Vendor Feature // Wink and a Smile Makeup // Seattle Wedding Makeup Artist

I am excited continue my Vendor Feature blog series with one of my favorite Seattle & Tacoma based Makeup Artists, Wink and a Smile Makeup!  Over the next few months I will be featuring all types of different wedding vendors showcasing who they are, what they offer and how fabulous they are!

Rachel is an amazing makeup artist who specializes in bridal looks and makeup for photoshoots.  I have loved getting to work with this amazing gal!  She is super easygoing and fun, yet incredibly professional.  Her looks are both creative and classic and really focuses on her clients wants and needs while customizing  the desired look for their unique features.

We have worked together several times now and I am incredibly excited to share a interview with Rachel and share all her wisdom and insight with you along with some photos from a few shoots showcasing her beautiful work.

Where are you located?

I live in Bonney Lake, but my business is completely mobile and I travel to every single one of my clients, all over Western Washington.

How did your business get started?

I’ve always had a fascination with faces and hair. If you look at all of my spelling and math homework growing up, there’s little sketches of faces, dresses, and hairstyles all over them. I have binders and binders of saved drawings of realistic faces and fancy dress sketches. I think it’s fun to see my progression.

I started out wanting to work in film, but I started exploring bridal as well. At first it was really hard and I ran up against a lot of roadblocks. Now that I have a lot more experience and training, I LOVE working with my bridal clients and helping make their big day amazing.

 

Who is your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who is not afraid to spend money on looking amazing. There’s this air of confidence that comes with being comfortable and happy with the way you look. I believe it’s so SO important to take the time to feel luxurious, pampered, and stunning on your wedding day.

Describe the process of what it looks like to work with you.

My job is to help you feel beautiful and taken care-of from start to finish. When I lock your wedding in my calendar, I don’t take any other jobs that day, because my ONLY focus is you, and supporting your needs for the day. I highly encourage my clients to go with a day-rate option. That way, I can be there to make sure everything stays perfect throughout the entire day.

This is the kind of service celebrities get when they go to events. They have someone who’s entire concern is taking care of how they look on camera. Think about it. There will be thousands of pictures of you taken. It’s your day to be the star of the show. Do you have someone who’s job it is to make sure you look awesome on camera the entire day?

What’s the biggest trend you are seeing in wedding hair and make-up?

Most of my brides come to me wanting a fresh look. Clean skin, stunning eyes, and luscious lashes. I love this look. There’s something inherently luxurious about it. You don’t have to wear a ton of thick makeup to look beautiful on your wedding day. I like creating some of the more romantic, messy hairstyles I’ve been seeing lately. I also love the resurgence of vintage looks. So classy.

 

 

What do you tell brides who are trying to save money by doing their own hair and make-up?

Everyone has their own priorities and budgets, and that’s totally okay.

Doing the research for what products would be the most waterproof, which ones would work for your skin, what color this, what shade that, trial and error… it can be a massive time sink, and SO expensive to do it yourself even if you go with the more inexpensive cosmetic rather than with with more expensive quality products. Sometimes going with the “cheaper option” is actually more expensive!

My clients see value in having an expert take care of making them and their party look amazing for their thousands of pictures. They understand that I’ve already tested hundreds of products and only carry the ones I KNOW are going to give the results you need. To them, that is a priority, and something worth investing in.

What is your favorite part of owning your own business?

My favorite part of owning my own business is also what makes my services unique: I love that I can make my own schedule and devote as much time as I want to client care, and really go the extra mile to make my services a custom luxury experience. I take the time to actually get to know my clients. They aren’t just another business transaction to me.

Who are some of your favorite vendors?

It sounds crazy, but the best pizza I’ve ever had was from Cascadia Pizza Company. They do weddings, y’all! Now I’m hungry.

I love Dream Dresses from P.M.N. Her designs make me swoon. I’m swooning right now just thinking about them.

Julia’s Floral is one of my favorite florists to work with. She’s awesome, and her work is stunning.

 

 

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