Michael Fels Beauty: Hair & Makeup

If this exact photo is sitting on your Pinterest board right now, please do not be embarrassed!

The concept is beautiful, but she is not real. This is a physically impossible standard of human skin. We are officially saying goodbye to the waxy computer filter.

But we can absolutely still use it! My job is not to judge your mood board, but to translate it into reality. It is always a collaboration. We can take this whimsical vibe and engineer a bulletproof look that elevates your authentic features.

Let us decode the image. What you are actually asking for here is a fresh faced, glowing, bronzey, and softly contoured application with a delicate pink lip and a heavy focus on the lashes. Depending on your preferred skin coverage, this sits perfectly in the natural glam to soft glam space.

To my fellow artists: drop a hand in the comments if you have seen this exact girl at a trial this season!

🤍 Save this to decode your own inspiration photos, and send it to a bride who needs a reminder that real skin is beautiful.

Tap the link in my bio to secure your date for bridal beauty that is comfortable, whimsical, and authentically you.

Before you step into the bridal makeup chair, we need to decode a few industry secrets. Here are five things we wish every bride knew about engineering her perfect wedding day makeup.

1. Longevity requires layers.
For your makeup to hold up through happy tears and late night dancing, it needs a solid structure to grip onto. We apply a complete, carefully engineered face of makeup so your look is bulletproof for 16 hours without ever feeling heavy or uncomfortable.

2. The camera changes things.
Professional photography will wash out about 50% of your makeup. This means we have a decision to make! Do we prioritize how the makeup looks in person, or how it translates on camera? There is no wrong answer, and it is always a collaboration. We will figure out the perfect balance together.

3. “Natural” and “Neutral” are completely different.
When we look at celebrity inspiration photos, remember that “natural” refers to the actual amount of product on the skin, while “neutral” refers to the color palette. A beautifully neutral look can still be a very heavy glam application!

4. Skincare is your true foundation.
How flawless your complexion makeup looks actually has much more to do with your daily skincare routine leading up to the wedding than the foundation we use on the day. Consistent skin prep is the absolute secret to that radiant, authentic glow.

5. Wardrobe colors matter.
The color of your dress has a massive impact on how your makeup tones pull together. This is exactly why we ask our brides to wear a top to their trial that mimics the color of their wedding dress. It helps us see the complete, whimsical vision before the big day!

🤍 Save this post to keep these tips handy for your trial, and send it to a friend who is planning her own wedding!

Tap the link in my bio to secure your date and experience bridal beauty that is comfortable, whimsical, and authentically you.

Pop the champagne and let that wedding hair panic officially melt away! If you are a curly haired bride who has been doom scrolling, terrified you will not find a stylist who actually gets your natural texture, I have the best news for you. Your search ends right here.

You absolutely do not have to settle for a blowout, and we are certainly not hiding the beautiful, wild magic of your curls on your wedding day.

When you sit in my chair, it is always a collaboration. It is just you and me figuring it out together! We will talk about how your curls naturally dance, look at your dreamiest inspiration photos, and engineer a bulletproof, un-fussed look that celebrates your authentic texture instead of trying to tame it.

Get ready to look in the mirror on your wedding morning and just feel so incredibly excited, seeing the most radiant, ethereal, and undeniably beautiful version of you.

🤍 Save this post so you know exactly who to call for your hair trial, and send it to a curly haired friend who needs to hear the good news!

Tap the link in my bio to secure your date for bridal beauty that is comfortable, whimsical, and authentically you.

So you’re scrolling through social looking for wedding makeup inspo and you start to notice that the trend is for every bride to look the exact same as every other bride… with makeup that makes them all look like sisters or cousins, totally erasing their individuality and unique personal beauty?

Yeah… no thanks!

When you sit in our chair, the goal is never to transform you into someone else. Our work is a celebration of your authentic beauty. We want you to look in the mirror on your wedding morning and see you, just the most radiant, undeniably beautiful version.

This is what we call our “me but better” approach. It is always a collaboration. It is just you and me figuring it out together. We talk about your vision, look at your natural features, and engineer a bulletproof look that elevates them instead of masking them.

You deserve a makeup application that feels comfortable, whimsical, and undeniably yours.

🤍 Save this post as a reminder that you do not have to look like every other bride, and send it to a friend who is planning her own wedding!

Tap the link in my bio to secure your date and experience bridal beauty that is comfortable, whimsical, and authentically you.

Do you actually love the makeup application, or are you just admiring a beautiful model with perfect symmetry and a great spray tan who checks all the boxes of Barbie-inspired beauty?

At first glance, this tutorial looks so effortless and “natural.” But when we break down the reality of what is happening, it’s actually quite heavy. She has a lot of black defining her lash line, and because her face is naturally pale compared to her body’s spray tan, it requires a full-coverage complexion routine just to blend everything seamlessly.

If you don’t normally wear heavy foundation or dark liner, asking for this “natural” look might feel totally overwhelming when you actually look in the mirror.

This is why it starts with a conversation about how you want your makeup to look and how it holds through the day. From there, I engineer our approach to give you a bulletproof look that still feels like you, but better.

It’s always a collaboration: you and me figuring it out together. We will decode your inspiration pictures so you know exactly what is going onto your skin.

You deserve to look in the mirror on your wedding morning and see you…just the most radiant, undeniably beautiful version.

🤍 Tap the link in my bio to secure your date for comfortable, whimsical beauty that feels authentically you.



Shoutout to TAHLIA LIAPIS, creator of the original video and the talented artist behind this gorgeous makeup!

Have you ever scrolled through “natural” makeup inspo pics and wondered what makes one look “natural glam” and another “soft glam” and yet another “full glam”?

I saw this video and loved the examples she used, but I wanted to jump in and break down exactly why these looks are classified the way they are!

When you come in for your trial, having the right vocabulary makes such a difference. But you don’t need to be a makeup expert to get married…that is my job! It’s always a collaboration, you and me figuring it out together.

By understanding what makes a look “soft glam” (like fuller coverage skin and features) versus “natural” (sheer coverage and soft edges), we can engineer the exact vibe you are looking for.

Bring us your inspiration pictures, tell me what you love about them, and we’ll translate them into a bulletproof look that feels completely un-fussed and entirely you.

🤍 Tap the link in my bio to secure your date and experience a safe, collaborative bridal beauty experience.



Shoutout to the original creator of this video makeupkristin doing the Lord’s work helping brides understand different levels of makeup 💕

Let’s talk about real skin texture + makeup.

If you look at unedited Getty Images from the Met Gala, you’ll notice something really important: even the most famous women in the world, with access to the absolute best dermatologists, skincare, and luxury makeup artists, still have pores, fine lines, and texture.

Makeup is an incredible tool, but it sits on human skin. Paint is only as good as the surface it is painted onto.

When you are scrolling for makeup inspo pics, I always recommend zooming in. If you look closely at real, unedited photos of gorgeous celebrities like Margot Robbie, you can see what beautiful, high-end makeup actually looks like up close.

When you sit in my chair, it’s always a collaboration: you and me figuring it out together. We look at your inspo, talk about what you love, and translate that into a bulletproof look that flatters your actual, beautiful, human skin.

I know it can be so tricky navigating the flawless, pore-less AI images all over Pinterest right now (and figuring out the difference between a computer and reality). I have a whole series on my grid breaking down how to spot AI makeup and what to expect instead.

You deserve to look in the mirror on your wedding morning and see you… just the most radiant, undeniably beautiful version.

💕 Check out my recent reels for more on navigating AI inspo, and tap the link in my bio to secure your date for an entirely safe, un-fussed bridal beauty experience.



Original reel showing Getty Images close up makeup photos by Claire Viehman • Savannah Makeup Artist! If you’re looking for makeup you can zoom into and see REAL SKIN check out her page 💕