For the trial appointment
The trial is a working session, part consultation, part application, part refinement. Coming prepared means you get more out of it.
✦ Trial checklist
- Inspiration photos such as a Pinterest board on your phone, saved screenshots, or printed images help most when they're specific, so show 2–3 reference looks rather than 20, since "bridal glam" means something different to everyone.
- A white or ivory top that's ideally similar in colour to your dress or venue aesthetic helps you and your artist see the makeup in the right context and check that the tones work together.
- A top that opens at the front (button-down, wrap, or zip-up) means you won't have to pull anything over your head and your freshly done makeup when you leave.
- A list of any products you know you react to is important to share before your artist starts, including any reactions to foundations, mascaras, or lash adhesives, as well as any allergies.
- Photos of your dress help your artist calibrate the look to complement your dress tone and style, so if you have a photo, bring it.
- Your normal skincare routine noted down helps your artist understand your skin baseline, especially if you use active ingredients such as retinol or acids, or have specific skin concerns.
What to do before you arrive at the trial
- Do your normal morning skincare (cleanser + moisturiser). Let it absorb for at least 20 minutes before you leave the house.
- Do not apply foundation, tinted moisturiser, or any base product. Your artist is starting from scratch.
- Pull your hair back loosely so it stays out of the way during application without leaving a crease from a tight band.
- Eat beforehand. A 1.5–2.5 hour appointment on an empty stomach is uncomfortable, and blood sugar dips can make sitting still harder.
For the wedding day appointment
On your wedding morning, your artist will bring everything they need. Your job is to arrive (or be ready to receive them) in the right state so the morning runs smoothly.
✦ Wedding morning checklist
- Clean, moisturised skin is the starting point, just as at the trial, with skincare done, no base product applied, and left to settle for at least 20 minutes.
- Hair ready for makeup to start means coordinating who goes first if hair and makeup are being done by separate people, since if hair is going first it should be pinned up or arranged before makeup begins.
- A button-down or zip-up robe or dressing gown is what you should wear rather than your dress, so you can get out of it without pulling anything over your head.
- A snack and water on the table will be appreciated by your artist and everyone else in the room, and a bowl of fruit and some water takes two minutes to set out and makes a long morning more comfortable.
- Your touch-up kit, packed and accessible, should include blotting papers, setting spray, the lip shade used on the day, and anything else your artist recommended at the trial, kept in your bag for the reception.
- Contact details for your photographer and venue coordinator in your phone are not strictly makeup-related, but having them accessible avoids any scramble during the morning if you need to coordinate timings.
What not to bring (or do)
- Don't get a facial or peel in the week before the wedding, because freshly exfoliated or treated skin can be reactive, flushed, or sensitised; facials are fine 3–4 weeks out, but not the week of.
- Don't try new skincare products in the two weeks before, since patch-testing everything new well in advance is essential and new products carry unknown reactions that can cause problems on the morning.
- Don't over-moisturise on the morning, as a normal amount is fine but a heavy overnight mask or thick cream applied right before makeup will prevent products from adhering properly.
- Don't bring every family member into the room, because one supportive person is lovely while five people with opinions creates noise and pressure that makes the morning harder for everyone, including you.
The best thing you can bring: clarity
The most helpful thing you can bring to any makeup appointment isn't a product or a photo, it's a clear sense of what you do and don't want. "I definitely don't want heavy foundation" or "I always feel best in warm tones" is more useful than 15 inspiration photos with no direction. Know your instincts, and be ready to voice them.
✦ Ready to book?
£49 Studio Trial, Darlington
Everything you need, nothing you don't. Arrive with clean skin and your inspiration photos, I'll take it from there. The £49 is credited back in full when you book your wedding day.
Book your trial →