Search: brides to be?term=brides to be

Leigh got in touch with me super early, in October 2018 for her February 2020 wedding. Have I said how I love it when people book me in advance because they want to make sure they can have me for their wedding day?!

Love them or hate them, lash extensions are here to stay. Thankfully it's totally a personal preference, but here's my tuppence worth of knowledge and opinion about having them for your wedding day...

Anna from Pear and Bear Photography asked me to do makeup for a styled wedding photoshoot back in September 2017. I couldn't attend the photoshoot so I was super excited to see the photos and all the efforts the team had put together for the shoot, and I fell in love with them. The images were so soft and beautiful, and I adored the colours. This is still the most epic bouquet shot I've ever seen! She's a lovely human being and coupled with being a photographer, she's a self-belief business coach. I caught up with her about her photography work, and how COVID has been for her...

Oh, my poor blog; how I’ve neglected you!

I made a resolution to blog every week back in 2016 and I kept to it! I achieved 52 blogs in 52 weeks… and then I trickled into 2017 and hardly blogged at all. Six times in fact!

Apparently the three most stressful things that can happen in your life are moving house, having a child, and getting married. And yet some people do all three in 12-18 months which makes me quite dizzy. Buying my house last summer during peak wedding season was enough to make my head swim, and I didn't even have to move house!

No matter how exciting planning a wedding can be, and it really can be stressful, these stressful situations require some time off. It's a big life event, and you're already balance many things that come with life - work, relationships, running a house, trying to have down time. Don't let yourself be the one you put to the bottom of the pile.

Back in August 2018, I did a promo shoot for alternative wedding fair Tying the Nott - the next one is on 25 October 2020! It was a fabulous collaborative shoot with wedding suppliers from all over the East Midlands that were wonderful to meet and a joy to work with. Louise was one of the models for the day, despite having never modelled before and did a great job!

Louise mentioned she was planning her own wedding for 2019, and it was lovely when she got in touch to book me for her big day.

(Louise by Dave Fuller Photography for Tying the Nott)

Coral & Stone are a duo of wedding photographers (Emma & Jade) based in the East Midlands (One in Derbyshire and one in Northamptonshire!) They contacted me back in Autumn about setting up a bridal shoot and had done insane amounts of research and planning for it; they were putting together a whole team for the shoot, and was I available to be a part of it? Hell yes, I was!

Wollaton Hall needs no introduction; if you live in or around Nottingham, you'll know it! For those who aren't from Nottingham, it's a Grade II listed Elizabethan house within the Nottingham City boundaries and is a little slice of calm. It's home to Nottingham Natural History Museum, two different types of endangered Japanese deer and most famously known for being 'Wayne Manor' from Batman's A Dark Knight Rises.

Zoe emailed us to say; "I have been struggling with my weight since forever and have decided enough is enough. I'm going to stop abusing my body, and celebrate it! To mark my change in attitude, I want a new fun-loving, burlesque-inspired look and was wondering if you would help me? :)"

You can bet your butt we can help!

Anna Rose Heaton is a wedding and family photographer, but also a trusted retoucher of other wedding photographers in the East Midlands. Her photography style is best described as romantic and she gets stunning images you won't have even thought about, or seen her taking! She’s a diamond and she loves a pun, so we're kindred spirits!

I love that Anna's Instagram feed is just full of beautiful authentic happy smiles, that were just so blissed out in a specific moment and she caught that moment forever in a photo. Smiling is lovely, as is Anna :) I asked her some questions about her business and the lockdown, and she's kindly answered here :)

I was considering writing this as a blog myself, and I may still do it one day but today, this blog comes to you from my client Heather in a review she left me on Google... have a look here if you don't believe I didn't write this DREAMY review myself.

Agate got married back in August 2019, and I'd seen a few snaps from her photographer over on Instagram and I knew they'd be beautiful. Back in January when I knew I needed to get back on my blogging game, I got in touch with her photographer to ask if I could peek through the photos. I found time to do that what with a pandemic, and now here I am, blogging about that very wedding!

Being in the business for over a decade, I've picked up so many tips from weddings about beauty preparations before the big day that I'd love to pass on to my brides to be!

I've known Emma for a bleedin' long time now - over 10 years! I met her on the internet (anyone remembers LiveJournal?!) and we met up in 2006 when I moved to Nottingham. Not too long afterwards, I ended up stealing her from Newcastle and she's lived in Nottingham now for probably 8 years. We have a studio together in Hockley and work together as Flashes and Lashes when we're not shooting weddings. Flashes and Lashes have had to take a back burner in the last 12 months but that's no bad thing because we're both doing AMAZING weddings and sometimes we get to work together too - yay!

I'll tell everyone and anyone in earshot how much I love my job.

I get to spend wedding mornings with wonderful clients and get to make them feel and look amazing on one of the best days of their lives! I get to soothe them when they are anxious, tell stupid jokes, give helpful advice, and be a hands-on practical person when it comes to putting on buttonholes, lacing up dresses etc.

Then you're off to get married, I wave you away and often won't see you again! A hug and a kiss and best wishes for the day and poof! You're off to the biggest and best party of your life with all your nearest and dearest, and I'm off for a nap.

But I'd love to keep in touch with you! I don't want to be a one-time fling, so let's stay in touch!

This blog is about how we can keep in touch, and how you can continue to support your wedding makeup artist (or any other supplier that you've clicked with!) after your wedding day.

I shared this Beyonce retouch photo on my Facebook a couple of weeks ago. I've felt this blog post brewing for a little while, so decided to get my thoughts out after having spoken about it with other industry professionals.

Today's blog is an interview with Andy from Saywell HQ Photography. I've only met Andy once, but with the type of person he is, we clicked straight away! He's a good human and you can get his personality from this interview. He's one of my recommended suppliers, and I'm super pleased I've got more weddings with him this year :)

"Nottinghamshire-based photographer; stealthy! Passionate about photography, professional and takes really lovely non-intrusive photos and captures really lovely moments without you ever knowing he was there. Apart from his epic beard ;)"

Jen and Josh's amazing wedding day was my penultimate wedding of 2019 but boy, what a wedding!

I'm in love with the colours Jen and Josh chose, and I always know there's going to be amazing photos from Emily & Katy Photography.  I think Julia from Curious Magpie must have had the time of her life, styling the Oxton Village Hall for the big day. Jen had assembled a beautiful team around her for the day; check them all out at the bottom of this very blog :)

I recently wrote up this list for BODY, the Body Dysmorphia (BDD) charity I volunteer for. Lauren the CEO asked me to write a quick list of things that are cheap/easy to do that will help you feel better about you. So if you have 5 minutes for self-care or 50 minutes, there's something in here for you.

Lucy contacted me in 2020 to book her and Adam's wedding in for 2021, full of hope that the world would've returned to normal. Alas it wasn't, so we shuffled to 2022 and her and Adam did the paperwork earlier. They weren't compromising on their big wedding reception at the lovely Setcops Farm! 

On meeting Lucy, she had two stipulations - she absolutely wanted me to use my Bridal Eyes eyeshadow palette, and wanted a red lip. So, that's exactly what we did!

On the big day, I got her and her three bridesmaids ready super early in the morning as Lucy had some engagement photos done with Adam and their dog Aria before guests arrived. They were super relaxed about their morning and because of it, they just had the absolute best time! As you can see from their photos below :)

As you know if you're a reader of my blog or have ever had a 1-2-1 make-up lesson with me, I adore Illamasqua products. They are cruelty-free, have a background in stage make-up (so their stuff stays put!), they have an extensive vegan collection and they actively encourage individuality - you want a deep sea blue and green lipstick? They've got it! Every year, Illamasqua have a January sale and I held out as long as I can because now I know that they'll keep adding things as the month goes on. I hopped over on Friday to have a browse through... Go. Go now. There are some AMAZING bargains!

Here's my list of year-round goodies that you absolutely MUST have in your make-up bag or on your dressing table.

In September 2020 I'll have been full-time self-employed for three years, and what a rollercoaster it's been!

I've done more one-to-one makeup lessons than ever, been a part of many more wedding mornings that I can remember, and done makeup for lots of exciting projects. I also won an award (Freelance Make Up Specialist of the Year 2018 at the English Hair and Beauty Awards!), and have JUST last week found out I'm a finalist for Bridal Makeup Specialist of the Year 2020 and the Make Up Awards.

I'll have been doing weddings for a decade this year, and 2020 has been shaping up so beautifully.

We are all feeling the cost of living the last 18-24 months, and no more so than at Christmas! So I'm back again with my Christmas Gift guide for all beauty lovers, but breaking it down into price guides and aiming more at the great stocking fillers.

Rebecca came to me to ask about wedding hair and make-up after a bit of a disastrous trial (her words, not mine!) She knew what she wanted but the other make-up artist hadn't done what she'd asked. She booked in with myself and Lucille's Locks, and the Dream Team bundled our way to Repton in Derbyshire on a bank holiday weekend.

With Valentine's Day looming ahead, all I've noticed on TV recently is red lipsticks so I figured I'd write about some of my favourites! 

Becky contacted me through a mutual friend, hairdresser extraordinaire QueenB's Hair. She'd been nervous about booking a make-up artist, and told me deciding on someone to do her make up was a very scary prospect, as she'd been having the most nightmares about her make-up going wrong for some reason!

I have a lot of transgender clients, providing monthly makeovers for nights out to my one-to-one makeup lessons in order to learn how to apply make-up. There's not much I love more than hearing back from clients and getting photos of their make-up and practice runs.

I've had a lovely response to some of these Wedding Make Up Interviews, so today's is with Becca! She married in September 2021 at Hazel Gap Barn. 

Mollie and Ben had to reschedule their wedding from March 2021 to May 2021, but they sure partied hard anyway. They could only have restricted numbers allowed at their wedding, but they were determined to get married - and got married they did! And today is their first wedding anniversary so I'm here blogging about their wedding to celebrate - congratulations Mr and Mrs Douglas!

Rebecca and Andy were married in June 2022 in the very lovely Abbey Farm, in Lincolnshire. I'd never been up that way before but I do love a roadtrip and it was a lovely day for it! I'm always happy to travel for my clients, just let me know where we're going - have car and passport, and will travel!

It was lovely to work with two of my recommended suppliers too! The lovely Pin Up Curl on hair, and then Andy from SaywellHQ on photography duties. You can see all my recommended suppliers here. 

I can't believe that Becca and Matt had their day a year ago today! Becca had to reschedule their wedding a stonking four times; from April 2020 to September 2020, then to March 2021 and finally September 2021! When they got married there were thankfully no restrictions in place at all and they could have the day they'd always wanted. 

Laura and Joe may have got married in 2016, but I'm mega behind on my blogging and I absolutely wanted to share these photos from Humpston and Bull Photography. Every time I have to submit images somewhere I want to put one in from Laura's wedding because she looked sensational; just look at that smile! 

Snap Beauty lashes sent me some of their lashes to try a little while ago, and I used one set on a shoot that I sadly couldn't use the photos from. But I've found another pair recently when cleaning out my studio's lash collection, and they were going to be JUST what I needed for a model content day I was doing with Perfect Silhouette Hair!

Who doesn't love a round up of the year? Here are some gorgeous clients over 2024 that trusted me for their wedding makeup! As we're now in 2025, I'm in my 14th year of doing makeup and I've now tipped into having been part of 400 wedding mornings - how awesome is that?!

The dream team consists of Lucille’s Locks, Luna Photography, BooBoo Kitty Couture and I; a group of four Nottinghamshire based babes, who’re all in the wedding industry and absolutely freakin’ adore weddings. We’re all hardworking, creative, slightly vintage-inspired and 100% passionate about making brides feel the very best they can on their big day, and beyond. The dream team have done a couple of bridal shoots together so we can try out new things and showcase our work. We tend to make them an annual thing these days if not more; our specialities mean we get to work together a lot on weddings, but rarely see each other when we’re not working!

I'm fizzing with excitement that I'm going to be working with the inimitable award-winning boudoir photographer Tigz Rice on three makeover days in London in early 2022!

I first worked with GG's Pin-up Couture back in 2012 with burlesque starlet Anna Fur Laxis, known for her knife-throwing and heart-stopping acts.

Hello, lovelies! I'm back to tell you about another gorgeous boudoir makeover day I'm doing with the fabulous Tigz Rice in London's finest art deco bar, Fontaine's on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th November 2022.

Introducing the first-ever eyeshadow palette from award-winning Nottingham makeup artist Ms Moo Make Up; Bridal Eyes!

Bridal Eyes is a vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette designed with ALL skin tones in mind. It has 9 highly pigmented colours in a range of matte, shimmer, and metallic eyeshadows in some of the most popular shades used by Ms Moo Make Up.

The square palette is lined with synthetic leather with a cardboard outer sleeve. There’s a mirror in the lid of the palette, with the Ms Moo logo in silver holographic foil.

I got my studio in Hockley with Emma of Luna Photography about three years ago now, and whilst we're not in the studio all that often at the same time we flippin' love working together when we can get in. Emma does a lot of commercial, wedding and family photography but we've also our business, Flashes and Lashes which is a makeover photoshoot experience. Whilst we're known for our pin-up/vintage styling, we absolutely love working with people who want a photoshoot to just feel good about themselves - whatever the style, we absolutely guarantee to have you smiling and feeling good when you're at Flashes and Lashes HQ.

Emma and I have both wanted to work with Gingerface for a while and when we approached her it was just after she'd announced her hiatus - would she still like to shoot with us? Her answer, YES! :D On the morning of the shoot, we have a bit of a mix-up with someone we were meant to be borrowing some plants from so we popped to see the lovely ladies of Lee Rosy's tea room across the street from us and asked if we could borrow their plant from the window. Here's Emma looking not so camouflaged!

Spent some brilliant days with KH Hair again recently, working for their Image of the Year competition! Each salon competes and produces an image with a model, doing either a hair colour, cut or style and then they are judged and winners are to be announced at their annual awards in April 2016. Here are some of my favourite shots with photos by the ever lovely, Marcus Holdsworth Photography.

I'm working with KH Hair again this week. I flippin' love working with them each year, and their art team are wonderfully creative. They set up an inter-salon competition last year; here are some behind-the-scenes photos I took and final look photos by the super talented Marcus Holdsworth.

It was back in January 2015 that Rozalind Williams contacted me about her idea for a shoot. She wanted to shoot portraits of a model with tense hands clutching onto items such as broken teacups, ripped up letters and scrunched up love letters. It was to be softly lit, warm tones with a romantic feel. She'd arranged for Ash Millman to be our model for the day, having fallen in love with her Cupid's bow and hair colour. And honestly, how couldn't you?!

It was an absolute honour to be asked by Robyn to be part of her 2024 Signature Collection photoshoot, showcasing some of her most requested hair styles. She organised three models, choosing Alexis Blake, and Kennedy and Meg from zebedeetalent. We took over the gorgeous Stubton Hall for the day back in January and photographed these beautiful looks below!

Sarah from Pin-Up Curl is my work-wife! We work on loads of vintage weddings together, and I know that any wedding morning I'm with her, we'll have an absolute blast. I'm gutted that it's now over a year since I've seen her and worked with her, and can't chuffing wait to see her! Here's a little catch-up with her about the last 12 months and her future plans...

(by Shot by Amy)

Moira has been working as a hairstylist for over 15 years, but specialised in bridal hairstyling for around half of that time. It's always a joy to work with Moira on a wedding morning, knowing what a calming prescence she has and cheeky sense of humour like me.

As she's a recommended supplier of mine, I wanted to interview her so you know more about her!

I've been doing wedding makeup for twelve years now (I surprised myself when I looked back at my diaries for it!) and have seen so many different weddings with so many different traditions. More and more of my couples are looking to set their own traditions for their weddings, and I'm 100% here for it! I'm particularly looking forward to celebrants being able to legally marry people, and all of my couples based in England being able to get married outdoors without restrictions. Those in Wales and Scotland can get married wherever they want; how cool is that!

Wedding makeup doesn't have to be anything other than unique to you. There are no rules to follow, but I do like to impart such guidance as below. But remember, you're the boss and you get to choose what you take away from them.

I've worked with some fantastic photographers in my time, but there are few that I recommend unless I've met them and know them to be thoroughly awesome people. Ed Godden is one such person! I met Ed when he photographed Maya and Jamie's big day in 2015. Any time I get a wedding booking where I know he'll be photographing it, I do a little leap for joy. JUST LOOK AT THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS! Ed's been in the business a while so he's quite the wedding photographer alumni, but he's not faced a pandemic before either so I caught up with him about how's his 2020 been so far...

I've had the privilege of being at flippin' loads of wedding mornings; here's the expert advice I've picked up over time which may help you on your big day...

Hayley and Lisa got married a year ago today! Congratulations my lovelies! I've not blogged about it yet but it's up their for one of my most memorable weddings ever.

I've known Rachael since September 1999 when I moved high school to Rhiwabon in Wrexham. We sang in choirs together, did school plays together, carol concerts, played sports, did Maths, and got in trouble! We fell out of touch upon changing schools for sixth form/college but got back in touch about 6 years ago through the brilliant medium of Facebook!

She asked me to do her wedding make-up back home in Wales as soon as she got engaged to Jason; of course, my answer was yes! Her wedding morning was super relaxed, and it was lovely to catch up with her family; mum Elaine and sister Charlotte. She got married in the same church we sang in as kids.

August 2018 went by in a bit of a blur as I did more weddings that month than I'd ever done before. During the lockdown, it's been great going back through my photo archives to find weddings to blog, and I came across Ruth and Tim's big day. I spoke with Emily And Katy Photography who captured the day at The Walled Garden in Beeston and browsed their beautiful images. I've also included Ruth's review of hiring me which truly made me cry!

Here we are again, time for me to put together a blog that I will aim to keep regularly updated as to when I'm booked for weddings. Please check the dates below before contacting me about if I'm available for your wedding day.

If you're getting married this summer, here are what dates I have left available. If you're looking for weekdays or Sundays, then please send me a message; I have plenty of availability :)

Summertime, the weather is free and easy... and our faces are at risk of slipping around like they are on a slide at a waterpark!

(by Ed Godden Photography, one of my recommended suppliers)

Wedding make-up is about making you look the very best version of yourself possible. Getting to know each other will help us come up with an absolutely perfect plan for your wedding make-up, ensuring you look and feel the very best you can on your big day. When you come for your bridal trial with me, it's our time to get to know each other; you can ask me all your questions about make-up as you'd like! I get a lot of questions about what to bring to a trial, so here are a few pointers.

Next week is International Women's Day (it's 8th March) and I'm here to celebrate all the incredible women in my area of the wedding industry who drive forward and lift others up. With the theme of #EmbraceEquity here's some of the my personal favourites within my industry that I want to sing about, and are doing things that should be shouted about.

Where have the last five months gone, does anyone know?! There have been so many tier shifts, restrictions, and lockdowns that I haven't known if I'm coming or going. I know I'm not the only one in the wedding industry (or beauty industry, for that matter) who feels like this. The months have felt never-ending, especially when waiting to hear when we can return to work. I miss being a wedding makeup artist so much! I miss my clients. I got to see some in the latter part of 2020 which filled me with such joy!

One such wedding was with one of my recommended suppliers and super wonderful wedding besties, Mon Amie. We caught up at that wedding and despite not being able to hug as we always do, the warmth from being in her company again gave me such hope. She's a wonderful hairstylist and a wonderful human. Find out more about her, her lockdown, and her wishes for the future below!

(by Twig and Vine Photography)

Jen and Jamie's wedding day was possibly the wettest wedding day in the history of my decade in wedding makeup! They thoroughly embraced the rain though and were totally committed to having the best day ever.

Laura contacted me in December 2015 about her July 2016 wedding, which was lucky as it was my last available date in July 2016! She was really keen to get a trial booked in so that she could cross me off her to-do list, so she came to me in February 2016. It was also neatly timed on her 30th birthday so she was truly pampered before having an evening our with her hubby to be. We changed up her lipstick though. Can you believe this woman has always been self-conscious of her lips? Her lip shape is absolutely MADE for lipstick to be applied!

What a way to celebrate the Easter weekend - I've been recognised as Outstanding at Weddings Inc. in Nottinghamshire for the Make-up Artist category!

Kara's face has been shown to me by so many brides-to-be this year for how they would love their wedding makeup to look, so I had to blog with a few more images from her wedding! It was the first time I'd worked with Emily and Katy Photography, and I was blown away by them. Both are an amazing double act, and you can see the cogs going behind their eyes, searching for their next shot. They are both really lovely too!

Here is Kara and her Mum's trial makeup. Lynne doesn't wear a lot of makeup and didn't want to look or feel fake. I reassured her and let her check through each stage of the makeup to make sure she felt good about her face.

My wedding makeup diary for 2022 is open and filling up fast, so I wanted to put together this blog so you know what dates are already booked in my diary. 

If your wedding date is NOT listed below, please contact me to book your wedding makeup. 

(Photo by Camera Hannah, one of my recommended suppliers)

Weddings are a big experience as well as a big expense; you’re in a place you probably won't know that well, wearing a dress and some crazy supportive/restrictive underwear! You probably won’t see your partner until you’re at the aisle, your family may cry, you’ll worry about the flowers/catering/table decorations. Being the centre of attention, everyone is watching you while you’re dancing, eating, crying and speaking. It’s one hell of an experience and can be a stressful one at that!

I apply SPF to my face each day; so much so that I probably remember to do it more than I do brush my hair!

As a make-up artist, it's my job to ensure that your face is picture-perfect on your wedding day.

What you probably won't see on your wedding morning is me watching your face and your body language. I'll watch your expressions and what your face is saying when you're not speaking, see how you're breathing and if you're doing a panic. What you say, how you say it, and what you don't say are all really important to me to make sure that you're ok.

Lilith contacted me in very early January this year to book me for her wedding make-up after following me on Instagram for a while. She wanted mega natural make-up, matte shadow and luscious lashes – and so we delivered! We had some emails back and forth about dry skin and irritated peeling lips so I gave her some advice to get her skin in tip-top condition for her wedding day and wedding make-up. She said (and I quote) "Thank you so much for your message and such kind words – I am now about 100000% sure I have picked the right person to do my wedding make up!"

Welcome to the first in an ongoing series of little Q&A-type interviews with my previous wedding clients! I figured these would be useful for future brides-to-be. First up today is Hannah, who married in July 2019 at her home in Lady Bay, Nottingham. 

Hayley and Stu got married in August 2022, having delayed their wedding from 2020 due to the pandemic. They married at the lovely Swancar Farm, but she got ready with her wedding party at home in Wollaton. Hayley first contacted me back in 2018 so it was really lovely to finally get her ready for her big day!

My blog post with available wedding dates last year was super busy and seemingly useful, so here's the 2019 version! If you're getting married in 2019, here are what Friday and Saturday's I have left available. If you're looking for weekdays or Sundays, then please send me a message; I have plenty of availability! :)

I've been providing a vegan bridal service for over five years now, and it's been so great to hear from clients that they've booked me specifically because of this service. I've always been staunchly cruelty-free in my makeup kit for nearly 10 years, and I won't use brands that test on animals.

So what does it mean, cruelty-free or vegan?

Happy bank holiday Monday everyone! I'm hoping that the sun is shining but I'll be honest, I'm over in Ibiza so I've no idea what the weather is like in the UK. Don't hate me too much!

I've known Jo probably about 9 years now through work, and she's always been a joy to be around. She's so kind and caring, her personality is just infectious and you can't help but feel good around her. I've done her make-up a couple of times for special occasions but when her and long-time boyfriend Damien got engaged, she booked Lucille's Locks and myself ASAP for her wedding makeover team.

Mel and Ian got married in October 2021 at Lower Damgate Farm in Ashbourne. They had orginally planned for October 2020 but when lcokdowns got extended, they bumped their wedding day by a year and decided to keep all toes and fingers crossed for the day they had always wanted, just 12 months later that originally planned. 

Later this month it's going to be Danielle and Kenton's 8 year anniversary so what better time to share my little interview with Danielle! They got married at Hackwood Farm in 2014.

Martin Cheung is an East Midlands based wedding photographer. He loves big smiles, laughing with his couples, and generally making everyone feel comfortable, happy, and chilled out. It's truly the best recipe for a wedding morning, which is why he's one of my recommended suppliers. 

Morning lovelies! I'm currently on holiday in Malta so I'm not around right now so here's a review from one of my lovely brides in 2014/2015. I don't know who it was as it was an anonymous review from a bride who voted me to win Best Make-Up Artist in the East Midlands at the Wedding Industry Awards!

Sarah from Rock n Roller Hair is a font of all knowledge relating to wedding hair. She's also the absolute go to person for all things hair extensions, as she's trained in ten different methods. Who know there were 10 methods to even know about?! She's super calm to work with on a wedding morning, and we always have a giggle together. I asked her about her experience in the wedding industry and how she's finding lockdowns and not being able to work...

We all remember that super hot weekend in September, right? The one with the 35 degree weather? Yeah, that's when Kristy got married! She got ready with her bestie Nikki, and her Mum Sandy at The Mercure in Nottingham, before marrying JP at the The Lord Mayor's Parlour in the Nottingham Council House in an intimate ceremony followed by a meal and a knees up in the evening. It was THE HOTTEST morning I've ever known, but she absolutely kept her cool because she wasn't at all worried about her wedding and had planned the day exactly as her and JP wanted it. 

Remember that it's your day, so do it your way! Do exactly what YOU both want.

If you tell me that you don't want to book me for your wedding, I'll be as pleased as if you were telling me you did want me. Now don't think I don't value you as a customer; I'm gonna be a little bit sad that you don't want me, but I won't take it personally! As you've told me straight out, you're clearly my kind of customer. Let me explain...

Next up on my interview series is the lovely Heather! You may already recognise her from my blog last year, 10 Reasons To Choose Ms Moo For Your Wedding Day. And no, it's not a blog I wrote or even asked her to write! The blog came about after she wrote me the most gorgeous Google review. Heather and Rob had two incredible wedding days; the first was their legal date in October 2020 where they were still under restrictions, and then in September 2022 where they had an almighty party at the Pheasantry Brewery with all their friends and family! Here's some more from Heather... 

I've known Lizzie for quite a while as I work for the same company as her, and I'd done her make-up a few times for Flashes and Lashes' shoots. She emailed me in September 2014 to ask about wedding availability for August 2015 as she wanted to check if some of her favourite suppliers were available before she booked the venue... how honoured am I?!

Maya contacted me just over a year before her wedding to book me for her big day; when she told me it was a vintage style with lots of 40's and 50's influences, I didn't realise how incredible it'd be.

Vaseline is one of those things ingrained in us that it's moisturising and good for dry lips. In reality, it doesn't moisturise dry lips at all; it causes a barrier over your lips and gives a sense of false hydration :/ Even on their site, they say that it's absorbed into the skin but another question says that it provides a protective barrier; which is it?!

New year, new me! Hahaha! If you're anything like me then that phrase will make you laugh hard. I'm still the same old Sali who can't be bothered to wear makeup on a daily basis haha!

But it's the new year, and if you're looking to take up something new (or give up something) then I'd wholly recommend a new skincare regime where you promise to look after your skin. Here's some tips to get you going.

Okay, so now it's reeeeally pretty cold and we need to do something about the effects it's having on us. The cold mornings are biting at your nose and toes, your lips are chapped and your skin is drier than a desert. Central heating and air conditioning are awful for your skin. Before this winter really takes hold, take 30 minutes out of your evening to do this and Save Our Skin! If you’re like me, you’re skint in prepping for Christmas so I want to keep this cheap as chips and you can use a lot of ingredients from your kitchen and store cupboard to look after your face. Free beauty treatments? Woo! Maybe you can get your partner or a mate to help or even join in :)

(by Luna Photography aka Flashes and Lashes)

Primers are a great part of my makeup kit, and I love telling people in my 1-2-1 lessons how they work and what they are all for. I have a range of my primers in my kit because I need to be prepared for all skin eventualities so you certainly won't need all of these.

I've brought back my interview series! I did them a few years ago, but I'm going to bring them back and let you all find out for yourselves about some of my favourite wedding suppliers. First up in the list is Rosie, from Everyone's Looking Rosie. 

I posted this blog back in September 2016 about my eyebrows and me. The appointment with the salon I had booked my eyebrows with didn't go ahead, and it did knock my confidence a bit; my eyebrows are really important to me, and not having had any for 10+ years it was really disappointing to be treated so badly. But it didn't deter me in finally getting them done, it just took me 6 months to find time where I could get them done!

So how is everyone's skin holding up this summer? Between dodging rain showers and the baking heat, I think I’ve just sweat a lot!
The sun might be sporadic but we need to be prepared for it. Following on from my other summer skincare post, as today is the first day of August let's make the effort to look after our skin. Here are some super easy things you can start doing every day!

There was once a girl with dry skin who thought she’d never find a foundation to ever make her skin look good. She searched for that wonder product for all her years, and never did her one true foundation come to being. Sad, the felt she’d never get good foundation coverage until she met her fairy make-up godmother who gave her some skincare advice...

Louise and Luke got married in Elvaston Castle in September 2019. You might have already seen some photos from their wedding day on my blog here, and you'll also recognise Louise from my interview with her as Kickass Gatherings. She very kindly answered my interview questions and so I wanted to share them here, and more images from her gorgeous day! One of the smiliest brides ever, and she also had my lovely vintgae hair pal Sarah from Pin Up Curl on styling duties. 

Starting a skincare routine can be daunting as heck. What order do you do things, what things should I put on - is there anything I can realistically leave out? Do I have to spend all that money? Now I'm no skincare specialist, and I'll never claim to be one. If you've a thirst for knowledge about all things skincare then I wholly recommend Caroline Hiron's Skincare - The No Nonsense Guide - it has incredible advice in it and more knowledge than you could ever imagine! There's also two incredible skincare specialists I recommend in Nottingham if you're looking to get specific help. 

However, here are my tips for all skincare types!

Nupur got married at Allington Manor in October 2020, bringing forward her whole wedding by a week to avoid further disruption to their big day from restrictions and rules related to COVID. It all played out beautifully though and Nupur and Paul had their day!

Common denominators in the below pictures:

Joanna contacted me in late August about her wedding in October 2020, asking if I'd be available do her wedding makeup for her micro-wedding. She was marrying Jeff no matter what COVID-19 tiers we were in; if it was still legal to get married during the pandemic, she'd be saying "I do!" They had to cut their list from 30 to 15 attendees but there was no way they were letting that get in the way of them getting hitched!

I've known Nickie through the alt online scene for a fair few years now (Facebook says 5 years, but I reckon longer with the age of Myspace!) she is the owner and founder of Devolution Magazine and The Alt Collective, a fashion and art charity event that started in 2009. She's a one-woman machine with a dedicated contributing team working on the only alternative independent print magazine out there covering fashion, music, art, tattoos, lifestyle culture and photography; Devolution recently released Issue 40 of the magazine signifying 10 years of actual print! A decade of independent publishing is an incredible feat.

Steph and Sam got legally wed in November 2020, but decided to postpone their big wedding to 2021 so that they could celebrate with all their family and friends freely. They did their legal bit in their local registry office and then held their wedding reception and informal ceremony at The Old Vicarage, just a few days shy of their legal anniversary. Getting to be a part of both of their days was an utter honour, especially as I've known Steph for over 10 years.

When clients get in touch about booking me for wedding makeup, I'm often asked what's in my makeup kit and what products I use. Once you've come to my studio in Hockley in the city centre of Nottingham, you'll soon see the extent of my kit!

Helen Sutcliffe is a wedding hairstylist with over 10 years experience of being a freelance wedding stylist. Being a cruelty-free wedding makeup artist, I flippin' love that she's so staunchly cruelty-free - beauty products don't need to be tested on animals! Helen's got such a lovely calming presence on a wedding morning - she's the quieter version of me, watching everything that's going on, and looks after her bride in such a gentle and loving way. I love that she always (ALWAYS) has a half way treat of a can of Diet Coke!

I caught up with her for my first recommended supplier interview of 2024...

Lottie and Emma got married at the lovely Cockliffe Country House in July 2023. They'd originally planned for 2020, but then EVERYTHING happened and they postponed to 2021. Seeing how things we're in early 2021, they decided to postpone their wedding reception to 2023 so that COVID could absolutely chuff off and they would be safe in the knowledge their wedding celebrations would be as full throttle as they initially planned!

And it absolutely was, but they had damn good reason to celebrate. Not only had they dealt with the pandemic, they relocated back to Nottingham after living in London for 10 years. Lottie also underwent emergency urgent spinal surgery the week of her legal ceremony. A rough couple of years, but these two were ready to let their hair down...!

Lottie and Emma both answered these questions seperately by email so don't know what the other answered, haha!

You wake up, you don’t know what time it is, you don’t WANT to know what time it is but you know you’ve got that thing to go to today, and you really don’t want to but you really have to and why, oh why did I have that Sambuca to finish the night... does this sound familiar?! C’mon, let’s not beat about the bush here; holidays are comin’, as are the hangovers. Dirty indulgent hangovers from all the dirty indulgent festive booze...! Here's a photo of me from over 10 years ago after a Christmas party. It is NOT pretty; but it's here to show that I know how awful you can feel (and look, let's be honest!) the morning after the night before when you did all those sambucas...!

Let's be frank here; if your skincare game isn't on point, then your makeup won't be. You could have half the beauty counter in your makeup bag, but you need a 10/10 skincare regime! So here are some top tips for the winter to get your skin through it in one (gloriously moisturised) piece...

Man, I have so many brushes. I bought a few single ones when I started getting into makeup then my lovely friends bought me a whole roll of makeup brushes and I didn’t know what many of them did; so many new and exciting things, I was gobsmacked! I now have two brush 'kits' (my personal one and my professional one), and I’ve changed many around when I’ve found better quality ones. That said, I don't spend loads on my brushes; there are a few specialist brushes that I've splurged on and some have been fabulous, some have been atrocious but it's one of my mid-range brushes that's my favourite make-up brush.

As we find our way through the rescheduling of many of the 2020/2021 rescheduled weddings, I figured it'd be a good idea to keep a list here of dates that I'm NOT available in 2021. 

If your wedding date is NOT listed below, please contact me to book in your wedding makeup. 

Having now been in business well over a decade, I've seen the trends come, go, and change but the one that's stuck around and if anything, grown in its power, is that of ethics and sustainability.

I wrote at length about being cruelty-free and using vegan makeup where possible here, but I wanted to go further than that so you can know what efforts I'm making and changing to be a sustainable and ethically responsible business. I want you to know that behind the scenes I'm doing what I can to make sure you're beautiful and the planet isn't hurt by my practices.

I never work on International Women's Day. It's the 8th March, and every year - along with my birthday, and my work anniversary, and Christmas - I buy myself a nice cake and a bottle of champagne! I absolutely make sure that I book the day off in my diary in advance. I wholly believe in celebrating myself on International Women's Day and think you should too! Especially as this year it falls on a Friday.

Last year I wrote a blog recommending some of my favourite female wedding suppliers who're doing great things. This year's theme is #InspireInclusion - here to celebrate those people who raise you up, bring you under their wing, who'll speak about you in rooms you're not in, and who will cheerlead you when you're rocking and comfort you when you're sobbing. There's very few people that will do that so selflessly, so this blog is here to celebrate those that I've found provide that incredible support and do things every day that will inspire inclusion in all that they do. 

The most used things in my makeup kit are often not items of makeup, or even skincare. Here's a little run down of all the bits and pieces I keep in my travelling makeup kit for a wedding day. You never know when something might come in handy!

During my 1-2-1 makeup lessons, I'm often asked about my favourite nude eyeshadow palettes. A staple for versitility, no matter your makeup style, nude eyeshadow palettes will have something for everyone. Matte eyeshadows have have a flat finish, which is great for achieving a natural look. More shimmery or metallica eyeshadows are more radiant and glam. I love a mix of the two, but I'd certainly lean more towards shimmery eyeshadows; probably because I'm a bit of a magpie! Here are some of my favourites nude eyeshadow palettes.

You know when you get a phone call that just stuns you and you don’t know what to say? That was me when I had a phone call from Andrew Sutherland, Director and one of the head stylists at Sutherland and Barnett; a hairdressing and colour salon. I’d entered a Facebook competition to celebrate the salon’s 10^th birthday, and I won £1000 of hairdressing!

"Do you use MAC make-up?"

It’s a question I get asked a lot as to what make-up brands I keep in my kit. When a potential client enquires, I go through a few names (the big brands and the smaller ones) but there’s noticeably one missing which would often be in other make-up artists’ kits. As I then say that I don't use their products before I've had a chance to explain I feel it sometimes goes against me as I then have to justify why I don’t.

On a night out or important occasion, I bet each of you have done this...

Charlotte contacted me a year before her wedding to book me for her big day after she'd followed me on Instagram for a while. Sorting out her contract and deposit within about 48 hours, she ticked me off her to-do list early on!

Kirsten and Chris had their festival themed wedding in September 2021 at the wonderful Sherwood Glade. Getting ready at home in Sherwood with her besties and brood, she then drove herself to the wedding at Arnot Hill in her open top car. What a rockstar!

So I know it’s a bit early to talk about Christmas but the time has come, and I’m feeling festive already! Maybe it’s the Christmas adverts on TV or mince pies in the shops or the fact that Baileys in on offer EVERYWHERE! Either way, I’m feeling jolly and in the festive spirit (okay, maybe that IS the Baileys...!) so from NOW until CHRISTMAS EVE at 11.59pm, my 1-2-1 make-up lessons are going to be reduced from £65.00 to £50.00!

I got to know Jaye through Twitter, as a blogger with a witty tongue and kind heart. She writes passionately and loves make-up; why wouldn't I love her?! We spoke about her dissertation piece in which she had to produce a magazine, and she asked if I'd write an article for it. I really enjoyed writing it so I've copied it below but you can see all things Jaye related on her blog here. (p.s. she does some AWESOME sale posts every now and then, keep your peepers out!)

So I’m Sali, I’m 29 and I’ve lived in Nottingham for about ten years. I hail from Wrexham in Wales and have been a make-up artist for around 8 years now. My nickname on moving to Nottingham was Salimoo and when I needed to decide on a business name, Ms Moo Make Up was just a natural choice.

There are a bazillion (yes, that's a word!) of articles for the shelf life of make-up but I don't think people really realise why it's so important.

Following my Christmas Beauty Gift List last week, here's my regular gift list! Lots of great small businesses, and other recommendations from me from over the course of the year that I think you'll enjoy!

Ellie and Louis got married in May 2024 on a bright sunny day, getting ready at her Mum's Wollaton home before going to St Andrew's church at Castle Gate with their reception at the gorgeous Holme Pierrepont Hall. Ellie had a great group of long-standing friends as her bridesmaids, and they all properly looked out for each other on the wedding morning.