How to hire a MUA for your Wedding

Having someone you can trust to do your makeup is one thing, and having someone to do a great job is another.  In the grand scheme of things, you will only know this if a consultation is booked.
Part of making your special day come to life, is to look at how hiring a reputable makeup artist with ample experience, can ensure you that you're getting the best result for your special day. 

Makeup by Trends by Louise using Make Up For Ever (pre-lash application)

We suggest the following tips to help you prepare:

• Check the makeup scene in your area by utalyzing social media in your area.  For example, if you live in Calgary then you could look up the hashtags #YYC #YYCMUA #MUA
• When looking up a makeup artist look for their online presence as a whole, what is the vibe, experience, and overall does their makeup align with your style.  This way it helps you narrow down your options.  
• Makeup Artists these days don't all have websites, they may just use social media, so that is why this approach will get you results faster.
• Once you've found your list of MUAs and you've checked out their work, start sending them an email for a quote on how many people, hair and makeup, extra costs and availability.  
• Allow the artist to get back to you within 3 business days, usually makeup artists do not work hours that others may work.  Especially if they work odd movie set hours, or they are out on location for a makeup job.  Be patient and send out mass emails as one or two are bound to  get back to you, sooner than later.
• If you hire someone then you may need to be prepared to pay a 30-50% deposit for services.  It takes time out of the artists schedule to make this happen, and if no shows or cancellations happen, it's a business and it is not uncommon to sign an agreement with the artist. 
• You will be asked to book a consultation that can help you decide what is needed for the day of to prepare, and a trial to try the makeup on.  Some artists charge separately for that, and others do it all in one sitting.  Be prepared to set aside at least a couple hours preparing and trying on colors. 
• Be prepared to have to try a few different artists especially if you are not satisfied with one of your options.  As it turns out these things do happen.
• Once you have found that artist, the best way to prepare for meeting up with him or her, is to have pictures galore of what inspires you.  We are visual artists, and we really need to see what you are inspired by and where your mind is at in terms of theme. 
• When you arrive for your appointment, please ensure you've had a lot of water for at least 2 days straight before your appointment.  This way your skin is at it's best.  
• Please avoid waterproof makeup when going to your appointment, as we want to be able to easily remove what you put on.  It takes at least 10 minutes or more to remove that.  Also please do come with makeup on, it gives us an understanding of how you usually wear it.
• Be prepared to know that makeup for weddings, is also considered as makeup for photography, which means more definition is required to look amazing in post photography.  
• Stay focused on classic and away from trends for makeup ideas.
• Make sure you purchase whatever your artist recommends for you to touch up with on the day of your wedding, so you can be on point all day and night! 
• Be prepared to be given a specific skin and hair regime to followup on in preparation for the big day. 

How to Blog

Business Tips 101: Social Media & utilizing Bloggers to your advantage

  

1.  If a company has a new or existing policy structure, respect it, don't involve other artists and brands alike, just because you don't approve.  It makes you and your company look insecure and unprofessional.  

2.  Bloggers are not slaves.  We blog for a reason, to share our knowledge (it’s not free-most times people rip your work off without permission).  Stop doing that, unless ruining partnerships is what your business is about.  Provide your bloggers by giving them product to blog and try, especially if there is no budget to pay them.  It brings you money too, so it’s a win win.  Appreciate what they're doing for your business, especially if it’s generating a lot of buzz, and more importantly - revenue.  If they don't have a contract signed with you, then using their images without consent, is a legal issue.  It goes both ways.  

3.  Blocking and un-friending.  Don't burn your bridges, you never know what someone can do for you.  There's also a point where we are left with no choice, so be mindful of these actions.  When you do that with one, you lose a network circle. Was your pride getting in the way worth it? Don’t mix pride and business.

4.  Always tag the professional who's promoting you.  By promoting their business, especially when they are spending hours per blog to prepare, you are showing respect and appreciation.  We work hard on each blog, if it makes us look good, then you look good.    

5.  Duck face selfies and twerking does not sell cosmetics and or fashion. Unless you're a dancer and a duck, you should be sticking to business. Get a picture app, use appropriate lighting, use your phone timer to take pictures-using a tripod, please use backgrounds or scenery that makes sense.  Grainy photos don't sell product. Also please make sure to check what is in the background of your photos, before posting them on blast.  Also, if you are going to put up someone’s unedited image wearing your product, edit the photo before you do so.   

6.  Note to new bloggers and new businesses utilizing bloggers/writers: never assume, tag everyone involved, make sure you have the right information (bloggers this is a big point), contracts make better business practice, cross promoting is key, use appropriate hashtags (ex. #LipstickWhore is offensive and not professional) instead develop hashtags that everyone can relate to and that promote your business, know your target - demographics are everything, don’t say you cater to all walks of life - but then all your posts look like a teen is the only target, for example.  Also design a hashtag that is unique to what you do or what you are trying to promote.  An example of that would be, your business name is Trends by Louise, so then use #TrendsByLouise hashtags on all yor posts.  Just another way to get noticed by building yor SEO.

7.  Common sense isn’t always common sense.  Social Media, when used correctly can turn a small/new business into something bigger than they could have imagined, and for large businesses a larger network of clients.  Technology is going nowhere.

8.  Know your competition.  

9.  Be consistent, and always check the stats to all your posts.  This way you can keep track of what is grabbing peoples attention, so that you can focus on that for future posts.  

10.  Be unique and don't follow what others are doing.  The whole thing about blogging is that it is individual, like a story from a storybook.  We don't need to be masters of what we write.  As long as when we write it is coming from first hand knowledge or from the heart.  What you are trying to get across will capture your readers.