The last thing you want to worry about on your Big Day is your make-up, so leave nothing to chance and consult the experts behind your favourite range
You're getting married and want to look your most beautiful on the day - but where do you turn for help and advice? Creating a beauty look that will stand the test of time in your photographs can be a daunting prospect, so you've probably either considered hiring a make-up artist to transform you into a vision of loveliness, or even buying a few new cosmetics (any excuse!) and giving it a go yourself.
If your budget is tight and you've decided on the latter, head for your nearest department store and enquire at the cosmetics counters about a bridal consultation. Most companies now offer these, and you will be shown some great techniques and insider tricks - usually by a professional make-up artist - thus enabling you to feel much more confident about applying your own make-up on the Big Day.
Choose a make-up counter:
Estée LauderEstée Lauder recognises that a woman's wedding day is one of the most important days of her life, so to help her look and feel perfect on the big day, they offer a tailor-made step-by-step Bridal Beauty Programme. Available at selected counters nationwide and beginning long before the wedding day, this complimentary service consists of three consultations, encompassing everything from skincare regimes and picture-perfect bridal looks, to suncare advice and beauty tips for the honeymoon and beyond. The Programme helps the bride-to-be not only prepare herself for the wedding, but also guides her through the busy and often stressful period beforehand. Estée Lauder offer a wide range of foundation shades and textures to suit both Asian and coloured skintones.
Max Factor
For personalised advice on wedding day beauty, Max Factor offers complimentary wedding day make-up consultations and makeovers, which are available at Max Factor counters in major Boots stores (subject to availability). Simply take pictures and swatches of the wedding and bridesmaids's dresses, the venue, and your hair and flower ideas along to your consultation, so the Max Factor make-up artist can develop the perfect wedding day look for you. If you are a woman of colour, you'll be pleased to know that Colour Adapt foundation is available in 11 shades including shades that are great for black and Asian skin.
BeneFit
BeneFit offer complimentary bridal consultations at all their make-up counters, and will advise you on make-up application and demonstrate effective 'fake it' tips and techniques with their innovative products. While BeneFit does not promote home make-up artists, customers can arrange home visits for weddings with individual counter staff - prices will depend on the individual make-up artist.
Bobbi Brown
Lasting 30 minutes and personalised to suit your needs, bridal make-up lessons are offered at every Bobbi Brown counter. It's common for brides to visit with their veil and have more than one make-up lesson. There is no charge for the consultation, and customers are given a face chart to take away with them, which can be used for reference on the day. Two shades are added to the foundation range every season so all skin colourings, from English rose to Asian and black, can be catered for.
Molton Brown
Molton Brown offers brides-to-be a choice of two packages - the At Home Wedding Day Experience, £310 (make-up artist's travel expenses not included), which involves a meeting with your personal make-up artist before the day to look at skincare and cosmetic colours, plus make-up application at the wedding venue on the day. The other option is the Wedding Day Experience, £125, which consists of a 30-minute pre-wedding session, and professional make-up application on the day at one of Molton Brown's Emporia Studios in Cambridge, Glasgow, London (South Molton Street, Covent Garden, City, Notting Hill, Chelsea) Manchester and Leeds.
Origins
Origins offers complimentary on-counter colour consultations to all customers. While all Origins guides (consultants) are trained in professional make-up application, some are specifically trained in bridal make-up so it's advisable to contact your nearest store to book a session with the most relevant guide. You can expect to receive hints and tips on how to apply make-up to best effect and an introduction to the colour range. In addition, Origins has recently expanded its foundation category to cater for darker skins.