You are likely to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on your wedding dress. So why ruin your look by having inappropriate or badly applied makeup. Read our Top 10 Makeup Tips below to ensure that you are going to look absolutely amazing on your wedding day.

Begin your makeup regime well before the wedding

Any makeup is going to look better on clear and healthy skin. That is why it is essential to begin preparing your skin long before your wedding day. For the month before the wedding make sure that you drink plenty of water - this will flush out and hydrate your skin, helping it to stay free of blemishes. Another common cause of pimples is stress - avoid as much stress as possible (not always easy when planning a wedding!!!). However, by planning as many aspects of your wedding well before the day, you will avoid last minute hiccups and be able to calmly look forward to your wedding day.

Know your style and colours

It is a good idea to look at magazines and photos to the style of makeup that you like. Your makeup should also complement your dress (and, ideally, your bridesmaids' dresses). Don't worry if you don't know whether it all matches or not - that is why it is worth talking with a professional (see point 3 below).

Talk to the professionals

Applying makeup for your wedding day is a bit more complicated than just slapping on some lippy and mascara. Your makeup has to last for the whole day and needs to stay perfect for the all-important photos. To ensure that your makeup is going to look its best and last the day, it is worth seeking the advice of a professional. Even if you decide not to pay someone to do your makeup on the day, having a professional show you which makeup is best for you and how best to apply it will ensure that you look fantastic on the day. When you visit the professional (which ideally is 2-3 months before the wedding), you should take along pictures of your favourite makeup styles, and even a swatch of your wedding dress and bridesmaid dress fabrics. This will let the professional determine the shades that will look best on the day. If visiting a makeup artist isn't in your budget, some department stores have free consultations at their makeup counter which can at least let you try out some different styles.

Don't be afraid to experiment

Provided that you are beginning your preparation well before the wedding (at least a month), don't be afraid to experiment with different styles and colours of makeup. This is especially relevant for brides who don't normally wear a lot of makeup. Now is your chance to try something new!

Waterproof mascara

There is nothing worse than having to completely redo your makeup after the ceremony and before the photos just because you shed a few tears of joy. Waterproof mascara should elimitate this problem and ensure that you remain looking glamorous the whole day. However, word of warning - make sure that you have makeup remover that removes the waterproof mascara - you don't necessarily want to have the same look for your whole honeymoon!

Touch-up Pack

Ask your bridesmaid to keep a small handbag with your makeup in it, so that you can touch it up throughout the day. If you are using a professional makeup artist to do your makeup, buy the same lipstick and powder that they use to ensure that you are reapplying the same look!

Smooth skin

All attention is going to be on you, with cameras pointing at you all day. However, photos tend to highlight skin imperfections so even if you don't normally wear foundation, concealer or powder, it is worth trying it out for your wedding. A well applied foundation will give you smooth, radiant-looking skin - you might be surprised at how good it looks!

Don't overdo it

Even though you want to look utterly gorgeous on your wedding day (which you no doubt will), you want to make sure that you still look like you! Your makeup shouldn't be so over-powering that the groom can't recognise you when you come down the aisle. The amount of makeup that a person should wear will vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of wedding that you are having, your style of dress and the time of day. The professional makeup artist that you visit before the wedding (see step 3) will be able to advise as to the amount of makeup that suits you.

Don't rush

It always takes longer than you think to get ready, especially if your bridesmaids are also getting 'made-up'. If you are having a professional come to do your makeup and hair, ask them to come early. The last thing that you want is to have spent all of this time and effort planning your wedding, only to have to rush your hair and makeup to get to the wedding on time.

Enjoy yourself

Being the bride gives you the right to go and treat yourself to facials, pamper sessions and makeup trials. This can be heaps of fun, especially when you do it with your bridesmaids, so make the most of it and enjoy yourself!