Every girl deserves to look perfect on her wedding day and I felt that I’m no exception of course. With our long list of shortlisted HMUA that can be found HERE, we felt that choosing Toni Aviles was the best decision we did! Below is our supplier detail review for our wedding HMUA — TONI AVILES

• Supplier Rating: 5/5 
• Mode of Communication: Email, FB Chat
• Contact Person: Toni Aviles

When we booked Toni, we made sure that we will be working with him for our Prenup Session (our review can be found HERE) to serve as our “trial HMUA”. Initially, when booking an HMUA, it is highly recommended to get a trial to be sure that you would work well with your HMUA, to know their work, their aesthetics and to be sure that they’ll be able to get the look that you want. This way you youo can also have an idea if Traditional HD make up will suiy you or that you felt there’s a need for you to get an Airbrush. If you have a previous experience working with your potential wedding HMUA you can have an idea if they’re good in bringing your inner diyosa or they would be the type to transform you into someone else’s face! Yes, there are HMUAs who can do that but it would depende on you if you would prefer that type.

At first we thought Toni’s rates are super expensive since as per our research there are other HMUAs who have much lower package rates. But we found out later on after working with Toni for both our photo prenup and wedding that his rates were simply competitive enough and they are actually far more affordable (being a celebrity HMUA) as compared to others of his same level. From the way that he works and the cosmetic products that he uses, you’ll know that you’re in good hands. Quoting Toni’s favorite statement, “ilalabas natin ang pagiging diyosa mo sis! Pasavogue ito!“

Since we have worked with Toni before, I already knew what to expect of him. Toni and the Glam Team arrived 1 hour earlier as scheduled (8 AM) and their arrival actually woke us up! I read my OTD Coordinator’s SMS late and didn’t realize that the 9 AM prep for the HMUA was changed to 8 AM! My fault! By anyway when Toni came, he was so calm and even just laughed at the situation by saying “naku sis hindi ka makatulog sa excitement noh? Ok lang yan, freshen up ka muna wag ka magmadali madami pa tayong oras!” saying it was okay while telling me to eat first but not too heavy since I will be wearing a tight gown later. It took me around 35-40 mins to prepare (breakfast and shower included) before I finally sat on the make up chair to start everything. Isa sa kinatutuwa ko pag upo dun yung amoy ng lugar, ang bango-bango lang, nakaka good vibes. Thankfully though at that time they just finished setting up 2 make up areas (one of the bride and one for the groom/moms) and Ate Siony, the hairstylist, started to blow dry my hair following closely Toni’s instructions. Their movements were swift but careful, making sure that everything is being done correctly. Since I have chinita features with monolid eyes, Toni told me na mas babagay sa akin yung make-up na mas magiging expressive ang eyes ko if magkakaroon ng “double eye lid” which of course nakita na namin when he did it before during our prenup.  Operation double eyelid! Plus the natural looking eyebrows since kilay is life! From the 4 looks that we did during our photo prenup, we both already discussed previously what lipstick color would be good on me for my ceremony and reception looks, what eyeshadow will accentuate my chinita eyes and the hairstyle that would complete the look that I want as per my gown’s design.

During preps with Toni Aviles while sitting on the make up chair. Photo by Myio Okamoto

To lighten up the mood, Toni turned his phone on and switched to a nice, feel-good music playlist so the ambiance was really set on a happy mood to start with. I couldn’t remember a dull moment while I was sitting on Toni’s make up chair since he would also crack jokes every now and then which helps a lot since I was starting to get fidgety and would get very nervous out of nowhere. Bridal jitters yata yun, yung feeling na biglang bumigat ng bongga yung dibdib ko eh flat chested naman ako! Then there was also this time when my bridesmaids came to see me, Toni even started talks about what I should do during our honeymoon and even teaching me tricks, girltalk moment talaga which made everyone laugh really hard including the boys who were there (Myio and Vidlen’s team) taking our shots. Toni wasn’t only great at doing his job being a professional HMUA but he was also gifted with an awesome humor where the client would feel really comfortable working with him.

Moreover, to make sure that the hair and makeup is perfect, Toni would take a couple of shots from his own camera in different angles before he would say na ok na ako to do my bridal pictorial. Because of this we would even joke around by saying na pwede na siya mag tayo ng “Toni Aviles Photography” at kalabanin sila Myio (ana even Benjie who was our prenup photographer before) since he’s good at directing poses just like our solo shots in this post.

Toni’s work is very consistent, which is clearly shown at how he did my bridal look. Instead of making me look like a different person, he just accentuated my features and made sure that I would still look “fresh and natural” which is nice since I initially told him I don’t want my groom to think he married a different woman! One thing I also really like the most about his work is that he is very hygienic. The brushes that he used on me during my makeup smells really good and you would know that they were really taken care of. This is very important for me because I have sensitive skin and just like what I told him before, I’m only allowed by my Derma to use non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic products which I saw he used on me during my wedding. Toni also suggested the hair color peg that I got for my wedding to accentuate my eyes more, which is optional naman, but I followed din since I was also thinking of geting a lighter shade para maiba naman even to the point of sending Toni the before and after pics of my hair when I was still in the salon. 

Also, Toni and the team would be really accommodating with the others to the point that I saw Toni doing some final retouch with my Dad even if he had his grooming with a different team as well my other bridesmaids (separate ang Entourage HMUA). Kung tutuusin it’s not their job anymore but they exerted that effort which is nakakatuwa lang since kung sa iba yun, may additional bayad na dapat yun.

Sa akin kasi 5 main factors lang talaga in choosing an HMUA: portfolio which includes real client feedback; work ethics and aesthetics particularly hygiene, precision and diligence sa time; cosmetic products preference and technical know-how; personality/attitude towards clients if we would hit it off or not; and budget, kung feeling ko sakto lang ba rates or over priced masyado for us. So with this, one of the main reasons why I didn’t regret booking Toni even though his rates was a bit high as compared to the other HMUA that we shortlisted is because of his professional working ethics. It’s actually difficult for us to book an HMUA without a trial (given that his HMUA trial has a fee) because there’s a possibility that I wouldn’t like how he’ll do my hair and makeup on our wedding day. So when he also offered to do my prenup, I didn’t think twice to get the package thinking that it will be a good chance to do the “trial” so I would know if we would hit it off or not. Thankfully though my guts didn’t fail me since Toni got exactly what I want — not too heavy, natural and fresh looking. Although during the prenup, we did 4 different looks to play with but from that experienced I knew we’re in good hands!

Aside from being my HMUA, I really really appreciate it that Toni never left my side from the time that I sat on his make up chair up until I stood in front of the church’s closed doors. Toni became my unexpected bride’s assistant which I really admire because he exerted that effort to make me feel like a diyosa but as well as making me feel comfortable while waiting for my bridal march! I also wouldn’t forget the time when I was about to go to the church when I suddenly felt the urge to pee but I was already dressed up (with my 6 ft train) and Ate Siony, the hair stylist assisted me without thinking twice! At that time all of my bridesmaids were already down at the hotel’s lobby except for one who helped Ate Siony when I went to the toilet. From what I hear usually from other brides with their HMUAs, after sila ayusan eh iiwanan na sila to either go to another booking, to another event or dahil ganun talaga sila. Sometimes the brides would even have to pay extra for their main HMUA to stay until the 2nd look which I find odd. But with Toni, andun pa din yung extra care that we experienced during our photo prenup! As an emotional bride at that time who needed supportive people around her, I really felt lucky to have Toni who never left my side during one of the most important moments in my life!  It was something I would really cherish and won’t forget about him. I know Toni is a paid supplier during my wedding but the extra effort and care that he showed was beyond the services in our contract. Toni wasn’t only professional with his job, but also made me feel like I really found a new friend in him!

All throughout the day, I never felt heavy with the makeup that Toni did on me. The Airbrush makeup felt like a second skin and when I checked on the mirror twice, never ko nakita na nag cake yung make-up or nag smudge yung wing tip eye liner. It was done precisely and kumapit talaga even until the reception program finished at past 11 PM! The only obvious part of the makeup that diminished a little was the lipstick, but still hindi pa din ganun kahalata. Overall, we were definitely satisfied with our look and up until now I still receive praises about my makeup na hindi ako nagmukhang ibang tao na nag transform, drag queen or something! Toni Aviles is definitely every bride’s dream HMUA! Quoting Toni again, every bride’s instant “fairy godmother!” 

PROS:

• Being a celebrity HMUA, Toni’s package rates are actually affordable and competitive compared to others of his same level. His works speaks for themselves.
• Toni is very punctual with time. If the schedule is at 8 AM, he and the team will arrive exactly at 8 AM. No time is wasted.
• Toni is very hygienic and aesthetic which I appreciate the most. The brushes that he used on me during my makeup smells really good and you would know that they were really taken care of. This is very important for me because I have sensitive skin.
• Toni also works very precisely. Hindi siya nag mamadali and would really take his time to make sure that the eyeliner wing tip is perfect, for example. Instead of making me look different, like some other HMUA na i transform mukha ng brides nila, Toni would just accentuate the good features and would still achieve that “fresh and natural look” na kapansin-pansin.
• Toni uses high-end cosmetic products that ranges from MAC, Sephora, Lancome, Urban Decay etc. and he is very organized with his things. Typical OC worker but effective since this seemed to help him become accurate with his work.
• Whenever I have my photo taken, Toni would always be there to make sure that my hair and make up is “perfectly done”. Kung may makita siya na hair out of place or lipstick na nag fade na, he would personally do the retouch to make sure na “perfect” sa paningin niya at lalu na sa lens ng camera. Toni would also suggest poses for me and Garry to do to make sure that we would look good on the camera. Perfectionist siya which I personally like. Isa din ito sa agad napansin ng family and entourage namin who were there during my preps session kasi ramdam nila yung alaga ng supplier.
• Toni was very easy to work with because of his friendly demeanor and addictive humor. Nakakatuwa siya kausap since he would really entertain you while he’s doing your makeover to the point na makakalimutan mo ang kaba mo. Big help ito especially sa araw ng kasal na biglaan mo ma feel yung bongga na kaba out of nowhere! Kaya happiness lang!
• Aside from being my HMUA, I really really appreciate it that Toni never left my side from the time that I sat on his make up chair up para ilabas ang inner diyosa ko until I stood in front of the church’s closed doors. Kung tutuusin hindi niya work yun but since naging busy yung bride’s assistant ko with some other issues that needed to be fixed, I was left under Toni and Ate Siony’s care.
• Toni stayed up until the reception party finished! We thought after niya kami ayusan for our second look eh uuwi na siya but he stayed up and we even had our photo taken together after the program! Pumunta pa talaga siya sa harapan to say his farewell which we appreciate. Natuwa talaga kami sa effort niya because he not only became our awesome HMUA but he also celebrated with us in our very important day!

CONS:

We couldn’t think about anything we found amiss on our wedding just like our experience working with him during our photo prenup session. Toni was one of our wedding suppliers who we felt deserved our perfect rating and of course we would definitely get if ever we need his services again! Toni is definitely worth every peso! 

TIPS:

1. When booking an HMUA, it is highly recommended to get a trial to be sure that you would work well if your HMUA and they’ll be able to get the look that you want. But if you’re on a tight budget, try to have this “trial” as part of your prenup shoot since most make up trials comes with a fee. You can get make up trials on bridal fairs but for free though usually use traditional HD where its obviously incomparable to having an airbrush one.
2. Before the wedding, ask your HMUA for recommendations for any skin and hair care treatment/regimen that you can do, hair color that would suite you, etc. Also if you have any allergies or skin issues, better tell your HMUA ahead of time para ma ensure that the cosmetic products na gagamitin sa iyo will be fit on your skin. Mahirap na magkaroon ng unexpected allergy or breakout on the day of the wedding!
3. Show your HMUA your desired bridal pegs ahead of time — hair color, hair style and make-up look. Check Pinterest or Google for more info. Take 2-3 pegs and ask your HMUA if babagay ba sa iyo yun. Minsan kasi yung akala natin na magiging ok sa atin ay hindi pala since we have different skin tones, shape ng face, etc.

CONTACT INFO:
Toni Aviles
FB: Toni Aviles The Make Up Artist / Gorgeousa Makeup Studio
http://www.toniaviles.com