The wedding make-up experiment

I am getting married in 8 weeks (gulp) and luckily most of the planning has been done (well sort of); however the main thing I have been focusing on of late is my make-up for the big day.

After forking out for two make up trials (with different make up artists), both of which I wasn't at all happy with, I decided that rather than lining up for yet another trial I would take the risk and do the make up myself. Why not, I thought? I have been doing my own make up daily for years; plus after a stint during my university days working at the make up counter for Estee Lauder,  I figured that I am more than qualified for the job.

So I did what any bride-to-be would do in my situation and headed to my nearest Mecca store to stock up on everything I would need to create my perfect 'bridal' look.

Armed with my make-up reference picture, the beautiful Jules (wife of Guy Sebastian), I explained to the obliging Mecca lady that I wanted to look natural, but have enough coverage and depth so that I looked amazing in the photos.

She instantly recommended that I use Nars because their products are the best quality and great for photographs as the foundation doesn't contain any SPF. I quickly discovered that using a foundation with an SPF will cause skin to look extremely pale in photographs. Using a concealer is also a must - I am very naughty and generally just use foundation under my eyes, but using a concealer one shade lighter than foundation will brighten up the eye area - genius!

Next stop eyes. This is where I need the most help. I have been caught in an eye-make up rut for the past few years always using the same method and similar colours. Mecca lady showed me a gorgeous Nars eyeshadow palette containing colours that I always thought looked pretty but never considered using because I didn't think they would suit me. Cream eyeshadow, I learnt, is good for holding the powder shadow in place. She showed me how to mix the colours using a brush, and then how to blend them in to the eyelid. I listened intently and was watching everything she was doing.

Mecca lady introduced me to a genius product from Stila called Smudge Pots. This 'clever gel has an inky intensity that leaves powder shadows in the dust' - fabulous! It doesn't smudge - hence the name - so once you it's on your eyes it stays put.

For cheeks and lips she suggests shades of pink that will complement the eyes nicely. I don't normally wear a colour on my lips at all so Mecca lady recommended a sheer lipstick called Mitizi which gives just the right amount of colour to complete my look when combined with lipliner.

So, armed with all of this expert knowledge, plus all of my new equipment - I splurged on some essential brushes as well - I am feeling confident that I can create my perfect look for the wedding.

And the best thing about doing my own make up? Now have two months to experiment and play with my new products!

Stay tuned for pics :)