplyDeleteBut again, it's all about personal preference. I agree with the women above that I wear minimal amount of makeup already, so when I do see my face "done up" I don't feel like myself. But others are totally comfortable with professional makeup. So per usual ESB advice: do what you want. Isn't a relaxed bride what pictures best at the end of the day?
As a pasty white freckle face, make up looks like hell on me, I ended up scrubbing off half of what my make up person put on my face (but the models on her website do look wonderful)
ReplyDeleteI feel like you guys have had BAD makeup done by BAD makeup artists...
ReplyDeleteI have had so much bad make up done that it isn't even funny. And I usually have had to pay for it myself (bridal party makeup, anyone? The last time I was a bridesmaid D asked me if they had meant to make me look 15 years older).
DeleteIf I'd realized a make up artist could make me look like the "beachy" picture here, I would have paid for it.
I have had hideous make-up done as a bridesmaid, which is why I was careful about choosing someone good for my wedding. Also, compared to the expense of buying the make-up I would need and the (PROPER) tools, it was actually cost effective.
DeleteTotally. I am a makeup artist in NYC/Brooklyn and SO many of my bridal clients have told me what a relief it is when they find me. That they've had multiple trials with bad artists and hated how they looked afterward. I've had bridesmaids the day of say "wow I wish I had gotten mine done now" and explained that they opted out because of so many bad experiences in the past. Who are all these awful makeup artists? This should be one of the best days of your life! And it is your makeup artists JOB to ensure you look effing fantastic and feel amazing.
DeleteI had a makeup trial that was just awful. I was kind of orange with dark eyes and really big pores. I knew the pictures would be okay but no one would want to stand very close to me.
ReplyDeleteMy very famous cake baker recommended a famous makeup friend that I scheduled without meeting because I was 2000 miles away. The day before the wedding she cancelled - by email (WTF). That was the only time during the process that I cried. I opened up NY Mag and called every person in the bridal issue, choking back tears and all of them called back. Lucky to get a person, and to this day I don't remember her name.
She did an unbelievable job, I never looked better. I looked finished, nothing caked on - perfect lips, perfect color. People talk about the importance of your relationship with the photographer, but I think the hair and make up is more important. Worth every dime, and I was very lucky.
I have had very bad luck with professional hair but my wedding make up was a splurge that was sooo worth it. I did my own hair/nails but spent a pretty penny on a makeup artist and would do it all over agin. My wedding day look was natural and perfect. I don't wear makeup everyday so it was important for it to look very simple. If anyone needs a makeup artist in South Carolina, go to the Inn at Palmetto Bluff!
ReplyDeleteI have also been the unfortunate recipient of drag queen makeup that made me feel so weird. When I look back at pictures I don't even look like myself. I did my own for my wedding and liked how I looked. Though if I was able to find someone like this who didn't line the entire outline of my eye and turn my face orange, I would have splurged.
ReplyDeleteAs ESB states here in the comments - there are people who are good at their jobs, and people who are not. Joy seems to be quite a good makeup artist.
ReplyDeleteI think this is like any other wedding-related good/service...whether you need it or not depends on your budget, priorities, personal skills and the type of wedding you are having.
In terms of personal skills, I've seen many a girl who looks awful every day (whether she looks like "herself" or not isn't really the issue). Lots of ladies either wear too much makeup, not enough, or are just BAD at it. Also, like one of the other commenters mentioned, there are things like defined brows and "setting" your makeup, that most people don't do every day or know how to do.
I, personally, THINK I'm good at makeup. We had a low-key woods wedding so I didn't want a bunch of vendors there. We did most things ourselves. I had a friend blow-out my hair and I did my own makeup. In advance, I scheduled an appt with Laura Mercier and had a woman walk me through the extra stuff. It was awesome. I spent a bunch on makeup but I still use it all now.
I *really* loved my wedding day's hair/makeup lady's personality. She was really nice and I don't regret paying HER.
ReplyDeleteBut after she was done, I looked SO normal, that I kind of wished I didn't pay to have my hair and makeup done. I didn't get hooker/drag queen syndrome, it just looked the exact same way *I* do it.
So in retrospect, I feel like it isn't a NECESSARY wedding expense if you do your own makeup and like it on a relatively normal basis. The makeup lady though, did make my cousin who NEVER wears makeup and wouldn't put it on herself because she doesn't know how, look STUNNING.
I feel like it's good for those that are totally makeup inexperienced or those that wear a LOT of makeup and have really high standards. Us middle of the road makeup wear-ers might need them less?
It's totally worth it to have someone that will do a good job. I HATED my hair and makeup (and it was done by a professional) and now every time I look at wedding photos, all I can think is how ugly I look. So yeah, spend the money on a good makeup artist.
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