It’s important that your makeup look its absolute best for your wedding day. Whether you plan to marry on a beach at noon or at night under the stars, by keep your makeup simple you will look and feel great. You don’t want to much, nor too little, a natural look is very important. This is not the time to be experimenting with new looks. Your makeup should enhance your beauty not hide it. Here are some tips to help with you achieve your pefect bridal makeup:

• If you are having a facial done, make sure it is at least two weeks prior to your wedding.
  
• If your skin is prone to breakouts, see your dermatologist 3 or 4 months before your wedding
  
• Staying hydrated is important to keeping you looking refreshed. Drinking lots of water will also flush out impurities from the skin.
  
• Eyebrows should be shaped 5-7 days before the wedding. Be sure not to pluck on your wedding day because you could land up with unattractive red bumps that are difficult to cover.
  
• On your wedding day blend your makeup well and let set. You do not need extra makeup to please the camera – that’s a myth.
  
• Choose a lipstick that lasts. Apply just prior to walking down the isle. Go easy on the lip liner. Be sure to check that you don’t have lipstick on your teeth.
  
• Line and fill mouth with a neutral pencil to make lipstick stay on longer.
  
• To lengthen wearing time of your lipstick, apply a light layer of powder over your lipstick then apply another layer of lipstick
  
• If you are doing your own makeup, see a beauty consultant and purchase your make up at least 3 months in advance. Then practice until you’ve got the perfect makeup.
  
• Waterproof mascara is a great idea just incase you get a little weepy.
  
• A very light application of facial powder will set your makeup and reduce
  
• Keep your powder, mascara, and lipstick in your purse so you can freshen up at a moments notice.
  
• If you discover that dreaded pimple on your wedding day, do not squeeze it! Just apply a drop of visene to get the red out, cover with concealer, and apply foundation.
  
• Wear a button shirt when applying your makeup so you don’t mess up your makeup. When slipping into your gown put a towel over your face so you don’t get makeup on your wedding dress.
  
• Avoid glittery or dewy looks – these are not very receptive for photographs and you may come out looking greasy
  
• If your wedding is outside be sure to apply sunscreen first
  
• Water based foundation looks most natural in photos
  
• For eye contouring, apply a dark but neutral in the crease of the eye. You can line the upper and lower lids (optional) with brown or grey shadow, smudging the outer corners
  
• If you need to make your eyes look wider or brighter, use a white pencil to line the inside of the lower lids.
  
• Don’t get too much sun before your wedding. Sunburns, peeling skin and tan lines can sabotage your special day.
  
• Make certain your wedding photographer is “not” using grainy film, because no matter how good your makeup is, with grainy film it will not look good
  
• Make sure your wedding photographer is using high quality film so your photos do your wedding makeup justice
  
• For your makeup to look good in your photos, it must be completely matte and in neutral tones, brides usually prefer a little color. Pastels look soft and pretty, but avoid glitter, shimmer and frosted eyeshadows.
  
• Shine is the #1 enemy for photos.
  
• Don’t apply white or black eye shadow
  
• Olive complexions should not use gray shades
  
• Pale complexions should not use vibrant colors.

To relieve stress you can have a makeup artist do your wedding day makeup. If you enjoy doing your own makeup but need some more tips, visit a makeup consultant.

It’s your day! You are going to look absolutely beautiful!

Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry, and wedding help. So stop by and visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/ We’ll help you make your fashion statement! Remember looking good doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

Before considering a career as a makeup artist, you must do field research. That’s the primary way to avoid pitfalls. Is there room in your geographical area for another makeup artist? What is the competition like? Are you willing to travel for, say, a wedding? How far? Is your car dependable? If you don’t want to travel, is your city big enough for you to get the client base you need?

Also get the scoop on pay in your area. It will vary, even in one town, depending on your clientele. Working for a wedding planner, you will make more than working for a mall photography shop. Find out what the highest and lowest income opportunities are.

Freelance or Corporate: Perks and Pitfalls

If your research gives you a green light, the next step is to decide between the freelance life and the employee life.

Working for a company, perhaps being a sales rep for your favorite cosmetics brand, or being the on-call makeup artist for a film production company, you can count on a regular paycheck and perhaps even benefits.

Joining the growing group of freelancers, you’ll need to spend at least 50% of your work day on marketing yourself.

Licensing

In either case – freelance or corporate – the next step is to become accredited.

Get the information on the legal, health, and educational certification required by your state, county, or town. Take classes from an accredited beauty school (many have generous scholarship programs).

How to Get Work

Now you’re ready for the most critical part of becoming a professional makeup artist: marketing yourself.

If you want to work for a company, you can send resumes to spas, beauty salons, and specific cosmetic companies. Once you get a job, you are on your way to a career. You can make contacts, work your way up in the organization, acquire mentors, and get that most magical benefit of all – experience. If you get a job with a specific cosmetic company, they may require you to take additional classes focusing on their products. Usually they will pay for that.

A plum job with great pay would be one with a special effects makeup company that does film and television work. Getting that job will require additional training, lots of pavement pounding, and living in the right city. L.A., Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are important film industry hubs. Other cities, like Austin, Texas, attract film professionals, but these people often bring their own makeup artists with them.

Choosing the freelance route means that self-promotion becomes a way of life. But once you reach a point where you have a little bit of paying work, you’ll find that word of mouth will exponentially increase your customer base.

Freelancing: Special Considerations

As a freelance makeup artist, you can approach wedding planners, photography studios, film production companies, ad agencies, and theatrical groups. Make sure, too, that all talent agencies in your area know about you.

You’re creative – that’s one reason you’re going into the makeup profession. And you can use that creative mind to make a list of marketing ideas. Here are a few to get you going:

• Print up business cards and always have them on you. Leave them with everyone you meet during the day.

• Join a networking group. These groups are extremely effective. You’ll meet perhaps once a month either for lunch or happy hour (some troopers have breakfast meetings!), and there will usually be an agenda, followed by a social time of mingling. Some networking groups are free, some charge a fee. If you’re just starting your networking experience, definitely join the free groups. You will have to pay for your meal and drinks, though.

• Walk tall and exude success. It always shows. Read books on your own. Study magazines. Try makeup techniques on your friends and read makeup sites on the Internet. Get your confidence up as high as it will go!

• Make a list of all your contacts. You have more than you realize. Friends, your accountant, your church or social groups, the shopkeepers you see regularly. Don’t worry, you’re not going to hassle these people. But you can send them a cute postcard announcing the opening of your new makeup business.

• Which brings us to the next item. Print up some eye-catching postcards (you can do it on your computer), and send them out. Always have extras so you can send them to new people as you meet them.

• Get yourself to any and all beauty-related events in your area. Whether it’s a trade show, a trunk show, a store opening, or a book signing, be there with your business cards.

• Put up a website. It’s easy, even if you’ve never done it before. Today, a website is more important than a business card! See Website – Do It Yourself to get started.

• Design and print up a resume-type introduction that you can give to the local spa directors and wedding planners. It must be unique – not bland like a business resume – and colorful. Use your imagination. Make it irresistible.

Today’s Freelance Makeup Artist Needs:

The other requirement of being a freelancer is that you’ll have to stock your own makeup kit. This is an investment, and if you make money, chances are you’ll be able to deduct the costs of your cosmetics.

Many women are going “green” these days, so be sure your makeup kit is filled with earth-friendly, skin-friendly, and non-animal tested products. If you want to specialize and use only vegan products, you could use that as a compelling marketing tool.

Being “known” for a unique niche is also a great way to catch business. You could specialize in makeovers, anti-aging looks, head shots for actors (although many actors prefer to do their own makeup), or runway and catalog makeup for models.

Whether you apply to work for a company or go freelance, remember: there is no guarantee that you will immediately earn enough money to live on. Go into the process with enough money saved up to keep you in the black for at least six to twelve months. And decide ahead of time how long you’re willing to go without clients. Market your services with an organized plan, and be persistent.

Going into the makeup artist business can be an awesome life change – financially and emotionally. Do it with care, do it with intelligence, do it with a plan – and you could be living your dream.

Suzann is a technical writer and copy editor, with many pieces published both for the web and in hard copy. A graduate of Northwestern University, she runs the website My Makeup Mirror. http://www.MyMakeupMirror.com

As less as ten years ago it would be almost unheard of for a bride other than a celebrity to have her own personal make-up artist on the wedding day. Now, due to the number of beauty consultants working on their own account, what used to be an expensive luxury is now considered by most brides to be a wedding day essential. The advantages of having your own make-up artist on the day are obvious. No rushing to and from the hairdressers on the morning of the big day and no last minute panics when something, inevitably, goes wrong.

Most people offering this service are fully mobile and will come to your home or wedding venue on the day, which means you can get ready at your leisure and actually enjoy the experience of being pampered just like a princess on your big day. It’s generally a good idea to organise a make-up artist well in advance of the actual day. Most established artists will be in demand during the wedding season so booking as early as possible is an absolute must.

A few tips for successful wedding day hair and make-up

• Get recommendations from friends, your photographer and other wedding suppliers if they can suggest someone. Quite often they will have worked with several make-up artists before and will be best placed to make a recommendation.
• Book your make-up artist at least 3 months before the big day and make sure they offer a full make-up trial.
• Decide if your bridesmaids and other members of the wedding party will be having professional make-up too? Obviously if there are a number of people to look after on the day the price will reflect this but booking a group will be more economical than everyone making their own arrangements.
• Look after your skin before the wedding date, drink plenty of water, get lots of fresh air and exercise. It really will show on the day.
• On the day itself make sure your hair