Selena Marchand has over 1 million followers on TikTok, where she shares makeup tips and reenacts moments from her 20-year career
Courtesy Vicki Bartel
NEED TO KNOW
- Selena Marchand is a bridal makeup artist with over 1 million followers on TikTok
- With over 20 years of experience, she’s adapted her makeup skills and practice to stay current with trends
- Now, she talks to PEOPLE about her dos and don’ts when it comes to doing makeup for big events
Selena Marchand has been a makeup artist for over two decades, helping countless brides feel their best on their wedding day.
In recent years, Marchand, 41, has taken her wealth of knowledge to the internet, sharing her tried-and-true makeup tips with millions of people. When choosing the perfect makeup look for big events, however, Marchand warns people to be wary of one thing when finding inspiration: artificial intelligence.
"People are going on to Pinterest, and then they're seeing these AI images of these beautiful girls that aren't real. Of course, they look amazing," she tells PEOPLE. "We get shown that a lot. And I understand, like, I would probably do the same thing."
Courtesy Vicki Bartel
Instead of using an AI photo, she says "it's best to look for someone that looks somewhat like you and has the same color features."
"If you're a blonde, fair girl, don't show Kim Kardashian because it's just not gonna look the same," she emphasizes. "Try to choose someone who has features similar to yours, even hair and eye color."
She notes that it's crucial to focus on the actual makeup, not the face underneath it all. It's also important to be realistic about the amount of makeup needed to recreate certain looks.
"People will kind of look at a look and think that it's really natural when it's not," she says.
@selenamup Based on a true story…unfortunately #beautytok #weddingtiktok #bridalmakeup
♬ original sound – SELENA • Makeup Artist
Another big misconception, she says, is that some clients think "that they need to wear a lot of makeup for photos."
"A lot of my brides are more on the natural side, so sometimes they'll push themselves out of their comfort zone so much that they don't feel like themselves in person," she says. "At the trial, they'll be like, 'I feel like I need to wear more for the photos.' "
"I always tell them it's best to look good in person, which is gonna translate on camera. You're still gonna look absolutely beautiful on camera with natural makeup," she says. "Don't go to your comfort zone just because you feel like, 'It's my wedding day, and I need to wear a lot of makeup.' Stay true to what makes you feel beautiful."
Thankfully, Marchand is often able to work out any kinks and answer questions during the makeup trial. At the end of the day, she loves "creating the makeup looks" and seeing "everyone feel amazing."
"With the bride, sometimes they'll cry. They feel like their best selves. Over the last 20 years, I've gotten a lot better at helping people with their makeup because I'm asking better questions before I get started," she says. "I'll really analyze and be like, 'What do you like about it?' So I'm asking them a lot of questions, but having them feel like it, there's nothing like that, just them saying like, 'Thank you so much.' They feel so beautiful."
While the pros of her career drastically outweigh the cons, she notes that the hardest part can be "dealing with all the personalities on the wedding day."
"You can hire the bride, and she may be amazing, but I do pretty large wedding parties, so there could be a few troublemakers at the party," she says. "I'm really good at navigating that now, but it's all kinds of different personalities."
Read the full article here
