A Disappointing Bridal Experience: Good Makeup Cannot Compensate for Unprofessional Behaviour

I booked Mua Raveen Anand because I liked her bridal looks and her profile mentioned that she was based in Gurgaon and Jaipur. Since I am based in Gurgaon, I felt she would be a suitable choice. I had four makeups done by her in total—two for myself and two for my mother, across my engagement and wedding.

While I appreciated aspects of the makeup and hairstyling, the overall experience was deeply disappointing. The biggest issue was not the makeup alone, but the communication, attitude and lack of professionalism we experienced during two of the most important occasions for our family.

I am sharing my experience with screenshots so that future brides can make an informed decision.

1. Last-minute travel disputes on my wedding day

At around 2 PM on my wedding day, while my wedding festivities and rituals were underway, I was suddenly dealing with messages and calls about travel expenses. My understanding from our earlier discussions was that I would pay her one-way cab fare and that she would be travelling from Gurgaon.

However, additional expenses and travel arrangements, including those relating to her hairstylist and her Jaipur travel, were brought up at the last minute. She also stated that my booking was not profitable for her.

I genuinely do not understand why a professional would accept a booking if the financial terms were not workable, only to raise these concerns on the bride's wedding day. I had plenty of makeup artists to choose from. I selected her because I liked her work; I did not force her to accept my booking.

If there were concerns about the location, travel time, additional staff or costs, they should have been discussed and agreed upon well in advance. A wedding day is not the time to renegotiate arrangements that should already have been clarified.

I acknowledge that I was running a little late on the wedding day. However, that does not change the need for respectful communication and advance clarity about charges. Her calls and messages during my rituals caused me considerable stress, and I even panicked and left my keys inside the car, contributing to further delay.

2. An hour late on my engagement day—and packing up before my ready time

She was approximately an hour late on my engagement day, which was itself a disappointing start to the experience.

Despite this, she began packing her makeup products before my stated ready time of 7 PM. I wanted a touch-up at around that time, but her products had already been packed away.

This was not an isolated concern. On my wedding day as well, she would begin packing while the booked time had not yet ended. If someone needed a touch-up, we were expected to get the products out ourselves before she would do it.

Why should a client have to manage the artist's packed equipment to receive a touch-up during the agreed booking period? If the booking includes availability until a particular time, it is reasonable to expect the artist to remain prepared to provide the agreed finishing touches.

3. My mother's wedding makeup—and the response to her concerns

I had clearly communicated that my mother's makeup was just as important to me as my own. We had liked the makeup she did for my mother during the engagement, so we trusted her to deliver a similarly satisfactory result for the wedding.

Unfortunately, my mother was unhappy with her wedding makeup and felt that it looked patchy, particularly around her eyes.

When she raised her concern, the response was along the lines of, “Ab main aapki skin ka texture nahi change kar sakti”—essentially, that she could not change my mother's skin texture.

There is a difference between explaining the limitations of makeup and responding dismissively to a client who is unhappy with the result. My mother was expressing a genuine concern about how her makeup looked on an important family occasion. She deserved to have that concern addressed respectfully and professionally.

This was especially disappointing because we had been happy with her work on the engagement day. Trusting an artist based on a previous experience should not leave a client feeling dismissed when the results are unsatisfactory the next time.

4. Her response to my concerns does not address the actual issues

In her response, she referred to my being late on the wedding day and explained that she had become delayed because of the location. I understand that travel and timing can be challenging, and I have acknowledged my own delay.

However, the point I am making is that any concerns about the location, travel arrangements and profitability should have been communicated clearly beforehand—not raised in this manner while I was in the middle of my wedding rituals.

Similarly, my concerns about her being late on the engagement day, packing up before my ready time and dismissing my mother's feedback remain valid. These are separate issues that deserve to be addressed on their own merits.

5. My honest verdict

I liked her bridal looks online, which is why I chose her despite having many other options available in Gurgaon. While there were aspects of the makeup and hairstyling that I appreciated, I would not judge a bridal makeup artist on photographs alone after this experience.

A bridal artist is working during an occasion that cannot simply be repeated. Clients need reliability, clear pricing, respectful communication and the confidence that concerns will be handled professionally. Unfortunately, my experience fell short in these areas.

My advice to future brides: Confirm every detail in writing before paying or finalising your booking—including travel charges, the hairstylist's expenses, the location, ready time, touch-ups and the exact duration of the appointment. Do not assume that arrangements are settled until all costs and expectations are clearly agreed upon.

Personally, I would not book her again based on my experience. Good makeup skills are valuable, but they are not the only thing that matters when choosing someone to be part of your wedding day.

Please look beyond the Instagram portfolio and consider the complete client experience before making your decision.