Bridal Beauty: Make-Up Artist Hollie Danby’s Must-Know Tips

It takes a lot of people to create a truly unique and beautiful wedding, and one of the things we love most about hosting them is the amazing artists we get to meet. Whether it’s florists, chefs, planners, entertainers, or musicians, everyone is passionate about their craft, and we find it so inspiring to work alongside them.

Makeup artists are often tucked behind the scenes, but for the bridal party, they play a huge role in the day—often being there from early in the morning until the moment you leave to walk down the aisle.

Hollie Danby is a Dorset-based makeup artist we’ve worked with on numerous weddings. In this blog she’s shared her expert tips on achieving flawless bridal beauty. From long-lasting makeup hacks to choosing the perfect look for your big day, Hollie offers everything you need to feel confident and radiant all day, and night, long.

Image credit Yeah Mike Photography: https://www.yeahmikephotovideo.com/
Image credit for title image Jack Aldridge Photography: https://www.jackaldridgephotography.co.uk/

Q. How do I choose a hair & make-up artist?
A. First, consider whether you’d like to book two different people or have the same person to do both. There’s no right or wrong. Having the same person do both your hair & makeup means fewer appointments, admin & fewer people around on your wedding morning if you want to keep it smaller. If you choose two different people, make sure they’ve worked together before and that their styles align.
Next, think about location. I always advise choosing someone local if you can. It’s always great to support the local economy where you’re getting married, and travel costs on the day will also be lower. I mostly try not to travel more than an hour and there are so many great artists all over the country. The only thing to bear in mind though when choosing an artist local to the area you are getting married in is often you will have to travel to them or they will have to travel to you for your hair & makeup trial so ensure you factor in these expenses if you don’t live in the same area.

Next, what style of hair & makeup are you looking for? Don’t choose an artist who showcases a lot of heavier, glam looks if you want a natural look, and vice versa. Artists can create most things for you but it’s much better to choose a style within their skillset as you’ll likely get the desired outcome.

Lastly, choose someone you actually think you’ll get on with. Your hair & makeup artist is with you for a long time on your wedding day so choose wisely! What kind of energy do you want for the day? Someone calming? Someone with big energy? Ensure you get a good vibe match & someone you can communicate well with so you start your day in the best way possible!

Q. I don’t know much about hair & make-up and have no idea what to ask for - all I know is I want to look my best! Any advice?!
A. The best advice I can give is to think about your day-to-day hair and makeup routine and then what you would do on a night out/event. I often ask for photos of both of these so I can assess what your ‘normal’ is. Some people (for example me, haha) don’t leave the house without their eyebrows drawn on while others (not me) don’t leave the house unless they are fully glam. ‘Your best’ looks different for everyone…! We want something that feels like you, but elevated slightly for you to feel your best. Perhaps a happy medium in-between your going out/event makeup & your everyday. Your look, especially your hair, ties in with what you’re wearing. So we also bring in details, styles & colours from your dress to help influence the hair & makeup so it flows beautifully.

Another point is: Pinterest CAN be good for hair & makeup inspiration, but it also can be awful… It can lead you down a loophole of AI images of women who aren’t even real & cause you to spiral because of unattainable beauty standards. I tend to point my clients to look at red carpet looks as they are always bespoke to the client. Have a think about someone you’ve been told you look like or someone with similar hair to you, then similar colouring and start there. You’re more likely to get some more modern ideas from there too as sometimes searching ‘bridal’ can bring up some very dated styles.

Q. Should I have a trial?
A. Absolutely, yes. Your trial is probably the most important part of the booking. You’ll get to know your artist & also try a few ideas to see what you like. It’s very much a two way process so the more you prepare for your trial, the more you will get out of it. I had a client recently create a look-book for her wedding day complete with: her two dresses, her accessories, colour scheme, flower ideas, colours she likes for makeup, hair styles she likes, details from makeup looks she likes. Putting them all together like this, similar to a vision board, means I can see the full picture of your day and everything that’s going into it. Something like this is absolutely perfect to bring to a trial as we have all the ideas in front of us, know what we’re doing and then I can add my creative spin on it. Giving you the best of my abilities. Whereas, if you arrive with no idea at all, we’ll spend most of your trial figuring out what you do want and we won’t have the time to really finesse or amplify any ideas.

Q. How do I prep my skin to make sure it’s looking its best on my wedding day?
A. I send out a welcome guide filled with information about looking after your skin and if any client reaches out to me with specific issues I will always offer bespoke advice. The earlier you start looking after your skin the better it will look on your wedding day. My clients generally book their wedding 1 year+ in advance so I always encourage them to start with a good routine then. Generally I encourage more hydration & also exfoliation so makeup sits well on the skin. Your makeup is never going to sit well on skin that is washed with no skincare routine just soap & water… I’ve seen it many times before! Makeup just sits on top of the skin & never looks right. I recommend everyone to follow Caroline Hirons, download her app & buy her books called ‘Skincare’. It’s a 101 for basic skincare & packed with tips. Also please don’t use lots of acids & retinoids without doing your research on how to use these properly! You’ll damage your skin. If you use them properly however you’ll get great results.

Outside of at-home skincare there are also clinical treatments. I had a hydra facial recently & was absolutely blown away. It’s the only facial I’ve ever had with instant wow - which is its USP. I highly recommend these towards the lead up to your wedding. They are also tailored for the type of skin you have so are beneficial to everyone. There are lots of other treatments like peels, Venus Freeze & LED light therapy which are all incredible too. Locally I recommend Sarah Dale in Poundbury. I also use my at home LED mask (use HOLLIEMUA for discounts!) almost everyday & am loving the results - seeing smoother, glowier & plumper skin.

Q. Do you have any star products you recommend brides buy?
A. A hat, a good spf & sunglasses. Keep the sun away from your skin and thank me later! Get a good spray tan / fake tan instead. There's also lots of ideas here also of what to have in your wedding handbag.

Q. Will my hair & make up need topping up during the day/evening?
A. All artists do everything in their power to create something that is going to last as long as possible for you. But we can’t promise everything will stay just as it is in the morning. For example, if you have a low, undone bun and people are hugging you all day, your hair is going to get bashed around so it definitely won’t stay intact unless extra care is taken. I once heard of a guest’s bracelet getting caught in a bride’s hair and pulling it out, so there are issues like this that are beyond our control. Also the weather has a massive part to play too! Wind and rain are not a hair stylist’s friend. The only thing you can do is have two styles like a hair up and a hair down look then on the day see what the weather is like and go for whichever one works best for the day’s weather. The most likely scenario with your hairstyle is that it will end up looking a little more ‘lived in’ by the end of the day. Unless you go for something like a sleek, editorial bun or Hollywood waves which tend not to budge.

Makeup wise we often wipe around our nose & mouth or obviously eyes too if you’re a bit emotional so you may need some top ups here. We emphasize dab and don’t rub to prolong your makeup. There are some professional sprays that can be used to ensure makeup is completely waterproof, but they are pretty heavy duty and personally I would just prefer to have a little concealer in my makeup bag to top up if needed on any areas that really need it. If you want to refresh your makeup later in the day, spritz your skin with a finishing spray like the Charlotte Tilbury one, this will help refresh your makeup and blend any top ups into your makeup beautifully. Most likely you might just need a dab of concealer as mentioned and usually always a top up of your lip products. You will probably be having far too much fun to even worry about doing any of this!

As another option there’s usually an optional add-on to have an artist come back in the evening, refresh your hair + makeup or even create a second look for you. Some artists can also be there post-ceremony for you too.

More tips:

I love products like lip stains which you can use on cheeks & they last sooo much longer!
I only ever use the Beauty Pie waterproof mascara which is what I call bulletproof. You can rely on her, trust me! No smudgy mascara here.
I only ever use It Cosmetic's Bye Bye Undereye, a waterproof concealer, under eyes.
Don’t ever, ever, ever use a steamer post-makeup or your hair & makeup artists will cry. Your hair will go frizzy and your makeup will melt off.

If you’d like any more information from Hollie or to take a look at her gallery head to her website, Instagram or drop her an email.