Department store make up counters

It's a good way to learn if you want to do your own makeup. However, when you take into account your time and the money you will spend on makeup between now and the wedding it would probably be cheaper to book a professional makeup artist!

I'm sorry but I disergree with this.

For a pro to do wedding make up your looking around £50-£100 or somewhere around them prices. But if you buy the products that worked best for you once all trials in store are done and you picked your fav's then you still have them products for months after the wedding day.

As the OP said, the trials are free, Iv ne'er known a store to charge for a make up trial or tutorial because at the end of the day their trying to generate sales.

I see nothing wrong with those who do choose to go pro, but it is a big cost and if your confident enough to do your own make up then go for it! I will defiantly be enjoying all my wedding day make up for months after our wedding.

I've been quoted up to £180 for a MUA for the day!! OK, so that includes a trial, but that is a heck of a lot of money, and doesn't even include my bridesmaids or mum etc! That amount of money buys me a heck of a lot of even premium branded products which I can keep for ever!

What I did find, though, was that a lot of the stuff I have already, I just needed to know the best way to use it - so no need to spend extra cash on a multi-way primer/foundation thingy when I have the individual components, I just need to layer them differently, for example.

I did, actually, count up the amount I would be looking to spend on products, and even with premium Dior stuff, I will be no worse than evens, and will have products to use for a while, and as I do wear make up every day, I think its worth doing.

For those who are more on a budget, or don't wear make up every day/every time they go out, there is always the option of a premium foundation, plus cheaper brand eye make-up, for example, or head to the mid-range product counters such as bare minerals or benefit and ask them for a trial (both of which I've done in the past for office Christmas parties etc and have had equally good experiences!). Quite often, it is one specific product such as a blusher or colour of eyeshadow or finishing powder that can make all the difference!

I'd love to be pampered by a MUA on the day, but good ones are like gold dust here, and with a year to go, my chosen ones were already booked up.

I've got an appointment for my make up at the no7 counter in Boots in Manchester (bit more affordable than Dior lol) for my daughter's wedding next month. I've already spent half an hour with them talking over colours etc. They really were so helpful as I admit I'm not very good with make up.

I do expect to have to buy some products at the end but, as already mentioned, I will have them for some time then so not a waste of money.

What I have to lose is that a stranger touching my face would bring on a full on anxiety attack I'll take advice from them at a push, but I'm mostly gonna figure it out by researching, YouTube tutorials, and practice.

As someone who works on a beauty counter in a department store (you may have seen me mention this in previous posts) this made me smile. im pleased you had such positive experiences! As a general rule we all love our jobs and truly do love to help people with make up. There is rarely anything we haven't seen before... And yes, we are prone to the odd orange line

As for doing your make up yourself... If it's good enough for Kate Middleton it's good enough for me!

Not all trials are free. I've paid for make-up trials before.

I'm paying £70 for make-up for both me and my bridesmaid from an award winning MUA. My bridesmaid will be 12 and make-up wearing will be a one-off for her, and the make-up I'll be wearing on the big day is not the same as I would wear day to day. So quite apart from the fact I could never do it as well as a professional, no matter how many practice runs I had, it's also far more cost effective for me to have the MUA.

I got my make up from dior last weekend, doing my makeup myself and spent £120, the way I see it is I will have this makeup for a long time. I usually go for clinique but the eye makeup didn't do it for me and dior threw in freebies too. I would highly recommend them x

I did my own make up. I had a session at Bare Minerals and loved it. Yes, I spent a fortune on the products, but I now have a great make up collection (whereas before I had a BB cream, under eye concealer, mascara and lipstick). I loved the time I spent being taught how to apply the make up, including her supervising me practising! It made life a lot less stressful on the wedding day too. I did most if my make up very early in the morning when I woke up excited! I only needed to touch up a bit later. I just had my hairdresser later in the morning and it just felt very relaxed getting ready. I think if I'd had a MUA as well, time would have felt tight getting ready.

I suffer from anxiety. The wedding venue is an hour's drive from us but we only get access to it two hours before the wedding, and I'd far rather have a relaxing morning than have people filling my house when I'm going to be panicking about whether we've got everything and how long the drive is going to take. OH has bought me a voucher for a four-hour makeup masterclass, I'm going to treat myself to some nice products (after a few counter trials to find out which brand I like best), and then spend the next couple of years until the wedding practicing. Then, on the day, we'll have a nice girly morning with me, my Mum & the BMs doing our own/each other's makeup.

This is a really helpful post as I am very under decided on what to do with my make up on the day. Also nervous about asking at a counter but will closer to the time. The make up artist I was thinking of using has said if book this year will keep prices for 2016 x but it ius weighing up the prices as on a budget x

Thanks for this post - you've helped to make up my mind (I think, although I frequently unmake it). I'll (almost certainly) do this now... I think!

Hi all, I really wanted to use make up counter trials to help me do my own at my wedding but gave up and booked a MUA in the end. I think it really depends who you get on the day. I tried Mac, who from looking around seem to do the same look no matter what you ask for, I was obviously in on the heavy eyeshadow day!, Clarins, who made me look like I'd been tangoed, Clinique, who to be fair gave up on foundation and told me none of their foundation would work on my skin :-( . I've ended up with a MAU who is airbrushing foundation onto me and listens to me when I say I want a natural look that will still work on photos and she has been brilliant, really patient and obviously not trying to sell me anything :-) she also wasn't too expensive either but she is also doing my hair. I just think you've got to be open minded and honest about how stressed you might be on the day, try both MAU and counters if you can and go from there x

Had a similar experience at Clinique. I really wanted to like the foundation because of my spotty skin, but she had a nightmare trying to match my 'awkward skin'

i have an appointment with Bare Minerals on Monday but running out of time to practice now with only 14 days to go!! Eek!

As such a big advocate for make up counters I always think it's a crying shame when someone comes out feeling like what they asked for hasn't been translated into an achievable and GOOD look by the counter girl [CG].

A few tips and thoughts...

- DON'T write off a brand with one bad experience. Clarins (for example) have great colours/are a popular choice for foundation. One girl may have got this very wrong for you but not all will be...

- Try different department stores. Manchester for example will have at least 3 of each big counter give or take in the city centre. This is one of those things where you have to play things right, but on personal experience, I have customers who come to me and say "the last Clinique girl who did this for me did a terrible job, I hate Clinique." I don't do more for those customers than I would anyone else, I want everyone to have the best experience possible... but I will spend the time with them to unravel what was so wrong before and how I can make it right this time. My aim is always for them to walk away having fallen in love with our brand. We have high targets and pressurised sales jobs to a savvy, knowledgable customer base. Please forgive us if we run out of time and make a mistake... We are only human. :/

- DON'T feel disheartened because you are difficult to match. Change your tactics. Can the CG blend two colours or two foundations? With a purchase they may be inclined to give you a healthy sample of both colours so you get the perfect match on the big day. For example, those with blemishes, Clinique's Anti Blemish foundation is very yellow but can be toned down with "Super balance" shades to suit.

- DON'T feel overwhelmed doing your own make up, your H2B wants to see the woman he loves walking down the aisle, not a stranger.

- DON'T feel like premium, high end make up is the only way. Yes, they are fantastic across the board mostly, and there are some true hero products, but don't write off the highstreet. I truly believe in the old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Do you love your maybelline foundation? Your Simple skin care? Then use it!

- DON'T feel pressurised to do things THE RIGHT WAY with your make up. Do what works for you, with a few hints and tips from department stores, forums, magazines and yes, if it's what works for you, a make up artist. I am doing my own make up on the day to save money. There is however, something bloody lovely about someone doing your face and pampering you!

Ultimately, you know how to make you look and feel good. Don't panic, enjoy it!

I hope I have helped a little bit...

I would definitely say be honest....both as you go along and at the end. if the sales person asks if you like your eye make up...don't say yes just because you think you should. if you like the colours but not the effect, the say. if you hate it, then say. If she is any good the she will start again until she gets a look you are both happy with and can replicate yourself. but if you don't speak up you will go away disheartened which is not what anyone wants.

I will admit, I would love to have a MUA on my big day but this is one of those areas that needs compromise! !