Mother of the bride make-up

Finding the right look for your daughter’s big day can be tricky- you don’t want to make yourself look old, but then you don’t want to look like mutton dressed as lamb.
Make-up plays a key role in how you look on the big day, so follow our tips and tricks to having youthful, elegant make-up.

Always start off using a good primer. Very youthful skin can get away with not using a primer, but as you get older it becomes more of a beauty essential rather than an option. Using a primer will give you a smooth base to work with, make fine lines less obvious, minimise open pores and will make your skin seem plumper – all of which are key to having more youthful skin. Try a primer such as Guerlain’s Lor Make Up which has gold particles in order to make skin seem more radiant.

Avoid using thick, heavy foundation – it will make you look older rather than more youthful. Instead try a mineral foundation as the light-reflecting properties will make you skin appear smoother and therefore more youthful.

Blemishes on any kind of skin can be covered with the right amount of concealer. After applying your foundation, use small, light amounts of concealer onto any visible red marks, spots or sun damage. Do not rub the concealer in too much, just gently pat it on top of your skin in order to provide the right coverage.

Give your skin an instant colour boost by applying some blusher on the apple of your cheek. Keep the blusher light and try to blend the colour in gradually to avoid looking like you have painted two red circles to your cheek! Try using a mineral blusher, such as LOreal Mineral Blush in order to make skin appear even more youthful.

Make sure that your eyebrows are in perfect shape, as they frame your face and can instantly change the way you look. If you have very fine, sparse eyebrows then fill them out with an eyebrow pencil or shadow – but make sure you apply small amounts to avoid looking like you have drawn your eyebrows on.

Eyes are usually the biggest telltale sign of aging – so make sure your eyes look as youthful as possible! Use an eyeshadow primer to create a smooth base and use a matte eyeshadow, as shimmery crème shadows will sink into wrinkles and draw attention to fine lines. Try to use neutral colours such as, purple, charcoal, navy, ivory and honey, rather than using bright fashionable colours.

Waterproof mascara is a must-especially if you’re feeling emotional about the big day! Try to apply only a couple of light coats of mascara rather than heavy, thick layers-this will prevent clumpy, spider lashes.

Use a gel liner rather than a pencil one, as the lines drawn will appear to be smoother and can make your lash line appear to be fuller.

Lips get smaller with age, so use a lip plump, such as Bloom Lip Pump, before applying your lipstick (or instead of your lipstick). Make your lips appear fuller by using lighter colours, rather than dark ones and avoid using bright shades of lipstick as they will draw attention to any fine lines that you may have.