EYES

• In the morning of your wedding day, check you eyes for any signs of redness, especially if you had a sleepless night
• If there is any redness in your eyes, it should be eliminated: red eyes do not photograph well. Use Visine Eye Drops (can be found at any pharmacy) to clear the redness instantly
• Your eyes will be bright and shiny and look good in photos!

LIPS

• Lips tend to go dry when we are under stress or nervous
• If the lips are dry and flaky, the lipstick will never go smoothly, your wedding makeup will not look perfect and it will show in photos.
• Prepare your lips by using lip balm for 2 weeks before the wedding 3 times a day and overnight, including the morning of your wedding day, when you should keep re-applying it until the makeup artist applies lip color.
• Vitamin C Lip Protection can be used under your favorite lipstick to nourish your lips without color fading away

FACE

• To look your best on your wedding day, you have to start preparing your skin in advance: check your skin for blemishes, redness, dryness and any flaws. Use good moisturizing cream to eliminate dryness; have a couple of facials if needed; if you have a more serious condition, consult a dermatologist way in advance.
• If you want to have a couple of facials before your wedding (which is a good idea), have the last session at least one week prior to the wedding, so all possible redness would calm down.

TO TAN OR NOT TO TAN

• If you decide to go tanning for your wedding, make sure you are :
  • 1. Not over-doing it
  • 2. Not over-drying your skin.
• You have to give it a "trial run" a month or two before the wedding. Check your skin for flaking. Stop tanning sessions at the first sign of dryness or flakiness: if your skin is flaky, no amount of makeup can cover that and your face will not photograph well!

EYBROW WAXING

• To have well-defined eyebrows is CRUCIAL to looking good in photos. You have to decide if you are going to have your eyebrows plucked, waxed or threaded.
• All facial waxing (including brow waxing) should be done at least 7 days prior to the wedding: keep in mind that unexpected skin irritation might occur, and it might not heal in less than 7 days. You may want to opt for plucking or threading your eyebrows instead. Consult a licensed professional about your eyebrows.

MAKEUP: Choosing your makeup artist

Your wedding day makeup is one of the most important parts of your bridal image. How to select the right makeup artist for the most important day in your life?

• Check the makeup artist's credentials, look at the portfolio and check references from previous clients.
• Schedule a trial well in advance. A good makeup artist will ask you to bring the photo of your wedding dress to get a sense of your style and would ask you for the swatches of your bridesmaids dresses, to get an idea about your color theme.
• A good professional will take your before and after photos for reference, and will draw your face chart. She will bring both to your wedding to replicate the look exactly.
• Make sure your makeup looks light and natural. Bridal makeup should have a "classic" touch to it, so when you look at your photos 20 years from now, you would still admire the way you looked on your wedding day. Avoid "trendy" looks like "smoky eye" or green or blue eye shadows ­ they will look dated in a couple of years!
• If you decide to do your own makeup, make sure to have a private makeup lesson scheduled with a top makeup artist prior to the wedding. Have a lesson way in advance so you have time to practice, and bring your trusted Maid of Honor to the lesson so she would know what to do to assist you on your Big Day
• Heavy makeup will make you look not like a bride, but like a showgirl. You don't want that to happen. Heavy foundation will start cracking in a couple of hours. Make sure your makeup artist uses only light and "breathable" kind of foundation, so you won't even feel it on your face.
• Eyes look gorgeous when emphasized with eyelash extensions ­ this is a classic look and it photographs extremely well. As opposed to fake eyelashes, eyelash extensions look so natural, they are impossible to detect. They do not require an extra coating of mascara, and they do not require a heavy eyeliner ­ they emphasize your eyes enough to make you look gorgeous without looking fake.
• Use only Translucent powder on your wedding day to keep away shine and keep your makeup going. Why Translucent? Any other powder will keep darkening your face with each application. Have the powder in your bag along with a soft powder brush. Here is the list of makeup items you have to have handy on your wedding day to look gorgeous till the end of your wedding:

Don't forget to have these Makeup Items in your "Wedding Day Survival Kit" for touch-ups and minor repairs:

• Translucent Powder
• Powder Brush
• Lipstick
• Lip Liner
• Lip Gloss
• Mascara
• Eye Liner
• Q-tips
• Kleenex tissues
• Blush (optional)
  

Good luck and enjoy your wedding!