My First (official) Client!

When I found out my friend Jess was getting married, I decided to tell her about the biz.  I had just gotten my professional kit finished and was so excited to use it!  She happily accepted my offer, due the reasonable cost of free and her gracious confidence in my abilities.  I went over to her house one night for a pre-engagement photograph consult.  We discussed looks that she liked and I said I would show her two looks, one on each eye.  My hands weren't shaking but my heart was in my throat.  What if I really suck at this?  I am always nervous applying makeup on others, but this was a professional photograph session we were talking about.  I had never promised good results doing makeup for others.  What you got was what you got.  Now, I am telling my first client to trust me because I am a professional?  Amongst my raging emotions, I do both eyes the same.  I was all over the place mixing colors, not keeping track of which shade was mixed with what.  I used too much of everything.  I apologized and hand Jess some makeup wipes to start the second look we discussed.  She was being extremely patient and understanding.  I composed myself and started again but the second look was showing up exactly as the first.  After an hour and a half of makeup application (I had guessed it would take thirty minutes), we finally decide on an overall look.  I walked out the door and my confidence is at zero.  I am a perfectionist in certain aspects and this is disappointing first consult.  I went home and decided I need to develop a system of organization.  I cannot be dipping into random shades for a wedding and expect the same look twice.  So, I came up with a way to map my palettes and wrote down every color and product I would use for this one look.  By the time I went to bed, things were starting to look up.
Jess came over before her hair appointment to complete her makeup for the engagement photos.  I am sure I looked composed (or not), but I was a wreck on the inside.  I went step by step with my consult sheet I had made, double checking the locations of each color.  Things were going really well!!  By the time I had done the foundation, I was becoming more and more amazed at the outcome.  Then OOPS, I mislabeled two eyeshadow shades and couldn't figure out which shade I was supposed to use.  To give you an idea of what I am talking about, I have 88 shades in one palette and four palettes.  That's a lotta freakin colors.  I play around til I am about 75% sure which colors I had originally chosen and moved on.  Time was flying by and before I knew it, BAM!, time for her to head out the door.  I snapped a quick photo with my phone and she was off.  After she left, I remembered I had forgotten pressed powder as a finishing touch.  All in all, I was extremely impressed with how good her make-up looked, minus my few oversights!  Maybe I can do this after all!  Here is a link to her photographer's blog for more photos!

Maile Lani Photography