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When you think about your wedding day, having a stress free morning is part of the plan. But unless you take some time to think the morning out, chances are your focus is in other places.

You may be thinking about your first look, walking down the aisle or getting through your vows while all of your family and friends are there to witness it.

Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

Your morning is going to set up your day for success and it’s important to put some thought in to it.

The following are my 7 tips on how to have a stress free morning on your wedding day. Some may feel obvious, but you’d be surprised how often these simple things are overlooked.

When working with a professional, you’ll get a schedule and have amazing artists that are fun to be with, do amazing work AND stay on time.

However there is a lot to still get done that is all on YOU to have planned ahead of time.

As a seasoned makeup artist, these are my 7 tips on how to have a stress free morning on your wedding day.

  1. Food.
    • Breakfast, snacks and lunch should be planned and assigned to someone to be in charge of. Your excitement/nerves might trick you to think you’re not hungry BUT don’t make the mistake of not eating. Your adrenaline is going to be in high gear and needs as much fuel to burn as possible. Staying ahead of your hunger is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
    • **Bonus points if you order food for your artists, they will most likely be hungry the entire morning**
  2. Hydrate & Caffeinate.
    • Drink plenty of water. If you are a coffee/tea drinker, this is a great opportunity to have your favorite drink. In my opinion, waiting until early afternoon for your first mimosa is a smart plan. (No judgment if you decide otherwise.)
  3. Steam your dresses the day before.
    • Most people wait to steam until the day of. HOWEVER, the main problem with this is no one should be steaming after they have their makeup or hair done. Get this chore out of the way the day before with a steaming party.
Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

4. Don’t stress on an early start

Most brides don’t realize how early you need to start, especially if you’ve never been in a wedding before. If you have a large party, your morning will most likely be early. 6am,/7am isn’t uncommon. In fact, I’ve even had a 3:30am arrival before (not ideal). You can either embrace the early morning, or see if having additional artists added works within your budget. You’ll probably wake up early from excitement. You might as well hang with your favorite people getting ready and having breakfast together. 😉

Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

5. Have everything for your vendors organized and easily able to find.

Once your vendors start arriving (1-1.5 hours before your first look) things start to get… busy.

Time starts to go fast and searching for everything your photographer/videographer needs takes time if it’s not prepped. This can cause in the moment stress pulling you away from something you want to be enjoying. Have these items prepped and organized.

    Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

    6. Don’t sweat the things that go “wrong”.

    These are the type of details that make the best stories. It’s best to just move on quickly and keep enjoying your day. No one will ever know if something did or didn’t happen. They are there to celebrate YOU and your significant other.

      Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

      7. When getting your makeup and hair done, go second to last as the bride.

      I’ve done 100’s of weddings and this is THE trick to stay stress free on your wedding day. Once your vendors start to arrive things get busy. Being in the makeup chair trying to coordinate everyone with everything is next to impossible. I started implementing my brides going second to last years ago and it has been a GAME CHANGER!

      Trust me, having some time before you get into your dress is THE BEST TIP to a stress free morning!

        Ultimately just remember your wedding day is going to be one of the best days of your life. All of your favorite people are in one place to celebrate YOU.

        These are just 7 tips I’ve collected over time that will help keep your wedding day morning stress free.

        Stress free Wedding Day 
Big Island Hawaii Makeup Artist

        Happy Wedding planning!

        Makeup & Hair: Meagan Brown

        Event Planner: Laurel Street Events

        Venue: San Diego Botanical Garden

        Florists: Ophelia Floral Co

        Photography by Brogen Jessup Wedding Photography

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        I’ve always loved October. It’s just before everyone gets in holiday mode and Pumpkin Spice is literally everywhere.(Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew is my favvvorite) 

        It’s also Halloween, a time where I get to play and create fun looks using makeup for clients and myself.

        I don’t know about you, but I always have the intention of creating a really fun/exciting Halloween costume , but time seems to always gets away from me. 
        In the spirit of working ahead, I started collecting Halloween inspiration in my Halloween Beauty Pinterest board and thought it would be perfect to share with YOU. I focused on saving looks that were great for last minute ideas or looks that can easily be incorporated with any costume. 
        My biggest tip and takeaway for the season is to KEEP IT SIMPLE!! Let stickers, adhesives, jewelry or wigs do the heavy lifting. (See Pinterest board for examples)
        Click here to check out my Halloween Beauty Pinterest board


        Even if your staying at home (the theme of 2020) it’s still fun to get creative.

        Trick or Treat Yo’self. 

        Although this costume doesn’t involve makeup or hair styling, this was one of my all time favorite halloween costumes!

        **Group costumes are ALWAYS a great idea**

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        12 REASONS WHY YOU’RE BREAKING OUT AND WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE!

        Do you have random blemishes & breakouts?
        Unless you’re blessed by the skin gods, we all do!
        Under the impression that breakouts were suppose to stop once we hit our twenties?
        I think we all did.
        There are MANY causes to why you could be having a major break out, but here are some of the most common that get overlooked.

        Here are 12 reasons why you’re breaking out and what you can change.

        • Touching your face. This is sometimes a subconscious motion you don’t even realize your doing. It can easily lead to breakouts especially if you’re acne-prone.
        Girl touching face
        • – Dirty Brushes (Especially FOUNDATION/concealing brushes!) Liquids and creams harbor bacteria within a brush. Use clean fingers to blend instead.
        • – Towels (Switch to paper towels) I use VIVA paper towels They are smooth, absorbent and break off in the half sizes.
        • – New medications- This can be easily overlooked because when taking a new medication. New chemicals in your body can easily take care of one problem while creating another.
        • – Not cleansing your skin properly (Using harsh cleansers/exfoliants on breakouts) I recommend gentle milk cleansers for ALL skin types. This milk cleanser from fresh will dissolve makeup and dirt from the skin without stripping it’s hydration.
        • – Not washing your skin in the morning. Toxins are being released through the night. If you are not washing your face in the morning you’re doing yourself a disservice.
        • – Powder puffs/ powder compacts- If you have a small blemish and use your powder puff to add coverage, it now harbors that same bacteria and may be spreading it on the rest of your face.
        • – Pregnancy/ hormonal changes
        • – Dirty Pillowcases. Flip your pillow over, turn it inside out and switch it out. Bacteria transfers and can be easily held in Cotton. Flip & switch out your pillow case, especially if you tend to sleep on your sides.
        • – The order of how you conceal. Conceal blemishes LAST! Once you touch that blemish with a brush or your fingers, you are spreading it to the next place you go to conceal.
        • – Backed up Colon. AKA not pooping enough. There are many ways to add probiotics into your routine. Find a way that is best for you.
        • – Starting your makeup without washing your hands. Think about it, your hands touch MANY things, ALWAYS wash before starting your makeup.
        Beauty Close up, 12 reasons why you're breaking out

        What are the top 3 reasons you may be breaking out AND what are you going to change?

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        makeup artist #1 question

        To my surprise, the moment people know I do makeup for brides, the #1 question I get asked about weddings is…

        “Do you get “BRIDEZILLAS”?

        The short answer is no.

        But let me tell you why, because I literally have THE BEST brides!

        Talent and artistry is of course, important. However, I believe it all goes into connection, communication and the ability to be flexible. “The biggest way to be flexible is being prepared.”
        With all weddings, preparation is key. Here are a few reasons why “bridezillas” don’t exist in my world.

        Preparation

        A trial is always a MUST! It allows time to connect, vibe and most importantly create a rad & personalized look. I like to start with scheduling a call. That way we can determine if we are a good fit working with each other. After that, I suggest taking a look at your calendar to see if you have any special events coming up to have your makeup and/or hair done. Once we schedule a trial, it’s important to find inspiration images of MU&H that you like. I’ve been creating Pinterest boards full of beauty inspirations for years, take a look if you need more direction in your search.

        Scheduling


        There are so many moving parts to a wedding. Knowing who needs to be where at a certain time makes everything come together seamlessly. If you are interested in scheduling a call to learn more about my bridal process, I would love to chat with you! scheduling

        Payment deadlines


        Who wants to handle money on their wedding day? <– no-one. Collecting final payment prior to the wedding is a MUST.

        I require final payment completed one week prior to the wedding in one final sum from the bride. I currently accept payments via PayPal, VENMO and for special circumstances SQUARE.

        To see more of my bridal work, please check out my site at mb.com

        I honestly LOVE doing weddings, and am SO grateful I get to expierence being apart one these woman lives.

        First Look with gorgeous bridal party at Rancho Valencia.
        Coordinated by Susanne Duffy of Crown Weddings and Photographed by The Youngrens. 
        Makeup by Meagan Brown
        Bridal Party toast at L'Aberge Del Mar
        Photographed by Taylor Abeel 
        Makeup by Meagan Brown
        Hair by Audra Rene

        What is YOUR #1 question about weddings?

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        5 WAYS TO LOOK LESS TIRED

        “You look tired”

        The cringe worthy statement we’ve all heard and probably said at least once in our lifetime.
        Basically another way of telling someone they look like sh*+ without saying they look like sh*+.
        The truth is, of course you’re effing tired!
        You’re probably working/running your own business, maintaining a personal life, living that family life, AND trying to lose 10lbs all at the same time.
        The LAST thing you want to hear is “you look tired.”
        The good news is that by using the right products in the right placements you’ll hear less of the “you look tired” comments and…
        Well, the goal is to not hear “you look tired”.

        Here are 5 ways to look less tired!

        – Redness reliever eye drops. ← eyedrops go a LOONNNG way!! Personal Favorite is by Lumify. https://www.lumifydrops.com
        – Highlighting- (When I say highlighting I don’t mean shimmer disco ball from across the room)
            – There are 3 main placements on the face that I specifically target with concealer that make a WORLD of a difference when it comes to looking tired. (Subscribe on my homepage to receive your freebie face chart for a breakdown https://meaganbrown.com)

        – Conceal your eye lid. The skin tone on your lid has discoloration too. For all my girls that don’t wear eyeshadow this is a quick fix, just make sure you set it with a loose powder.
        – Use a flesh toned eyeliner in the inner lower lash line. Pro trick- Apply, then soften with a Q-tip. NYX wonder pencil work wonders () and comes in 3 different shades. https://www.nyxcosmetics.com
        – Try a bright bold lip. Dragon Girl by Nars www.narscosmetics.com is a personal fav. It really gives me life when I’m looking for something quick. (Stay away from cool toned lipsticks on these extra tired days.)

        If your tired of being told you look tired let me see some hands, and if you have another beauty trick to look less tired please share in the comments below!

        5 WAYS TO LOOK LESS TIRED Bride holding wedding dress
        Natural sunkissed Beauty 5 WAYS TO LOOK LESS TIRED