So you’ve got the guy, the dress, the flowers and chosen a hairstyle, but what about your make-up? Here are a few tips that will ensure you look picture perfect when walking down the isle to say ‘I-do’!

Beauty Regime before the big day To get that glowing, fresh-faced look, there are a few things to consider a few weeks prior to your wedding day. A skin and nail care plan should be started about 6 weeks before the wedding. Talk to your beautician about having regular facials and manicures. Don’t get too much sun before your wedding. Sunburns and peeling skin shouldn’t sabotage your wedding day. Consider Spray-on-tanning , a 100% natural way to achieve a tan. Ask Cristina about Golden Tropics Spray on Tan. Body-Mind-Spirit Don’t forget the importance of Body-Mind-Spirit. What’s going on inside is just as important to looking good. As you know preparing for a wedding is very stressful and if you are not looking after yourself by not getting enough sleep or not eating properly it will without a doubt show on your face! If you are really stressed out consider having a relaxing massage once a week for a month and also a day before the wedding. Burn some relaxing essential oils around the house to help calm your nerves. If you are having trouble sleeping try Valerian tea before going to bed, available from most health food shops

Trial
When you have chosen a make-up artist, organise a trial around 1-2 months before the wedding.
It is a good idea to have your bridesmaids with you to give their input and also advise what kind of look they want themselves.
Have pictures from magazines to show the make-up artist various looks that appeal to you.
Mention if you have any skin problems or allergies etc or if there are any particular ways you wear your make-up.
If you are having a day-time wedding it is ideal to organise the trial during the day as this will give you a better idea as to how the make-up will look.

Have pictures and swatches of wedding dress and bridesmaid’s dresses
Having pictures of the dresses will give the make-up artist a starting point for designing the perfect look for you and your bridesmaids.
Fabric swatches of the wedding dress and bridesmaid’s dresses and a description of the flowers will also help when choosing colours. The colours should compliment both the dress and the flowers.

What look to go with
The style you choose for your wedding make-up will ultimately depend on your personal preference, but there are some other factors to consider:

The time of the ceremony –is it a day or evening wedding? A lighter, more natural look is more suited to a day wedding and a more dramatic look is suited to an evening one.

What time of year is your wedding? If you are having a Spring/Summer wedding, go for bright, pastel colours. Warm, deeper shades will lend themselves well to a winter wedding.

Your skin tones and hair colour? There are two colour palettes- warm or cool .

If you are Blond or fair skinned, cool tones of grey, blue, soft pink and lilac are ideal.

If you are brunette or olive skinned, warm neutral tones of brown, taupe, burgundy & red are more suited.

Remember your make up should be a little more dramatic than your everyday make-up as you can tend to look pale and wash-out in photos if your make-up doesn’t stand out.

Your Face
Foundations with yellow undertones work best with flash photography.

Keep away from shimmer highlighters as this look will not show up well in photos and give a reflective shine.
Use a light dusting of translucent powder to prevent any unwanted shine.
Ask your make-up artist to use a bronzing powder to warm your skin tone and give a natural glow. Place on areas where the sun would naturally hit e.g. Forehead, cheeks and bridge of nose.
Blush- use more than not enough.

Your Eyes
The eye-area should be soft and natural with no heavy, dark lines.
Keep away from up to the minute eyeshadows and make-up trends as you will regret it when you look at your photos in years to come!
Use a brow pencil slightly darker than your hair colour and avoid heavy, dark
shadows.

8. Your Lips
Use a lip-liner the same colour as your lipstick and avoid a noticeable or dark lip line.
The colour on your lips will depend on whether you are a warm or cool colour palette (see tip 5).
It is more flattering to define one area i.e. If you want dark, defined eyes, go for a lighter lip shade and if you want dark/bright lips go for natural, light eyes.

Timing
Ask your make-up artist to arrive as early as possible and allow plenty of time to get the job done. The last thing you want is to be rushed on your wedding day.

Touch Up Tips
Ask your mum or one of your bridesmaids to carry a powder compact, tissues and lipstick for touch ups during the day.  

The Author:   Be an Absolutely Gorgeous Bride… For all your bridal beauty needs visit: www.absolutelygorgeous.com.au On-line Beauty Products, On-location beauty Services and Absolutely Gorgeous Designs Bridal Jewellery.