S
Beauty By Sue
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Appointment Questions
Should I wash my hair before my appointment?
Yes. Hair should be freshly washed and fully dry prior to any styling appointments unless a blowout has been previously discussed and added to the scheduled appointment time. Dirty hair may not hold the style and makes voluminous soft styles I'm known for difficult to achieve. Excessively dirty hair will result in a denial of services with no refunds for advanced payments. In studio appointments may be charged for a full shampoo and blow-dry in addition to their styling- provided timing allows.
Where is your studio located?
My studio is based out of my home in Woodbridge, VA. The address is 13057 Queen Chapel Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22193
Where should I park?
Please feel free to park in the driveway or in front of the house, whichever is more convenient for you.
What should I bring?
For non-bridal trial appointments, please bring any hair accessories you'd like incorporated into your style such as combs, clips, pins, or hair extensions. If you are having makeup done and will want to touch up your lip color, please have a shade with you that makes you feel beautiful. (Sample swatches of products used will be provided for touch ups but are limited to 1-2 uses.). For bridal trials, any requirements will be listed in your prep instructions after scheduling.
How long will it take?
For studio appointments, we will schedule 1 hour for a single service and between 90 minutes and 2 hours for both hair and makeup, depending on whether you are having your hair styled for portraits or an event. For all non-wedding on location appointments a full two hours is scheduled to allow for set up, hair and makeup, and then clean up. I recommend leaving yourself plenty of wiggle room for getting dressed, gathering your things, and accounting for traffic afterwards so plan to be finishing up 30-60 minutes before you need to leave.
Wedding service questions
Do you have a minimum?
I do not have a headcount minimum requirement and am happy to book a wedding day for a bride only. However, I do have investment minimums as reflected by my package totals. My minimum investment for a wedding day booking is $1175 which can be met for a single service type, such as hair or makeup, for an all day concierge service package for the bride. Please see my Bridal Pricing Page for specifics on what is included in each package. The minimum service count for additional artists is 4 per artist.
Do you have a maximum headcount for wedding days?
I am able to accommodate a maximum of 6 total services including the bride on a wedding day myself. This is to allow for a relaxing pace without an overly long timeline or excessively early start time. I am not the type of artist to rush through 10 services myself because I refuse to split pay with another artist, and I refuse to sacrifice the quality of my work or my bride's peace of mind. I am able to bring additional artists where needed for most dates more than 6 months in advance with the help of my network of trusted bridal beauty pros, each able to accommodate up to 6 services. The cost for additional artists is $250 for administrative work and travel fees.
Do you travel on location for weddings?
I do travel on location almost exclusively for wedding days. In studio appointments are available for select dates if necessary.
How far are you willing to travel for a wedding?
My main area of coverage includes Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. However, I am available to travel to most destination wedding locations worldwide including but not limited to Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Locations within Virginia or Maryland more than 90 miles from zip code 22193 will require overnight accommodations the night before. For all locations outside of the DMV area, please fill out my Destination Wedding Inquiry Form for more specific details on package pricing and travel rates.
How much space will you need on a wedding day for hair and makeup?
I will need access to an outlet for lighting and tools and request as much table space as possible to set up. However, I am accustomed to working in hotels and historic sites with limited space and bring lighting, chairs, and folding tables as needed. For your comfort, it is highly recommended that you book a suite at your hotel so that your personal items are out of the way and not crowding space and your bridal party has space to relax without impeding services. A standard hotel room is not large enough to set up in as the bed takes up most of the room. For summer months, it is requested that A/C be available to avoid sweat during hair and makeup application and that all steaming be done in a closed off space away from where services are happening.
Do you do hair or makeup for bridal parties or moms?
While I specialize in bride only packages for a relaxing and luxurious wedding day experience for my brides, I do offer up to four total additional hair and/or makeup services for bridal party members. This keeps the wedding morning from taking an excessive amount of time and allows me to focus on my bride. I do not have a team of artists to assist me. Packages are available to include up to five additional people for makeup only or hair only bookings.
What if I only need makeup or hair?
I offer a flat rate hair only or makeup only package that includes wedding day services for the bride and up to three additional people along with the preview session for the bride. If you require less than that number of services, the package price is not reduced. However, additional touch up hours may be added in lieu of services. You may also add on up to two more services for larger parties for a total of six hair or makeup services including the bride. Please fill out my Bridal Inquiry Form to request more details and a personalized quote.
Can I do a trial before booking?
Trials are reserved only for brides already under contract and are meant to be a preview of the wedding day look and refine your hair and makeup so the wedding day flows smoothly and without stress. They are not to try my services to see if we fit. Should you require an appointment for services in addition to my portfolio and reviews to make your decision, you are welcome to schedule a regular weekday studio appointment. I’m more than happy to work with you for other pre-wedding beauty events such as engagement photos, dress fittings, bridal showers, or bachelorette events!
How do payments work?
Payments are broken down as such: $600 non-refundable retainer pre-pays for your trial appointment and pre-wedding admin and is due at signing. The remaining balance is due 14 days before the wedding date. Bookings less than 30 days before the wedding day require payment in full.
How long do we need on the wedding day?
The length of time for services on the wedding day depends on the headcount. If you as the bride are the only one receiving hair and makeup, we will block of 3.5 hours in total for your services and an additional hour for touch ups while you get dressed and start your pre-ceremony photos is included. This allows for enough time to set up, clean up, and have a luxurious and relaxed pace for hair and makeup to be completed. For each additional service for bridal party members, 45 minutes will be added to that 3.5 hours. For just hair or just makeup bookings, the minimum package for bride plus 3 attendants is 4.5 hours for services plus the hour of touch ups. A full breakdown of timing needed based off your ceremony start time will be included in your initial quote. (Typically, services end 2-3 hours before your ceremony to allow for dressing and pre-ceremony photos as well as any travel to your ceremony location.)
Where are your trials held?
All trials are held in my home studio in Woodbridge, VA. Trials may be requested at your location for an additional travel fee. They are booked for 3 hours for hair and makeup or 90 minutes for just hair or just makeup. More information regarding trials and what to bring, when to book, etc will be provided upon booking.
makeup questions
Do I need to provide my own false lashes?
No. My kit is fully stocked with a variety of styles of lashes from strips to clusters to design a customized look suited to your preferences and eye shape. False lashes are included in all makeup services.
How should I prep my skin before makeup?
Please make sure that all makeup has been removed from the face and eyes prior to sitting in the makeup chair. If you have any allergies to specific ingredients or concerns regarding your skin, please communicate that before your appointment. Otherwise, the skin will be prepped according to your skin type, coverage level, and finish requested in order to wear seamlessly with the products in my kit all day. Please do not use your own skincare prior, as this may interfere with how the products from my kit apply and wear throughout the day, and longevity cannot be guaranteed.
What if I have allergies, sensitivities, or skin concerns such as rosacea?
If you have any allergies to specific ingredients, let me know prior to your appointment so that I can cross reference my ingredients list to avoid products where necessary. I am able to accommodate gluten, tocopherol/Vit E, beeswax, and nut allergies as well as vegan product preferences without needing product substitutions. Allergies outside that may require additional time for research and appropriate product purchases. As a rosacea sufferer myself, I am well versed in accommodating products to treat and prep the skin under makeup as well as provide natural looking and long wearing coverage.
Can you make sure my freckles still show?
I love freckles! I myself have lots of freckles on my own face, and personally hate when they are covered, as it feels unnatural to me. If you're in the same boat and want to let your freckles shine, let's go! You can rest easy knowing that I am skilled at natural looking coverage that lets all the aspects of your skin show when and where you want them to. Likewise, if you have concerns with coverage for sun spots, melasma, or want a full coverage look I can accommodate that as well.
Should I spray tan my face?
I'm going to go against popular artist recommendations here and say yes! Please spray tan your face prior to your appointment. I am fully capable of matching your spray tan shade on your body just as if it was a natural tan. We can customize the level of coverage better if we do not need a full concentrated layer in order to blend your face to your chest. Plus, after your event or wedding day, you won't walk around looking crazy with a pale face and tan body. Keep in mind that spray tan DOES fade faster from the face than it does from the body, and it can fade patchy if you are not properly exfoliating regularly prior to the tan. I recommend spray tanning 48 hours before your event in order to have multiple showers to remove bronzer, and slathering moisturizer on after. I used to be a spray tan artist for over 15 years, so if you have any other spray tanning questions, I can walk you through them.
Can you color match me?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes, because not only have I been doing makeup professionally for nearly 20 years I have also been trained in custom blending foundation shades by Terri Tomlinson, through TEMPTU airbrush certification (back when it wasn't a clip in pod and an actual metal airbrush gun and compressor), and as a Prescriptives cosmetics custom blend artist mixing foundations and powders for counter events back in the early 2000s. I also used to offer custom blended lipsticks in my studio. Being a skin focused artist doesn't just mean I don't do heavy cakey makeup. It means that every client gets a custom mixed foundation shade right in my chair so that it applies seamlessly. I carry multiple foundation formulas and color adjusters to blend a color in the finish you want.
What do I need to provide for touchups?
If you have a lip color you love and you'll need to reapply more than once or twice because you have a habit of licking or chewing off your lip color, I highly recommend you bring your own lip products that you love. Your touchup kit for any non-bridal makeup applications will include some blotting papers, a swatch of lip color with enough for 1-2 applications, a Qtip in case your eyes water, and that's it. That's all that will be needed, as the makeup looks I create are made to last regardless of the type of event. I have everything else I need to accommodate you unless you have specific requests such as bright or bold eye colors or colored mascara. Please let me know prior if you have requests for looks outside of what you see represented in my portfolio, as we may not be a good fit. (This also means no, I do not carry blue or green eyeshadow for your moms to "match their dress." You decide if that's a benefit or not.)
hairstyling questions
Do you offer blowouts?
Yes! I worked at Drybar in Georgetown right after graduating cosmetology school, and I still love a good blowout! However, the price for a blowout compared to hot tool styling is the same. A blowout does not include any finishing with hot tools such as a curling iron or flat iron, nor does it including any pinning or braiding. If you would like to start your styling session with a blowout, we can add that on for an additional $50. A blowout is performed with a blowdryer and hairbrush on wet hair prepped with styling products and finished with texture spray or hairspray for additional volume and hold.
Should I apply my own products before styling?
All styling appointments are performed on clean hair without product. I will determine the appropriate products to suit your hair based on the length, density, and porosity in conjunction with the requested end result. I cannot guarantee results or longevity on hair that is dirty or has products that may interfere with the products and styling techniques needed to get your hair to look the way you want it to. If you have specific requests or concerns such as allergies, please discuss those with me prior to booking.
Should I use conditioner when washing my hair?
You may use whatever products you usually use in the shower when washing your hair. The most important part is to make sure you are cleansing your scalp thoroughly and rinsing all product residue before styling. I recommend a double shampoo with a clarifying shampoo or volumizing shampoo followed by your normal conditioner applied to the hair from the ears down- NOT the scalp. No leave in products, please. Don't forget to really cleanse the crown and the nape of the neck!
I have fine hair or hair that never holds a curl. What can we do?
We have a lot of options! I work with people with fine hair or hair that doesn't hold a curl when they style it themselves all the time. It all starts with a good consultation and discussing what your end goal is. I may require tweaking the products you use, a different cut for volume or face framing, good prep products and professional styling techniques, or the use of extensions for added volume and longevity. If push comes to shove, an updo might be your best option to counter the effects of heat, humidity, sweat, wind, and dancing that will be fighting your hair all day long. For important events like a wedding, I suggest we do a trial styling session first to see how your unique hair behaves so I can give you more specific guidance.
Do you use extensions?
I love styling hair with clip in extensions! I think it adds the right amount of volume, length, and longevity to the style for Pinterest worthy looks every time. I do have some requirements however: Natural human hair only, no tape in or bonded/beaded extensions, and sew in/beaded wefts will limit the styling options. If you need guidance on the type of extensions best for you, I am happy to schedule an in studio consultation and color matching session. I offer a discount on different clip in extension brands either through a discount code when ordering online or directly through me. For more information, drop me an email!