A make-up trial is an opportunity for the bride-to be and also the make-up artist to work together to achieve the perfect look, it gives to a chance to try different ideas and see how the make-up feels on your skin. Not only will you create a plan for the big day, but your Make-up artist can also help you with suggestions on treatments and lifestyle changes that will leave your skin in the best possible condition for your big day.

During your make-up trial, you may also be able to pick up some handy hints and tips to take away with you on honeymoon, and you can ask as many questions or try as many styles of make-up as you wish. The make-up artist will also take notes on your likes, dislikes and colour schemes, hairstyles that all play a part in the overall finished look. By doing this planning on the day of your wedding you will be able to sit back and relax and know on the make-up artist has finished you will look and feel like a million dollars!

Now after years of training and tonnes of practice, I am a freelance Make-up Artist working in and around the Cambridgeshire area. When I started training in beauty it was my aim to generalise in lots of beauty treatments and maybe work in a salon, or eventually open my own salon. However from my first Make-up course I was hooked, It was almost as if I had found the one thing in life that I was meant to do.

I’ve been lucky enough to be booked for some fantastic events, working for fashion shows, celebrities, TV, I also do a lot of bridal work. Working on a bride-to-be and her party gives me a lot of satisfaction, especially if the bride is not used to, or tends not to wear any make-up. The transformation is usually breathtaking and there is always something special about making someone feel so good about themselves on a day to them that is so precious.

I work mainly using MAC and Bobbi Brown products, and a few other favourites I have come to love along the way. From a young age I loved experimenting with make-up. I got given my first eyeshadow set when i was 8 years old and would spend hours in front of the mirror applying different colours and shading, even doing half of my face one way and the other half another so I could see which i liked the best.

I have always believed in regards to applying make-up that good quality brushes are far more important than the brand of make-up you are using. It is absolutely possible to achieve fabulous make-up without spending a fortune. Make-up is all about highlighting your best features and concealing any flaws-simple!

Some of my first time clients can be a little apprehensive as most seem to belive that Make-up artists like to transform everyone into a clown and pile make-up on with a trowel. This could not be further from the truth, I for one whole heartedly belive that beautiful make-up is created by enhancing a persons natural beauty, a little coverage here and a little shading there can create the most wonderful look and reveal a natural fresh looking you that you never knew existed.

If you are getting married you are probably considering what make-up you should wear on the day of your wedding. For such a special occasion we suggest it is probably worth investing in having a professional Make-up artist do the job for you, but here are some tips if you decide to go it alone:

• Are you  planning on having a spray tan or going on a sun bed( not recommended by 1 Look Beauty) before your wedding day? If so make sure your foundation and power that are going to wear on the big day are not to light for your new tanned complexion. Ever noticed a brides face looking to white in her wedding photos? Well, this could be caused from having a spray tan and not changing the colours of the foundation and powder to match the new skin colour. It could also be caused by wearing foundations and powders that are to pink in colour and not more yellow toned. A professional Make-up artists always opt for more yellow toned shades for the skin – they simply look more natural once blended onto the skin, and tend to photograph much better.
• Wearing a high quality foundation and concealer for your big day is a must, they will last throughout the day and ensure your skin looks flawless in your wedding photographs. It can be a little daunting buying a foundation if you are not used to wearing make-up. I would suggest going along to your local department store beauty counters and just trying as many as you can until you find the prefect match. You may also be able to book yourself in for a free make-up trial to get yourself some good tips.
• Even if you don’t usually wear make-up, I would highly recommend that you make an exception to this rule for your wedding day. The photographs of this day will be around for a long time, and a make-up free face next to a beautiful dress and elegant hair do, will just not work! Natural bridal make-up does in no way mean no make-up. Natural bridal make up will just conceal any imperfections in the skin and highlight your natural features.
• Wearing a concealer over your eye lid area and under your eyes, followed by powder to set the concealer in place, will ensure your eyes look fresher and your eye shadow will last hours longer. This is a trick used by make-up artists and is possibly one of the most important areas for a professional application of make-up.
• Apply foundation followed by a for better coverage as done the other way around the a will lose some of its effect.
• Following the application of the foundation and concealer dust with loose powder to set the foundation in place.
• Eyebrows are also important to the look of your make-up and beautiful shaped eyebrows can make a huge difference to your look, I would definitly advise having your eyebrows professionally waxed or threaded at least 48 hours prior to your wedding. you can then use a brow pencil to define this area.
• Eye make-up will add more definition to your eyes, for a bridal application i would suggest avoiding blues, greens, purples ect. and go for a more natural shade such as grey, brown, beige. For a more glamorous wedding look the smoky eye effect will work well by applying a little of the dark colour carefully along your bottom lash line. Define eyes further with liquid or pencil liner, and finish with two coats of Waterproof Mascara.
• Add shape and colour to your face by using bronzer and blusher, ensure that both of these are blended well.
• I suggest you go for either a natural lip shade, or preferably a lip gloss to finish off your make-up look rather than anything dark, as this will be too overpowering. apply any lip colour or gloss using a lip brush to ensure you achieve a professional finish.

Perfect make-up just needs a little practice so dont leave it until the day of your wedding to start. try different colour combinations and ask friends or family for their honest opinions. If you are uncertain applying your own make-up it would be a great idea to book a make-up artist for your big day to take that stress away, and who know you could pick up some great make-up tips that will last you a lifetime!

Enjoy you wedding x