With more and more couples choosing to get married on a budget, it is no surprise that a large percentage of brides are making the brave choice to apply their own make-up on the big day. If you have chosen to take the plunge, then don't even think about picking up that powder brush until you've read these helpful tips from a make-up expert! We have been chatting to talented make-up artist Elle Binks-Swain who has been kind enough to share her expert tips to ensure you look and feel the best version of YOU when you say 'I do'!

Preparation for the day

It is important to do at least one trial run of applying the make-up that you want to wear for your wedding day. This means that if you have any issues with timing, colour, consistency or application of the products then you have time to change them or vary your technique. It is also a great idea to wear the make-up out for the day to see how it wears. Do any areas need touching up? How do the colours look in natural daylight? It is much better to find out now than having any nasty surprises when you look back at those wedding photos!

Time wise, 45 to 90 minutes should be plenty of time to allow you to complete a full face - depending of course on how much make-up you plan to wear. If in doubt, allow more time and allow time to touch up any mistakes and for slower, nervous hands.

If possible, apply your make-up in natural daylight so that you can see the colours and facial shape properly without any distortion.

The best advice is to just BE YOU. If in doubt, try to stay in your comfort zone and do what you usually would for your makeup, but with perhaps a little more coverage and slightly brighter colours.

If you want to go for the 'no make-up make-up' look, then don't just go barefaced! It takes quite a few products to achieve that natural glow, and you will most likely look washed out in your wedding photos. Medium coverage BB creams and liquid highlighters will be your best friends for the 'barefaced' or 'natural' look. Lots of skincare is required underneath first in order to achieve this look, however.

Proper skincare is absolutely essential! Always cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day in the run up to the event. Drink plenty of water in the weeks before as well, to plump and give a glow to the skin. Try to use natural ingredient-based products such as rose water for toning, and an exfoliator that is not too harsh or chemically-based to avoid the skin looking red or dry. Double moisturise on The Day, including the eyelids, lips and neck, and allow it to settle into the skin for at least 30 minutes before applying your primers and foundation.

Face

Primers should be mandatory. Always use a face primer on top of your moisturiser but underneath your foundation/base. They will help to even out any fine lines and refine pores, as well as helping the foundation to have something to stick to; and therefore last much longer, even through lots of cheek kissing and the first dance sweats. A great result can be achieved through using a combination of different primers: use a hydrating and pore-refining facial primer all over the face, and then an anti-ageing or satin-textured dewy primer on the cheekbones to create a dewy glow and contrast in skin texture which can later be enhanced by putting highlighter in the same place over foundation. Always use an eye primer on the eyelid as well, to minimise eye make-up creasing and spoiling your look. This is especially important if you are prone to having oily lids.

Match your foundation to your collarbone, not your jaw. Most people are not the same colour on their face as they are on the rest of their body. It's usually safer to match your base colour to your neck, collarbone or even the shoulders if there is a noticeable difference in the shades. Beware of ending up too orange-based though!! Look for the colour undertones in your skin, e.g. olive, red, blue, yellow, green, warm, cool, neutral, or a mix of any of these. When you do your makeup trials, try to wear a white/ivory/cream T-shirt so that you can see what the base colour looks like against something so light and reflective. Extend the foundation gently down your neck and décolletage to blend with your natural skin-tone (but powder the chest area well if you do this to avoid ruining the all-important dress!)

Only apply concealer if you really really need it. Skin-toned concealer goes over foundation if needed, but colour correction goes on before it! Use an emollient-based peach-toned concealer under the eyes to hide dark circles, but use a lighter liquid/cream concealer anywhere else. Pay attention to colour theory to correct and colour imperfections. For instance, try using a greenish concealer, or an olive-taupe product just over any areas of redness, as green tones down the colour red and neutralises it. Use peach colours over blue-purple areas.

Contouring & Blush

A great way to do a cream highlight is to have some of your remaining foundation on the back of your hand (dispense more than you'll need for the base colour, this is especially important if you have mixed base colours together to get the exact same colour as previously used), and then mix it with a VERY small amount of white or lighter coloured foundation then apply only on the high points of the face and blend really well if you're happy with the shade. You can always add more of the lighter colour if it's still not light enough, so go very carefully in case you put down too much and it can end up looking harsh.

Powder everything, but go gently over any lines or imperfections. DO NOT USE ANY PRODUCT WITH 'HD' ON IT! Or anything containing SPF. This includes any foundation, powder, blush etc. This will create a 'flash-off' effect if the photographer uses flash photography, and will make you look like a ghost or like you are covered in thick flour- (this is what happened to celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie when they were snapped having 'make-up disasters'). It's best to use a loose translucent powder with a large fluffy brush. Make sure that you powder under the eyes, smoothing out any creases FIRST. Gently powder the whole of the face and eyelids, just to set everything, especially the nose, upper lip area and chin. Try to stick to your T-zone. Don't forget the inner sides of the bridge of the nose as this area is often missed and can distract attention when photographed if it is shiny.

Eyes

Use the colour wheel to make eye colours pop. For instance, the opposite colours of blue are orange-yellows, so a pop of metallic copper shadow in the waterline, as a spotlight accent on the middle of the lid or inner corner, or as a liner, or warm brown colours in the crease really make blue eyes come alive. The same is true for using plum colours around green eyes, and blue/violet near amber coloured eyes. Brown eyes can wear any colour and look great, but try to pick out the flecks of colour in your irises and use the opposite colour on the colour wheel to create extra fire.

If doing your own brows, try not to go for anything too angular and square, especially on the inner edges, as this can make the eye-line look more masculine and is very attention grabbing in photog of waterproof productsraphs. If in doubt, choose a shape that starts parallel to the outer edges of the nose, has an arch that is highest above the outer iris, and ends in line with the outer edge of the nose when imagining a connecting line. Don't pluck more than three hairs away in one go before standing back and checking the shape, and try not to pluck much away above the brow shape. The colour should ideally be 1 or 2 shades lighter than your natural brow colour, and NEVER use black, even if your hair is black.

Only wear false eyelashes if you're 100% sure that they will stay put through the whole event, and only use them if you're used to wearing them. Use a two-step mascara system with fibres in it instead if you want more length and volume. This adds drama without the lash band hassle.

Use a waterproof eyeliner and mascara to prevent tear staining. If you don't like the consistency of waterproof products, then use your regular mascara and eyeliner and then put a waterproof version on top.

Lips

Don't be afraid to rock a bold lip!! If you've got the personality to pull it off then go for it! If you'd rather go for a softer lip, then you can't go wrong with using your usual colour of lipstick. Use a matching lip-liner first to line the edges and fill the entire lip. Use a coat of your usual lipstick (ideally something with medium coverage, satin/ soft-matte texture) then blot with tissue and reapply then blot again. Photos will wash out your lip colour, so put a shade of lipstick on top in the same colour family as the first one used, but 1 or 2 shades brighter. Blot and then set with translucent powder for extra staying power or a matching eyeshadow colour if you like.

Consider the angle at which you draw your lip-liner. For a rounded 'hill' shape on the cupid's bow and upper lip; line the lip from the outer edge moving towards the cupid's bow. Work the opposite way; from the cupid's bow towards the outer lip corners for a straighter and more angular 'mountain' shape to the upper lip.

Extra Hints & Tips

Pay attention to where your venue is and what season your wedding falls in. You can go a little more dramatic and moody with your make-up colours in the autumn and winter months, equally, softer, brighter and more sheer looks work well in spring and summer. Outdoor photographs require colour-true shades, satin-textured products and immaculate application because the sun will show any imperfections, areas of false build-up resulting in cakiness, and makes colours look different than when applied in the shade. Indoor lighting, especially fluorescent, can wash you out and make colours look dull; so opt for stronger colours and application whilst keeping the whole look soft, particularly if you're having portrait close-ups.

Carry a pressed powder compact, blotting sheets, tissues, a mirror and your lipstick colour with you on The Day. Alternate between using the pressed powder and the blotting sheets if you find yourself becoming shiny, as you don't want to add any additional product if you don't need to or you'll run the risk of looking cakey.

Recommended Products Shopping List:

• Illamasqua 'Hydra-Veil' primer, and 'Satin' primer for just on cheekbones.
• Mac 'Strobe Cream'
• Illamasqua 'Translucent Setting Powder' for a matte but not flat base
• Mac 'Paint Pots' and/or Illamasqua 'Cream Pigments' for colour correction, eyelid priming, and cream contouring.
• Illamasqua 'Mixers' in white and chestnut (only available on request when you buy 1x Skin Base Foundation) for mixing with foundation when doing a liquid or cream contour. These are lifesavers!! They're small and so easily portable, but super concentrated. The chestnut colour can come out nicely ash-based so don't worry about an orange-looking contour!!
• Urban Decay 'Setting Sprays'
• Too Faced 'Shadow Insurance' eye primers
• Lipcote Lipstick setting solution

Do you have any tips on doing your own wedding day make-up? Or are you a make-up artist or beauty blogger wanting to share your bridal make-up tips by contributing to our blog? Let us know in the comments!