Makeup & Hair Stylist Interview: April Foster

This week we are chatting with the AMAZING April Foster of April Foster Bridal. April is truly one of the most talented makeup and hair artists. She has this way of making you feel completely and totally relaxed, which honestly can be hard to come by when you have someone doing your hair and makeup. And I am talking about her from my own experience! April did my hair and makeup when I had some new branding photos being taken. Anyways, enough from me! You are going to love her. Keep reading to learn all in do’s and don’ts of planning your hair and makeup for your big day!

Tell us a little about you! Who you are, where you are from, etc!

Hi! I’m April of April Foster Bridal!! I help brides feel relaxed and beautiful on their wedding day. As someone who is beauty-obsessed, I’m always on the lookout for the latest and greatest beauty products to enhance my brides’ natural beauty! I’m a California girl through and through. I moved away for a few years after college but I quickly found myself back on the West Coast!

Where are you located and what services do you offer?

April Foster Bridal is a luxury onsite beauty team that services the San Francisco Bay Area. My team and I enhance natural beauty by providing clients with soft, romantic, loose, and modern looks that bring out their inner glow. From City Hall to larger events our crafted wedding packages provide brides and bridal parties a celebrity-like experience. Here at AFB we are obsessed with all things beauty and are inspired with each opportunity to make someone look and feel like their beautiful inner self.

What is the #1 mistake brides make when it comes to wedding day hair and makeup?

The mistake I see brides making when it comes to their wedding day hair and makeup is not being true to themselves. Trying to make mom or grandma happy by wearing their hair up in an updo because that’s how their mom always envisioned them as a bride. We like to find an elevated version of themselves. If you HATE the way you look in ponytails, now is not the time to try your luck with your hair up. I’m really lucky and my brides tend to be these awesome women who have really developed their own personal style. I work with them to enhance that and elevate it for their wedding day, not change or give a “makeover”.

What are some makeup trends you see becoming popular?

Makeup is all about letting the inner beauty shine through! Not masking or covering. Fine art beauty is something that I’m currently digging. Where the lash line is defined and the eyes pop and shadows are used to create depth and dimension.

What are some hair trends you see becoming popular?

Currently it’s all about really clean polished looks that still have tons of texture! It’s fun to see these trends come from Russia but to be adapted and interpreted by American artists.

Do you think it is worth doing a trial before wedding day? Why?

Oh yes!!!! Most definitely! But I don’t necessarily like to call it a trial. Trial makes it seem like you are “trying” your artist out. Just like you don’t have a trial for your photographer or your florist! You book these artists based on their amazing portfolios too. I like to think of it more as a “preview” since it will be a preview of what you will look like on your wedding day. This is such an important opportunity to really get to know my brides! By the time of the preview, we have been emailing for months but nothing is like meeting in person. I don’t create a one size fits all look for my Brides. I take the time to get to know them, their backgrounds, their families, and pretty much every detail of their wedding. (yes, I wanna know what kind of chairs you will have, so tell me, everything girl!!). I want to be able to envision myself at your wedding at the preview. I take allllll of this into account when I create a look for you. And that’s not even counting your physical features yet! Once we gather all of these details and ideas I’ll tailor a look that will convey the look we want that is custom-designed to your eye shape, eye angle, eye spacing (these are all very different things!) along with your coloring, head shape, hair color, hair texture, etc!

What if a bride has NO idea what they want on wedding day, what are some ways to be inspired?

I’ve found that every bride has more of an idea of how they want to look on their day than they initially think. I help brides conceptualize that through our fun and detailed preview consultation. Through my process of learning about them, their fiance, families, and the wedding they have planned, we are always able to narrow down and perfect what that look is!

What are some questions other than pricing/availability that a bride can ask to know if she is a good fit with a makeup & hair artist?

Before you reach out and start asking questions, I think one of the most important things you should do first is to look at is their portfolio. Do you *like* the way their brides look? If you find yourself saying “well, I don’t like that particular makeup even though, sure… it’s done nicely…..but maybe that’s what she asked for?!?” over and over as you look through their book, you probably just don’t like that artist’s style. This may seem like a no brainer but is one of the things I see the most.

Once you do find an artist’s style that you like, a super important question you should ask is whether or not they book more than one bride per day.

With the ebb and flow of weddings, you need an artist that will be flexible with any changes you may have. Aunt Lucy wants to suddenly get her makeup done? No problem. Ceremony is being pushed back 30 minutes? Got it. An Artist who stacks multiple Brides on Saturdays may not be flexible with your needs, or at worse may cancel your services altogether. It happens far more often than you would think! We get panicked calls from brides all the time on Saturday mornings and it breaks my heart.

Another really great question is, is this their full-time job?

With today’s social media, everyone is an expert and anyone with an Instagram page can present themselves as a hair and makeup artist. A professional vs a hobbyist can make all the difference on the day of with logistical issues. Go with a pro who has the experience of hundreds of weddings to make the right call for last-minute decisions.

Y’all, how much do you love April?! Isn’t she amazing! I am OBSESSED with her answers. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @aprilfosterbridal and you can see more of her stunning work and get in touch with her at www.aprilfosterbridal.com!

Photo by Lindsey Denman Photo