Wedding-day Make-up Tips

Make-up: The number-one thing brides need to know about wedding-day make-up is that there shouldn't be any surprises.You want to look like yourself - but with more oomph! This generally means that less is more, and you should stay close to your natural look.

For some reason many brides make the common mistake of going completely overboard with their hair and make-up. Ladies, please refrain from looking like a transvestite Broadway star or your wedding photos will haunt you for life. To find your make-up style, collect magazine photos of make-up looks you love.

If you plan to use a professional makeup artist, it is a good idea to book her about four months before the wedding, and experiment with colours and techniques, along with the artist well before the date. It is also helpful to bring a good picture of yourself so the artist can see how you normally photograph, to help determine which features to play up. For the base, start with a long-lasting foundation.

A beauty secret you can use is to apply wrinkle control base, because it has better coverage and moisturises as well. Check the shade you buy in natural-light and as for eyes, think smudge-proof and waterproof - tears of joy shouldn't trigger smears of worry. Even if you don't usually wear eyeshadow, try adding just a hint of colour for the big day.

Avoid bright coloured lipsticks e.g. Fuchsia, bluereds and burgundy; these colours will appear dark and some times black in photographs.

Avoid frosted eye colours as they can be too reflective and flare at the camera, although modern shimmery looks are okay if applied correctly.