What I bring with me
Working at your place is not a rushed version of studio work. It is the same work somewhere else, with different preparation.
A high chair, a mirror, my own lighting and the product case. The light is the item that matters most. Without it the result depends on whatever the room happens to have, and that changes from house to house.
Setting up takes about fifteen minutes. So I arrive before the hour we agreed for starting the makeup, not on the hour itself.
What I need from the space
| Needed | Detail |
|---|---|
| One power socket | For the light. If it's far away, an extension cord solves it. |
| A table or any surface | To lay the products out. A metre is enough. |
| Room around the chair | I need to move around you. A bedroom with the bed pushed against the wall usually does it. |
| A window, if there is one | Daylight helps confirm the shade of the base. Not required, but it improves the result. |
What you don't need: a big room, a wall mirror, or to tidy the house. I work in small bedrooms often and the result is the same.
The light in the room
A room with coloured walls throws that colour back onto the skin. A blue bedroom pushes the base cool. A yellow one does the opposite.
That is why I bring my own light and prefer to work near a window. The two together give the shade closest to what the camera will see.
If the room only has a yellowish ceiling light, it isn't a problem. It just means the final check happens by the window or at the front door.
How many people at once
At a wedding it is rarely only the bride. Mother, maid of honour, sisters and friends all count, and each person adds time.
A guest's makeup takes about forty-five minutes. The bride's takes longer, because it includes checks and touch-ups across the morning.
Once the group goes past three or four people, the conversation becomes about order: who starts, who finishes closest to the time you leave, who has to be ready before the photographer arrives.
Travel: how we arrange it
I work out of the studio in Porto and I travel. To tell you whether I can take a date I need three things: the date, the address, and the hour you have to be ready.
With that I can say straight away whether it's free and how the travel works. Outside Porto the calculation changes with the distance and the start time.
Frequently asked questions
Do you do makeup at home in Porto?
Yes. I work out of the studio in Nova Sintra, Porto, and I travel to your home, your hotel or the venue. Tell me the date, the address and the hour you have to be ready.
What do I need to have at home for the makeup?
A socket for the lighting, a surface to lay the products out, and room to move around the chair. A window helps but isn't required. I bring the chair, the mirror and my own light.
How long before do we need to start?
I arrive about fifteen minutes before the start time to set up. A guest's makeup takes around forty-five minutes. A bride's takes longer, because it includes touch-ups across the morning.
Can you do several people at the same place?
Yes. At weddings it is the norm: bride, mother, maid of honour, friends. Each person adds time, so we agree the order in advance, working backwards from the hour the bride has to leave.
Do you work outside Porto?
Yes, elsewhere in Portugal and abroad. Outside Porto the travel depends on the distance and the start time. Tell me the place and the date and I'll tell you how it works.
What if the room has poor light?
I bring my own lighting, so it gets solved. In that case I do the final check next to a window or at the door, to confirm the shade of the base in daylight.
One last thing
The most useful question you can ask me in a first message isn't the price. It's what hour you have to be ready. With that number I can tell you whether the morning works, and everything else follows from there.