So are you doing your make-up?. Whether you are on a budget and are trying to keep costs down;, you don’t tend to wear a lot of make-up anyway and getting a pro in terrifies you or you are just one of those gals who just like to do it themselves, we have some great tips for bridal make-up glory - vintage or not! Moisturizer – an artist should never put the onus his tools but it has to be said that part of the art to a great painting is the quality of the canvas. Don’t worry if you have some skin blemishes, this is not what we are talking about. Moisturizing your face is all part and parcel of great make-up. Soaps and facial washes can all too often leave your face dry and stripped clean (too clean) of natural oils and minerals. Moisturizing can replenish this loss for you without making your face feel greasy. Facial Serum – packed with a myriad of nutrients, this is a winner. It gives back to the skin, the healthy shine that so many of us lack. Making the skin both supple and soft, there are plenty of serums to choose from that will suit both you and your wallet. Primer – a facial primer covers your pores without clogging them and makes for the smooth application of foundation for a flawless photo look. It is essential for any type of make-up; heavy or natural. The same goes for an eye primer. All primers are key to prevent the build of excess oils through the make-up that will make you glisten, help you avoid that dark greasy build up of eye shadow in the crease of your eye lid and help to keep your make-up in place for as long as you need it. It has to be an all time staple of your make-up bag! Make-Up Fixer - There are two kinds – translucent or white powder. With enough blending the white powder doesn’t stay looking white on the skin, although if you happened to be a bit heavy handed with blusher, it can help to dim this down. Powder is a great way to fix your make up in place and help soak up any natural oil making a bid for freedom to give you an overall finished effect that will last for hours.. All you need is a light dusting and while it isn’t a necessity but can definitely come in useful. If you feel the white powder doesn’t really work for you, you could stick to its translucent counterpart or equally try a make-up fixer spray. The spray does not discolor your make-up and should not feel sticky. It just simply holds blusher and other make-up in place all day and all night. A little can last a long time and is perfect for hot weather climates. You can even use both a sealant powder and fixer spray without it feeling at all heavy on the face. A powder is great finishing touch for an overall blend and the fixer spray will keep everything looking fresh. Perfect! Foundation - It goes without saying really! Foundation should be tone on tone with the color of your skin. Too light and you will seem pale. A shade too dark, and your make-up won’t look natural and at worst, the foundation will look too orange – no thank you! Don’t forget to blend your foundation down your neck, on to your ears and into your hairline – trust us! Nude eye pencil – highlight around the eyes with this beauty to make your eyes seem wider and brighter. Can also use the under brow area to make eye shadow stand out and your eyes pop, but don’t forget to blend – nobody wants to see pencil lines! Bronzer – summer is the perfect time to give yourself a golden hue to those cheeks. Go for gold or bronze rather than dark browns and don’t go too over the top, especially if you are contouring your foundation! Brow brush or pencil – Don’t forgo the brows – even if you want something natural! Doing your brows complements the effort you have put into your eyes,. Give them a little shape, dimension and volume with pencil or an eyebrow mascara. It just looks a bit tidier and a little more polished without being too dramatic. For natural looking make-up, choose a colour that mimics your hair. Our ultimate go-to is the eyebrow mascara by Mac or the delightful eyebrow sculpt pencil by Kiko Milano. For an evening look, use a little of both – don’t be shy! Lip liner – choose either a shade that matches your color choice or go for one shade darker to contour the edges of your lips. We advise not to go too dark. Either: use your lip liner to define lip edges and prevent lipstick from spreading over your lip line or color in your lips to add a little more definition to the lipstick color and to make it last longer. For smoother application – put a little foundation on your lips beforehand. Dap a touch of eyeshadow on the centre of your lips to contour and add a hint of shimmer without having to use gloss.

Waterproof Mascara – we don’t think we need explain this one! Contouring kit/cream – if contouring scares you a little or worried you might get it all wrong – check out a few easy-to-follow YouTube vids. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Complete your all over foundation regime and then add a darker colour just below your cheek bones and blend. The best to use is a cream foundation to contour, rather than a liquid. Use a sponge to blend it in and dab – don’t smear. If you feel you have gone too dark, continue to blend using a bit more of the overall foundation and keep dabbing until you are happy. Brush all over with a colored double face powder for a smooth matte finish, especially if you have oily skin (try Clinique) or go directly to your bronzer and translucent face powder finish. There is no right or wrong way but play around and find out what works for you. Highlight under the eyes with an under eye concealer and blend until you obtain a smooth transition from your cheek to your eye area.