Days leading to your wedding day can be daunting - from deciding the venue, going for fittings to choosing the right menu, this can leave little room to think about make-up. We speak to bridal make-up artist Joanne Bottinger to guide you in choosing the best make look for your wedding day.

Choosing the perfect Make Up Artist

When searching for a make-up artist you need to find a connection with their work, This seems like it should be obvious but there are tons of brides who find make-up artists but end up not liking their make-up style. Look for someone that you vibe with, your make-up artist is going to be with you for the first half of your wedding day so you need to look for someone who has the same energy as you or who will be able to keep calm or bubbly to create the atmosphere you desire. Look at reviews! If your make-up artist is great it will show through.

Prepping the face for the big day

You should start prepping 6-12 months before your wedding day. Trying new skincare treatments right before your wedding could affect your skin. Skincare is vital to creating a flawless make-up look but in order to do that your skin needs time to look it's best.

A few tips for healthy glowing skin

Regular facials
Drink water daily
Eat your green vegetable
Always moisturise
Remove Make-Up before sleep
Take
The most underrated beauty hack is: Sleep

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Do’s and Don’ts

DO’S

Do get your eyebrows shaped a few days before your make-up trial and then a few days before your wedding, this will elevate the make-up look.

Do have a make-up trial - the trial is to see what suits you and what you like. Having a trial gives you time to get used to the make-up look and perfect the bridal feel.

Do try to book your make-up trial, hair trial and wedding dress fitting all on the same day so that you can really get the feeling of what you are going to look like on your wedding day

DON’TS

Don't leave booking your make-up artist till the last minute, bridal make-up artist get booked up to a year in advance! If there is a specific artist you want then pay your deposit to secure your wedding date before someone else does.

Don't be cheap! You get what you pay for, cheaper isn't always better. I have had so many clients book an affordable make-up artist and they all have the same story. The reason that some MUA's charge a more premium rate is they are usually qualified and have years of experience with make-up as well as dealing with clients in a professional manner. We also use premium products such as Dior, Armani Beauty, Chanel, Benefits Cosmetics, MAC, etc.

Premium products are usually regulated better which means that the products are better for your health and your skin. We are expensive but you are worth it, quality products, years of experience, and qualifications.

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Bridal Make-Up In Winter

In terms of what colour tones to use, I would suggest sticking to earth tones, such as a brown smokey eye with a touch of gold and champagne shimmer to create that elegant bridal glam. If you are daring enough then you could try a bold lip, such as a deep burgundy to complement the season. But a nude brown will look just as great, just depends what your preference is and what you will feel the most comfortable in.

Give your skin some extra attention, in winter everyone's skin tends to be a bit more dry even if you have an oily skin try moisturise as often as possible.

Long and Lasting Make-Up For The Camera

There are 3 key factors in creating a make-up look that lasts long:

Skin prep
Quality setting powder
and a great Setting spray

To make sure your t-zone doesn't look shiny, use a small amount of translucent powder or some blotting paper to absorb the excess oil.

For all of my brides I include the lipstick we used on the trial so that they can touch up with the same colour they love throughout their wedding day, this helps them to maintain their photo ready make-up throughout the day (don't touch/rub your face, if you have an itch tap the area .

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A Big No For Bridal Make-Up

Lots of brides dream about their wedding day and they have a certain idea of what they want to look like, so stick to what you imagine and what you are comfortable with. If you don’t like what you look like with a red lipstick on then don't do it on your wedding day or you will feel uncomfortable.It's important to stay true to yourself.