March 27, 2012

Interview with Jayna Marie – Make Up & Hair | Alternative Vancouver Wedding Photographer Blog

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Last weekend I met up with Award winning makeup and hair stylist, Jayna Marie who specializes in Weddings in the Vancouver, BC area of Canada.

“Yes, the 3 days leading up to your big day,  you should drink as much water as possible so that your skin stays nice and hydrated. Exfoliating the night before the wedding with a sugar scrub or even just a face cloth to get off any dry skin will also leave you with a really nice glow. In general living a healthy lifestyle, exercising and making sure you’re eating a healthy diet full of essential fatty acids is really great for your skin but if you’re the ultimate procrastinator like me, then hydrating 3 days prior is a great start.

Also, brides ask me all the time if they should get facials before their wedding. If you’d like some extra pampering for your skin, by all means book an appointment at a reputable spa but please oh please don’t do it the day before your wedding! If you can do it at least 4-5 days away from your walk down the aisle, then your skin will have a chance to recover if you have a reaction or end up with lots of redness due to extractions, etc.”

Does the type of make up vary depending on the season or time of the year? ie: a summer vs. a winter bride?

“We often take the time of day into consideration when deciding how natural or dramatic a look should be, but the season is rarely an issue. My ultimate goal, regardless of the time of year, is to always create a look that is timeless.With that respect, I feel as though the colours used should always look like they are a part of the bride and her natural colouring. In the summer, however, some women like a more bronzed/beachy glow to their skin but other than that I think the makeups are similar regardless of if the wedding is in the spring/summer or winter.

At the end of the day, I believe all brides should have flawless, glowing skin. It’s important to look happy, healthy and fresh. After that, it comes down to which feature she wants to focus on and how dramatic she’d like to look- that’s usually the main variable.”

“For me the number one thing when you’re hiring a make up artist is to try and find someone that you enjoy being around and feel comfortable communicating with. It’s important that your artist listens to your likes and dislikes and is open to the changes that you may want to make in order to be feeling your best. Also, don’t forget that  this person will be in your home, interacting with you and your loved ones in the morning – their energy can really set the tone for the rest of the day! Also, punctuality is very important – if you’re ready late, the timing for everything else will be off…if you think about it, that’s a lot of pressure for us! ha ha”

As a make up artist you often start hair and makeup very early in the morning.  How can the bride and I as a photographer make sure the make up stays looking great all the way through to the portrait session or even into the evening etc?

“Some brides hire their makeup artist to come back at some point in the day to either touch them up or change their hair and make up look. I like to call it “beauty insurance”.  This option isn’t in everyone’s budget and sometimes it doesn’t work with the scheduling of the day. If that’s the case, then consider buying some blotting papers or powder to handle shine and a little lip gloss to freshen up your lips.

Also, here’s a money saving tip: Lots of brides are so worried about how they are going to touch themselves up on the day of the wedding but the truth is that you’re usually you’re so wrapped up in enjoying the day that you’re not checking your hair and make up every 5 minutes so if you’re not a big makeup person, please don’t spend too much money on products!”

“If you find a make up artist that you can trust, it helps the day to feel extra special. Who wouldn’t want to wake up and feel pampered on the morning of their wedding? Seeing your friends and family get glammed up is also a real treat and it helps set the tone for the rest of the day. If budget is an issue, however, you could consider taking a group makeup lesson from a makeup artist with your bridesmaids so you can all do your own makeup on the morning of. Another option is to find a cosmetics counter that you like and ask a salesperson for some help with wedding day suggestions. (Careful though, they may expect some purchases and while it’s great to scoop up some products, buying lots of things you may never use after the wedding could be a waste of money that could be spent on a makeup artist! ha ha)

“Every wedding booking is different but usually I’ll do make up and hair for the bride, the bridesmaids and the mum. If its a really large group, I’ll have assistants who come with me to help speed up the process. It’s such a beautiful time of the day. Even though I’m always so focused on my work, I always try to take the time to get to know the girls. We share lots of laughs and have a great time together. I love when everyone is sitting around, laughing and sipping mimosas, talking about how they wished every day felt like this! “

“When I’m on my own it usually takes one hour per person for hair and make up and then when I have an assistant I can get 2 people ready in one hour so that cuts the time in half.”

I know you do both hair and makeup but do you get bookings to only do the make up on the day of the wedding?

“If the bride has a friend who does hair or she has a hair stylist she is loyal too then I’m happy to just do make up but usually most of brides want one vendor to do both because it makes everything more simple. Also, not many hair stylists are able to leave their salons on the busiest day of the week…that’s where I come in!”

“A brides make up should be an enhancement of what they usually do. Despite what everyone else may say about make up having to be very dramatic to look good in the pictures, the number one thing is that you feel gorgeous and if you feel like you’re wearing way too much make up, then you’re not going to feel as fabulous. So definitely be comfortable in your make up! Also, I like to say that there’s a flawlessness that a bride should have that helps her to stand out from everyone else. If she were to walk in to a room full of other women, everyone should be able to tell she’s the bride, even without her dress on simply based on how radiant and flawless she looks.”

“On my website I’ve tried to show as much diversity as possible with respect to bridal looks. I want brides to understand that there isn’t one “right” look in regards to your makeup and hair – you can look fabulous so many different ways! I believe that what sets my style of makeup apart from some other artists is that I never want my makeup to get attention. I want to use my makeup to help your features get all the attention! Instead of people saying “wow…what amazing makeup!” I’d rather hear them say “wow…that bride is gorgeous.” There’s a big difference.”

I really like using the engagement sessions as a way to get to know my clients. As a make up artist do you do something similar with regards to their make up?

“I do make up trials and I usually recommend that they do the trial on the same day as the engagement shoots. This way, they can see the make up on camera. Also, it’s a great way to make use of how fabulous they’ll be looking that day!”

With vendors often having busy, complicated schedules, what’s the best way to arrange to have a trial at the same time as the engagement session? 

“I’m often working in hotel rooms and sometimes space is a big issue. I love being close to great lighting for sure but that’s sometimes only a luxury for me. I need to be able to lay all my stuff out on a table, and have plugs for my hair tools – which means some mornings, I’m not in the most ideal light. In this case, I’ll do the hair and make up near a counter with my mobile lighting set up and then we can move close to a window for the photographer to get their shots in more natural light.”

Another thing I really like doing is that before I show a bride her final look, I’ll give the photographer a warning so they can be set up to capture the moment. Since I never let my clients see their hair and makeup until it’s all done, this often provides an opportunity for a beautiful image- some of my clients have been so happy that they’ve cried! That’s certainly a moment you wouldn’t want to miss.”

“I do a lot of research into waterproof products. Here in Vancouver, we have so many elements that we are working with on wedding days e.g. heat, humidity, rain, wind, sun, so I guess you have to assume that everything won’t look as fresh all day long but I do everything I can to make sure that the products I use last longer on the day and are waterproof etc.”

Make up in all images by Jayna Marie.

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