Kristi is a busy woman - she is a wife, mommy to two precious little ones, she has a full time job AND she is the co-owner of His & Hers Photography. Kristi has never been a "girly girl" - she was always busy playing sports and makeup has never been a priority for her. When she asked me to do her makeup for her maternity photos was I was very excited to work with her. Her very natural style is like many of my makeup clients.
I meet many of these clients after they have had unsuccessful trial runs with other artists. I rarely get to see their previous makeup looks and I get very few details about their experiences, but I am frequently told their makeup was too thick and too heavy.
Since I was going to be Kristi's makeup, I was hoping she would be up to doing her makeup a few more times and photographing her makeup in various stages and she said "Yes." Oscar, Kristi's husband and fellow business partner, agreed to photograph her makeup.
This blog has Kristi's thoughts about her experience and the accompanying photos. Kristi's thoughts and opinions about this experience are her own. I am hoping the photos below will show you that there is a difference between doing your own makeup and using a makeup artist. I also hope you can see there is a big difference in makeup artistry.
You can listen to Kristi, Oscar and Keri Ann talk about this project by clicking HERE.
This is Kristi without makeup.
I think Kristi has good skin with very few blemishes. She also has quite a few freckles - she's not a huge fan of those freckles, but Oscar loves them [ladies, your men love your freckles, so embrace them]. Kristi actually thinks she has patchy looking skin and struggles with blemishes on and off.
This is Kristi before and after doing her own makeup.
Kristi says she wears light makeup on a daily basis to even her skin tone.
Here are Kristi's thoughts about applying her own makeup:
Pros –
It was free (ish):
I had to buy a few things for makeup, but for the most part there wasn’t money spent.
Convenience:
I can do it whenever I’m ready and head out the door.
Sanitation:
Because I was doing it myself, I obviously didn’t have to worry
about other people’s germs being on the makeup.
Cons –
I know nothing about makeup:
In hindsight, I probably should have done my makeup before we podcasted or
[Keri Ann] did my makeup.
I was able to implement some of the things I observed in doing my own makeup.
Even with using those tips and tricks, my makeup job was obviously done
by someone who doesn’t own much makeup or know what they are doing.
Lashes:
Regardless of watching you and the salon do my eyelashes,
I didn’t even attempt to do them for myself.
Therefore no lashes got done, which is a bummer because that was probably my favorite part.
This is Kristi before & after she went to a brick & mortar location to have her makeup done.
Kristi & I worked together to choose a local brick & mortar chain with locations all over greater Houston. The location we chose had a licensed salon & offered hair and other skin services.
She had no idea who the makeup artist would be. She did tell the MUA multiple times that she
never wears makeup and she was getting makeup done for her maternity photos.
Kristi & I worked together to choose a local brick & mortar chain with locations all over greater Houston. The location we chose had a licensed salon & offered hair and other skin services.
She had no idea who the makeup artist would be. She did tell the MUA multiple times that she
never wears makeup and she was getting makeup done for her maternity photos.
Here are Kristi's thoughts about her brick & mortar location makeup experience:
Pros –
You can schedule a time and knock it out quickly and easily:
It was pretty convenient to call a few days before,
show up, get it done and leave.
Inexpensive:
It was not that much money for makeup and lashes.
That said, I think you get what you pay for in this case.
[It was $65 + the 20% I added for gratuity]
Typically able to get hair and makeup done at the same location:
It is nice to be able to tag team makeup and hair if needed.
Cons -
It was pretty convenient to call a few days before,
show up, get it done and leave.
Inexpensive:
It was not that much money for makeup and lashes.
That said, I think you get what you pay for in this case.
[It was $65 + the 20% I added for gratuity]
Typically able to get hair and makeup done at the same location:
It is nice to be able to tag team makeup and hair if needed.
Cons -
No consult to get to know me or my style:
I ended up with makeup that was beyond overboard considering my "natural" style.
It also looked nothing like the sample photo I showed the MUA.
It was a cold appointment:
By this I mean that there wasn't an attempt to talk to me, to chitchat.
I know we don't pay for the conversation, but talking is part of the fun to me.
No clue what was being done:
In my experience, the MUA not only didn't talk to me,
but she didn't explain what she was getting ready to do
(i.e. put on eyelashes, use concealer, eyeshadow, etc).
For someone who is clueless about makeup,
these tips would've been nice and shown great customer service
Sales pitch:
There was pressure to get my eyebrows done or
my hair done or
[individual] eyelash [extensions] applied
Lashes:
The lashes were too heavy and one of them started
falling off in the car on the way home.
Sanitation:
Granted, it would probably be a more expensive appointment
if you got all new brushes...it was yucky that she used the tube of lipstick
directly on my lips. I did not see her wipe off the top, she didn't use
another brush to apply...who knows where that thing was...
I ended up with makeup that was beyond overboard considering my "natural" style.
It also looked nothing like the sample photo I showed the MUA.
It was a cold appointment:
By this I mean that there wasn't an attempt to talk to me, to chitchat.
I know we don't pay for the conversation, but talking is part of the fun to me.
No clue what was being done:
In my experience, the MUA not only didn't talk to me,
but she didn't explain what she was getting ready to do
(i.e. put on eyelashes, use concealer, eyeshadow, etc).
For someone who is clueless about makeup,
these tips would've been nice and shown great customer service
Sales pitch:
There was pressure to get my eyebrows done or
my hair done or
[individual] eyelash [extensions] applied
Lashes:
The lashes were too heavy and one of them started
falling off in the car on the way home.
Sanitation:
Granted, it would probably be a more expensive appointment
if you got all new brushes...it was yucky that she used the tube of lipstick
directly on my lips. I did not see her wipe off the top, she didn't use
another brush to apply...who knows where that thing was...
This is Kristi before & after Keri Ann did her makeup.
It was very important to Kristi and Oscar, that Kristi look like herself.
She wanted a very soft & natural makeup look for her maternity photos.
Here are Kristi's thoughts about having her makeup done by Keri Ann:
Pros –
Convenience:
It's obviously the most convenient experience to be at your house, have your MUA show up & get to business. I could also get the input of my husband and family during the process.
Tips and tricks:
There was a personal aspect to the appointment. I don't know if it is common practice to show the client the makeup throughout the process, but it calmed my nerves to see bits and pieces of how it was going in the mirror. Not to mention that I felt comfortable enough to ask what this product was or why you do this instead of that...Perfect for someone who is VERY new to makeup.
The Personal Touch:
Even before the appointment, I was sent an email giving pointers to get the most out of the appointment, including drinking plenty of water, maintaining your regular face-washing routine, etc. From the start of the appointment, there was a client information sheet to get to know me (including allowing me to note my skin sensitivity, my preferences, etc). Then throughout the appointment, Keri Ann very sweetly put up with my toddler and mother-in-law all the while making me look great!
Getting what I wanted:
Because the time was taken to get to know me and my personal style, I got the right balance of the sample photo I showed her and what I would actually wear without looking fake.
Cons –
Investment:
It was definitely a less inexpensive version.
But again, I think you get what you pay for in this situation.
In Your Home:
For some, I could see this being a con.
For me, personally, not so much, but I guess not everyone would be as
comfortable inviting someone they don't really know into their home.
To see how Kristi's makeup turned out for her maternity photo session, please click HERE.
For more information about His & Hers Foto, please click HERE.
We'd love to get your thoughts about this experience by hearing from you here:
