Hair & Makeup Tips for Weddings & Special Events! Interview with Stacie Otto, Professional Hair & Makeup Artist

I spoke with Stacie Otto, an amazing hair and makeup artist based in Orlando, Florida. We talked all about why hiring a professional hair and makeup artist for your wedding or special event is so important, tips for dealing with Florida humidity and all of Stacie’s favorite products!

I’ve summarized some of our discussion but you can check out the full video interview below! You can find Stacie on Instagram @stacienoelotto

Why do you think it’s important to hire a professional hair and makeup artist for a wedding or special event?

When you’re having a special event and hiring a professional photographer (like me!) to capture it, Stacie thinks you’re missing the opportunity to have the BEST PHOTOS POSSIBLE if you don’t have your hair and makeup done professionally. So many people do an excellent job with their hair and makeup but they may not be knowledgeable about what products look best in flash photography and what products or strategies to use to make your hair and makeup look great for the ENTIRE event. But more than anything, it’s so nice to begin that special day just being pampered!

What are some tips you have for people that are doing their makeup themselves but still want to look good in pictures?

Stacie’s number one tip is to do a trial on yourself. Practice doing your hair and makeup the way you want for your special event and take photos of yourself with and without flash - on your cell phone is fine! Get some closeups to check to see how your pores look, take photos from far away to see if you like the full look. Also, keep that makeup on and your hair done ALL DAY and see how it lasts. That way you can adjust before the big day!

Also be sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Drinking water essentially helps keep your skin plump and hydrated and will let your makeup sit better on top.

If you’re not used to regularly doing your makeup, go to Ulta, Sephora, Macy’s, a Mac counter, etc. and have a professional artist do your makeup for you and then buy those exact products. Then you’ll at least know you’ve been color-matched properly and you have products that are good for your skintone.

Lastly, you’ll want to go a little more heavy-handed with color products (blush, eyeshadow, bronzer, etc) because flash photography can tend to wash things out a bit.

How do you know which hair styles will look good on which people?

Stacie always asks her clients to send in pictures of themselves with their hair down and inspiration photos from Pinterest or Instagram so she can start to make recommendations. She considers face shape, hair texture, hair length and the time of year for the wedding. For example, she doesn’t recommend loose beachy waves for an outdoor Florida wedding because the style won’t last all day in the humidity. For someone with a round face, she’ll recommend something lifted to help elongate the face. Stacie also considers how the style will look in photos - not just from the front but from the side when you turn to face your partner. You wouldn’t want the money maker blocked for pictures!

Ultimately, Stacie will do whatever a bride requests, but she really favors updos for weddings because they stay in place and are no-fuss for brides for full day events.

Any tips for looking good in this Florida humidity?!

For special event makeup, you want to make sure you use a primer under your foundation. It smooths in pores and fine lines and creates a nice canvas for your makeup. It will also help your makeup last longer. For daily makeup, especially in the era of face masks, less is more. Stacie herself just uses concealer, eye makeup, a little blush and then she blots lipstick and covers it with vaseline.

When I asked Stacie about tips for hair, she screamed “Wear it up!” But in all seriousness, she said to be sure your washing well at the scalp and conditioning every time you wash. Be careful about using too much dry shampoo as it can irritate the scalp. Mousses are a good choice for helping with control and salt sprays are nice to help give your hair texture.

What’s your favorite makeup product from Sephora? Ulta?

Stacie loves using her Clarisonic to cleanse and gently exfoliate her skin. She really enjoys a lot of the skincare products from the Eminence line which is available for in-person purchase at the Senses Day Spa at the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World as well as online. A lot of her favorite makeup products are from Mac and Benefit. You’ll have to watch the video to see the full list!

Thank you so much to Stacie for spending time with me today! If you wanted to see the full interview, check out the video below!