Behind the Scenes – Polished Makeup & Hair

6 Beauty Secrets From Professional Makeup Artists

Team Polished — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 08:45:00 +0000

Hey girl,
It’s wedding planning time and that means hair and makeup planning!

You might be hiring a professional for your wedding but what about the honeymoon?! You want to have the right products to make your makeup application a breeze in any situation.

So, what are the secrets that professional makeup artists use to make brides look their best? Here are six of our favorites:

Prep the skin! Before applying any makeup, it’s important to properly prep your skin. This means cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing your skin. This will ensure your makeup goes on smoothly and increases the lasting power of your makeup.
Our favorite moisturizer is Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

2. Invest in the right brushes for you. The right brushes can make all the difference when it comes to applying makeup. If you’re not sure what brushes are best for you, try heading into a makeup store and ask the artists, they can guide you on what brush goes where. Our favorite place in Houston is in the same place as our studio! If you’re in Houston, come stop by The MUA Project for all your makeup needs.

3. Use a setting spray. To keep your makeup looking fresh all day. It helps to lock in your makeup, making it last longer and it keeps it from melting off in this Texas heat! Be sure to use a setting spray that is right for your skin type, if you have dry skin try a hydrating setting spray. If you’re on the oily side, try a mattifying setting spray to hold back the shine.

Here’s a few great ones:

Cinema Secrets Super Sealer – Great for oily skin, or if you’ll be crying or sweating
Skindinavia Bridal Spray – Perfect for that hydrated, more glowy skin finish
Ben Nye Final Seal – A Pro favorite, also used by the Houston Ballet for its lasting power. This one smells minty, so if that’s not your thing, I would skip this one.

4. Before your wedding day, schedule a preview with your hair and makeup artist to test out the look you have in mind. This helps make sure you’re happy with the final result and we have the chance to make adjustments if you’d like to try something different. This will also give you an opportunity to discuss any special concerns you may have before the big day, not to mention, it totally helps you stress less.

5. Go with the theme. Your wedding theme should be reflected in your hair and makeup choices! If you’re having a beach wedding, a natural and effortless look may be the look for you, while a formal, black-tie event may call for a more elegant, and formal polished look. Consult with your artist if you need help deciding what could look good with your dress and theme.

6. This is always on our recommendation list! Pamper yourself. In the weeks leading up to your wedding, take care of your skin and hair. Drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest to ensure that your skin and hair are in the best condition possible. Get a facial, massage, and try to relax. This is your time to pamper yourself because, with all this wedding planning, YOU DESERVE IT!

At Polished Makeup & Hair, we understand the importance of looking and feeling your best for all of your special moments in life. Knowledge is something that no one can take away from you so now you’ll always be prepared if you need to do your makeup! Pick up that makeup brush with confidence, because girl, these tips are gold!

Now, get ready to conquer that wedding checklist!

PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Bledsoes Photography

Leighanne Herr Photography

Amy Maddox Photography

A Romantic Vow Renewal at Pine Forest Country Club in Houston, TX

Team Polished — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:28:00 +0000

OMG, I can’t wait to tell you all about the amazing hair and makeup looks we created for the vow renewal photo session at Pine Forest Country Club!

Our beauty team specializes in providing luxurious hair and airbrush makeup services that will leave you feeling like a total babe. Whether you choose to get ready at our studio or on location, we want to make sure you look and feel like the best version of yourself no matter where you are.

We take the time to really get to know you and your personal style. Whether you’re into a classic look or something more modern, we’ve got you covered.

Ok, let’s get into this deluxe vow renewal!

The bride was feeling the glam vibes and wanted to show off her highlights, so we gave her some fabulous glamour waves. We even pulled a little bit of hair back on one side to really show off that gorgeous face of hers. If you’re looking to feel like a glam goddess, these waves are a must-try!

For her makeup, we went for a soft and romantic look that made her eyes pop. We stuck with browns and earth tones for her eyes, added a soft blush and a natural nude-pink matte lip color. Matte lip colors are our favorite for those days you know your going to be kissing your loved one.

The bridal suite at Pine Forest Country Club is like a dream come true for us! It’s spacious, has huge mirrors, and lots of great lighting, the perfect place for getting ready.

The bride and her sister were thrilled with their hair and makeup looks, it was a wonderful feeling to see them both looking and feeling their best! If you love feeling fabulous, polished and pampered, you know we are the team for you!

Let’s chat about these flowers! They’re giving us all the heart eyes. Blues and whites were the main players, with Hydrangeas, roses, and greenery taking center stage. The scene was just so dang lovely!

Our team was beyond excited to be a part of this gorgeous vow renewal at Pine Forest Country Club. Getting to make the bride and her sis feel like total babes for their special moment was seriously the best! If you’re in need of a romantic and beautiful spot for your vow renewal, Pine Forest Country Club is the way to go.

Team Polished is all about making sure you have the best day ever and that starts with feeling confident and beautiful. So sit back, relax, and let us take care of the rest! Now sit back and enjoy these marvelous photos from their vow renewal.

Credits

Magazine: Weddings in Houston

Venue: Pineforest Country Club ⁠

Photography: Naheeda Spencer Photography ⁠

Planning & Design: Mari and Jess Designs ⁠

Floral Design: Pom Pom Florists ⁠

HAMU: Polished Makeup and Hair ⁠

Paper Suite & Signage: Wild Wolf Creative Co ⁠

Linens/Rentals: Decor by Dulce ⁠

Cake: The Chocolate Llama ⁠

Fine Jewelry: Privosa ⁠

Gowns: Belleame Bridal Houston ⁠

Videography: Oryan Photo & Video⁠

Live Painter: Rendered Moments ⁠

Dance Floor: Double Oak Events

Intimate Downtown Wedding

Team Polished — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:18:00 +0000

Follow our bride, Sydney, and her new hubby as they celebrate their wedding day in downtown Houston.

Sydney loves the simple things in life, a natural makeup look went perfectly with her classy minimal wedding dress.

Airbrush makeup is a must on a humid day in Houston.

Sydney chose not to wear false lashes for comfortability reasons, just a bit of waterproof mascara, and she’s on her way to wifey status.

Getting Ready

We took care of Sydney, her mom and sister’s makeup in the comfort of her home. Then it was off to the downtown courthouse.

A simple pop up changing station from Amazon was just what Sydney needed for a quick change into her wedding dress.

Fold the changing station back up and it’s like it was never there.

Now it’s time for the reveal.

A Lovely Reception

The restaurant Sydney and Erik chose for the reception is perfect for their earthy natural style.

Not many extra decorations needed on top of the already gorgeous space. Just simple flowers as center pieces, fill the room with your loved ones and your ready to have a great time.

Credits

Photography – Lauren Marek
Makeup Artist – Polished Makeup & Hair

Wedding Makeup for Brown Eyes

Team Polished — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:05:00 +0000

Wedding makeup for brown eyes

Let’s accentuate those beautiful eyes and lips with liner and lipstick!

First, let’s used a dark brown eyeliner instead of black so it looks a bit softer, and it plays nicely with the warm eyeshadow tones.

Then, we added a pop of color to Kendall’s bridal makeup!

We created a gorgeous custom pink lip stain to match the pops of color in her floral bouquet.

Kendall also got a lip touch up kit so she can re-apply later.

lots of curls

Just look at that natural red head bride! Isn’t she lovely. We gave bride, Kendall, small curls to suit her short hair, lots of bounce and shine!

Airbrushed skin

We love freckles here, and if you do too then we are ready to show those beauty’s off!

Our airbrush makeup was perfect for easily covering any acne, redness and blemishes, while still letting the beauty of her skin show through.

the best false lashes for bridal

These fluttery lashes are the best match for Kendall’s perfect bridal look, and best of all, they are COMFORTABLE!

Our favorite style of bridal lashes are fluffy, flared out on the ends a bit, light-weight and comfy.

Check out some of our favorites right here in Houston, TX!

Get inspired

We hope you found some great wedding inspirations!

Check out our blog for more bridal hair and makeup looks, The best wedding hairstyles for 2021.

Credits

Photography: The Bledsoes Photography

Venue: The Creative Chateau

Planning and Coordination: Set in Stone

Floral Design: Amanda Bee Floral

Hair and Makeup: Polished Makeup and Hair

Model: Kendall Michele

Bridal Portraits at The Creative Chateau

Team Polished — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:36:07 +0000

Effortless ponytail

How stunning is our bride Lauren! We did a lovely messy ponytail to show off that gorgeous neckline.

Bridal ponytails are a great way to look classy and leave a little hair down, yet still have it pulled out of your face.

classic bridal makeup

We paired Lauren’s classic hairstyle with a clean, simple makeup look meant to focus on the beauty of her skin.

Just a touch of browns on the eyes, gorgeous full lashes and a soft pink lip color just a shade or 2 darker than Lauren’s natural lip color giving her that perfect bridal makeup look.

This natural makeup look is one of our most requested looks by our brides!

Lovely Skin

Skin care is half the battle when it comes to making your makeup look nice and smooth.

We suggest starting to drink more water and getting on a skin care regimen in the 6 months (or more) leading up to your wedding, your skin will thank you!

bridal trials

It’s a great idea to schedule your bridal hair and makeup trial on the same day you’ll be taking your bridal portraits.

You’ll get a chance to see how your hair and makeup looks on camera and how long it lasts, giving you peace of mind for your wedding day.

Booking a trial also gives you the opportunity to make some changes to your hairstyle or makeup look before your big day, because let’s face it, we change our minds sometimes!

Beautiful Location

One of the secrets to getting lovely bridal portraits is a beautiful location!

The Creative Chateau is luxurious and has amazing natural light, perfect for capturing those stunning shots.

Not to mention, the amazing classic vintage décor just adds to all the beauty in the room!

A few other places you could take your bridal portraits are outdoors or at your wedding venue.

We also love the Houston Botanic Garden and Dukessa!

Amazing photography

Our friends, The Bledsoes, are a fun husband and wife team who capture their brides in the most beautiful way!

When you find a photographer you can connect with and genuinely enjoy being around, you will definitely get amazing photos in return.

Get inspired

Taking your bridal portraits is all about having fun, feeling gorgeous and creating new memories!

Get some inspirations for the best bridal hairstyles here.

Credits

Photography: The Bledsoes Photography

Venue: The Creative Chateau

Planning and Coordination: Set in Stone

Floral Design: Amanda Bee Floral

Hair and Makeup: Polished Makeup and Hair

Model: Lauren Rainey, Page Parkes

Hair Lengths

Team Polished — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 20:07:09 +0000

Did you know the length of your can strongly determine what hairstyle we are able to create for you?

Check out the different lengths in the photos below to get a good idea of what we can do with your hair!

If your on the fence about hair extensions, this blog should help you decide if you need extensions to achieve the style you want on your wedding day.

Lastly, your hair length can also determine if you will be charged an additional fee, if your hair is passed your butt, you can bet there will be an extra charge.

Short & shoulder length Hair

Short and sweet hairstyles usually take about 45 minutes or less to complete.

Medium length hair (a little passed your shoulders)

Medium hair takes about 45 minutes, depending on the hairstyle you ask for.

Long hair

Long hair takes about 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on the hairstyle.

Extra long hair

Usually there is an additional charge for those with extra long hair.

It’s simple, the more hair you have, the longer it will take to style your hair, so be sure to check in with your stylist if you have extra long hair.

Extra long hair typically takes about 1-1.5 hours.

Check out our hairstyling blog for more hair inspirations!

Credits

Polished – Fabiola
Polished – Rubi
Polished – Samantha

Best Bridal Hairstyles

Team Polished — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 03:43:02 +0000

Best Bridal and bridesmaid hairstyles

There are tons of hairstyles to choose from on your wedding day!

Up-do’s, down styles, half-up, half -down, braids, twists and the list goes on and on.

Sometimes it can be tough choosing a style that is perfect for you, so we are here to help!

Here are some of the best bridal and bridesmaid hairstyles.

Down Hairstyles

Just look at those luscious curls and waves!

Down hairstyles are beautiful and effortless and can be great for your engagement party, date night or your wedding day.

Half-up, Half-down

Half-up, half-down styles are great when you want to have your hair down, but pulled out of your face.

These hairstyles are best for all types of wedding attendees including flower girls, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and mother of the groom.

Bridal and Bridesmaid Updo's

We love bridal updo’s! Especially when it’s hot and humid, which is about 99% of the time here in Texas.

Talk about a great way to look classy and keep your hair from sticking to your neck.

Updo’s are also great when you want to show off that beautiful neckline detail on your wedding dress.

Bridesmaid Braids

Check out these bridesmaid braided hairstyles.

And how about these brides with braids.

Side Styles

Side styles are so much fun! Check out these different hairstyles created by our team members Lilly & Rubi.

Bridal Hair Accessories

Hair accessories or no hair accessories? That is the question!

Hair accessories can really spice up your look, there are all kinds of shapes and sizes to choose from.

Our team can help you find something that goes perfectly with your dress, jewelry and style.

We offer a variety of bridal hair pieces such as clips, pins, hair vines, rhinestones, pearls, crowns and tiara’s.

Wedding Veils

Will you wear a veil on your wedding day?

Just like the hair accessories, there are lots of lengths and styles to choose from.

From cathedral length veils to finger-tip veils and bird-cages, you can find some gorgeous veils at our friend Marry Go Round Bridal.

Short hair styles

Short hair gets love too! Whether your a bride, mother of the bride or a bridesmaid, we want you to feel beautiful.

Hair extensions or no?

Clip in hair extensions are a great way to add length and/ or thickness!

Check out our bride below, Stefanie at our trial and on her wedding day.

See a difference in her hair?

We decided adding hair extensions on the big day would be a great choice!

Extensions can be used for up or down bridal hairstyles.

HAIR TIPS:

– Look for wedding bridal hairstyle photos with the same hair color as you (or as close as possible).

– Ever heard it’s best to come with you hair dirty? WE SAY NO! It’s best to wash your hair the night before your appointment, with NO CONDITIONER or leave-in products.

I know, it sounds weird, but I promise it will help your style hold much longer. We can always add products to soften the hair if needed.

– Use a deep conditioner in the months leading up to your wedding so your hair is healthy and shiny (just not the day before).

– Colored hair? We recommend touching up your color pretty close to your wedding day, because I mean, who doesn’t love fresh hair color!

– Don’t cut your hair! Wait until after your wedding to cut those luscious locks, this way we have more length to play with.

– Want a bridal hairstyle that your hair isn’t long enough for? Get extensions! Just make sure they are 100% human hair so we can use our heat tools to style it.

Clip-in hair extensions are our favorite since they are easy to clip in the hair and remove when you want.

Check out our blog on different hair lengths, what we can do and how long it will take here!

Credits

Mallory Lane Photos

Ashlynn Mari Photos

Yokan Studio

Amy Maddox

Alicia Porras Photography

K Ruiz Photography

Annie Lui

FR Weddings

Leslie Margarita Photography

Beckendorff Farms

The Gin at Hidalgo Falls

The Springs

Sandlewood Manor

Bella Moon

Dukessa

The Barn at Willowynn

The Oak Atelier

Polished Makeup & Hair

Why Are Bridal Hair and Makeup Trials Important?

Team Polished — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 04:24:24 +0000

Wondering if a bridal hair and makeup trial is really worth the time and investment?

We say yes!

And here’s a few reasons why.

MAKEUP VARIATIONS

During your bridal hair and makeup trial we will help you find the perfect look that will suit your individual style.

Most Polished brides are women that don’t wear makeup on the daily, so this whole makeup thing is like visiting uncharted waters, but don’t worry!

Team Polished is dedicated to making your best hair and makeup vision come to life.

In the world of makeup, there aren’t specifics on how a smokey eye looks or how a natural makeup application is done, there are tons of variations.

Your version of a “natural” bridal makeup look can be completely different from my version of a “natural” look.

CONFIDENCE

If hair and makeup are not something you tend to dabble in, we highly recommend booking a trial.

We advise not trying anything new on your wedding day and that includes hair and makeup, we want no unexpected surprises!

A bridal hair and makeup trial will not only give you peace of mind knowing you can trust us as your artists, but it will also give you confidence in knowing we have your exact look mapped out.

Our professionals will take notes on your hair type, skin type, makeup colors and take lots of photos during your trial so it’s smooth sailing on your wedding day.

Get some inspirations from our past brides here!

What to Expect During Your Bridal Hair and Makeup Trial

Questions, lots and lots of questions!

We love getting to know our brides by chatting about your wedding day vision.

We want your hair and makeup to not only reflect your personal style, we also want to ensure the colors and accessories mesh perfectly with every element of your wedding.

What are your wedding colors?

What does your dress look like?

Will your wedding be in-door, outdoor or both?

Will you be wearing a veil?

Do you want your bridesmaids to have a specific hair & makeup look or do they have creative freedom?

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg, why so many questions you ask?

THE APPLICATION

During your trial, we will most likely be working on your hair and makeup at the same time, so give us about 1.5 hours of your time.

If we do happen to work on your hair and makeup separately, give us about an hour for each service.

Find out here why we adore airbrush makeup for our brides.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING TO YOUR BRIDAL hair and makeup TRIAL?

Bring your ideas and inspirations!

Whether you have photos from Pinterest, Instagram or a bridal magazine, bring what you have in mind.

We can help create the perfect look suited specifically for you.

Got hair accessories? Bring those too! Even if you bought a few different accessories, bring them all!

We can play around with each one to see which will look the best.

Here are some hair accessories we love on Amazon and Etsy.

Lastly, arrive with a clean face and freshly washed, dry hair.

TRIAL TIPS:

Be open-minded! Makeup looks different on camera than it does in person, so our goal is to find a happy medium where you love the way you look on camera and in person!
Wear white to your trial or schedule your trial on the same day as your final dress fitting. This will give you a better idea on whether you like that lip color or hair accessory you had in mind.
Finding the perfect look and artist can take time, make sure to book your trial with plenty of time before your wedding day.
Some brides schedule their trial up to a year in advance so they can check it off their list, we suggest scheduling your trial a minimum of 1-2 months prior to your wedding day.
When looking at inspirational photos, try looking at hairstyles with similar hair color as you.
Keep in mind, many photos on Instagram and Pinterest have been photo shopped or filters have been added to them.
Have skin concerns? Try visiting a dermatologist at least 6 months prior to your wedding to give your skin time to adjust