A wedding makeup artist is often the first vendor you meet on your big day. They set the tone, enhance natural beauty, and boost confidence. A skilled artist creates a look that reflects your personality and ensures you radiate all day long. It’s crucial to trust your beauty team and feel a genuine connection. Experience in the wedding industry is essential. Meanwhile, a diverse background brings even more creativity and technical expertise to the table. Such professionals are truly special, and today we’re excited to introduce Stacey Triplow, an internationally acclaimed commercial and wedding beauty artist celebrated in magazines around the world.
Stacey’s journey into bridal beauty began in 2012 with the launch of Beauty by Stacey. Her natural and timeless aesthetic quickly made her a sought-after name in the industry. Over the past decade, her business has grown into the esteemed Triplow Beauty, known for its elegance and personalized service. With over 20 years of experience in weddings, fashion, editorial shoots, and makeup education, Stacey brings unparalleled expertise to every client.
Now based in San Diego and actively traveling across the US, Stacey is expanding her operations into the UK and Europe. We’re thrilled to ask Stacey about the latest trends in bridal beauty, her approach to creating unforgettable bridal looks, and her future plans.
First of all, we want to express how much we admire your work! Your brides are stunning, and it's no wonder their photos are featured all over the blogs!
Thank you so much! I’m so humbled by your words! I’m always so thankful for all my brides who trust in me to be part of their celebrations.
How did you start in the bridal makeup and hair industry, and what inspired you to specialize in this area?
I grew up as a competitive dancer, which is where my interest in makeup and hair first started. Obviously, stage makeup is pretty different from my current aesthetic, but learning through dance gave me a great starting point. When I first started pursuing makeup and hair professionally, I fell in love with clean beauty makeup (like something you would see in skincare ads). From there, I quickly found my specialty, and bridal just came naturally to me.
How would you describe your signature style and approach to creating bridal looks?
I’d like to describe my signature style as “luxe minimalism”. What this means to me is more than the physical aspect of the makeup and hair. It embodies the overall experience, the thoughtful nature of every product used, and the intention of how it’s used. It’s all about being intentional physically, emotionally and mentally. I like to tell my brides that creating a bridal look is always a collaboration between the bride and the artist; it’s a team effort (if you’d like).
Over the 12 years of experience, how have you seen bridal beauty preferences change, and what do modern brides choose now?
Trends in fashion and beauty always come and go. When I first started, hairstyles were very clean, pulled back – every curl in its place. Now, we’re seeing a renaissance of that look, but with a more editorial twist. It’s great because “bridal beauty” is really anything that makes the bride feel the best.
What challenges do you face when styling hair and makeup for destination weddings, and how do you overcome them?
Destination weddings, while fun, require a lot of preparation. As makeup and hair artists, we tend to have a kit that is packed with literally everything we could possibly need (sometimes just there for safety). Usually, the first challenge that artists find with destination weddings is streamlining our kits (mainly for weight purposes) and working with a smaller, more efficient kit. How to best prepare for this beforehand is to be over-communicative with the client so we know well what we need to execute the required looks best.
Could you walk us through how you collaborate with a bride to ensure her vision for her wedding day look is fully realized?
I firmly believe that the entire process of creating a bridal look is a collaboration between the artist and the bride. Asking the right questions and walking them through what I am doing and why helps me bring the final vision to life in the best way. Regular check-ins during the process keep things on track and allow for any needed adjustments. Afterward, I like to follow up with my bride to see how everything held up and how makeup lasted, which helps me create any alterations for the wedding celebration itself.
As someone who values growth and learning, what new techniques or trends have you embraced in your work recently?
I think it’s important to always keep an open ear and eye out for inspiration, as it comes from anywhere and anywhere. I always like to push myself to learn new techniques that I can use in my artistry. For example, analyzing a portrait to understand how they’ve painted shadow and light. Studying architecture to understand more about structure. Or even getting my hands dirty and playing with different products and textures for different outcomes.
Reflecting on your career, what has been one of the most memorable experiences you've had working with a bride?
I’m always so thankful for all my brides that they trust me to be part of their wedding journey. 99.9% of the time, I’m the first wedding vendor they see in the morning, so it is vital that the energy is joyful and fun, as it usually sets the start to the day.
You’ve recently expanded your operations to the UK. Why did you make this decision?
It was a fairly easy decision for me as my husband is English, and we often visit family and friends there. I’ve always had in my mind that eventually, I’d expand into the UK and Europe, and luckily it’s now available for me to do so.
Looking ahead, what goals do you have for Triplow Beauty? Are there new directions or projects you are excited to explore?
My goals are still the same: keep learning, connect with other wonderful people, keep growing, stay humble, and be open to change. I’ve been fortunate to grow in my bridal business, as well as my commercial and editorial business. Where the future takes me will be a fun journey, but I’m very excited to walk that path!
