Bridal makeup
Full application on the day, following the look agreed at your trial.
Best for
The bride, with veil and dress placement checked before we leave the room.
Time in chair
75 min
Studio & on location
Makeup that holds
the whole day
We plan bridal makeup like part of the schedule, not an add-on: one trial to settle the look, a written running order for the morning, and a finish built for photographs, warm rooms and a long evening.
- Trial90 minutes, in studio
- PartyUp to six in the chair
- TravelWithin two hours of the studio
- Where we workThe studio at Cobalt Ridge, plus getting-ready rooms, family homes and coastal venues across Halden Vale.
- Who sits downThe bride first, then the bridal party, mothers and anyone else who wants a hand — booked as one block.
- How we quotePer date, based on party size, start time and travel. No packages you have to grow into.
Service index
Five ways we are usually booked
Pick the row that matches your morning. Every booking includes a skin-prep plan sent a fortnight ahead and a short touch-up kit in your colours for the day.
Bridal party
Bridesmaids, sisters and friends, scheduled back to back around the bride.
Best for
Groups of two to six who want a consistent finish rather than identical faces.
Time in chair
40 min each
Trial session
Two looks tried, photographed in daylight and window shade, then written down.
Best for
Booking three to six months out, ideally near a dress fitting or hair trial.
Time in chair
90 min
Mothers & guests
Softer, lighter applications added to the morning block where there is room.
Best for
Anyone who wants to feel photographed rather than made up, including mature skin.
Time in chair
35 min
Next-day & editorial
Second-day brunches, reception changes and post-wedding portrait sessions.
Best for
Couples shooting again later in the week, or a stronger evening eye after dinner.
Time in chair
45 min
Two people can be in the chair at once when a second artist joins for parties of five or more. Tell us your ceremony time and we will say whether that is needed.
The morning, hour by hour
How a six-person room actually runs
This is the running order we send once your party is confirmed, counted back from the first look. Hair runs alongside it, and photographers are welcome from the second row onwards.
T–5:00
Arrive and set up
We take the brightest window in the room, set a chair at seated height and lay out the kit. Breakfast should already be out of the way.
T–4:30
Bridal party begins
The party goes first so nobody is waiting in a dressing gown at the end. Two faces per hour, in the order you set the night before.
T–2:15
Mothers and guests
Lighter applications slot in here while the party moves to dresses and jewellery. This is the flexible hour if the morning has slipped.
T–1:30
The bride
Room quiet, phone handed to someone else. Skin prep, base, eyes, then a five-minute check in natural light at the window before we set anything.
T–0:20
Dress, veil, final pass
Lips finished after the dress is on, veil placed and blotted, shoulders and neckline checked for transfer. Your touch-up kit is handed to whoever is carrying the bag.
T–0:00
First look
We stay for the first fifteen minutes in case of tears, then leave the room to you. Evening returns can be added if there is a dress change.
Look library
Three finishes we work from
Most brides arrive at the trial somewhere between these three. Bring the pictures you like and we will tell you honestly which part of them will read on camera.
Clear skin, quiet eye
Sheer buildable base, warmth in the cheek, lashes tinted rather than applied. Reads soft in person and still holds edge in photographs.
Defined and photographic
A worked crease, tightlined lash and a matte-satin base. Our most-booked finish for late-afternoon ceremonies and strong venue lighting.
Evening weight
Deeper liner, a stained lip and extra setting through the T-zone. Built for dancing, added at the trial as a second stage rather than a redo.
Trials & prep
What to bring, and what is in the kit
A trial is a working session, not a preview. Come with the details of the day and leave with a written formula, shade list and a plan for your skin in the weeks before.
Bring to your trial
Six useful things
- A photograph of your dress neckline, plus the veil if you have it.
- Anything your skin reacts to, including recent retinoid or acid use.
- The ceremony time and whether it is indoors, outdoors or both.
- Two or three pictures you like — and one you actively do not.
- Your usual foundation, if you have one that already matches.
- Plans for the rest of that day, so we can test the wear properly.
Kit notes
How the finish is built
- Base
- Sheer to medium, layered in thin passes. Shades mixed at the chair rather than picked from a bottle.
- Longevity
- Twelve to fourteen hours in a warm room, set in stages so the skin still moves.
- Camera
- No white-cast or high-SPF powders under flash; everything tested in daylight and tungsten.
- Skin comfort
- Fragrance-free prep as standard, patch-tested adhesives, and a lighter option for reactive skin.
- Hygiene
- Decanted products, disposable applicators, brushes sanitised between every face.
Kit laid out in the order it is used, so the morning keeps moving without rummaging.
Questions we are asked weekly
Before you enquire
How far ahead should we book?
Most brides book eight to twelve months out and trial three to six months before the day. If your date is inside four months, ask anyway — dates open when plans change.
Do you travel to the venue?
Yes, within about two hours of the studio, and travel is quoted with the booking. Beyond that we can usually still help if the start time allows a night before nearby.
What if the party size changes?
Tell us as soon as you know. Adding one person usually means starting thirty to forty minutes earlier; removing one is free. Changes inside two weeks depend on the running order.
Can we split the trial into two looks?
That is how the trial is built. We do one full look, photograph it, then adjust into a second rather than starting again, so you can see the difference side by side.
How should I prepare my skin?
Keep it simple and stop experimenting six weeks out. We send a short plan after the trial: no new actives in the final fortnight, no facials in the final ten days, and hydration over exfoliation in the last week.
What about heat, rain or an outdoor ceremony?
Say so at the trial and we change the build, not the look: lighter layers, waterproof around the eye, and a setting pass weighted to where you shine. Humidity is planned for, not fixed later.
Do you do lashes and brows?
Strip and cluster lashes are included where they suit the eye, and brows are groomed and filled as part of every application. Extensions and tinting are best done elsewhere, two weeks before.
Will someone stay for touch-ups?
Every bride leaves with a small kit in her own shades and a two-minute explanation of how to use it. A stay-on artist for the reception can be added if you would rather not think about it.
Check your date
Tell us about the morning
One date per day, so availability is the first thing we confirm. We reply with whether your date is open, an outline running order and a quote for your party size.
Next steps: availability reply, then a trial held with a deposit. Nothing is locked until you have seen the look and the schedule in writing.