Marina wanted her natural curls enhanced- We went with embracing her volume, and doing a middle part.
My bride Marina wanted a look that was “her” and ultimately we all want to feel like the best version of ourselves. We opted for a natural makeup look with hair down for her classic church wedding.
I really love how the placement of Marina’s veil gives a vintage feel, and it’s so sheer that you can see her gorgeous curls and makeup shine.
When your “something blue” is your eyeshadow
I love cute traditions, like the whole saying “Something old, something borrowed, something new, something blue” to bring good luck on your wedding day.
For my Jenn’s wedding in Pasadena, California, we wanted her makeup and hair to tie in to her whole wedding vision. The wedding vibe was romantic, vintage, and playful- yet still had this traditional feel.
One thing I love about being a Los Angeles Makeup Artist is the countless venues and areas that my brides get married in! We got Jenn and her girls ready at an adorable house in Pasadena- not too far from the Quaker Meeting House.
For Jenn’s makeup look, we did airbrush makeup for her complexion using Temptu. I do the WHOLE complexion (foundation, bronzer, blush, highlight) with airbrush makeup for extra longevity. Let’s be real, I just imagine everyone crying LOTS of happy tears.
To create this gorgeous eye moment, I mixed Half Magic Beauty “Sky Juice” with a touch of concealer, and packed a silver-y highlight from Danessa Myricks on top. We did a small cat eye, also referred to as a “kitten eye” by me, and topped the eyes off with subtle individual lashes. I always feel like coral tones go well with baby blue, so I did a coral glossy lip and warmer coral toned blush to compliment the pink and coral colors in the wedding color palette.
I love how there is a consistent theme with color, and everything in this wedding ties so beautifully together!
One of my favorite things is that Lauren, my hairstylist, pinned Jenn’s hair so she could take it out for a second look without the curls being crazy. She added a headband, and I adore the final look for makeup and hair.
Congrats Jenn + Chris!
-Desiree Penaloza, Los Angeles Makeup and Hair
This wedding was planned by One Darling Day: Claudia Casanova
All images are by Taylor Mosby Photo
Venue is The Orange Grove Friends
Hair styling by Lauren Rebelo
Yay! You are planning your wedding, and it’s time to think about your wedding day hair and makeup. How do you envision yourself? My hope is that you envision yourself like the best version of how you currently are, and how your partner fell in love with you!
I have had so many brides not know where to start with hair and makeup, and that is why doing a trial can be SO important. I always say that you also just don’t know until you try something. You may think you want a bold lip, then try it out and wear it all day, and decide you want something neutral. You may think you want your hair up and then realize that you really want it down. There could also be the most subtle changes to a look that maybe no one else will notice, but it doesn’t matter, because it is all about how you FEEL on your wedding day.
I love this comparison for my 2022 bride, Gabbie. Her wedding was like a purple fairytale, and coming into her makeup trial, she thought she wanted a purple eyeshadow look. She loved what we created at the trial, but after thinking about it, the week of her wedding, she sent me a different makeup inspiration photo with peachy eyeshadow and a bright, holographic highlight on the inner corner of the eyes. With this look, I added a touch more blush, with my Temptu Airbrush, and my Temptu highlight, which had a holographic sheen to it also. We ended up also going with a more neutral lip color.
Sometimes changes are so subtle- like how much hair (or if you want any hair at all) framing your face, or subtle tones on the eyes.
A pre-wedding trial can also just be a great way to meet and get to know your makeup artist and/or hair stylist. We spend SO much time together on your wedding day- I always love to interact with the bridal parties I work with, and have it be a fun and memorable experience. Of course, this is so much easier when we already know each other!
Trial DOs
Have inspiration photos ready. Having a photo of yourself that you like when you have your hair and makeup done is helpful too! Or any photo of yourself on a more dressy occasion that you like. Have photos also ready of your wedding dress and any accessories (or bring accessories like earrings or hair accessories so you can get a full visual of how you’ll look).
Know that Pinterest and Instagram photos are often edited, in professional lighting, filtered, etc. It is normal for skin to have texture! It is normal for it to look like you have makeup on.
Make sure that you have your wedding dress and accessories. I believe it is a whole look head to toe. I advise doing the trial 2-3 months before the wedding so you have a clear idea of your whole look. It’s also good to not do it too far in advance so you are more fresh on your artist’s brain! We see a lot of people and it’s challenging to remember all the details.
Speak up! If there is something you aren’t feeling about your hair or makeup, say so. We are not mind readers, and want to make things right. The hair and makeup trial appointment is to try anything you aren’t sure of. If we do change anything, keep in mind that it will look more seamless on the wedding day when we have a clear plan.
Have a friend or close family member with you! It makes it more fun, and they know you best and it’s great to have a second opinion if you feel you want it.
Trial DONTs
Don’t come with no inspiration photos! Any idea of what you like is better than trying to turn on psychic powers.
Don’t ask to do a trial before booking your artist if it is more than a year out. When booking with me, your trial appointment is included in the wedding beauty package!
Don’t have too many photos of very different looks. Please try to narrow down at least a couple similar things you like, as we don’t have time to create so many looks for you to choose from.
Don’t be silent! Like I mentioned, speak up when you aren’t liking the way it turned out so we can fix it.
For more trial photos vs wedding day photos of my brides, check out my instagram @desiedes or my tiktok @makeupbydes
It was an honor doing my dear friend, Kirsten’s, hair and makeup for her City Hall Wedding.
I always say that I want to make clients look and feel like the best version of themselves! In her day to day life, Kirsten hardly ever wears foundation. She loves to have her lashes pronounced with no liner, and wanted to have matte, warm tones on her eyes.
With her minimal Asos wedding dress, I thought this natural, effortless look would be perfect for her!
We wanted a chic updo, that would have some natural, effortless curls falling to frame Kirsten’s face. This look is great for brides who want their hair up, and don’t want to worry about it! Even if some pieces end up falling out, it adds to the look.
I did some twists in the back in multiple sections, and gave her a low bun. I really love how the whole look came together!
Note: Add colored glasses that match your bouquet for extra cool vibes!
