By Noreen Chaudhry

On your big day, when all eyes are on you, you want to look your most fabulous best. As a bridal beauty expert, I have made up many a beautiful bride but you have to know and prepare beforehand to make sure you look picture perfect. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your makeup flawless, radiant and camera ready on the day of wedding .

Set a plan

As soon as you have a wedding date,  you have to have a plan not only for your wedding but also for your makeup, your skin care routine  and any makeup shopping you will be doing for your big day.  You have to understand that your skin is your skin and nobody’s advice is good enough unless it’s coming from a skin care expert or your makeup artist.

Seek professional advice

All the brides and brides to-be’s out there: seek  professional advice, not only for your wedding day makeup but also your skincare regime and  how to keep your skin healthy, fresh and hydrated. You will also need tips on how to prevent breakouts before your big day.

Set an appointment with a skin care specialist or medical esthetician and ask questions about  your skin care routine: what should you be doing on daily basis, recommended products based on your skin type and its needs etc .

Set a skincare regimen

After  seeing your skin care professional or makeup artist, now is the time to set a skin care regimen. Schedule professional facials once a month and start using recommended skin care products at home. You have to start this new routine couple of months earlier than the wedding day so your skin has enough time to get used to the new products and any skin issues, like dryness or dehydration, or oiliness and acne can be addressed.

Bridal consultation or trial makeup

The most important part of a bridal makeup look is the base, since it’s your wedding day you don’t have to put on layers of foundation. The rule is keep it less, with medium to full coverage and the perfect  color match  with your skin tone. Book  a bridal consultation  appointment  to discuss the makeup  look you have in mind with  your makeup artist along with your wedding outfit and jewellery. You can book one or more trial makeup runs to get the makeup look you are opting for on  your wedding day .

Prime & set your makeup

One key tip to keep wedding day makeup last really long is to use a primer and setting spray. As wedding day makeup has to last for hours and it has to be camera ready for professional pictures and videos, primer is a key step in makeup application. It locks in natural  moisture of the skin and releases it  over time and that’s how the makeup looks picture perfect all day long without looking cakey and there is little need for touch ups

Quality makeup products

Invest in quality. Since it’s your wedding day and it’s going to be some time for the ceremonies and event to last, you might have to touch up. Buy quality products for your makeup kit, you can also ask your makeup artist for recommendations.

It’s handy to have your own waterproof mascara and eyeliner for your makeup artist to use since there are chances you will be all emotional and end up crying. If you have oily skin or your wedding is in summer make sure you have translucent powder or setting powder, again based on your makeup artist’s recommendations.

Beauty inside out

For a bride, wedding is not just about looking beautiful only on the day of wedding but also feeling beautiful. Take really good care of yourself and try to relax. At least a month before the wedding, make sure you get eight hours of sleep every night and drink at least eight glasses of water every day. Eat healthy and stay away from oily, sugary foods. And the most important ritual is to drink a cup of green tea before going to bed, without sugar and milk. This will not only keep your weight under control but green tea is a very good antioxidant to give your skin the healthy glow it needs.

Go with the flow

My most important advice and  suggestion for all brides out there is ‘to be yourself.’ It’s not only about how perfect you will be looking on your big day, it’s about how you will feel and how you will enjoy the most beautiful day of your life. If few things are not happening the way you have planned: perhaps your designer didn’t deliver your dress on the promised date or your wedding hall decor is a little off or your photographer is a little late or baraat is not on time, DO NOT worry about all this. Things happen but the real deal is, you have invested your precious time, your money, your efforts and most important, your dreams for the most important day of your life, just enjoy it! My humble and sincere advise to all my beautiful brides to be is: go with the flow, stay calm and be grateful.

About the author:

Noreen Chaudhry is a bridal beauty expert and owns Xception Beauty Studio in Streetsville, Mississagua. As an artist whose imagination comes to life on the canvas of each of her clients’ faces, she is dedicated to ensuring her brides have a beautiful, unique and exceptional look which makes them look and feel glamorous and confident. Her work has been featured in all south Asian bridal magazines like Suhaag, Kismet , Brides & You as well as on ARY TV channel.