Why is make-up twice the price?

peter_964rs

My fiancee and I have been trawling the 'web looking for wedding make-up and finding the costs high. Specifically, it's the thing where the word 'WEDDING' immediately doubles prices. We even found one website where the prices quoted clearly stated one price for make-up, and another (much higher) price for wedding make-up - although putatively they are the same materials and time spent, unless I am missing some subtle point. As I don't (often) wear make-up myself, I'm struggling to understand where this cost might come from.

Can anyone explain the additional expense for wedding make-up, as opposed to 'regular' make-up? Other than 'it's a wedding!' as the excuse of course

BTW we have seen plenty of Youtube videos of the 'Big Train' skits on wedding costs. No need to post these....

LilacPixie

usually wedding makeup gets a practice session or three a few weeks before the day.

Can your GF not just do her own?

moneypuddle

Is it maybe the airbrush style make up instead? Set to last the full day?

x

scottishchick27

Wedding day make up is generally thicker and more obvious than normal make up. It's possibly the same stuff that's used but they put more of it on than you would normally. It show up better on the photos.

Vaila

i dont understand, can you not just book to get a normal makeover, just its for you wedding?

mishkanorman

I did my own make-up, iv been wearing it for years and knew i could do it. My sister used a make-up artist though and had 4 meetings before the wedding 1 to discuss her needs in advance to get quote etc, 1 for a play around with colours, the 3rd was a day before trial including a facial for us both and then on the day the make-up artist was with us for a few hours and made it a lovely girly morning.

you are paying for someone else to take some of the stress on themselves, timings quality products that will last and most importantly a stunning look on the day,

mishka

SnowyOwl_2

My cousin's make-up artist had another wedding to do before her's. Consequently she was late arriving at her house. Her bridesmaid just did her own and the bride got the "professional" face. Nobody would have been any the wiser, they both looked OK.

honeypop

peter_964rs wrote: »

although putatively they are the same materials and time spent

A lot of the time, if having a proper 'make up artist' for the make up, rather than a 'beautician who also does make up' then it's not the same materials and time spent on wedding make up.

For wedding make up it has to last all day long, withstanding the heat and tears usually, and also has to look extremely good in close up flash photography (which a lot of normal make up doesn't!) and still look fresh and beautiful at the end of the night. To achieve this, usually higher quality make up is used and it takes a lot longer than your usual make over, I'd suggest that's why it costs more.

Obviously some make up artists and beauticians do over charge simply because it's a wedding, but sometimes the higher charges are justified as above. A standard make over is expected to last a few hours for an evening event perhaps, and sometimes would look not that great in photos especially by the end of the night and under flashlights, I have seen a lot of women who probably think their make up is fine but look not so good in a flash photo, you wouldn't want to risk that on your wedding day, although the lower quality the photography the less it would show I guess.

sassyblue

Can you try a department store? They will do a trial run and also do your make-up for the day, my sister works for Estee Lauder and often does make ups for weddings in-store.

ETA: Not sure what it costs if anything?

Hermia

peter_964rs wrote: »

Can anyone explain the additional expense for wedding make-up, as opposed to 'regular' make-up? Other than 'it's a wedding!' as the excuse of course

I think it's partly because it takes more time and is more stressful. My friend is a hairdresser and charges more for wedding hair than normal special event hair. She said with normal special event hair the woman comes in for a consultation, a trial run and then on the day itself. She says with weddings the woman will want to come in for endless consultations, trial runs and will usually change her mind several times. She says she has brides phoning her at home at all hours and she becomes a target for all their nerves and stress. It's basically just a much longer and more involved process thanwith normal special event hair.

When it comes to weddings just try and avoid anything that has the word wedding in the title! My friend bought a bridesmaid dress for her wedding. It was pretty much identical to many of the wedding dresses, but was a fraction of the cost.

Make-it-3

Anything with the word 'wedding' attached to it costs more money - its just a scam to make you spend.

If you don't normally wear make-up you probably won't want something that's applied with a trowel, you feel uncomfortable in or makes you out to be something you're not.

Go to a department store a few weeks before hand for a make-over - even then don't say its for a wedding just 'a special occasion, if you like what they do then buy a few of the products and experiment yourself at home before the big day.