I feel as if these days I always start my blog by commenting how long it’s been since I last posted. And this one is no exception! The months have flown by and once again my blog has been way down on my to do list.

So without further ado, I’ll get onto the topic in question this time; getting the most from your hair and makeup trial.

Many brides I speak with say they don’t know what to expect at their hair and makeup trial and often have loads of questions, so I thought it would be a good idea to focus my latest blog post on this very subject. Your wedding hair and makeup is such an important part of your overall look, and for this reason alone, I always recommend having a trial, even if you’re pretty certain on what you want. The last thing you need is to get to your wedding morning and find you don’t like the look you had your heart set upon.

The right time
Brides will often ask me when I would recommend they have their trial, but to be honest, there’s really no set rules. Some people will have theirs months in advance, whereas others will wait until just a couple of weeks before the wedding. Whatever you decide is absolutely fine.  One thing I would say, is if you’re unsure of what you want, then it may be best to have your trial sooner rather than later, so you have plenty of time to find the right style for you.

Some brides like to arrange their hair and makeup trial for the same day as their dress fitting, and this is a really good idea to help you see exactly how everything will look together on the day. If you can’t manage this, then it might be a good idea to wear something white to your trial, so you can see how make-up colourings etc will work.

Another option is to book your trial to coincide with a night out, such as your hen do. A lot of brides like to do this so they can make the most of getting their hair and makeup done. Although this will depend on whether you’re happy for people to see how you’re having your hair and makeup on the wedding day.

Preparing for the trial
It’s a good idea to think ahead and try to replicate exactly how you’re hair and skin will be on the day. So if you’re planning on getting your hair trimmed or coloured just before the wedding, then do the same before the trial, or if you’re having a spray tan for the wedding, then get one done before the trial as well.

In terms of preparing your hair and skin, it’s always best to wash your hair at least the day before the trial, as ‘day old’ hair is much easier to work with. That said, if you do usually wash your hair every day and are concerned it may look greasy if you don’t, then no problem at all to wash your hair the morning of the trial, just go easy on the conditioner so it’s not too soft!

For your makeup trial, you should have a makeup free face with no product at all.

It’s important to keep a good skincare routine in the run up to the wedding (and all the time!). You should cleanse, tone and moisturise morning and night. You can also exfoliate 1-2 times a week and most importantly, drink plenty of water! If you have time, and budget allows, try and fit in a couple of facials as well, but not too close to the wedding day as they can sometimes cause your skin to break out.

During the trial
There’s no set amount of time that the trial will last; Basically, I’m there until you’re happy. But as a guide, a typical hair and makeup trial would last between 1 ½ to 2 hours. At the start of the trial I’ll spend time chatting with you about styles you like and dislike, and how you would normally wear your hair and makeup, both day-to-day and also when you go out.

It’s helpful if you can collect pictures beforehand of some of your favourite hair and makeup styles, but it’s also important to remember that everyone is different, and styles won’t always look the same on everyone.

One thing I can’t emphasise enough is please don’t be afraid to say if you don’t like something! This is exactly why we do a trial, and I would much rather you said you weren’t happy with a particular style so we can work together to change it. Sometimes it just takes a very small tweak to turn your hair and makeup from something you’re not sure about to something you absolutely love.

Final tweaks
I’ll take pictures from the trial and make detailed notes of all products used, so we know exactly what we’re doing on the day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make changes. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and have a re-think and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. And if it happens that you decide after the trial that you want to change something, that’s no problem either. We don’t always see things until we’re looking back at photos afterwards, which is another very good reason why it’s important to have a trial! Things can be tweaked on the wedding day without any problem.

Having a hair and makeup trial before the big day will help give you peace of mind for the wedding morning.  Hopefully these tips will help you get the most from your hair and makeup trial, and also help to make it the enjoyable experience that it should be!