Most brides tell me what look they want. Fewer tell me the things that actually affect whether I can deliver it. Here is what I wish more clients mentioned upfront.

Your skin type - specifically, how it behaves on stressful days

Your skin does not behave the same way at a trial session as it does on your wedding day. Stress, humidity, being up since 4am - all of it shows. If you know you go oily under pressure, tell me that. If your skin gets dry in air conditioning, tell me that too. It changes which primer I use and whether I go with airbrush.

Product allergies or sensitivities

This seems obvious but a lot of brides forget to mention it until we are already halfway through the trial. If a specific brand or ingredient has caused a reaction before, I need to know. I can usually work around it, but I need time to swap products in my kit.

Your photographer and what they shoot in

If your photographer shoots mostly in bright natural light, that changes how I build the base. Flash photography needs a no-flashback formula. If there is a mix of indoor and outdoor shots, we need to account for both. Ask your photographer what their setup looks like and pass that along.

How long the day actually runs

A three-hour ceremony and a five-hour reception is different from a 14-hour event with an outdoor baraat. The longer the day, the more I build the longevity layer into the base. This takes slightly longer but it is worth it.

What you genuinely do not want

Most brides show me inspiration photos of what they want. Almost none show me examples of what they do not want. Both are useful. If you hate heavy contouring, tell me. If you do not want visible under-eye concealer, tell me. It saves us both a lot of time at the trial.

The trial session exists specifically to work through all of this before the actual day. Use it for that - not just to approve a look, but to surface anything that might need adjusting.