Formal season is one of the loveliest times of the year in Brisbane, and the makeup questions start months out. Whether you are a student planning your look or a parent trying to organise a calm getting-ready evening, this guide covers what actually matters.
Start with the look, not the products
Save a handful of photos of makeup you love on faces that look a little like yours, similar skin tone, similar eye shape. Three saved photos tell an artist more than an hour of description. Keep your dress or outfit in mind too: a soft, glowy look sits beautifully with almost everything, while a bold lip or a smoky eye is a choice you make once, not both at once.
Book earlier than you think
Popular formal dates fill fast, especially Fridays and Saturdays in formal season, and artists often take several faces per evening. As soon as your date is confirmed, lock your makeup in. If you are getting ready with friends, one artist for the group makes the whole afternoon calmer, one schedule, one location, everyone photographed and ready on time.
Prep your skin in the weeks before
Please do not try a brand new product the week of your formal. Keep your routine simple and consistent, drink your water, and if your skin is being a teenager along with you, that is completely normal and completely workable. A gentle routine like the one in our teenage skincare guide does more than any last-minute miracle product.
On the day
Arrive with a clean, moisturised face and a reference photo, then let yourself be looked after. Good formal makeup is long wearing but still looks like you: your features, gently turned up. Ask for a touch-up kit tip or two before your artist leaves, usually just blot papers and one lip product in your bag.
Formals with Maden Beauty
Emma works with formal clients at her Coorparoo studio or a partner salon by arrangement, and loves formal season, individual bookings and group getting-ready sessions alike, at introductory rates while she builds her portfolio. See services and pricing, read how to keep your look flawless all night in the humidity guide, or enquire about your date today.
