Expert Tips for Looking Picture Perfect on your Big Day

Are you a millennial bride-to-be, or someone who’s recently become engaged and is looking for expert tips on how to look picture perfect for your big day? Then you’ve come to the right place. Your wedding day will be one of the most important moments of your life captured in countless photos and videos-make sure it’s also one of the most beautiful! Whether this is your first time preparing for such an occasion or if you're a seasoned pro at getting ready for events, there are valuable insights to make sure every detail looks flawless in pictures. Here we offer some expert advice when it comes to planning your bridal beauty. So sit back and relax -there's no need for any pre-wedding jitters when we have all the bridal beauty secrets here!

1. It's important to find an artist or stylist whose bridal hair and makeup styles you gravitate towards, as you want to feel beautiful and relaxed the morning of the wedding. To do this, browse bridal hair and make up looks on Instagram or websites like Pinterest. Pay attention not just to their artistry, but also their communication style - for instance do they respond quickly and professionally? Do you feel a good energy when interacting with them? An experienced makeup artist that can create stunning airbrushed bridal looks might be just what you’re looking for!

2. During the wedding planning process, it is important to book bridal hair and makeup appointments as soon as possible. Depending on the popularity of weddings in your area, dates can fill up quickly; sometimes brides even book their hair and makeup teams a year in advance! Seek out professionals that specialize in bridal makeup - there are many talented stylists out there who offer airbrush makeup and hair styling services of all kinds. Don't worry, finding the perfect artist for bridal looks is easier than you think - communicate what you’re looking for, trust them, and they will work their magic!

3. Schedule a spray tan trial for 1-2 days before your bridal makeup trial. This will allow you to accurately assess how the tan looks with your makeup on. While spray tans are definitely popular for achieving that sun kissed glow, brides who prefer a natural look may choose not to apply them for their wedding day - and that's OK! It all depends on your individual preference and how you want to look in your bridal photos.

4. While it is natural to want to bring bridesmaids or family members along to your bridal trial appointment, there are several reasons why it might be beneficial to go solo. If you come alone you will be more focused on connecting with your artist and making decisions that reflect your true preferences without any pressure or influence from guests. Once you have chosen the perfect bridal look, then you can always ask for valuable opinions afterwards and if necessary request another bridal trial for a different look. Going solo will enable you to make a well thought out decision about your appearance and ensure you look beautiful on your wedding day.

5. Having skin in tiptop shape is essential to any brides' beauty plan. With regular facials and a skincare routine recommended by an experienced esthetician, you can whip your skin into the perfect condition for applying flawless bridal makeup or airbrush makeup for your wedding day. The better you take care of your skin leading up to the big day, the less makeup you’ll need and the more beautiful your bridal look will be. Make skincare part of your wedding planning process – it’s worth it!

6. When deciding on hair color, brides may want to keep their current look or make a change. It's also important to consider whether a desired style will require the use of hair extensions or not. These things should be decided with your hair stylist at least 2 months prior to the wedding day. 

Now that you know all the secrets to looking great in wedding photos, it’s time to put them into action! We understand how important your big day is, and we want to help make sure everything goes smoothly. That’s why we offer complimentary phone consultations where our team can answer any questions you have about preparing for your wedding. We’ll work with you to figure out a beauty game plan so that on your big day, all you have to worry about is saying “I do.” Contact us today to book your consultation- we can’t wait to chat with you about making your wedding dreams come true!

Photo Credit: Luckybird Photography

Soft Natural Airbrush Bridal Makeup and Down Hairstyle with Curls.

Makeup Sanitation & Safety

Here at Makeup by Amy Lewis & Co., makeup artists have one job that is more important than anything else. That is to keep you, our client, healthy and safe. With the recent concern of COVID-19, proper sanitation is more important now than ever once we’re able to get back to work! That being said, we know there are many artists out there that do not have correct sanitation processes in place (we’ve witnessed it or heard about it from clients and gagged!). Artists perform very personal services on many people and if we don’t follow certain protocols, we could easily contaminate our kit with bacteria and spread communicable diseases. Not something you want to risk especially during a global pandemic!

To give you peace of mind during this uncertain time, we wanted to let you know that our professional makeup kits and our workstations were and are ALWAYS clean and disinfected, even before this pandemic. While we have always practiced these safety precautions on a regular basis, we are, however, being more mindful than ever before. We thought you should be aware of our cleaning practices to give you peace of mind. Not just now, but in the future. 

Here are some things we do to keep you safe as our client: 

1. We wipe down all surfaces with 70% alcohol or disinfectant wipes before we set up our makeup stations. 

2. We wash our hands for 30 seconds before we begin your services. 

3. In addition, we use hand sanitizer as an extra step before we start services and in between clients. 

4. We use new, clean brushes on every client that have been washed in soap and hot water. No brush is used on more than one person.

5. We never double-dip directly into beauty products to avoid contamination. 

6. We always scrape, scoop, and dip products to a clean, disinfected metal palette or paper towel (one per client). 

7. We never apply mascara or lipstick/gloss on you right out of the tube.

8. When applying mascara or lipstick/gloss, we will always use new, disposable mascara or lip wands for each application, and we never double-dip. 

9. We sanitize all our tools, from tweezers to lash curlers, and wipe down all products before we pack our kit and after we complete a job. This keeps from cross-contaminating other products inside our kits. 

10. We regularly clean surface objects in the studio with a disposable disinfectant, as well as objects that are frequently used, such as phones, chairs, toilets, door handles, tables, counter tops, and cabinets. 

11. After every client, whether in the studio or at your location, we clean the working surface and always prepare a new, clean area to work on. 

12. From now until further notice, as a COVID-19 safety precaution all artists will wear a mask during services and we will limit the number of people permitted in our work area.

13. We will practice these same guidelines no matter where your service takes place.

In addition to these everyday steps, we are also being extra diligent to ensure that if team members are exhibiting any signs or symptoms of illness, we will remain home. Likewise, if you have an upcoming appointment with us and aren’t feeling your best, we will not be able to perform your service. Please email us at makeupbyamylewis@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to reschedule your appointment. We are waiving our 48 hour cancellation fee policy until further notice in an effort to do our part in the community. 

Finally, hair/makeup services have been banned until further notice so we will continue to closely monitor this developing situation and make necessary adjustments to our calendar according to state and federal guidelines. Thank you for your continued trust in Makeup by Amy Lewis & Co., and we look forward to seeing you very soon to help you look and feel your absolute best. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email us.

Stay healthy and safe!

We Won An Award for Bridal Makeup in Toledo! Hooray!

Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company Wins

WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award for 2017!

Photo: Adore Wedding Photography

(http://adoreweddingphotography.com/)

                        Toledo, Ohio – January 11, 2017–  WeddingWire, the leading global online marketplace for the wedding and event industry, announced Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company as a winner of the esteemed 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® for Makeup in Toledo!    

                        The Couples’ Choice Awards recognize the top five percent of wedding professionals on WeddingWire who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. The prestigious awards are given to the top local wedding professionals across more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year. 

                        The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.

                        “The Couples’ Choice Awards’ ninth year features one of the most impressive groups of dedicated and acclaimed wedding professionals yet,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “It is our honor to work with high-caliber merchants, such as Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company, who not only make a couple's big day possible, but also contribute to the more than 2.5 million U.S. reviews represented on WeddingWire.  We congratulate all of this year's winners on their achievements.”                        

                        Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company is thrilled to be one of the top Makeup Artists in Toledo on WeddingWire. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We truly value all of our clients and appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn a 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award. Thank you to each and every one of you who made last year amazing. We’re thrilled to be your top choice for Bridal Makeup in Toledo! 

To learn more about the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.

Romantic Makeup for A Styled Shoot at the Toledo Museum of Art

We had so much fun at this romantic styled bridal shoot with some of our favorite wedding vendor friends! Photographers: Adore Wedding Photography, Bridal Gown & Accessories Boutique: Belle Amour Bridal, Florals: Ann Strickland for Bartz Viviano, Model Raynisha Nicole, and hairstylist Candy Summerskill all rounded out a rockstar creative team. All photos are from Adore Wedding Photography unless otherwise noted. 

So what happens at a styled shoot you ask? 

First, the team met in downtown Toledo, Ohio at Belle Amour Bridal. The owner, Michelle McCaulla expertly chose a stunning Allure Romance gown for our model Raynisha Nicole. Then, the makeup process began (because it does take some time to look effortlessly beautiful of course). 

Photo: Amy Lewis. A pretty mess. Toledo Bridal Makeup courtesy of Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company (Amy, assisted by Emily). 

Amy started with a rose water toner, and lots of moisturizer to hydrate Raynisha's skin. Then she applied some shimmery cream shadows in various mocha and gold tones, followed by smudging some deeper brown shadows in the crease and blending the edges to create a seamless effect. She ran a black liquid liner along the waterline to define the eyes, and added a full wispy false lash to really bring out Raynisha's eyes. Amy then moved on to some color correction, and custom blended the perfect concealer and foundation for her skin tone. A vibrant pink blush and just a touch of the ultra indulgent Pat McGrath Skin Fetish highlighter stick in gold on the cheek bones helped achieve a pretty, dewy finish. Amy selectively powdered as needed and touched up Raynisha's brows with a brow powder and pencil. She pressed a pink lipstick into the lips, added a swipe of mascara and sprayed the entire face with a setting spray. Emily helped keep everything organized and clean throughout the beauty process. 

Raynisha was ready to get her hair done by hairstylist Candy Summerskill. Candy carefully weaved in a gorgeous hairpiece from Belle Amour Bridal, and braided the rest of the hair into a lovely fishtail braid. We loved how great Candy's Oribe hair products smelled as they filled the room! 

Not to mention the intoxicating aroma from the bouquet Ann Strickland of Bartz Viviano designed for us! Those flowers smelled SO good, and they looked even more amazing. The anemones stole our hearts. 

Our blushing "bride" was ready for her close up with the expertly talented duo of Adore Wedding Photography (Loren & Mary Beth). We started shooting after a rainstorm had passed through the area, so everything around the museum was very wet and lush looking as the sun started to set. The light was absolutely dreamy! 

There you have it! We hope you enjoyed these photos as much as we did. Another big thanks to everyone who contributed to this shoot! If you like what you see here, please go show them some love. Until next time!

- XOXO Amy

Bridal Makeup: Hire a Pro vs. Do-It-Yourself

When it comes to bridal beauty, you have two options: do your own makeup, or hire a professional makeup artist. Being a makeup artist myself, I must admit I am a little biased, but its worth mentioning that I did hire another makeup artist for my own wedding day to avoid the stress of doing my own makeup! Let’s take a moment to explore the pros and cons of each option.

The main reason brides choose to forgo a makeup artist and do their own makeup is to SAVE MONEY. However, anyone who has done their own makeup for their wedding will tell you they spent the same amount of money or more by going the DIY route. Not to mention all the extra time and stress spent choosing the right shades, researching how to use the products, and practicing the perfect application. Even the women skilled at applying makeup still face the wedding day jitters, which are no match for even the steadiest hands (myself included!).

The advantages of hiring a professional makeup artist: you will save time, money, and stress. It’s best to have a trial session done beforehand so your makeup artist can create a look you love and make sure the two of you are a great fit. Your makeup artist will know exactly how to accentuate your best features so that you will photograph beautifully… and all you’ll have to do is sit back and be pampered. It's very relaxing and really fun to get your makeup done with your bridesmaids and family members! 

Makeup artists that travel onsite will save you time and stress by coming to you on the wedding day. And they typically carry pro-quality products with longer wear and better performance than the standard consumer products (such as airbrush makeup). You won't need to lift a finger!

DIY or Pro Makeup Artist…the choice is yours! Just don’t wait until the last moment to make your decision- word travels fast in the wedding world, especially when it comes to finding amazing vendors. Most reputable makeup artists’ calendars book up to a year or more in advance. If you choose to go with a pro, book them as soon as possible before someone else does!

Photo Credit: Tetyana McGowan