Bridal Beauty

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Your wedding day is one of the happiest moments of your life. Take note of these tips from makeup artist Patti Stapp of First Impression to ensure the makeup part of your day is as flawless as your dress.

You need to decide if you are going to do your own makeup or hire a professional. Remember, the pictures of that day will be looked at the rest of your life, even if you like the way you do your own makeup. Makeup for photos is different than everyday. It needs to be more defined but blended and soft, but bold. Sound confusing?

A makeup artist with photo experience will know what that means. You will not just want a skilled makeup artist, but you will also want one that has photo experience. Also talk to your wedding party to decide what look you desire. I have done hundreds of weddings and know the more uniform the makeup, with the bride being the main focus, the better the pictures will turn out.

One rule of thumb: bold eyes, soft lips, or bold lips, soft eyes – not both. Makeup must always reflect the personality of the bride, and not the makeup artist’s. Find four pictures in magazines of makeup you would like at the wedding and tear them out. Bring them with you when you have a consultation with your makeup artist. Show her the images you selected, and to give her a visual of what you have in mind, and time to have your look perfected. You can use the opportunity to go to the makeup artist for the wedding portrait. That will give you both ample time to perfect the look.

Things to remember: highlight around the eyes, contour the cheeks. When doing your lips, stay in the same color family as the wedding colors. For major sparkle, dip your finger in a nude loose shimmer eye shadow and apply to the center of the bottom lip.

Whether you have your makeup professionally done or you do it yourself, be sure to have your lipstick and gloss with you to touch up just as you walk down the aisle.

With these tips and all is said and done, when you look at your pictures, you will see the happiest, prettiest, you.

To see some of Patti's work, check out our beautiful bridal shoot, The Perfect Day.

by Patti Stapp

Patti and her husband, Jimmy, own First Impression, which offers makeovers, jewelry and cosmetics, including her signature makeup line, PS Collection. Patti has worked with celebrities such as Celine Dion, Halle Berry and Patrick Swayze on “The Oprah Show.” For the past 15 years, she has been involved with the Miss Texas Organization. Visit her website, mypseyes.com.