The eyes have it

1. The eye area is the most sensitive and finest part of your skin, so be gentle when cleansing - no rubbing, just smooth, gliding movements. Apply eye make-up remover and leave for several seconds because this will help your make-up to be easily removed.

2. Use an eye treatment morning and night to help reduce puffiness, fine lines and dark circles.

3. Take ten minutes out every week and get into the habit of using a cooling, anti-puffiness gel eye mask. If your eyes feel tired use cooling eye pads like the energizing pads from Marks & Spencer.

4. It’s not an old wives’ tale – dark circles can be caused by lack of sleep, so aim for at least eight hours a night.

5. If you are prone to puffiness cut down on alcohol and salty foods which cause fluid retention.

6. Skilfully applied concealer can be a saviour on your wedding day. Apply three or four dots from the inner to the outer corner and then blend using your finger or a fine brush.

7. You should apply concealer to the eye lid to create a perfect base for eye shadow. It will also highlight the darkest areas in the inner corner of the eye.

8. Shaped and groomed brows are essential for framing the face so don’t pluck your eyebrows at random, instead treat yourself to a professional shape session.

9. Emphasise your brows with a pencil or shadow in a shade that matches your natural hair colour. Use the pencil to fill in sparse areas using light upward strokes, and then use a powder shadow to add colour and definition.

10. Eye shadow always needs a dry surface to adhere to so don’t put eye cream directly onto the eyelid – only apply it under the eye, to act as a base for your concealer.

11. If you have close-set eyes focus on the outer limits and start shadow well away from the eye’s inner corner. Blend up and out with increasing colour intensity and then apply lots of mascara on the outer lash tips.

12. If your lids seem to disappear when your eyes are open, a wide band of shadow in a deep neutral shade lends definition. For curving the lid shape, start darker toned shadow mid lid feathering it out lightly towards the brow.

13. Short eyelids need a soft smudge of eyeliner near the upper lash-line. Then sweep a deeper neutral shadow shade from your lashes to your eyebrow. Add highlighter on the brow bone and use lots of mascara in a straight up, straight down direction.

14. Creased lids can appear at any age. To minimise think matte, not pearl.

15. A tiny stroke of blue pencil just beneath the outside edge of the lower lashes brightens and lifts your eyes. Blend inward with a cotton tip for that perfect look.

16. For a natural look that suits almost any shape of eye apply a base colour that blends into your own skin colour such as white, cream or sand. Then apply a medium toned shadow close to the lashes, over the lid and three quarters of the way up the eye.

17. To get liner close to lashes aim at the lashes themselves, not at the eyelid skin.

18. A white kohl line applied to the inside rim of the lower eye area opens up the eye and gives that dewy wide eyed look.

19. To make your eyes really stand out and look bigger, make sure that the top and bottom liner meet at the outer corner of the eye.

20. Use a waterproof mascara! First apply to the top of the upper lashes . Then brush inside the upper lashes to build up the intensity. Finish by coating the bottom lashes holding the mascara wand vertically and moving from the inner corner to the outer.

Make-up dilemmas

Eyeshadow cream or powder?

Powder shadow certainly has the best staying power. It’s also very easy to blend and can be easily taken off with a cotton tip if you put too much on. Cream eye shadow just doesn’t last as long unless you use a waterproof or water resistant one

Plucking or waxing eyebrows?

The tweezer method gives you most control and is definitely the quickest. The best time to tweeze is when you get out of the shower or bath as the pores are open, making it less painful to pull.

Make sure you have a good light and a good magnifying mirror, and go slowly tweezing one hair at a time, alternating between brows to keep them even. Take a break from time to time and step back to see how your brows look. You can always go back and take more hairs out but if you pluck too much you could have a disastrous pair of eyebrows

Eyelash tinting or mascara?

Eyelash tinting is really a must for the bride-to-be but do make sure you have a trial treatment first. You may still need to use mascara to emphasise your lashes but you can throw the mascara brush away for the honeymoon and still have dark luscious lashes.

Professional make-up or DIY?

This can be a real dilemma. Some brides prefer to do their own make-up because they feel they know exactly what suits them whilst others are happy to leave it to a make-up artist.

In the end it’s a matter of personal choice. If you do opt to go for a professional discuss with them the look you want to achieve and let them see a sketch and swatch of your dress. Make sure you have a trial run and if you don’t like anything or are unhappy with the look be confident to say so.

Alternatively, if you want to do it yourself but would like some tips then why not have a professional make-up lesson?

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