Kylie McMichael ~ Bridal Makeup Artist + 15% Discount For Readers…

 

** To celebrate the launch of her new website, Kylie McMichael is offering Love My Dress readers 15% off the total booking fee on all orders placed for wedding day makeup including a trail.  This applies to the Bride only and the offer is open until the end of June 2012 **

 

Afternoon my lovely lot, I’d like to introduce you to another one of my highly valued and indeed highly recommended sponsors today – the people who invest into Love My Dress and make it reality.

Kylie McMichael is a Bridal Make Up Artist with experience in both contemporary and vintage styles of work. She also supplies hair styling services by special request.  Kylie is based in Hammersmith, West London but her wedding bookings take her all over the UK…

“I always had a keen interest in hair and make up, from a young age I used to watch my Nan and Aunt put theirs on, either for every day use or more glamorous occasions! I was hooked on the ideas of personal enhancement compared to total transformation.

Make Up for me is a such an endlessly creative and amazing array of product, you can use it in anyway you wish as an amateur and with some training and guidance learn to completely transform your confidence or appearance. After some amateur experience on personal shoots and music videos I trained at the London School of Beauty and Make Up in 2009, I have been a professional make up artist ever since.” 

Image Credit: Kylie McMichael

 

 
What do you love about your job?

I love that every single day is different. One day I will be on location shooting for a film, another I will be in a meeting for a forthcoming shoot and another I will be helping a Fiancee turn into a Bride on the biggest day of her life. Some months are very hectic and I am often working very long hours away from home but I never stop learning my trade and have always had valuable and fantastic experiences.

Can you briefly describe your products and services?

My work ranges from theatre, special effects and fashion/ beauty editorial based work to film and male grooming. I also love to create concept bridal shoots for inspiration, one of which I have just finished featured Charlotte Balbier and Amanda Wyatt pieces! There is however something incredibly special about being the beauty artist for someone’s wedding day. I find it extraordinarily humbling to think that a Bride has seen my work and decided it is right for them and the way they want to look on the most special, and memorable day of their lives.

Part of being a Bridal Make Up Artist is getting what’s in your Bride’s imagination of what they want to look like and making it a reality, as well as knowing to always listen to the Bride and putting them at ease ( your wedding day can be very stressful!), these are vital to the atmosphere of the whole day. I pride myself on these qualities and putting them into practise using my experience so that we can both create something beautiful!

What inspires you when it comes to your work?

To do and be the best at something I have a passion for. My family, my fiancee. My family are photo freaks so I am constantly looking back at their old pictures at the way they dressed, styled their hair, painted their faces learning the products my female relatives used and how they have evolved.

I am also a bit of a culture vulture, I love to walk around London sketching and taking photos of things as I go, noting down what to do practically when I get home. I love to read picture coffee table books for visual reference. One of my favourites is a book about Grace Kelly’s life. I love to watch people work, to see something evolve from a crumb of an idea to a wonderful entity.

How would you describe your signature style?

Classic with an edge. There has always been something different about the way I work, products I use, the way I use them and the end result. I love flawless skin teamed with either a neutral eye and a bold lip or an unusual sculpted eye and a natural flushed lip. Something flawless and classic teamed with something extravagant. I love to recreate vintage looks with a modern spin. You will see a lot of that on my website. But It’s all about what my clients want and need.

If you weren’t a makeup artist, what would you be?

If I weren’t a make up artist I would’ve considered studying History/ French/ English Literature. I’ve always loved languages and history and would find of the idea of going to Cambridge or Oxford sitting in the grounds reading the French translation of Jane Eyre very appealing! I do find reading and French both very intellectual and romantic. I am re learning French from my school days at the moment, I think I’m doing quite well but you’d have to talk to my tutor to find out!

Can you provide a price guide?

My services range in price dependant on what a Bride specifies and where. I start with a trial/ consultation. This ranges from £35-60 dependant on where you are based and who will be in the Bridal Party. A trial I like to think of as a grown up make over day! We both bring along images of inspiration (including the dress, hair styling design and any head pieces and jewellery) and I start from there. We discuss colours of the day and location of the ceremony and after party. This helps the both of us decide what products we would like to use.

This then helps design make up for the rest of the Bridal party. I also offer Bridal Make Up Classes which are perfect if you are investing in new products, if you are on a budget or already have a strong inclination of what you want to look like on the day, wish to do it yourself but are not entirely sure how to go about it. These start from £40 for a 2 hour session and take place in the comfort of your own home and cover everything from skin care for your skin type to a full face make over.

What do you love most about working with brides?

I love that every Bride is different, they all want similar things for their day but they all want to execute it in their own way, this makes my job different every time and I love that. One of my initial loves for working with Brides was creating something special for their wedding day. Recently becoming engaged and starting to plan my own wedding has made me realise how important the very small details are on a Bride’s wedding day that make it all the more special, how every decision you make is thought about thoroughly and has to be right for you, everything is very personal.

It’s the same with make up, during my training I was always told that a Bride should always look like an enhanced version of herself and that I had truly done a fantastic job if everyone commented on how beautiful she looked and not mentioned how beautiful her make up was. This means more to me now than it ever did before.

What are your top tips for brides considering in investing in new make up for their wedding?

Read my blog or book a consultation with me! One of the joys of being freelance is being able to review products for your clients and see how fantastic they actually are without being biased towards it. One of the things you gain from reading my blog and attending a consultation with me, is to never buy anything straight away!

Asking for samples from counter staff to try for a new skin care or make up routine is a very safe way to gain a new customer for most shop staff, if the product works the customer comes back. I have never bought anything the first time I saw it! Try it and decide if it’s ‘you’.

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If you are interested in finding out more or making an enquiry about Kylie’s wedding day makeup services {remember her 15% discount for Love My Dress readers until the end of June}, please email Kylie directly or visit Kylie’s website or blog. Kylie McMichael can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Much love all,

Annabel

♥

 

* This is a sponsored feature – all my sponsors receive an introductory feature like this. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email [email protected] and request a media pack.