"How much will it cost?" is nearly always the first question, and the honest answer is: it depends, but probably somewhere between £70 and £350. That's a wide range, so this guide breaks it down by type of look, explains why two artists can quote very different prices for what sounds like the same job, and lists the extras that quietly push the total up.
One note before the numbers. The figures below are typical ranges for the London market as of autumn 2026, pulled together from published artist price lists, booking platforms and directory guides. They are a guide, not a GLAM LAB price list. On GLAM LAB each PRO sets their own prices, and you see them on the profile before you book.
Typical London prices at a glance
| Service | Typical range (2026) | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Natural or soft glam makeup | £70–£130 | 45–60 min |
| Full glam or evening makeup | £90–£180 | 60–90 min |
| Makeup and hair together (occasion) | £120–£250 | 1.5–2 hours |
| Bridal makeup on the day (bride) | £150–£350, top artists more | 60–90 min plus touch-ups |
| Bridal trial | £60–£150 | 1–2 hours |
| Bridesmaids and guests | £60–£120 per person | 45–60 min each |
| Photoshoot, half day | £200–£350 | Up to 4 hours |
| Photoshoot, full day | £400–£600 | Up to 8 hours |
The big on-demand booking platforms tend to sit in the lower-middle of these ranges. One major platform lists natural makeup at home in London from the high £70s and glam from the high £80s. Independent artists with a strong bridal or editorial following sit towards the top, and a small number of very in-demand names charge well beyond it.
Why prices vary so much
Two artists can both say "full glam" and mean quite different things. The main reasons for the gap:
- Experience and demand. An artist with ten years of weddings behind them and Saturdays booked a year out will charge more than someone still building a portfolio. You're paying for consistency as much as skill.
- The look itself. A dewy, skin-first face takes less time and fewer products than a cut crease with individual lashes and full contour.
- Lashes. Strip lashes are often included in glam and bridal prices. Individual or cluster lashes are fiddlier and may cost extra, so check.
- Kit. Long-wear and specialist products for different skin tones and types aren't cheap, and artists who carry a big, well-kept kit price that in.
- Date and time. Saturdays between May and September, the December party season and bank holidays are peak times. Some artists add a bank holiday surcharge or set a minimum spend on Saturdays.
The extras that change the final bill
The headline price is rarely the whole story. These are the add-ons worth asking about before you commit.
Early starts
Weddings and morning shoots often mean an artist starting at 6am or earlier. Many charge extra for anything before 6 or 7am, either as a flat fee or by the hour, and we've seen early-start rates of around £65 an hour on London-area price lists. If the start is very early and the venue is a long way out, some artists will need a hotel the night before, which the client usually covers.
Travel
Most mobile artists include travel within a local area and charge beyond it, either as a flat fee or by the mile. Published mileage rates of roughly 45p to 65p a mile are common. In central London the bigger cost is often the congestion charge, which rose to £18 a day in January 2026, plus parking. A full kit is heavy, so many artists drive rather than take the Tube, and some pass those costs on.
Trials
For weddings, a trial is worth having. It's your chance to try the look, see how the products wear over a few hours and decide on lashes. Expect to pay roughly £60 to £150. Book it four to eight weeks before the wedding, ideally on a day when you're going out anyway, so you can see how it lasts.
Staying on
If you want the artist to stay for touch-ups after the ceremony or through a long shoot, that's usually charged by the hour. Agree it in advance rather than on the day.
Deposits
Bridal bookings almost always need a deposit or booking fee to hold the date, and it's often non-refundable. Read the cancellation terms before you pay.
Lessons, groups and shoots
Not every booking is one face for one event. One-to-one makeup lessons, where an artist teaches you a routine using your own kit, are priced more loosely than event makeup, usually by the session, so ask what's covered and how long it runs. For hen parties, proms and group nights out, artists often price per head and may ask for a minimum number of people to make the trip worthwhile. For headshot days or content shoots, a half-day or full-day rate (see the table above) generally works out better than paying for faces one at a time.
Working out a wedding-morning budget
Here's a worked example: a bride and three bridesmaids, a noon ceremony and one makeup artist.
- The bride's makeup: around 75 to 90 minutes.
- Three bridesmaids at about 45 minutes each: 2 hours 15 minutes.
- A buffer for lashes, photos and someone running late: 30 minutes.
That's a little over four hours of work, so the artist would need to start at about 7am to leave time for everyone to dress. Using the London ranges above, a bride at £250 plus three bridesmaids at £80 each comes to £490 before extras. Add a trial, any early-start fee and travel, and a realistic budget lands somewhere between £550 and £700. For a party of five or more, booking two artists to work side by side is worth pricing up, because it halves the morning.
How to get good value without cutting corners
- Compare like with like. Line up what's included (lashes, trial, travel, time on site) rather than the headline figure.
- Look for your skin in the portfolio. Photos of skin like yours, in different light, tell you more than one heavily edited hero shot.
- Read reviews for staying power. "Still perfect at midnight" is worth more than "lovely person".
- Ask about hygiene. Clean brushes for each client, disposable mascara wands, and products decanted rather than applied straight from the tube. A good artist will be happy you asked.
- Be flexible on time. A weekday or mid-morning slot can cost less than 6am on a Saturday.
- Don't book on price alone. A face that has slid off by 9pm, or a redo the next morning, costs more than the difference.
Tipping isn't expected in the UK, though it's always appreciated if your artist went beyond the brief.
How pricing works on GLAM LAB
On GLAM LAB, makeup PROs set their own prices, and you see them on each profile before you book, next to the portfolio and reviews. There's no request-a-quote step and no waiting for replies. Compare a few artists side by side, choose the one whose work you like at a price you're comfortable with, and book. If you're starting your search, our page on booking a mobile makeup artist in London explains how it works, and you can add a mobile hair stylist for the same morning.
If you're a makeup artist wondering where to pitch your own prices, the ranges above are a sensible starting point, and our page on becoming a GLAM LAB PRO covers what you need to join.
The short version
For a London mobile makeup artist in 2026, budget roughly £70 to £130 for a natural look, £90 to £180 for full glam and £150 to £350 for a bride, plus a trial. Then leave some headroom for early starts, travel and peak dates. And if you're still deciding on the look itself, our 2026 beauty trend report is a good place to start.