Episode 30 From Courtrooms To Contouring: Lunar Beauty Studio

The face you wear down the aisle shows up in every photo, so why not make it feel like you at your best? We sat with Kyleigh of Lunar Beauty Studio to unpack a calm, natural approach to bridal makeup that holds up on camera and still feels light in person. Her story—leaping from a criminal justice degree and restaurant management into beauty—sets the stage for practical wisdom anyone planning a wedding can use.

We dig into the heart of a stress-free morning: build your timeline backwards from the photographer’s needs, finish early to allow for tears and touch-ups, and put the bride second-to-last to protect her time and nerves. Kyleigh shares how she coordinates with hairstylists, why hair-first often beats makeup-first, and the simple prep steps that change everything—arrive with clean skin, remove last night’s mascara, moisturize as usual, and save lips for last. She breaks down a photo-savvy kit, from avoiding flashback powders to creating a balanced glow that reads fresh, not greasy, under both natural light and flash.

Style-wise, Kyleigh is all about you but better: fresh skin, soft color, enhanced features. Trials aren’t optional; they’re built in to align on habits, lashes, brows, and the look you’ll love. When AI-perfect inspiration photos appear, she translates the vibe into reality by isolating elements—shadow tones, lash density, blush placement—so real skin looks refined without losing texture or life. Beyond day-of, she recommends monthly facials three to six months out to create a smoother canvas and a much-needed pocket of calm, plus tested brow laminations and lash lifts to streamline the final look.

Whether you’re a vendor or a couple, you’ll find a blueprint for better mornings: communicate early, set expectations, and surround the bride with people who protect her calm. Enjoy the craft, trust the process, and let subtle tweaks do the heavy lifting. Loved the conversation? Subscribe, share with a friend planning their day, and leave a quick review so we can keep highlighting the people who make wedding days work.

https://www.lunarbeautystudio.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lunarbeauty_studio/

Transcript

Welcome And Venue Shoutout

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors. In this show, it's all about real conversations with the ones who make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's wedding vendor. Hi Kylie.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hi, I'm Kylie. Happy to be here. Yeah, thanks for being on.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

I'm excited to dive into all things makeup. It's a topic I don't know much about.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

I'm here for that.

Kylie’s Nonlinear Path To Beauty

SPEAKER_02 0:33

Which I love. Um, so we're gonna kind of dive into all the things with your studio, Lunar Beauty Studio, and just hear all the things that you do to save your couples well. I'm so excited to jump into that, but before we do, we're here at Birchwood Venue. And Birchwood Venue is where rustic charm meets modern convenience to create the perfect wedding weekend. It's nestled in Milton, Pennsylvania, and they give couples three full days to decorate, celebrate, and soak in every moment without feeling rushed. From the Hydrangeo line ceremony space to the beautifully restored barn, Birchwood is designed to make your day as stress-free and as memorable as possible. And if you haven't met Holly, you should, because she's great.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

I don't know if I have actually met her. No. No, I've been here a handful of times.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Yeah, and we set up this podcast film day, and she like brought all these treats and stuff like that. Yeah. Um but Kylie, thanks for being on.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, absolutely. I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

You know, just starting out your podcast journey. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

This is the first one. I love it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

So uh there was a time when you were not doing makeup as like a profession with your own business, with with your studio studio, Lunar Beauty Studio. Take me back to like where all of this started for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Where do we want to start? Um, I have a crazy journey that brought me here. Um, I actually have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. It was for my mom. Um, nobody really knows why. It it was just a thing in college. So I worked as a court reporter for a year, worst year of my life. Um, and then I just kind of stumbled upon the opportunity to do freelance makeup with an established makeup artist in my community. She trained me and I fell in love with it. It was so fun. It was more a hobby, still working the job. Um, and then after I was done with the job, I still did it as a hobby, but then COVID hit. So everything kind of changed bridal industry, wedding industry at that point. Um, so I kind of thought, well, that was fun while it lasted, you know. And then I went on to be a restaurant and brewery manager. Um, and then I realized I can't keep, you know, this isn't really sustainable. I I want to do what I have, I've always wanted to do this. Um, so I went back to school in 2023 and obtained my aesthetics license, and here I am.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Yeah. That is quite the journey.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Yeah, yeah. And I always laugh because this is actually what I wanted to do out of high school. Um, but I come from a family of cosmetologists and they were like, don't do it. Yeah. And then in my 30s, I was like, I'm doing it, you know?

SPEAKER_02 3:12

So leave it to your 30s to be like, let's do something totally different.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

And also like my back hurts a little bit now.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Right. Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

That's no, that's so fun. So you knew you wanted to do it, but you kind of like meandered around to a couple different things. What was the like the tipping point for you to be like, no, I'm actually, I want to go for this. I just want to try it.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

So that with my area, we don't have a aesthetics program in the area. So you have to travel at least an hour one way. So I went to Belfont. Um and to Belfont, we used to live there. Yeah, did you? Yeah, CPI. Um, so I it's not really sustainable as a 30-year-old who has bills and life, you know, to go to school Monday through Thursday, eight to three, an hour away, two hour round trip.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Yeah.

Deciding To Go Pro And Get Licensed

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Um, I did luck out though, my my boyfriend's a nurse, and during COVID, he lost his job. So I held down the fort for a while, and then I was like, oh wait, now it's your turn. Yeah, you can hold down the fort for a little bit. So I was able to take time off work and go and obtain my license. So just a lot of factors that kind of fell into place that I was, you know, really, really happy that we could get there.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Yeah, I mean, it's so fun to see like these seemingly random puzzle pieces coming together, and then it's like, wait, this is what I wanted to do the whole time, and now it's like actually working. Yes. Was there a moment that you were like, I don't know, maybe doing some specific makeup or at a specific wedding that you're like, dang, this is seriously the dream that I'm like living out?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Yeah. I mean, I honestly I think at that point it was almost every wedding, but I had to, you know, I had to be done by with the weddings by like one or two because I had a full-time job. And so I just that kind of like rushing around and I was like leaving that, you know, so fun, that environment to go. And not that a restaurant's not fun, but it can be stressful.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Yeah. Yeah, I do, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Back end restaurants. Yes, it's a different world.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yeah. So to go from like something that I was so passionate about to a thing that was just kind of paying my bills, yeah, really helped me realize like we need to do this full time.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

Yeah, that's so fun. And uh tell me more about your business like structure. Do you have like other team members that work with you? Is it just you?

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Just me. I work for myself by myself. Um, I do kind of have an administrative assistant. She just kind of keeps me on track with like emailing and responding. And yeah, and it's not me. It's great. Yeah, I need her. Um, and it's great because she only wants services and we just kind of trade. So that's perfect. Yeah, it it's just me. I I think that's gonna change. I would say my 10-year goal, I can't keep doing this forever. My body hurts. Um, so I'm hoping someday that I can have employees, but that's kind of when I'm a little more established and comfortable on the business end of it.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Yeah, it does, it definitely expands yeah when you expand, you're expanding more than just like adding people. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah. So I'm like probably five to ten years.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Yeah, that's so fun. You had like such a like kind of winding journey to get here. Um, and it sounds like you're kind of even thinking, you know, a little bit in the future.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Um, I think it's so funny that like there's a lot of letting vendors, maybe they're listening and they're like, uh, it's just like a weekend thing for me. It's just a side thing for me. But it sounds like for you, you were thinking of it as like the thing full time, like I can make a a serious career business out of it.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

Have you always been like business minded like that?

SPEAKER_00 6:59

I don't even know that I'd say I'm still business minded. I don't know. Um, I think you know, running restaurants and breweries really kind of helped me see what it takes. Yeah. Um, a lot of people say like you can't just go into business, like nobody can just go into business. And I was like, I'm going to. Like we're gonna we're gonna figure it out. And we're still I'm two years in. Well, it'll be two years in January. Um, we're still figuring it out. But I'm always thinking of what I can do to maybe improve or just to kind of add on to the service. But I I try not to get ahead of myself and I want to perfect where we're at right now. Yeah, but I'm always thinking of what we can do in the future to make it more of an experience.

Falling For Weddings And Leaving Restaurants

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Yeah, if there's um a fellow lover of makeup and cosmetology that's listening, yeah. It's like, I would love to do that, but where do I even start? Like, what do I need to get? How do I build out my kit? Like, what's what's some like you know, ground level advice?

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I would say the first thing you need really is passion. Um, I think, in my opinion, if you're passionate about something, you can make money. Um, that's where I went wrong growing up and going to college. I was not passionate about that. It was fun to learn about, sure. But yeah, I'm not gonna be like a probation officer or correction. Like there was just really nothing in there for me. So I would say definitely passion. You can't just go into it because you think it's fun and easy, because it's it's not. It's it's fun at times most of the time, but there are those.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

So the morning of is probably mostly fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Yeah. But there's a lot more than just I I would say the morning of is so fun up and until like the last hour or two. And then you you feel the room shift.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

You feel that kind of anxiety heighten. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

You actually feel like that last hour.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

Oh yeah. The second the bride sits in my chair, everybody has a question. I need these headphones to put on them because it just seems like I'm like, just let her sit here, let her get her makeup done, let her breathe. This is probably the last time she's actually going to be able to sit down today.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

Yeah, I did see a a post, um, I don't know if like how recently it was, but the the makeup artist had like, she put headphones on the bride, gave her like a little facial kind of massage, and just let her like close her eyes and just like soak into the chair.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

That's I I think I saw the same one, and I'm like, I might I need to utilize that maybe.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

It seems like it'd be so relaxing for that stressful moment of like, yes, once we're done with this, it's like go time.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

And I think that's where the anxiety starts. Cause I think that is when they're like sitting down and they're they're realizing that, like, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

It's happening.

Solo Studio Setup And Future Plans

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Yeah, it's happening. Like, this is one of my last steps before I get into my dress. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I just, it's really fun. It's really, you have to be able to take constructive criticism. And that's not always that's tough. That's tough. And I have a different vision in my head than the next person. And you know, I don't know about you, but if you go get a haircut, you're like thinking about what my haircut's gonna look like, and you leave and you're like, oh, dying.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

Yeah, that's not what I was thinking.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

That's really not what I was thinking, but still looks good. Um, that's where the communication kind of comes in. You need to make them feel comfortable to be able to express those concerns or what they're feeling.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Yeah, and it's it's tough, I think, too, because what you're doing is some like kind of form of artistry. Um, I don't know if everyone's thinking that, but I think it's some form of artistry. Your face is a canvas, and it's like you have this like I would just worked for I don't know, maybe an hour on this makeup for the bride, makeup maybe you did several hours for the makeup for everyone.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

And then you put all of your heart and soul and effort into like making it the best it could be, and then someone's like, eh, I don't like it.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

And you're like, but I'm I made that.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Yeah. And at that point, I try to break it down like, what don't you like about it?

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Yeah. You know, because they probably just they probably don't hate everything.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Yes. And sometimes it's the smallest little tweak where they're gonna be like, Oh, well, now I love it. But there was one thing throwing them off. So I think it's really important for them to feel comfortable to express that.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

Yeah. What's the most like underrated piece of your kit that you're like, you know, if you're if you're a makeup girly out there, like you gotta get this like one thing that's gonna make your life so much easier.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

I would say my favorite thing in my kit is the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter. You are gonna have no idea what that is.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

Um, but it sounds cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah, it is kind of just a base that I put on pretty much everybody that just creates this nice natural glow from within, and then you do everything else kind of on top of it. But that has just been something that I see myself buying year after year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

That's so cool. Um, all this stuff I I know like very little about, so it's so fun. Yeah, yeah, it's like the layers because it's it's this interesting like idea that I keep hearing people talk about. It's like the venue is gonna be in every one of your pictures. Yes, right. The dress that the bride's wearing, it's gonna be in every one of those pictures. Florals, most of them, right? Makeup, like it's there. Yes, that's on your face. Yes. If you're doing any, like if you're doing a lot, if you're doing a little, it's all gonna be like in every picture that you're in.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

And you have to make sure the products in your kit are good for photography.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Oh, okay. Yeah. So there's actually a lot of different, like an HD powder that'll have flashback on a camera. So it'll kind of, if you put it under eyes and you take that photo, everything's just gonna kind of look bright. Okay. And it and you so you have to kind of know how to do makeup so it photographs well.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Are there other tips in there that's like, hey, stay away from this type of product or or this technique doesn't really photograph well?

Passion Over Paychecks And Handling Pressure

SPEAKER_00 13:09

No, I would just say because all of our kits are so different. Like no two kits will be the same. Um, so I've just kind of found what I like and what works for me. So I don't really know that I would say like stay away from this, but like, yeah, like HD powders or a lot of dewy-iness. I'm a dewy girl. I like to look almost shiny because I'm a dry girl, but I get girls that are a little oily, and you have to be able to kind of do a good mix. You don't want them to look like they're greasy.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Um, so I would say like trying to balance that is important for sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Yeah, because I mean everyone's skin is gonna be somewhere on that.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

And and most of the people, aside from my bride but bridesmaids, I'm just meeting them for the first time that day.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

So I've never seen their face. I have never, I've five minutes maybe, because you know, we're working quick. I have five minutes to kind of consult them and ask them about their skin, how it is, and whatnot. And what they want to. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And what they're what they're desiring. So it's a lot on the spot in the moment. Yeah. But it works. It's fine.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

What is what is your like day of process look like? Like what time are you generally showing up? How long are you there? How long does it take generally for each girl? And maybe maybe the bride's different.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

Yeah. So my morning consists of me not really sleeping the night before because I'm always afraid I'm gonna oversleep and that I'm not going to sleep.

SPEAKER_02 14:43

I literally did that last night. I woke up like four times. Like it's 6.15. It's not 6.15.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah. So I I've never done that, but in my brain I have. Yeah. And so I'm usually pretty just awake all night. And then the next morning I try to wake up about an hour and a half before I have to leave just to make sure, you know, everything's good to go. Check the kit a couple times, even though I pack it the night before. Um, and then I just I'll either listen to the radio. Sometimes I drive in silence on my way there.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

Yeah. Just to kind of it's a it's a lot of chaos in the morning. It is.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Um start times, I mean, I've had some that were starting at 5 a.m. I've had some that we start at 9 a.m. 9 a.m. is a perfect. Love that. Yeah. But most of the time we don't have enough time to get them ready with just me if we're starting at nine. So I prefer an earlier start time because I would prefer to get done before schedule. That way, touch-ups and you know, people are giving the bride gets their makeup done and then someone gives them a note and she's crying. And I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

So I I am I I do cause a few tears with the way that I ask for things. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

And it's I'm not gonna be like, don't cry on your wedding day because your makeup looks great. Um, but I would say it takes me about 45 minutes per bride's maid.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

There's some times I'm like, I could spend forever on this face because it's so fun, but I can't. Yeah. Um, for the bride, I like to have at least an hour. An hour and a half would be perfect if our schedule allows it.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

But it doesn't always.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Is there any like downside to like if if the girls are listening, the brides are listening, they're like, is there any downtime to starting earlier and like having extra time? Like, is there like a lifespan of the makeup that's like that first girl is really gonna be suffering like makeup wise?

SPEAKER_00 16:37

If you if you prep and you set it correctly, be I will always just have like the first two girls at least like, do you need any touch-ups? Maybe hit some powder if they've gotten a little oily. I always wait to do lips until like the end. Yeah, I always call it my lip line. Everyone gets in a lip line and we just go, like right after they're getting in their dresses and whatnot. Just because they're eating, they're drinking, yeah. Your lips not there's no sense in doing it.

Kits, Photographic Makeup, And Dewy Balance

SPEAKER_02 17:03

You're probably gonna touch them all up anyway.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Yes, exactly. Yeah, I'm like, there's no sense in me wasting time doing it now when you're about to go drink your mimosa and eat your breakfast. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Yeah, so about 45 minutes for the bridesmaids, about an hour, hour and a half for the bride.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Are you having like meetings with the bride beforehand, doing some trials? Like, what's that process look like?

SPEAKER_00 17:27

So I require a deposit for people to book me and it kind of secures their spot and it also includes their trial. So I do that because I want to force a trial on them. I don't want it to be an option.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

You must have a trial.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Yes. I'm like, why would you not? It's included.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Um, because I like to meet them. I like to make sure, you know, we're a good fit, we get along, good vibes, and that they like their makeup. There's nothing more scary than the day of never meeting your bride and you guys being on completely different pages.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

So or even like I would assume that there's some style preferences in there too.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Could you describe a little bit of like what your style is or maybe what it's not, if that kind of like qualifies like like what kind of makeup styles are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

So I take the approach of like you but better, you're enhanced. I don't want to change, I don't want your your partner to not recognize who's walking down the aisle. I want it to look like like you. Yeah. A little enhanced, of course. Um, I do get a couple people that want a little more than that. A little more, yeah. Um, but my approach is very natural. Um, I don't really do a lot of like dark features, like we're we're brightening, we're pink, we're we're natural. We like fresh skin. That's like I my favorite trend is like the clean girl, fresh skin. Yeah, like just healthy glow.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Yeah, I love it. Yeah. Well, I mean, it it goes to show that you know you're recognizing that like inner beauty and just giving a little bit of you know, contour, shapening, like you're you're just bringing it all out.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Exactly. Yes, we just take your features and we enhance them. And I I kind of learned that young from my aunt, she would do makeup on me. And gosh, I was probably like 12. And she would kind of instill that. Like, we just want to enhance your beauty, we don't want to cover it up. We're not trying to change it. And that stuck with me my whole life, kind of. And I was like, that, you know, as you age, you realize that's what we want to do. Like, we makeup can be fun. You can use it to change and do all the things, but your wedding day is not the day to do that.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

It might be a hot take for some of you out there. I don't know. But uh thinking back to like that first wedding that you did, what do you remember like going well? Oh gosh, going not going well, like what what was that?

SPEAKER_00 19:54

It was a gamble, yeah. It was it was 50-50, you know. I luckily was working under a professional that could help or fix if needed. Yeah. Um, but looking back at my photos from 2016, because 2016 makeup is so different from today's makeup. Oh my gosh. 2016 makeup was you had these block brows and big lashes and like a cut crease eyeshadow. It was very bold, yeah. Um matte, bright lips.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

It's it was 2016 was you just didn't really enjoy 2016 makeup.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

I mean, I did then. In that, yeah. Looking back now, um, yeah, it's different, it can stay there. But it that was kind of, I feel like an evolutionary part of makeup was kind of the 2015, 2016 era, is really when contouring and like sure celebrities were doing all of that, but like your average Joe, we we weren't really doing any of that. And I think 2016, it started really harsh. You were doing really harsh contour, and then that just kind of is where it started, and now we're allowed to kind of dial that back.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Like a little bit more refined and a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

Yes, yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Wedding Morning Workflow And Timelines

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Do you remember like, and I maybe, maybe it's hard to remember exactly, but like, do you remember makeup-wise, like I know the style was different, but did you take stuff even from that first wedding where you're like, I will not do that again. I'm gonna do it this way, I'm gonna make sure my kit has this or doesn't have that, or or I'm showing up at this time and not that time, or um, yeah, actually.

SPEAKER_00 21:34

There was one incident I had where I was talking with the bride and she was telling me all about where she's getting married. And this was pre contracts, this was more hobby like messaging on Instagram or Facebook, whatever. Yeah. And her venue was beautiful. I was there the the weekend before for my best friend's wedding. So I show up on time and nobody's there. And I'm like And you didn't really have service there either. So I gave it 10 minutes and I was like, okay, I'm gonna drive back down the hill and reach out. Well, here it turns out they were getting ready at her parents' cabin. Oh my gosh. And that was about an hour away. Oh no. So I was like going through our messages, and I'm like, you know, I guess it's it's it's on us. I'm not gonna blame the bride on her wedding day. Like, obviously, I'm gonna take the heat. It's my fault.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

But we never discussed anything about it not being at the venue. Yeah. So I kind of joke with people now and I'm like, I don't, I don't really care where you're getting married. I love it. I want to hear about it, but I need to know where you're getting ready.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Yeah. Where are you getting ready? We'll ask about where you're getting married when we're we'll talk about it. Yes. Yeah. So that kind of was something that now I don't even ask people like when I say where are you getting ready? I want the address. Yeah. Because what if there's another birchwood in an hour or two radius?

SPEAKER_02 23:00

No idea. Yeah. I check that address a hundred times. Like on the drive, I'm like, it's still the same.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Yes, same. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Nothing happened to my phone that it would change, and I'm still like, I need to know that we're getting to the right place.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

So that was kind of a nightmare. Um, luckily, she had a second artist that was already there that was able to kind of compensate. So, but like you're not gonna get that lucky every time. So that was something that kind of lived in my brain and it still does, and that was years ago that I'm double checking that.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Are there other like systems or strategies or like business things that you do to kind of keep yourself organized, like ready for the next wedding?

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Yes. So I have a contract, but in that contract, I have a timeline spot, I guess. That way we both know, and it's right in that contract. Like, what time are we starting? Okay, what time is this person going? And what time are we ending?

SPEAKER_02 24:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

And I feel like even though I tell people don't stick to the timeline as like, oh my god, we're five minutes over. That person's supposed to be sitting. I don't want them to stress out about that, but it's just a general timeline, and we give ourselves some wiggle room. Yeah. Just so we're all prepared, we're all ready, and we're all here.

Trials, Style Philosophy, And “You But Better”

SPEAKER_02 24:20

Yeah. Yeah. So that's the Alexis, if you're listening. Yes. This is the question that she had. She was like, you gotta ask the makeup girlies. So there's like timeline discrepancies sometimes. Yes. And she was like, Is it is it a thing where the makeup and hair side of things has a thought in their mind, or maybe like you said, you have a timeline that you've created, whether it's a loose timeline or or if it's a strict timeline, and then a day of a photo, uh photographer might say, like, oh, hey, uh, I had them being done, ready to go, uh, getting dressed at one, and you had them done, ready to go, getting dressed at 1 30.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Um, is there a good way that like the hair and makeup side of things, vendor teams could like bridge the gap, or photo could bridge the gap with you guys to kind of make sure everyone is on the same page, bride is done at 1 30, inner dress by two.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Like, yes. So I always joke and I say, the photographer is my boss that day. Like, they are my boss, whether they like it or not. Yes, I when I see them walk in and they're staring at me, and I'm like, oh gosh. Um, so I always tell my brides when they ask about the timeline, I tell them to consult their photographer first. Okay. I want them to have the photographer tell them what time they need to be getting in their dress. And then we adapt.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Kind of build up backwards from there.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Yes. And now it doesn't always work that way because sometimes, you know, people show up a little late and I'm trying my darndest to like, let's go, let's hurry it up. Yeah. Photographer's staring at me like she's ready to go. So there are instances where it kind of I get it for them because they are kind of in charge, whether they like it or not.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Um, I think most of them like it.

SPEAKER_00 26:26

Yeah, they're they're leading, they're leading the deck. Yeah, for sure. Um, and I feel like sometimes they might feel like more of a planner in a sense as well. But I do try and I put in my contract, like, who is your photographer?

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Um, just so if I need to, I can reach out to them.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yeah, I just I feel like it would be it'd be so nice if there was a way to kind of like there's just so many weddings, so many vendors on every wedding. Yes. To find a way to get everyone kind of like not a full conversation, but just on the same wavelength before. So it's not like showing up and you're like, oh, I have 30 minutes per girl. And it's happened. Yeah. I need to get to the bride so she's ready to go.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

Are your brides always going last in that morning session?

SPEAKER_00 27:12

I don't love a bride to go last. I feel like that creates a lot of anxiety because the bride's the most important part of the day.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Yeah.

Early Lessons, Contracts, And Address Mishaps

SPEAKER_00 27:20

We need her ready. I'm sorry if the little sister only has 30 minutes, but bride deserves her time. Um so I my approach is I like to do the bride second to last or next to last. And I like to do my mothers of the grooms and mothers of the bride dead last if I'm able. Because they're running around, they're checking off all the boxes, you know, they're they're doing all the things. And from my experience, they are more mature, they're more set in what they're comfortable with with their makeup. They have done it their whole lives, yeah, or not, but they're not always super comfortable with bridal makeup or wedding day makeup. And if they go too early, they're getting, you know, opinions from Aunt Janice and they're asking this, they're they're they're kind of sketching themselves out about it. They're thinking too much into it. Yeah. And I'll never let somebody go out looking not great.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:22

But it gives them a little too much time and to think about it.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

I would assume that their makeup is maybe even just like a more simple, even maybe less yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Uh less is more for them, for sure. Definitely.

SPEAKER_02 28:36

So that might even just take a little bit less time.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

And it it it can, yeah. It really depends. Sometimes a more natural look actually is more work.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

To get it to look natural, but actually stay all day.

SPEAKER_02 28:49

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Um, but yeah, I kind of like, and it's funny because it seems like the first person that always gets nominated to go is like the sister of the groom. For some reason, she's always like the first in the chair. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Charging out.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

Um, so you end up working with, I'm assuming, a lot of hairstylists.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:10

Um, and you guys do a little bit of like a tango throughout the morning. What's that look like? How does it go well? How is it maybe not go well?

SPEAKER_00 29:20

Yeah. And with that, there's always sometimes it's super smooth. That is, if the bride will, once I give her my timeline, like, or if the hairstylist gives it first, whatever, we'll try to like alternate back and forth. Um sometimes it gets a little bumpy, but sometimes we'll work on a person at the same time. I have no problem doing that as long as like I'm not doing makeup and they're spraying hairspray right in their face or something.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

But they're like, close your eyes.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

Yeah, I have no problem accommodating that. I'm like, I'm no, I'm not more important than the hairstylist. So we can work together and try to make it smooth for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Do you like have a preference? Um, like if they go hair first, makeup first, does it matter?

SPEAKER_00 30:05

I prefer if they get their hair done first just because of the hairspray situation. Like I use a lot of setting sprays, but then like hairspray on top of that, you just never know how it's gonna lay on top of their face, or if it'll look funny in photographs. Like, I don't know because I'm not a hairstylist, so I don't know. So I'd rather them have their hair done, and that way I can kind of wash their face and take off any sticky hairspray.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

Yeah, is there something that the girls could do prior to sitting in the chair? Maybe it's that morning when they're taking their shower, or maybe it's like once they get to the venue, should they like wash their face? Should they dry it? Like, what should they do to get ready?

SPEAKER_00 30:46

So always come with a clean face. Um, please take your mascara off from the night before. Um, that seems to be the thing. Um, and I tell people you can moisturize, you know, if your normal routine is you shower in the morning, you put on moisturizer, do that. I'm still gonna wash your face later, but that like initial drink for your skin is great. Like, keep doing that.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

So don't change the moisture.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

Don't change the moisturizer. Um and sometimes people will be like, hey, I threw on a little bit of foundation, I had to run around today. And and that's totally fine. I always take a toner pad and I always wipe and clean their face and moisturize.

Syncing With Photographers And Hair Teams

SPEAKER_02 31:25

So it seems like there's a little bit of a like in between. Maybe it's better to have the hair done first, but for you, it's like it's just an easier. You can wash the face. Yes, you can do your thing. You know that what you're doing without anything after it, like hairspray, right? It's gonna photograph well, it's gonna look nice in all the photos.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Yeah, yeah. Whatever's easiest for the bride and whatever I'm very accommodating.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

Yeah, it seems like you're gonna flow for sure.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Yeah, absolutely. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Um, so the bride's sitting down in the chair when she sits, or maybe you know, in that last hour of time that you're there, you can kind of sense things starting to shift. It's maybe getting a little bit more stressful. I'm curious, like what your goal is for the bride as she's sitting, like that goes beyond the makeup.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

Yes, right?

SPEAKER_02 32:12

Because she's sitting for like an hour. Yeah, you're not just gonna be like, like, what's the goal there?

SPEAKER_00 32:18

I just want them to feel calm and comfortable. Um, I really try to read people, and if they want to talk, I'll talk. Like, let's talk. If they want to sit there and not talk, I'll work quicker. Um, I am really just I try to read her and to see how she's feeling. Or if, like, you know, someone keeps asking her a bunch of questions and they walk away. And I will ask her, like, do you want me to answer them for you? Do you want me to go get like your maid of honor? Do you need any assistance? And and it's really person-to-person how they're feeling. Some people are totally cool, answer all the questions. Other people, you can kind of read it and their tone and their face of that's enough.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:03

Yeah. You can usually see when it's enough. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

I had a well, she's not my bride, but she is getting married this weekend, and I gave her a facial yesterday, and she told me she came up with a packet of any question she could think of that people were gonna ask her.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

And she sent it to everybody. And she said, before you ask me a question, look at the book.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

Look at the book.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

That's a great idea.

SPEAKER_00 33:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Um, because I've I've had brides before morning of, and they're they're doing that, they're answering all the questions, and it's so stressful.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:33

So either get someone to answer the questions for you if if you don't care what the answer is specifically. Yes. And if you do write it down beforehand, yeah, um, I'm sure she might still get a couple questions.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

For sure. I mean, that's inevitable. And I think that's not something that like you can't control your emotions so much, but I think that that's a normal thing.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

But when it gets to be excessive, or you know, you have two people asking you the same question, it's then it's like, okay.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Okay. Yeah, let's move on.

SPEAKER_00 34:01

And then you wonder, are they are they asking it because they want to know, or are they asking it because they just want to talk?

SPEAKER_02 34:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

And yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Which I mean, I get it. Like, you wanna you wanna talk, you want to chat, you want to hang out with the bride, like she's the girl.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Yes, yeah. And I find myself having to kind of think about things before I talk because I don't want to ask her something that maybe I had didn't hear but was already asked three times, and then I ask her again, and she's like, Really, ladies? Yeah. So I'm like, okay, am I asking this just to keep conversation going, or do I genuinely need to know?

SPEAKER_02 34:32

Yeah, no, that's that's a great point. That's a great, great point for the morning, you know, hair makeup. Yes. Like you just be thinking a little bit, give yourself a little filter.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 34:43

Um, so there you have your style, your kind of natural, a little enhancement kind of style, but I'm sure there's like a ton of different looks within that style.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

Yes.

Seating Order Strategy And Anxiety Management

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Um, I'm gathering you're gonna figure that out in the trial. But for the brides that are listening that are like, but like, where do I even start? Like, what what should my look be?

SPEAKER_01 35:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Like, how do you help them kind of figure that out if they're not like coming in being like, do this, do that, I always do this, I always do that.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

Yeah. So I do like to get a breakdown of what they do on a normal day. Like, what's your go-to makeup routine? Because if you know, they don't fill in their brows at all. And then I fill in their brows, it's gonna be a little bit of a shock of like, whoa. You know, so I just like to a nice balance of like what do you do normally? And then I have them bring me a photo or inspiration photo if they want.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Sometimes, most of the time, honestly, they don't. They're like, I like this color, I don't like this. Do your thing.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Um, and I'll also ask, like, have you had your makeup done before? Did you like it? If you did, what did you like about it? And if you didn't, what was it about it that you didn't like?

SPEAKER_02 35:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

And lately though, Pinterest is full of AI.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

Every photo, the last this last wedding season is AI.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

And that gets to be a little bit hard as a makeup artist.

SPEAKER_02 36:14

Yeah, I mean, it's it's unrealistic.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

It's very unrealistic in every way. Yes. Um, I still don't mind because I was looking up inspiration photos.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

And I was like, oh wow, these are all AI.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

So it's not even the consumer's fault. They don't have a choice.

SPEAKER_02 36:29

Like they can't really find and it it's it is honestly it's hard to tell on some of them. I mean, it's a little, it's a little obvious on some, but it's it could be hard to tell sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

Yes. And so I, you know, if they're bringing me an AI photo, I'm going to let them know, like, okay, you're not gonna look this like your your skin is your skin. You have it's an organ, it's warm, it's creasy, it's textured, and that's okay. But what about this photo? Do you like? Is it do you like the lash? Do you like the color of the eyeshadow? Do you like the placement of the blush?

SPEAKER_01 37:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

You kind of have to break down the photo to see what it is about that photo that they like.

SPEAKER_02 37:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Not just because that model is perfect.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Because there's a lot that goes into figuring out the look, the vibe, and it could be, like you said, it could be something similar to what they do all the time, but they might be wanting to totally change it up and do something different.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Yep. And I have I've had a few brides that we do two trials. I've had someone, a couple people that we've done three. And that's not to say that like I try not to get down on myself of like, oh my gosh, a third trial, like they don't like it. Um, because that's not the case. It's just, and sometimes they'll bring me a completely different photo for the second trial than they did the first trial.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Trying something completely.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

And that's what I tell people is what it's all about. Your trial is to figure out the look you want. Yeah. So if you don't like something or you do, just communicate that because you're to an extent not gonna hurt my feelings. Yeah, it's your face. I I I I can't like I have a vision and you have a different vision.

SPEAKER_02 38:05

Yeah, it's all it expectations, yes. Dude, if if you are on the same page with your clients, expectations are met, they're gonna most likely be happy.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

Yes, yeah, and you just have to make them feel comfortable to express those concerns.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

You know, you hear about so many people leaving somewhere and they're like, Oh, I hated my nails. And I'm like, Oh, did you like say anything? No. Okay, well. And I'll even have friends that'll call me. Got my makeup done today and I hate it. Like, what should I do? And I'm like, is she still there? Yeah, I'm like, go tell her. Yeah, that's what you should do. Don't call me. I'm not, I'm not there.

SPEAKER_02 38:41

Yeah, like gossiping.

Prep Tips, Clean Skin, And Lip Line Touch‑Ups

SPEAKER_00 38:43

Yeah, yeah. Like, go tell her what you don't like about it. Yeah, the communication, and I'm sure I can't speak for every makeup artist, but I'm sure across the board, we would rather you tell us than to A, hate your makeup all day.

SPEAKER_02 38:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

And be bad mouth the makeup artist.

SPEAKER_02 39:01

Yeah. Or whatever. Because like you said, it could be the smallest change, and that could go from like, I don't really like it, to like, that's perfect.

SPEAKER_00 39:09

So yesterday I had a bride email me. We did her trial on Sunday. She emailed me and she said, I loved everything about my trial, but and I was like, oh gosh, what? But I always like a but because I don't believe you if you loved everything. Like, there has to be one thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

She's we did three and a half lash clusters on each eye. She wants four on each eye. As simple as an extra half lash.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:38

Something that simple.

SPEAKER_02 39:38

And I'm like, I love that because that attention to detail is well, and now you know you'll do the four, and she'll be like, Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 39:47

Yeah, yeah. So I'm almost like not convinced. I'm like, there has to be one thing.

SPEAKER_02 39:52

I do, yeah. I I do say that to couples sometimes. I'm like, you guys don't have any questions.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:57

There, you don't, you're not gonna there's no concerns, no questions at all.

SPEAKER_01 40:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

I'm like, no, we're good. I'm like, are you sure? Yeah, yeah. You gotta have something that's like there. But um, there's there's gotta be a lot of it that's like you're trying to find the style. If there's a bride out there that's like, who do I have do my makeup?

SPEAKER_01 40:19

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 40:20

A lot of it's gotta be style, but there's gotta be more to it than just like the look. Because I would imagine, I mean, no offense to Lunar Beauty Studio, but you're not the only one that's doing like a natural kind of slight enhance.

SPEAKER_00 40:34

Yeah, that's the trend these days. So I I have found, especially this year, I prefer my couples or my brides or my groom if he wants a little touch-up. I'm okay with that. If they book me because they like either me or they like my style, not just because I do makeup.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

Like you're you need a makeup artist, I'm a makeup artist hired.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Yeah, like check.

SPEAKER_00 40:59

Yeah, yeah. So I like I want you to to like my work because I feel like that's gonna help both of us. And I do get a couple inquiries of like, hey, I need a makeup artist. Are you available? And I'm like, that approach to me is just kind of dry because I'm like, why do you why do you need a makeup artist? What do you need out of makeup? Like, I like to really get into that. Like, what are you looking for? Yeah, do you have a preference? And people are like, I don't know, I see my makeup done. I'm like, okay, all right.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Well, there's more to it. Yeah, there's always more to it. Well, and this is the thing that I keep thinking about with like the way that the morning runs. Um, you and the hair and makeup, like that combination. You guys are like running the morning, you're kind of curating like some sort of vibe. I know the girls are kind of just together, they're having a good time, but like you're kind of curating like a vibe for the morning.

SPEAKER_00 41:57

Yeah, they're my my fellow vendor.

Reading The Bride And Protecting Her Calm

SPEAKER_02 41:59

If you're there for like, you know, three, four, maybe eight hours. Yeah, eight hours. Like you're there for a long time. Um, what goes into like making that morning fun, maybe for the fellow vendor that's in there, like the hair uh side of things, but also just like all of the girls, like making that process fun and not like, oh, I gotta like gotta get my makeup done, you know.

SPEAKER_00 42:23

Yeah. So I find I don't know if it's a fault, but I am a people pleaser. So I really, I really read people's energies and how they're they're feeling. And for some reason, I think that morning, it's my responsibility to make sure everybody's happy, period. Whether it's the hairstylist, the photographer, the bride, the bridesmaids, the moms. I feel like I need to stay positive and be that kind of source of light for them so that they're not feeling a little bit. I mean, you're gonna feel anxious, but I don't want people to feel like uneasy or really nervous about what they're doing because a lot of people are nervous to get their makeup done. Yeah. Um, and I try to, you know, if I don't know the hairstylists, I try to introduce myself. We chat. A lot of the times we exchange business cards at the end of it, but I do get a lot of brides asking me for hairstylist recommendations. So I do have like a preferred vendor list for that.

SPEAKER_02 43:19

Noise. Good luck.

SPEAKER_00 43:19

Yeah, yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 43:21

I love that. Uh so your studio is mostly the wedding makeup, but there's more that you were telling me about that you guys are doing at your studio.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 43:33

And you were saying that some of that stuff can really, really help brides for the day of makeup.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

Walk me through like what are those things and how do they help?

Picking A Look And Navigating AI Inspiration

SPEAKER_00 43:44

So, one thing I would say are monthly facials. Um, I tell people three to six months at least, once one a month, whether your skin is perfect or we have some concerns, it's such a great relaxation experience. My bride from Memorial Day weekend she had perfect skin. And she said, Her husband said, Why are you getting facials? And she said, Because it's so relaxing. And I was like, Exactly, yes. But also just skin concerns, or just to have kind of the the best canvas you can for the day of. As I said before, like your skin is an organ, your skin is skin, and it's gonna have texture. It can be oily, it's gonna have creasing. But there are things that you can do to help that. Um, getting your skin in the best shape that it can be is gonna help the longevity of your makeup. It's gonna help everything look put together and maybe not oily or maybe not so dry. And then we also do brow laminations and lash lifts. So a brow lamination is essentially just it's like a perm for your brows, kind of straightens them all out, fluffs them up, and fills in any sparse areas. And I get people that love to do that before their wedding day. Now I would never advise them to do it for the first time the week before their wedding. I have had somebody do that, and I'm like, girl, you're giving me a heart attack. Um, but if you do it a couple times leading up to it to see if it's something you would like, it is definitely something that will help pull your look together and it'll hold your brows in place because we kind of set them into that place.

SPEAKER_02 45:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:30

So there's a ton of stuff that brides could be doing to kind of enhance a little bit, or even just like you're saying, it's just like the relaxing. And just like sit in the chair, not worry about stuff for a minute. Because there's a lot of planning and preparation that goes into a wedding, and that all of that can be very stressful.

SPEAKER_00 45:50

For sure. I can't imagine.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:52

Yeah, for sure. Uh well, Kylie, thank you so much for being on. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 45:57

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 45:57

I hope everyone listening. I mean, this was so cool to hear one, your journey, but also two, like the experience that you're crafting for your clients at your studio and day of uh doing the wedding makeup. Uh and I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. If you guys are watching on YouTube, make sure you're subscribing so you see that new episodes are coming out. And uh share it with all of your friends if they're interested in hearing more about awesome vendors like Kylie from Lunar Beauty Studio. And uh if you're listening, would appreciate if you guys could share as well and leave us like a little review. Let us know how you're liking the show. And that is all for this episode, and we'll catch you guys next time on the preferred list.

SPEAKER_00 46:41

Thank you.