“Beautiful, Natural, an enhanced version of me,” these are all terms my clients have used to describe their vision of themselves on their wedding day. As one of the most memorable days of your life, you want to be unforgettably beautiful! But, how exactly does a bride-to-be go about achieving a perfect "bridal glow"?

Well, in a perfect world we would all get a good nights rest, drink 8 glasses of water a day, exfoliate weekly and increase our vegetable intake. This combination is the perfect way to get that bridal glow in your skin. However, in my past experiences, finding a bride that lives this perfect lifestyle is an extremely rare find.

On your wedding day, all eyes are on you.  Your overall look – your dress, makeup and hair - should compliment your innate personality and although it’s beneficial to a bride, many women opt out of booking a makeup artist.

We’ve all been to weddings where the bride looked like someone else.  Her makeup was heavy and unnatural, her tears of joy left black streaks on her face or her eyes were so dark she looked physically bruised. Having seen it myself, I don’t blame a bride for being more than a little concerned about having someone else apply her makeup on her wedding day.  After all, when you do your makeup yourself, you know exactly what you’re going to look like right? Well, let’s talk about a few reasons why brides opt to do their own makeup.  Although their reasons are valid, they have become “Urban Legends” so to speak and have turned into Beauty Myths.

Beauty Myth #1
I never wear makeup. I feel if I wear too much on my wedding day, my fiancé won’t recognize me!

Beauty Reality – True
Men are very visual.  Your fiancé wants to see “You” at the end of the isle, not someone else. Unless he knows you to occasionally change your makeup or hair style, when picking your makeup look, be sure not to significantly alter your style so much that your fiancé has to think about who he’s looking at. Coordinate your look with your artist, to make sure you’ll see an enhanced version of yourself. Make it easy; do a little research first before meeting with your artist.  Select pictures out of magazines – fashion or wedding magazines- that closest resemble the type of makeup styles you like. Then you’ll be able to create a great look together.

Beauty Myth #2
It will be less hassle if I do my makeup myself.

Beauty Reality – False
Your wedding day is filled with a lot of last minute details that can be stressful to a bride.  This extra stress can diminish your ability to do your makeup the way you had originally planned.  Especially if you don’t wear makeup on a day to day basis; trying to do it yourself on such a hectic day can fill the most confident bride with a little bit of insecurity! Give your mind a break and leave the details to a professional.  Arrange to have a pre-wedding trial with a make up artist to see if the two of you click. Make sure to ask lots of questions and specify any needs you may have.

Beauty Myth #3
Why bother booking an artist?  Makeup doesn’t last on me anyway!

Beauty Reality – False
With the exception of lipstick, an experienced makeup artist will be able to apply your makeup so that it stays in place for up to 9 hours. There are various techniques for the oiliest or driest of skin types to help prevent the skin from absorbing makeup too fast. This way you’ll go from day to night seamlessly looking your best.

On your wedding day, you should be enjoying your family, friends and your new husband.  Once your hair and makeup are complete, it should be the last thing on your mind. Doing research and choosing a great make up artist will make all the difference.  Start your search today.