For some women there is only one option for wedding-day makeup and that’s doing it themselves. It may be that you’ve never had your
makeup done professionally and you’re just no comfortable with the idea of working with a makeup artist for your wedding-day look. Or perhaps you’re overly concerned that you’ll end up looking artificial and inhibited with someone else doing your makeup. Or maybe your budget simply won’t allow for such an expenditure.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to do your makeup yourself, here are step by step tips to great wedding-day makeup, courtesy of Rachel Weingarten:

1. Layer your makeup. Don’t put on a heavy coat of pancake makeup and think it will stay all day. There are a lot of things to keep in mind beyond foundation. If you have dark spots near your eyes or discolorations on your face, you need to find a good concealer and get it as close to skin color as possible.

2. When applying cover-up to any dark circles under your eyes, don’t overdo it—you’ll end up with white circles that will make you look like a raccoon in your pictures. Instead, dot the concealer on, starting at the inner corner of your eyes. Tap it with your fingertips to blend. Use the same application method with concealer on other parts of your face, such as with a pimple.

3. Next, put a light base on your face with a good foundation. Most makeup
artists like to use their fingers to apply makeup because the temperature of
their skin will heat up the foundation so it blends better on the face.

4. After foundation apply translucent powder to set your makeup. You can use either a big fluffy brush or a cosmetic sponge.

5. Next, move on to your blush. While a cream blush will look good in photos because it lasts, it’s not right for the bride with oily skin. It could clog the pores and it’s more likely to wear off faster, so stick with powder blush instead. Don’t apply blush as a stripe of color. Instead, dot the apples of your cheeks (the round parts that form when you smile) and then blend it in.

6. Focus on your eyes next. Start by putting foundation on your eyes, just like you do the rest of your face, and set it with pressed powder applied with a big fluffy brush. This will create a base for your eye shadow to help it last longer. As far as colors go, women with lighter sk
should go for a pale pink or gold-hued eye shadow. A woman with darker skin should choose a darker bronze color for her eye-
lids. If you cry a lot, definitely use waterproof mascara.

7. Finally, do your lips. Don’t forget to put foundation on your lips it will help your color last longer. After foundation, outline your lips with a neutral-colored lip pencil; then use it to fill lips. Blot lips with a tissue. Then put on lipstick color, blot, and then a drop of gloss on bottom lip. And voila, your lips are done.

So you’ve decided on DIY makeup for your wedding. Great. Now you’ve got to get up-to-date on the latest makeup techniques. Dedicate a weekend to visiting various makeup counters at your local department store so you can find the makeup you like and want to use for your wedding and so you can get a free makeover. See if your maid of honor can join you with a video camera in hand. That way she can record the steps the makeup artists use to make you look gorgeous, and you can review the tape later so you can brush up on your techniques.