Few events are more photographed than weddings. Needless to say, wedding participants, from brides and grooms to the couples’ parents, hope to look their best for the celebrations.

Women often find that well-applied cosmetics can enhance their beauty and help ensure they are picture perfect.

Professional makeup artists may understand just how heavy a hand to use to apply makeup, but the novice do-it-yourselfer may need some instruction to master wedding day makeup.

Very often the key to wedding makeup is simplicity. Brides want their best features enhanced and have the makeup add to their beauty rather than outshine it.

Brides want guests to notice their faces and gowns and not their makeup. Here are some other tips brides can employ in an effort to put their best faces forward.

* Begin preparations a few days prior to the wedding. If you will be enhancing your skin color with a spray-tan, do so at least two days prior to the wedding. By the third day the color will set and appear more natural.

The same idea applies to your brows. Tweezing, waxing and threading can create irritation and redness. Have your brows professionally shaped a few days before the wedding and then do a minor touch-up with your tweezer the night before. This allows your skin to recover and redness to dissipate.

* Start out with well hydrated and moisturized skin. Apply a few layers of moisturizer, preferably one with an SPF if you will be spending time out in the sun. When the moisturizer is completely absorbed and dry, use a skin priming product that will help keep your foundation locked into place.

* Match your foundation color to your natural skin color. When these colors don’t match, your face may look like it is a separate shade from your neck and decolletage. If you will be tanning, then find a shade that matches the tanned color.

A foundation that has slightly yellow undertones will even out redness on the face and look better in photos. Apply the foundation thoroughly with a sponge or brush and be sure to blend it well at your neckline. Set the foundation with a matte powder.

* Apply concealer to red spots or undereye circles after the foundation. Aim for a creamy, emollient concealer for under the eyes. A peach color that will contrast with the purple and blue tones of your eyelids. Putting on the concealer after the foundation means you will probably need less and won’t look like you’re caked with product.

* Use an eyebrow pencil or powder to fill in your brows. This is a must for your wedding day and can really help to frame your eyes. Use small, light flicks of the pencil rather than long strokes to make the color blend naturally.

Use a brush to blend in further. Always go a shade or two lighter than your natural color. Finish with a gel that will set the hairs into place.

* Complement your lips and eyes. Many brides like to play up their eyes on their wedding days. If you are going for a dramatic eye, opt for a more neutral lip, and vice versa. Otherwise, you may look like you’re wearing stage makeup.

Neutral colors look best for weddings and will not appear dated in photos. Stick to subtle browns and taupes for universal flattery on most eye colors. Use a light hand to apply a neutral shade of light shadow all over the lid.

Apply a medium brown to the crease of the eye and a darker brown to the very outer corner, and blend thoroughly. A very light shade of shadow can be used directly under the browline and toward the inside of the eye to make eyes appear wide and bright.

Stick with matte shades of eye shadow, with the exception of one pearlescent shade that is lightly dusted right in the center of the lid from the lashline to the crease. This will add just a touch of luster to catch the light and make eyes sparkle.

* Apply liner before mascara, and blend it with a brush. Push the liner into the lashline to make lashes appear thicker. Use mascara to lengthen lashes. Place a makeup sponge behind your lashes when applying mascara so you don’t risk hitting your lids with the mascara wand.

If you will be using false lashes, apply them now. Err on the shorter side for fake lashes, and cut them as needed to fit your eye. Lashes that are too long or full may appear cartoonish and can be uncomfortable to wear.

Connect your lashes together with the false ones with another application of mascara. Waterproof mascara will hold up through tears of joy.

* Be subtle with blush. Use subtle blush in a peach-pink color to achieve that blushing bride appearance. Smile and apply the blush only to the apples of your cheeks.

* Choose a long-lasting lip color that will hold up through kisses and smiles. Lip stains work very well, as they provide that hint of color but wear well during the day. Another helpful tip is to perform a practice run prior to the wedding, taking some photographs to see how the makeup looks in pictures.

Cameras and flashes can wash out makeup, so sometimes you need to apply just a little bit more than usual for it to show up on film. Also, certain makeup products will reflect light more. Don’t forget to stock up on oil-blotting papers to touch up your face during the day. 

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