One of the biggest things I've been trying to accomplish this year is becoming a makeup artist for weddings and special events.  A bride's makeup is one of the most memorable things, simply because all eyes are on the bride and it's the look that will be remembered in photographs for years to come.  I've had the opportunity to work with a few brides and bridesmaids, which I will show you pictures of tomorrow.  For today though, I'm going to offer you some tips.

Personally, I think it can be done yourself IF you are used to applying makeup. Strangely enough, I find it's the people who don't wear makeup often are the ones who often do it themselves, and quite honestly, I think that's a mistake. Wedding makeup is different from regular makeup primarily for two reasons: it needs to last and it needs to photograph well.  So what can you do to help your makeup last all day?

First, consider your environment.  Is the wedding in the heat?  Inside? Outside? Winter? Spring?  Summer?  All the environmental factors that you normally deal with need to be taken into consideration for your wedding.  Generally creams have longer lasting power, but are also more prone ot "melting" off in the past.  I would have a base of a cream or gel blush and top with some powder blush.  If you're getting married in the winter in a formal church, avoid anything too shimmery, sparkly or bright.  Actually that's probably good advice no matter what season or venue the event is in.

Secondly, avoid products with SPF.  Wait - isn't that contrary to all those reports that say you should use sunscreen?  Yes it is.  What I mean is to avoid MAKEUP products with SPF in them.  Moisturizer is the place to slather on the SPF, not the foundation or powder.  SPF has a mineral in it that will reflect light and make you look more shiny in photographs than you want to.  By using it as a base in your moisturizer, you'll stay protected and perfect matte.

Also in the 'reflective' category is regular mineral makeup.  I know there are millions of Bare Minerals' fans out there, but honestly, you're better off with a regular liquid foundation.  Mineral makeup is great for every day when you want that natural glow, but may photograph just a little bit different than you want.  This is not a knock on mineral makeup in general, just it's uncanny ability to make you look good in person.

Another tip: natural makeup does not mean NO COLOR.  Most brides want to look "natural" and not a caricature of themselves; that is something I can definitely understand and hope to achieve.  Natural to most people probably rules out blue and green eyeshadow, but it doesn't have to include only nude colors.  For the wedding I did last weekend, I heard a number of comments that the makeup looked "natural" which is great, but there was color on the eyes.

As a makeup artist, I will apply a lot of blush.  In person, it may look scary or heavy handed, but in photographs, you'll have these great defined cheekbones that will look great.  If you do it yourself and you're not used to wearing a blush, practice first.  Take a picture of yourself with what you think is a little more blush than you normally do and you'll see that it doesn't look as bold as you think.  Also, please, please blend the blush.  Nothing worse than having a strip of color on the cheeks.  The color should be concentrated on the apples and blended out towards the temple.  Take a big fluffy brush, smile, and blend.

The sixth tip: don't feel like you have to stick to black eye liner.  Gray, brown, and navy are good alternatives that may help soften the look.  If you don't wear eyeliner on a normal basis, putting eyeliner under the eye can seem extreme, so definitely practice the application if you plan on doing it yourself.

7: This really should be the number one tip, but here goes: Make sure your foundation matches.  This is an important part of any woman's look and nothing's worse than having a foundation that doesn't match.  Whether you do it yourself or have it professionally done, walk around in different lighting, have a couple people look at you both close up and at a distance - and see if the foundation matches.  If somebody else did your makeup and the foundation unfortunately doesn't match- and they are no longer available for touch ups, grab a brush and start blending down the chin and neck.

For now, those are all the tips, but stay tuned for some examples and pictures of wedding makeup.