How to Choose the Perfect Bridal Makeup Artist in Toledo, Ohio (+ Must-Know Tips)

First of all, congratulations — you’re engaged!
Cue the champagne, the Pinterest boards, and (let’s be honest) a little bit of wedding planning overwhelm.

If you’re here, you already know: your makeup artist isn’t just there to swipe on mascara and call it a day. They’re the first vendor you’ll see on your wedding morning — and the one setting the tone for the entire day. So finding the right fit is MAJOR.

As a bridal makeup artist based in Toledo, Ohio, I’ve helped hundreds of brides not only look their best but feel calm, confident, and fully themselves. (Exactly how it should be.) So today, I’m sharing everything you need to know about finding your perfect bridal beauty pro — including a few insider tips most brides don’t even think to ask.

Let’s dive in.

Why Your Bridal Makeup Artist Matters More Than You Think

When you think about your wedding day, you probably picture the dress, the flowers, the feeling of walking toward your person. But the beauty part? It’s what brings everything together.

The right makeup artist does more than make you "look pretty." They:

• Customize a look that actually feels like you — just elevated.

• Make sure your makeup lasts through tears, hugs, sweat, and whatever the dance floor throws at you.

• Help keep your morning chill, organized, and stress-free.

• Understand exactly how makeup photographs so you look just as flawless on camera as you do in person.

It's why working with a seasoned bridal makeup artist in Toledo (hi, it’s me) matters so much — this isn’t just about pretty glam. It’s about an experience that lets you fully enjoy every second of your day.

What to Look for When Choosing a Bridal Makeup Artist

Not all makeup artists are created equal — and weddings are a whole different ballgame compared to regular events. Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

✅ Portfolio that matches your vision
Are their brides polished, radiant, and timeless? (Or are you seeing heavy trends that could feel dated fast?)

✅ Specialization in bridal
Weddings come with early mornings, tight timelines, and emotions — you want someone who knows how to navigate all of it seamlessly.

✅ Vibe check
Your artist is in your personal space on a big, emotional day. Choose someone calm, kind, professional — and lowkey a vibe.

✅ Product quality + hygiene practices
Luxury products, clean brushes, sanitized tools. No exceptions.

✅ Clear communication + contracts
Everything should feel straightforward, professional, and easy from the first inquiry to your final touch-up.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for long-wear, camera-ready makeup that doesn’t feel cakey or overdone, make sure you’re hiring someone who specializes in that style — not just a general MUA.

Questions to Ask Before You Book

Don’t be afraid to ask the smart questions! A great artist will appreciate it. Some ideas:

• Is a trial included? (Highly recommend, by the way.)

• How do you prep skin for makeup?

• What products or techniques do you use to ensure makeup lasts 12+ hours?

• How do you handle timing for larger bridal parties?

• What’s your backup plan if there’s an emergency?

When you ask these kinds of questions, you’re not just booking a service — you’re investing in peace of mind.

What It’s Like Working with Amy Lewis + Co.

At Amy Lewis + Co., we believe your wedding morning should feel calm, private, and totally effortless — like slipping into something that just fits perfectly.

Here’s what sets us apart:

✨ Customized glam: No cookie-cutter templates. We build your look around you — your vibe, your style, your dream vision.
✨ Luxury experience: Top-tier products, personalized care, and seamless communication from start to finish.
✨ Signature Bride Guide: Once you’re booked, you’ll receive exclusive tips to help you prep like a pro (think skincare, brow grooming, spray tan referrals, timeline advice — all the good stuff).
✨ Add-on options: Need rehearsal dinner glam? A makeup artist for your engagement shoot? We’ve got you covered.
✨ Private glam experience: We prefer one-on-one, focused sessions — no chaotic, crowded spaces here.

Our goal? You walk down the aisle feeling not just beautiful, but fully, effortlessly you.

When Should You Book Your Bridal Makeup Artist?

If you want your first-choice artist (and I’m guessing you do), it’s smart to book 8–12 months in advance — especially for popular spring, summer, and fall dates.

I only take a limited number of weddings each season (and only one per day) to make sure every client gets my full attention — so if you’re thinking about it, don’t wait too long!

(P.S. — Even if your date is sooner, still reach out! Sometimes there’s a little magic in the calendar.)

Ready to Feel Like You, Just Even More Radiant?

If you’re ready for a luxury bridal makeup experience that feels calm, personalized, and (dare I say) a little magical, I’d love to chat. Hit the Booking link to send an inquiry for your date!

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!

Skin Goals: How To Get Pretty Skin For Your Event

Photo: Laur Nash

You want to look your best for a wedding or special event. That’s understandable! A lot of eyes will be on you, and you want to look incredible and feel confident. Of course makeup plays a big part in that, but makeup can only do so much. It all starts with great skin. The better your skin looks and feels, the better your makeup will look and wear. 

So how do you get the best skin ever in time for your event? Like most things in life, getting gorgeous, glowing skin takes some time and effort. I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the top skincare professionals in Toledo, Jody Light, who is a licensed esthetician and owner of the Skin Studio. She allowed me to experience derma planing and an O2 lift treatment and I’ve got to say- my skin has never looked better! 

Here are some of the questions I asked Jody and my takeaways from our time together. 

1. How soon should I start a skincare routine before my event? The sooner the better. 9 months to a year in advance would be the best case scenario. But if you don’t have that much time, it’s okay. Just start good skincare habits as soon as possible and make an appointment with an esthetician (a skincare pro that will assess your personalized skin needs). 

2. What do you wish more people knew about taking care of their skin? Three things. First, the little steps you do now will make a big difference in how your skin ages. Prevention is much easier than correction. What you do at home accounts for 75% of your skin health. Second, starting a skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive! Third, SPF is a must. The sun is the #1 thing that ages our skin. Use SPF daily mixed into your moisturizer to protect your skin.

3. What is dermaplaning and why do I need it? Dermaplaning is a treatment where a small scalpel is used to gently remove dead skin cells and facial hair (I call it peach fuzz!). I got to experience this myself in Jody’s studio and was really surprised by how much of a difference it made! The result is instant and I saw smoother skin texture and tone right away. I also noticed the fine lines on my forehead diminished. After dermaplaning, my skincare products and makeup went on much smoother too! If you’ve never had dermaplaning done before, you should try it about a week before your event. If you have tried it before, the ideal time to get it done before your event is 1-2 days. 

4. What if I don’t have a skincare routine? What products do I need? Four basic things: a cleanser (use it for 60 seconds rubbing your face with your fingers), a serum (customized for your skin type - ask your esthetician what your skin needs), a daily moisturizer with SPF, and an eye cream. 

5. What are your best skincare tips? Use SPF. Drink a lot of water. Never go to bed with makeup on - even one time will make a difference. Get a treatment 2-3 days before your event. Use a sheet mask the night before your event to wake up with fresh, hydrated skin. 

There you have it! Some of the best ways to get flawless skin and help your makeup look extra gorgeous for a wedding, prom, gala, party, etc.

For more information on how to reach your skin goals, reach out to Jody Light for an appointment as soon as possible- her calendar fills up fast! To make an appointment, call or text 567-225-0216 or visit theskinstudiotoledo.com . 

Wedding Pro Spotlight: The Legacy Golf Club

Many of our bridal clients book us early on in their planning process, so we often get asked about unique places nearby to hold a ceremony or reception. Most brides want to get married by the water, near the woods, or on a golf course. We found a spot that offers all three! 

Recently we had the chance to visit one of the most beautiful venues in Southeast Michigan- The Legacy Golf Club in Ottawa Lake. It’s just 2.5 miles from I-23 North, only about 10-15 minutes from Toledo. Their sweet event coordinator, Dawn Decator, was so kind to take some time out of her busy schedule to give us a tour and show us why The Legacy is one of the best-kept secret wedding venues in the Toledo area. 

There is a pretty chapel onsite, so the ceremony/reception can take place in the same location eliminating the need for transportation and saving you money. The Legacy holds up to 200 people inside, but can also accommodate an outdoor tent for larger weddings. 

We love the interior of the building with its high ceilings and lovely wood beams. There are lots of windows with beautiful views of water, woods, and tall grasses that help give it it’s airy vibe. There is a gorgeous, modern bridal suite with plenty of natural light and enough space for about 6-8 people so hair and makeup services can be done onsite. 

Dawn explained to us how she carefully helps set each wedding timeline, coordinates the day of the wedding and even offers packages that include a DJ and cake which take a ton of work off of the brides and grooms shoulders. 

We think the Legacy is a wonderful place to explore if you're on the hunt for your perfect wedding venue! If you'd like to set up a tour with Dawn to see the space for yourself, you can reach her at (734) 854-1101 or www.playlegacy.com . 

Stay tuned for our next wedding pro spotlight coming very soon! 

#toledomakeupartist #toledoweddings #toledobridalmakeup #toledobride

Setting A Realistic Bridal Beauty Budget

Photo: Heather & Sarah Photography  Model: Marilyn Manchell  Makeup: Amy Lewis Jewelry: Belle Amour Bridal 

So you found a fantastic venue, hired a brilliant photographer, sent out save the dates, and found The Perfect Dress! Congrats! You’re off to a great start. 

If you’re like most brides, you've probably spent a pretty penny on your wedding so far. You’re overwhelmed by how much things actually cost and your plan is to save as much money possible on the rest of the planning. Which means you may have to go without a few things or decide to cheap out on others. 

Unfortunately, professional makeup & hair are often the first things to go, mostly because you didn’t budget for them originally. So perhaps you resort to letting a friend or family member do it for you, or you hire the most affordable makeup artist/hairstylist you can find to save some cash. What most brides don’t realize is, you’re selling yourself short here. While it seems saving money is the way to go, its actually quite the opposite when it comes to beauty. When you have your friend, family member, or cheap hair/makeup artist do your trial and you look in the mirror, 9 times out of 10 you will be unpleasantly surprised... maybe even horrified. Makeup/hair tends to be an afterthought expense and many brides try to book their stylists 2-3 months before the wedding. To put things in perspective, most veteran makeup pros book weddings 10-12 months out or more. Which leaves you desperately scrambling to find someone because all the top artists are likely booked at this point. 

How does this happen? Who’s to blame for you not including beauty in your budget? Well, most likely whatever budget planner or tool you’re using! Most brides find helpful planning resources from The Knot and Wedding Wire. Surprisingly, The Knot doesn’t even list a hair/makeup category on their budget percentage chart. So we’re assuming it’s supposed to get lumped into the Attire category. Let's break it down...

The average Toledo wedding cost is between $15,000-25,000 (according to costofwedding.com). The Knot suggests you set aside 8-10% of your total budget for Attire, that means you only have around $1200 minimum (8%) to work with. That’s the total amount you can spend on your dress, veil, shoes, tuxes, undergarments, and hair and makeup. Are you kidding me? That’s just not a realistic number for all of those things in today’s market. No wonder nearly every couple goes over their wedding budget! 

We’d like to suggest a more realistic approach - not just because we’re makeup artists, but because we’ve done thorough research in the Toledo area on average rates for onsite hair and makeup. Setting aside at least 3% of your total for the bride’s hair/makeup is a much more practical strategy. It may seem like an unnecessary expense since you didn’t originally plan for an extra $450-750 in your budget, but hear us out!

Think about how much you’re paying your photographer. If they’re a really talented professional, you’re spending a minimum of $2000 or more on amazing photography for this super important day. If you've listened to your married friends' advice, you will happily pay that price because after the knot is tied and the wedding is over, the most valuable thing that will remain as a reminder of the best day ever is, of course, your photos! You’ll look back through your wedding album fondly and smile because your photographer captured so many great memories. You can see the value in that expense now, right? Good, then we're on the same page!

So if you’re spending thousands on your wedding photography, don’t you think it would be a silly risk to have a non-professional do your makeup/hair to save a couple hundred bucks? Or even worse....attempt to do your own makeup. You probably hadn’t previously considered how cold, shaky and nervous your hands will be on the big day. Trust us when we say we have been in the wedding industry long enough to have witnessed some real beauty catastrophes on the day of. Orange foundations, crusty long lashes, thick black eyeliner, way too much blush, etc. It’s not something we enjoy. We really want to arm brides with accurate information so as to avoid such future catastrophes! Why waste your money on hair/makeup trials with cheap artists when you could save that money (and time) and put it toward hiring an experienced professional that you can trust? The alternative is not liking the way you look in your wedding photos and there is not much you can do about that after the fact. In the grand scheme of things, 3% of your wedding budget isn’t much after all. 

Our bottom line here is this: The wedding planning tools and websites don’t have all the right answers. Like most things in life-you get what you pay for. If you pay bottom-of-the-barrel prices for your makeup artist or hairstylist, then that is exactly the result you can expect to receive. Why take unnecessary risks on the way you look? Especially on a day where your every move will be photographed and/or filmed in front of lots of people! 

In all the wedding days we’ve had the pleasure of being a part of, we’ve learned a thing or two about beauty. Beauty comes from within. It comes from a talented makeup artist showing you that you can feel as beautiful as you look. When you feel truly beautiful, you’re confident, happy, and comfortable in your own skin- ready to take on the world. Professional makeup artists & hair stylists bring out the best version of you so that you can thoroughly enjoy one of the most memorable days of your life and look amazing doing it. Doesn't every bride deserve that?

If you designate a realistic beauty budget now, that’s one less thing you’ll be stressing out over as the wedding day gets closer. So why not take the steps to make it happen!

We came up with a few ideas on how to save up for your Bridal Beauty Budget:

1. Cut down on your Starbucks visits. Instead of 4-5 coffees a week, trim it down to 2-3. Or order a regular coffee instead of a specialty drink. At $3-5 a pop, those savings can add up quickly!

2.  Meal planning. Most people don’t realize how much of their money is spent on food. It’s         super convenient to eat out for lunch, or grab some fast food on the way home from work. But those bills add up! You will save a surprising amount of money by sitting down once a week to map out which days you’ll pack a lunch and what to make at home for dinner. You can still eat out, just go half as much as you usually do. (Sidenote: by doing this in our own household and switching grocery stores from Kroger to Aldi, we managed to save $250+/month! Crazy, right?)

3. Girls night out could take place at a bar with happy hour specials instead of one with regular prices. Or, you can all pitch in for a few bottles of wine and stay in! Get creative with wine pairings and snacks. 

By incorporating a few of these savings strategies into your lifestyle, you will be able to build up a realistic beauty budget in no time. Then you will be able to afford the makeup and hair professionals you deserve on your wedding day so you can look and feel your best! 

Toledo Makeup Artist Is Voted The Knot Best of Weddings Winner!

(Toledo, Ohio. January 1, 2017)—  We are pleased to announce that Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company has been selected as a 2017 ­­winner in The Knot Best of Weddings, an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, the leading wedding brand and marketplace. 

In 2017, only 2% of the 300,000 local wedding professionals listed on TheKnot.com have received this distinguished accolade. These winners represent the best of the best for wedding professionals that a bride or groom would want to consider in planning their wedding. 

“We are thrilled to have been selected as The Knot Best of Weddings for 2017! It's been an incredible year and we are so honored to receive this stamp of approval that only the top 2% of Knot vendors receive. We feel so blessed to have such a great team and we’d like to thank each and every one of our makeup artists, as well as all of our wonderful brides. We truly couldn’t have done this without you! We promise to continue striving each and every day to provide our brides with the best luxury bridal makeup in Toledo!”- Amy Lewis, owner of Makeup by Amy Lewis & Company. 

Cheers to our best year yet!!

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.

Product Review: YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain

As a professional makeup artist, you can probably guess how picky I am about my lip products. I have tested a lot of them and yet there are still new ones launching every day. In fact, for my own wedding I must have tried at least 40 lipsticks, glosses, and liners! For the big day, everything has to be PERFECT. Brides want a great lip color that won’t disappear after a few smooches. The old favorite I settled on 3 years ago was one of YSL’s glossy lip stains in a peachy shade. The texture was absolutely divine, and I was obsessed. So when I found out that YSL was sending me their new Vinyl Cream lip stain to test out, my heart did a happy dance! 

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The lip stain comes in a gold box and when I pulled the lip stain out, I noticed that the packaging is a bit different from their other lip stains. The others typically have a gold top and black bottom with a clear strip showing the color inside and of course the iconic YSL logo on one side. This particular stain is entirely black with a clear strip and the YSL logo which I think is very sleek and sexy. 

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Application: 

When I first applied the lip stain, I noticed how creamy it is. As with YSL’s other formulas, it is a very wet application so I had to be careful not to accidentally overdraw my lip line. I loved how saturated the lip color was though! The stain is buildable, but you really don’t need more than 1 coat because it is so pigmented. 

Experience On Lips: 

The thing I love most about this lip stain is the way it makes my lips feel! The texture is decadent. Hydrated and bouncy. Tacky, not sticky. Since its called Vinyl, I expected more of a high-shine finish but this is just a regular glossy finish not unlike the YSL Glossy Stains. Since I love those, I’m not complaining. 

Wear: 

I was pleasantly surprised by the durability of this stuff! While it is not advertised as kiss-proof, it certainly is. I tested it out on my husband and while he did get just a little bit of clear “gloss” on him, absolutely no color transferred to him whatsoever. I wore this for 6 hours and it didn’t budge. When I went to remove it with a makeup wipe before bed, it left a little bit of color stained on my lips which I actually enjoyed. Long wear that doesn’t dry out lips? Vinyl Cream Lip Stain rocks!

(excuse my sad, fuzzy cell phone photos- they don't do this color justice)

Overall I give this product TWO THUMBS UP! The price point is kinda high at $36 a pop, but considering how decadent YSL’s lip products are and how long they last, it’s worth it to me. I will probably go buy a couple more of them for my kit. Plus the packaging itself just makes you feel fancy putting it on :)

I received this product complimentary for testing purposes. I assure you that my opinion is honest and was not influenced by the free gift. 

Until next time beauties!

XOXO,

-A.L.