5 Reasons to Hire a Professional for your Big Day

Whether it's your Prom, Wedding Day, or Graduation, if it's a special occasion that involves lots of pictures, you're going to want to hire a professional. Here are my top five reasons why should help us help you!

1 - They Know Stuff You Don't
You may have pinterest tutorials on highlighting and contouring, but professional makeup artists know how to work with every face shape and type. I worked with a girl a couple of days ago who wasn't large at all, but her face was shaped in a way that it gave her a double chin effect. I was able to use an airbrush technique that made that second chin disappear! Find me a pinterest tutorial (that works on every face shape and type) to do that!


2 - They've Invested A LOT into Their Supplies
High end makeup is expensive, we all know that. Not everyone has the money to buy three Urban Decay Pallets ($45 each) and Lorac Primer ($32). Not to mention an airbrush machine ($200+) and the foundation that goes with it ($38+ each)! But makeup artists do. We can deduct makeup from our taxes because it is a business expense. It's the same with hair styling. I have over $300 in hair styling products in my studio. A lot of that is product that wont work for my hair, but will for my clients. I invest money in my supplies to be able to better help you. And just like makeup artists, hair dressers can deduct product purchases from our taxes. If we don't have high quality products we wont get booked.

3 - It Ensures a Moment of Peace in the Middle of Chaos
Weddings, senior proms, graduations and most other big events come with a lot of stress. "Where is my dress?", "I am so hungry!", "What time is it?", "We are late!" and many other panic-inducing things are often heard on these days! But if you have a professional doing your hair and/or makeup then it ensures that you will have at least one hour that day to sit down, relax and breath.

4 - It Lasts & Looks Great
Because makeup artists and hair dressers have studied long and hard to perfect their craft, and because they invest a lot in their supplies, their work lasts all day! No touch ups, no smeared lines, just enjoying your day! They know just how to contour your face, just what kind of primer to use for your skin, and what kind of brown to use for your eye color. That's right brown isn't "just brown". For someone with blue eyes I will use browns with more amber (orangey) tones, and for green eyes red browns are the way to go. We have the color wheel locked down so we know just what to use to make your features pop! Plus we know what photographs well and what doesn't. And most importantly we will set it, prime it and lock it in to make it stay!

5 - It's Fun!
You don't get married every day, or graduate, or go to your first high school formal! Whatever the special occasion is, it's special for a reason! Getting done up by a professional is fun! It's girl time that leaves you looking and feeling confident. So splurge a little and hire a local artist to work for you! It's your special day after all!

What are the Advantages to having Airbrushed Makeup?

What a great question! Airbrush makeup artistry is usually used for weddings, but can be used for all sorts of things. I am going to go over the few cons and many pros of choosing airbrush makeup.

Cons

- cost more money

- a personal machine costs hundreds of dollars

- takes longer to put on yourself

- has a tendency to look thicker in person

Pros

- takes less time to be put on by a professional than traditional makeup

- natural looking in photos

- flawless finish (bumps, acne and more will not show up on camera)

- kissable application (makeup does not come off)

- magazine worthy look

I honestly recommend airbrush makeup. It costs a little more, but it is so worth it! Temptu Pro is the only airbrush makeup brand I trust, but it is up to you where you'd like to begin! 

What not to do before seeing a Professional

You know how when you go to the dentist you spend ten minutes brushing a flossing your teeth really well? Well that works for the dentist, but for a hair dresser, not so much. Here are a few things to not do hours before you go to the hair dresser.

1- Wear your hair in a pony tail
If you are getting it washed, cut and styled you are just fine to wear it up, but having a kink in it like that can make styling or coloring your hair a lot more challenging.

2- Washing it
If we are styling your hair, having it freshly washed makes it harder for your hair to hold style. Plan ahead and wash it two nights before (example: if prom is Saturday, wash your hair Thursday evening and leave it along Friday and Saturday). As for cutting a coloring, we will wash your hair and there is seriously no need for you to. We aren't judging how greasy your hair is, I promise.

3 - Teasing it

Seriously? Why are you teasing your hair moment before coming to see me? I am just going to have to comb it all out. 

4- Deep Conditioning Treatments

Once again, a little damage isn't so bad at the salon, we are here to fix it. Having your hair super supple is really hard to work with while styling, and chances are I will throw some mousse and gel in there which will reverse your conditioning treatment and help me work with your hair.

5- DO Talk to your stylist
Your stylist will probably have some instructions for you (especially if you are getting your hair done for an event). Ask them if there are any things you should or should not do before coming to them.

Should I use Dish Soap in my hair?

This is seriously one of the biggest myths ever! NEVER wash your hair with dish soap. This is often used in place of a clarifying shampoo. A clarifying shampoo is a stronger shampoo that specializes in ridding your hair of product buildup and is not recommended for those with color treated hair. It is however good for people who only wash their hair once a week. Most of the time clarifying shampoo is used in salons before getting a perm, Brazilian Blow Out or other special chemical treatment.

The reason that people have said to use dish soap instead is because it is super powerful at cutting through grease and oils. But it has no conditioning properties and will dry your hair out faster than you think! It is especially harsh for those who go blonde.

The only time I think it is okay is if your child has put Vaseline, Peanut Butter, or something like that in their hair. If it is all over wash their hair with dish soap and professional hydrating conditioner. If they only put it in one area, lather that area with the dish soap, rinse it out and then wash the hair with professional  shampoo and then conditioner.

***Thanks to Darleen for asking this question***

How Do I know I am Hiring a good Makeup Artist?

This is the message I received this morning:

Dear Angela,

For my sisters wedding we hired a local makeup artist. We posted on a facebook group page (one that was made for those who live in our area) that we were looking for someone and she was one of the few who responded. She seemed super nice, and had a few pictures of her work which seemed really, really good on her facebook. On the day of my sisters wedding she came late, and the makeup looked horrible! It was nothing like the makeup she did in the pictures! My sister took it all off and redid her own makeup, but what a waste of $50! Then to top it all off she got an eye infection that manifested itself the next morning! How can I make sure this doesn't happen to me? 

Thanks! 

Alexis H. 

Well Alexis, unfortunately this is a tough one, but I do have a few rules that can help you find a credible makeup artist.


1- Check Their Credentials
Did you know that in most states it is legal to style hair and do makeup without any kind of license or certification! YIKES! It is super easy to spread bacteria and viruses through eye and lip makeup, and proper cleaning and sanitation is a MUST. These are things that someone who does a certification course for makeup artistry or who is a licensed cosmetologist (or both, like me!) would understand properly. Ask them if they are licensed or if they have taken a certification course. Then ask to see their license or certificate. If the person you choose works in a salon or spa you are usually safe (as most places won't hire people who aren't licensed).

2- Check Their Website(s)
A serious makeup artist will have a real website. Your biggest mistake was looking at a few pictures from her personal Facebook profile and calling it good. She should have an actual website. Most makeup artists will also have other profiles, such as a Facebook Business Page, Instagram, Wedding Wire and a Google business profile.  These are all good things to have. The Google listing is great, because they can not have comments or reviews deleted, plus they have to register their business with Google, which is a process. however anyone can make a Facebook or Instagram, so be wary! But a real website, with a custom url (no .blogspot or .wix extensions) shows that the artist takes their craft seriously and is willing to invest in it.

3- References
In this industry references are hard to get! If they don't have any on Facebook or social media it's not a big deal, but they should be able to give you at least a few. Go back to that page and ask if anybody else has worked with her. If you ask me for references I can give you three contact names and emails, along with the pictures of the individuals I did services for. Any professional should be able to give you references some how! Another plus to them having a google business listing is that anyone can review it!

4- Do a Trial
I know these can be a pain in the butt, but do one, especially for something like a wedding! Not only do trials make sure that you and the stylist are on the same page and that you like the style you've picked, but it also allows you to make sure that you are using someone good on your big day. Not every stylist is for every client and vice-versa. Just because they are good, doesn't mean they are good at what you want, or that their personality fits with yours. You want your wedding day to be stress free, and a trial will help with that. However most artists charge for a trial, so still be selective about who you do a test run with.

If you follow these 4 steps you should be able to hire someone credible that you love for all of your important events!