Make-up for Brides


Regardless of what make-up shades you choose, or how decide to wear them, you'll want your skin to look perfect. Not only will all eyes be on you during the ceremony and after, there are wedding pictures to worry about - if your skin looks blotchy, it will look more so in those wedding photographs.

Applying foundation & Concealer
Begin with a primer to fill in pores and lines, so that makeup glides on evenly. If primer is a budget buster, use a good, light moisturizer - give your moisturizer or primer time to sink in. Wait at least 10 minutes before applying foundation. Don't use very thick moisturizer before applying foundation to your skin. If you want an all-over glow, apply your highlighter over your moisturiser and under your foundation

Spend time applying foundation. If you have an oily skin, always look for an oil-free foundation or one that says 'non-comedogenic' on the label. An oil free foundation also lasts longer. Remember to always choose a foundation that is closest to your skin colour. If you want to prevent your face from getting shiny you can always dust a little bit of pressed powder over your foundation.

For a concealer that lasts, choose one with a dry consistency. Always apply it after your foundation

Remember, you make-up has to last through hours of tears, kisses, dancing, champagne drinking, and more. A good way to ensure make-up stays put is to use both cream and powder versions of everything.

Eye Make-up
The eyes are always very important, as they are a reflection of the soul. They are the focus of the face.

For maximum staying power and glamour, go with a liquid liner, dot liquid liner between your lashes and smudge with a small brush to blend?the technique adds definition without hardness?'then cover liner with a matching powder eye shadow to set the look. For easier control and application, your best bet is an eyeliner pencil, which creates a softer look. Another option would be to use a thin line of white eyeliner on the eyelid, to highlight the eyes. Finish the line with black eyeliner and add a little black eyeshadow under the eye.

To keep the eyebrows up and up, once you've added color, comb your brows into place with a clear eyebrow gel or mascara-style brush spritzed with hair spray. Waterproof mascara is the only guarantee against raccoon eyes and streak-stained cheeks.

Whether you opt for powder or cream eye shadow, think thin?apply as little product as possible. Your look will last longer, and it will be easy to build depth layer by layer. Eye shadow colours must suit the skin colour, so daring colours like blue and green must not be used. They tend to give a weird look to the face.

Blush & Powder
If you've applied liquid or cream foundation, start with a cream blush, dusting it with translucent powder, then brush on a powder blush. For a glow that stays incandescent all day, try layering your blush. Blush is the makeup that's likeliest to fade first, so it's tempting to overcompensate by choosing a darker or more saturated color. But to look naturally flushed?not clownish?choose a blush that's the color of your chest, palms, or fingertips. A pink toned blusher will give you a more natural and fresh look whereas a terracota one will make you look more sophisticated.

Lipstick
Smoothen a bit of foundation on the edges of the lips before adding any color, which also prevents feathering around fine lines. Line and fill in your lips with pencil. Brush on your lipstick and blot with tissue, then reapply. To stop the shine from settling on your guests, apply a small dab of gloss in the center of your bottom lip. It's just enough coverage?your lips' natural movement will distribute the gloss evenly?without sticking it to your receiving line. Avoid wearing bright lip colors as they smudge the most. Some reds, for example, bleed a lot more than soft peaches and pinks. It's just the pigment formulation.

Conventional wedding wisdom recommends, soft, pink-tinted make-up. Yet, pink is more girly than womanly, and many brides do not want to look girly. Ignore the wedding planners, those relentless wedding magazines, your mother and your cousin. Instead, think about, what you find beautiful and don't be afraid of make-up that is strong or s-e-x-y. After all, marriage is a very adult step - it's nice to look like an adult when you walk down the aisle.

Staying power
Furthermore, you make-up has to last through hours of tears, kisses, dancing, champagne drinking, and more. A good way to ensure make-up stays put is to use both cream and powder versions of everything. Apply foundation and concealer, then use cream blusher and powder eye shadow. If you use pencil eyeliner, go over it with an eyliner brush dipped in a similar shade of eye shadow. This doubling-up is a great technique to use any time you need budge-proof make-up.

Skin Care for the big day
You have a month to get married, and your skin is well, ah so dull.

What do you do? Where do you go? Here are some quick solutions to ensure you look your glowing best.

During the build up to your wedding you may find that stress plays havoc with your complexion. Try to stay as stress free as possible while organizing your wedding. Treat yourself to a nice relaxing aroma massage or facial to help calm and revitalise the skin.

Drink up to 2 litres of water a day to help flush through any toxins in the body and hydrate the skin. Any beauty regime should be started well in advance, at least two months prior to the wedding. Your skin cells take approximately this time to reach the surface (epidermis) so it is important to nourish the skin during this time.

Ask your therapist to recommend a good quality professional skin care range for you to use every day. Ideally you should cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day and avoid using soaps, which are too harsh for the skin and can be very drying. Make a solution of equal parts of glycerine, lime juice and rose water and refrigerate. Use all over face and body after a bath.

A face mask is recommended aprox once a week for your skin type. You should also exfoliate aprox twice a week to remove dead skin cells.

Start conditioning your hair with deep conditioning treatments every alternate day. Sit with your beautician and decide on what low maintenance, high style hair cut could take you through your pre-wedding events and wedding day styles.

Get on a detox diet. Switch to raw veggies and fruits. Drink tons of water. You lose weight and your system stays clean. Voila-glowing skin.

Use a raw potato slice on your face as often as you can. It?s a natural bleach and exfoliator.

Do schedule in a weekly manicure and pedicure, you want your hands and feet to look their best. Leave the all over body waxing till three days before the wedding.