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Bridal beauty tips we can all use

How to look naturally glowing – whatever the big day

09 APRIL 2009

Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady's recent nuptials are a timely reminder we're entering the wedding season, so we've brought together the best tips for bridal beauty that everyone can use to look naturally glowing.

* There's a reason bridal make-up tends to be soft and natural looking, with lots of pinks and beiges: neutral colours don't date, which is important when photographs are going to be pored over for decades to come. More intense colours can also look particularly harsh against the reflection a white dress casts upon the complexion.

* To create that bridal glow, skin must be soft and dewy in texture, which means getting rid of dry patches. So regular gentle exfoliation in the run-up to the big day is essential to eliminate layers of dead skin cells that lie on top of the skin.

* Test out your bridal look for a whole day before the wedding, to see how it lasts and looks throughout the celebrations – will it have started to slide off by the time of the reception, will colours that look soft and natural in daylight appear non-existent in the darkness of an evening do, in which case you may need to add slightly more intense shades to your palette as the day wears on? Take photographs throughout your practice run, too – a complexion that looks dewy in the flesh can look shiny when picked up in the glare of a flashbulb. And wear a top the same colour and maybe even the same material as your bridal outfit because pale colours and shiny fabrics reflect onto the skin which can make make-up look completely different as set against dark, matte clothes.

* Use cosmetics that claim to be matte, oil-free and non-shiny or they'll never last the day and look out for silicone-based products – they glide on easily for easy application, but instead of sliding right back off again later on, lock into place with a waterproof finish and fill in lines, too.

* And use a primer to keep foundation in place even longer, applied after moisturiser – but leave as long as possible between applying your moisturiser and your make-up because moisturising ingredients form a layer across the top of skin and impede the necessary absorption of base and colour. So moisturiser needs time to be absorbed itself before applying anything on top.

* Don't forget to use waterproof products, too – not just in case of any tears that may flow, but also because the bride will be kissed and hugged lots throughout the day and that skin-on-skin contact can wipe away what needs to stay put if she's to remain glowing throughout her big day.