Beauty essentials for flawless bridal make-up

bridal beauty — Poppy Delevingne hits all the right notes here in her subtle but gorgeous bridal make-up Getty

Your wedding day is one of the most important events of your life and with all eyes on you, it's paramount that you feel yourself and look your best. While some women choose to have their make-up done professionally, if you're the sort who prefers to do it yourself, you cannot go wrong with these bridal beauty-bag essentials.

Primers

Using a primer will help your make-up last longer and silicone-based primers will also smooth pores and fill fine lines. Using an illuminating primer will also give your skin an inner glow under your foundation. Use a small amount over your face, using patting motions over your pores.

(L-R)Gosh Lumi Highlighter Drops in peach 004 15ml; £5.99

L'Oreal, Lumi Magique Primer 20ml; £9.99

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash Primer, 40ml; £38.50

BECCA, Backlight Priming Perfector; £32

Foundation

You will want to spend most of your time perfecting your skin on your big day. Use a long-lasting foundation that is a light to medium coverage but can be built on. By using lighter layers you will create a more natural look to the skin. Starting in the centre of the face and using a brush, blend your foundation in and feather it off around the hair line and down to the jaw and neck. Simple then add more where it's needed in another thin layer. Choose formulas with low SPF as high SPF's cause a white cast over the face in flash photography.

(L-R) Estee Lauder, Double Wear Light Stay-In-Place Make-up SPF10; £29.50

Chanel, Perfection Lumiere Long Wear Flawless Fluid Make-up SPF 10; £36

Mac, Studio Face and Body Goundation 50ml; £22

Nars, Sheer Glow Goundation; £31

Concealer

Use your concealer to cover blemishes and marks with an eyeliner brush for precision and apply a brighting salmon-toned concealer under the eyes to blur any dark circles and use a small amount just where it's needed. Your wedding day isn't the time for too much contouring and highlighting.

(Clockwise from top left)

Mac, Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35; £15.50

Cover FX, Cream Concealer; £23

Yves Saint Laurent, Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Highlighting Pen; £25.00

Tom Ford, Illuminating Highlight Pen; £42.00

Charlotte Tilbury, The Retoucher Conceal & Treat Stick; £25

Highlighter

Highlight the tops of your cheeks, cupids bow, brow bone and down the middle of your nose. This will give you a youthful glow to the skin and keep your face looking fresh. Cream highlighters look beautiful on the skin, if you go for a pressed powder highlight go for a finely milled powder that doesn't have chunky glitters in it.

(L-R) Illamasqua, Gleam Highlighter; £22

Laura Geller, Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator 4.5g; £21.00

BECCA, Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed; £32

Eyes

Keep eyes simple using soft highlighted neutral shades to open them up. Firstly, use an eye shadow primer, or cream shadow to help your shadow last all day. Then take a glossy champagne shadow across the lids and right into the corner to waken the eyes. Next, take a light warm brown and sweep it across the lids and buff into the crease to soften the look. Finish by lining your eyes right at the base with dark brown eye shadow or liner right at the root of your lashes to help thicken and lift the eyes. Then add lots of mascara for a doll-eyed look.

Clockwise from top left)

Mac, Pro Longwear Paint Pot, Let Me Pop; £16

Bobbi Brown, Eyeshadow in Blonde; £17

Charlotte Tilbury, Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow, Bette; £22

Revlon, Ultimate All-In-One™ Mascara; £9.99

Sleek, Highlighter Eye Palette Solstice; £9.99

Urban Decay, Eyeshadow Primer Potion 10ml; £16.00

Blush

A pretty pop of colour adds a romantic flush to the face. Add it to the apples of your cheek and bring it up towards the hair line then blend, blend, blend. You don't want any obvious lines. Remember to add more that you usually would as blush is the first to fade, and doesn't always show in photos.

(L-R) Lancome, Blush Subtil Long lasting Powder Blusher; £28.00

Bobbi Brown, Blush in Pastel Pink; £19.50

Tom Ford, Cheek Colour in Flush; £48

Brows

Your brows frame your face, so it's important to get this right. Take your time and use products half a shade lighter than your natural brows to avoid them looking too stark on your face. Use a hard wax, sharp pencil in a cool tone to build your brows. Use fine strokes and brush through as you get your shape.

(Clockwise from top)

Anastasia Beverley Hills, Brow Wiz Pencil and Brush, 0.08g; £15.50

L'Oreal; Paris Perfection Brow Artist Plumper; £5.99

Benefit, Speed Brow Quick Set Gel; £12

Lips

Chose a shade close to your lip colour, or if you are always seen with a red lip and feel daring wear it on your wedding day. This is the time you are meant to look like the best version of you, so if that's your style, go for it. Exfoliate your lips, and add some balm to make them smooth. Then take a lip brush to help create the shape of your lips. Using matte formulas will help the colour last and using thin layers of colour and blotting after each application will help create a stain to the lips and ensure you have a long-lasting lip colour. To add a pout to your lips add a gloss to the centre of your bottom lip or a touch of your highlight.