Tag Archives: award-winning hair and makeup artist

What about the bridesmaids?

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Every bride knows just how important bridesmaids are. From planning the hen celebrations, to helping source suppliers, or even just a shoulder to cry on if wedding stresses are getting a bit too much, we all need a bridesmaid or two on hand while we prepare to say ‘I do’ to the love of our life.

bridesmaids with hair and makeup

Hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou

But when it comes to the all important hair and makeup for your bridesmaids, how on earth do you choose? Whether you have 1, 2 or 10 bridesmaids, the chances are you will have to decide upon styles to suit not only your bridesmaids, but possibly your colour scheme and theme too…. and the wedding morning is definitely not the time to be doing that!

A bride will usually have a trial before the big day so will know exactly how she’s having her hair and makeup. However when it comes to bridesmaids, they don’t always have a trial so it’s important to be prepared and plan in advance.

Bridesmaids can be dotted all over the country (or world!), so logistically it may be difficult to get everyone together for trials beforehand. Cost is another very important factor when it comes to trials. I would always recommend a bride factors in a hair and makeup trial for herself in her budget, but with the average UK wedding costing in the region of £25,000, bridesmaid hair and makeup trials are understandably not always possible.

Bride and bridesmaids hugging

Hair by Sarah-Lou

If you don’t plan to have trials for your bridesmaids, it’s definitely a good idea to get everyone together before the big day to discuss likes and dislikes, even if it’s on the phone or in a group message chat. That way you all have a good idea of what the bride’s expectations are when it comes to hair and makeup, what will work with colour schemes and themes, and what everyone else likes or doesn’t like.

The more bridesmaids you have, the harder it’s likely to be to have everyone with the same hair and makeup style. Hair lengths, thicknesses and types vary greatly, as do skin types and tones and face shapes, and what suits one person may not necessarily suit another. But don’t worry if you have your heart set on a uniform look for all of your bridesmaids, as it’s not impossible to achieve a consistent style.

Bridesmaids hairstyles

Hair by Sarah-Lou

Sometimes it just takes a small tweak to make a particular hairstyle work for someone, or you could incorporate something like a braid or a certain hair clip or comb across different styles to tie everything in together. For makeup, similar colours can often be used, but perhaps slightly heavier or lighter, depending on how each of your bridesmaids usually wears their own makeup. Or go with a certain style to tie in with your theme, but vary it slightly to suit each bridesmaid.

It’s often also the case that a bride is happy for her bridesmaids to choose their own hair and makeup, and this too looks lovely so there really is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing bridesmaid hair and makeup. A lot of it is down to personal preference.

Bridesmaids hair and makeup

Hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou

The best advice I can give though, is to plan in advance, whether you’re having trials or not! Talk to one another and choose styles that everyone is happy with (especially the bride!), and feel free to ask your hair and makeup artist as many questions as you like before the big day, as an expert opinion is always good to have.  A bit of preparation before the wedding morning means happy bridesmaids, and most importantly a happy bride!

Time to Party!

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I think I promised this blog last year but didn’t ever get round to writing it, so with the Christmas party season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to share my party make-up and product rundown with you.

Rather than creating this look on myself, I decided to enlist the help of my eldest daughter, who being 13 years old, jumped at the chance to be my party makeup model!

Makeup by Sarah-Lou

let her choose the colours we used, and as I could have guessed, she went for the Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette.  I built the rest of the look around that.

First up, as every girl knows, a good makeup look always starts with a primer.  This will ensure the perfect base for your makeup and give it the staying power you need when you’re partying the night away. For this look I’ve used Too Faced Hangover Primer. I also mixed in a small amount of NARS Copacabana Illuminator, just to give a bit of shimmer to the skin. Well it is party makeup after all!

As you already know, for the eyes I’ve used Urban Decay’s Naked Cherry palette. I love the colours in this.  I used a mix of the following colours, both on the lid and below the eye too – Caution, Feelz, Juicy, Bing and Devilish. To get the shimmer on the lids I used Mac Pigment in ‘Kitschmas’. I then smudged some matt black eyeshadow under the eyes to give it a bit more of a smokey look.

Party makeup

Makeup by Sarah-Lou

The eyeliner I used was Mac Fluidline in ‘Blacktrack’ on the top, and on the waterline I used Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Kajal Liner.

For the lashes, I used Mac’s In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara, and finished off with some Ardell Baby Demi strip lashes. Eyebrows were filled in using Mac’s Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in ‘True Brunette’.

Once I’d finished the eyes, I moved on to foundation, which was Mac’s Full Coverage Foundation, in colour NC15. This was then set using Mac’s Mineralize Skin Finish in ‘Light Plus’.

I then added Mac bronzing powder to give a slightly contoured look, and finished off with some blush (Mac ‘Sincere’), and highlighter (Mac Minerlize Skinfinish in ‘Soft and Gentle’).

Party makeup

Makeup by Sarah-Lou

Finally, for the lips I used Mac ‘Whirl’ lip pencil, filled in with Mac ‘Lovelorn and some clear lip gloss over the top.

The whole look was then set using Urban Decay All Nighter makeup setting spray.

And there you have it….. a complete rundown of my party makeup look. I hope you have lots of fun recreating this as well as experimenting with your own colours and products!

A bit about me…..

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While I was thinking about a topic for my latest blog post, it suddenly occurred to me, that until you actually meet me, you probably don’t know much at all about me and why I chose to be a hair and makeup artist.

A part of my job I really enjoy is getting to know all my clients. I love taking time to chat with you and hearing all about your lives. So it’s only fair you should know about me too….. so here goes…..!

Sarah-Lou Beauty

I’m 42 years old and live with my husband, Kevin and our two daughters, Millie and Mia. I love travelling, sport and spending time with my family. I haven’t always been a hair and makeup artist, although I have always been interested in hair and beauty.

When I was at school I seriously considered a career in beauty, and even got to the stage where I had narrowed down a few different college courses. But something changed my mind and I chose to study admin instead.

Fast forward a few years and my job led me into marketing, where I gained further qualifications and had quite a successful career as a marketing executive in the software industry (I know…. poles apart from what I do now!).

Girl with bridal hair and makeup
Hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou

Although I did enjoy my job, I never felt like it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and was always on the look out for something new. After having my first daughter in 2006, I went back to work full-time and found my priorities and attitude to work had changed.  After a couple of years I was made redundant, and this became the catalyst for my change in career.

I was pregnant with my second daughter and realised this was my opportunity to choose a career that I was passionate about and would fit around my family. So I decided to take some time out and re-train in beauty, makeup and hairstyling. And from there, Sarah-Lou Beauty was born.

Girl with bridesmaid hair and makeup
Hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou

Starting my own business has been the best ever move for my career, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this.  Do I regret not choosing a career in hair and beauty straight from school? Absolutely not! My business and marketing experience has been a fantastic foundation for Sarah-Lou Beauty.

I love meeting new clients every week and having the opportunity to be a part of your special day. Nothing compares to seeing the end result of my hard work, and most importantly, having happy clients!

2017 in review….

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With 60 plus wedding bookings and the ROCCO Award for Excellence in Customer Service, 2017 proved to be another fantastic year for Sarah-Lou Beauty.

It started off with my first wedding booking early in February, an elopement with the lovely Laura and Richard at Ardeonaig Hotel near Loch Tay, and ended just three days before Hogmanay, with bride Katie who came over from New Zealand to marry here in Scotland.

Bridal hair by Sarah-Lou

Hair by Sarah-Lou
Photography by Mike Cook Photography

In between there’s been so many memorable weddings, some gorgeous locations, loads more hair and make-ups, my regular beauty clients and finishing the year with a nomination for Best Freelance Hair and Make-up Artist in the Scottish Wedding Awards 2018!

Here’s some highlights from this year’s weddings:

Millie – March 2017
Millie didn’t have a trial beforehand, so the first time I met her was on her wedding morning when I arrived to do her hair and make-up. It turned out the whole wedding was actually a surprise, where all the guests thought they were going to the couple’s farewell party, when actually it was their wedding! How wonderful!

Lynne – April 2017
I first met Lynne at her trial in February. Lynne was unsure about how she wanted her hair and make-up, but after we tried a couple of different styles she settled on a gorgeous top-knot style updo and a very natural look for make-up. Such a fun morning getting Lynne, her bridesmaid and her mum all glammed up for the day ahead.

Bridal hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou

Hair and makeup by Sarah-Lou
Photography by Weddings by Anna Photography

Denise – May 2017
This was another elopement wedding I did hair and make-up for during 2017. The location this time was the fabulous Lodge on Loch Goil. Denise and her groom only had immediate family at the wedding, which was kept a secret until afterwards. Lovely location and a lovely morning getting the gorgeous bride-to-be glammed up.

Gayle – July 2017
Gayle’s venue was Balmule House near Dunfermline, and what a gorgeous location it was! I did hair for the bride, 2 bridesmaids, 1 flower girl and mother of the bride. The weather was amazing as you would expect for that time of year.

Susan – July 2017
Susan lives in London, but returned home to Scotland to marry at the stunning University of Glasgow Chapel and then on to Three Sister’s Bake in Killearn for the reception. I had a lovely morning beautifying the bride, her 2 bridesmaids and her mum. I just loved styling Susan’s naturally curly hair (and her sister’s as well)!

Jennifer – August 2017
Jennifer was another one of my brides from this year who lives down south, but was returning home to get married. It was a busy but fun morning spent at Jennifer’s Parents’ house doing makeup for Jennifer, her two bridesmaids and her mum.

Bridal hair and make-up by Sarah-Lou

Hair and make-up by Sarah-Lou
Photography by Burfly Photography

Brychan – October 2017
There was a real Autumnal feel to Brychan’s wedding hair and make-up, lots of golds and browns and fresh flower hairpieces. I was up very early to get Brychan and her wedding party ready, especially since the bride had probably the longest and thickest hair I have ever seen!

Claire – November 2017
On what was one of the coldest days this year, I left home at 5:30am and headed up to Aberdeenshire to Drumtochty Castle. What a stunning location! I spent the morning doing hair and make-up for bride Claire (originally from California) and her entourage, who had all travelled over from the US for the wedding (2 bridesmaids, mother of the bride and mother of the bride’s friend).

These are just a handful of the weddings I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with in 2017, and I can’t wait to see what my wedding bookings for the coming year will bring. Looking forward to meeting all of my new brides (and catching up with my regular clients too). See you all in 2018!