Sophie Chamings began her beauty career as a ‘cosmetics girl’ in House of Fraser and loved communicating with women on such a personal level, helping them to feel good about themselves and learning about different products and ingredients. Sophie wanted to bring more meaning to the beauty industry and started to explore a more natural approach to beauty through holistic skincare. Sophie now works in both sides of the industry, in the fashion world of makeup and the natural world of holistic products, training other makeup artists and developing her own range of products based on the active ingredients in natural oils and balms. Here is Sophie’s insider guide to looking fabulous on your wedding day.

“Integral to everything I do is beautiful skin and flawless make-up. I work with each bride as an individual so that she looks and feels naturally beautiful on her wedding day”

Wedding make-up

Every bride wants to look (and feel) beautiful, both for her wedding day and her photographs which she will reminisce over for years to come. A professional make-up artist can make all the difference, creating a flawless look that lasts all day. It’s also a real treat for a bride to be pampered on her wedding morning.

So, how do you go about choosing a make-up artist for your wedding day? Most important is a make-up artist’s portfolio of work. If you like it, the chances are you will like what they create for you. Read client testimonials and speak to a make-up artist in person to assess if they will be a positive and calming influence on the morning of your wedding.

Ask lots of questions about their experience, the products they use and ideas they have about your individual make-up look, to ensure you are happy with what they will do before you spend money on your trial.

Oh, and make sure they will come to you on your special day as the last thing you want is to be travelling between various venues while getting ready.

For those of you who plan to do your make-up yourself, here are my answers to the most commonly asked ‘bridal make-up’ questions.

How do I ensure my foundation looks really flawless and lasts all day?I say: Just as you wouldn’t paint a wall or canvas before applying a ‘base coat’, nor should you paint your face. Before applying your make-up, use a primer. Not only will this ‘fix’ your make-up to last all day but the invisible product will even out skin tone and texture, ensuring your foundation looks especially flawless.

Some makeup primers contain a small amount of silicone, which works its magic while absorbing into the skin so you don’t even know it’s there, and there are different consistencies for different skin types so you can choose the one that’s right for you.

Should I wear eyeliner and how do I get it right?

I think that wearing eyeliner on your big day will make all the difference to your look. I recommend using a gel liner as it creates long lasting definition and is surprisingly easy to apply. Using the applicator brush, begin by applying the best line you can, two thirds along the upper lash line, starting from the outer eye corners near your temples and working inwards. Get as close to the base of your lashes as possible so there is no gap between your line and where your lashes begin. And, finish near the inner eye corners by tapering the line until it disappears.

Don’t worry if the line isn’t perfect, it’s easy to fix. Carefully remove unwanted liner with a cotton bud dipped in make-up remover and re-apply where needed little by little. With a bit of practice, you will soon have it down to a fine art!

NB If you’re ‘fixing’ with a cotton bud; apply your eye shadow after your eyeliner, working around the line so as not to ruin it. Otherwise, apply your eye shadow first. Finish with mascara on both the top and bottom lashes.

My skin isn’t that great, how can I improve it quickly before my big day?

If your skin is in tip-top condition for your wedding day, you will need to use less foundation and any foundation you do use will look smoother and more natural. Pre-wedding facials are a great way to get it right. And, try using a facial oil at night; you will reap incredible benefits very quickly. I hand blend and retail my own facial oils. They absorb quickly into the skin, are not greasy and offer long term and powerful results that you simply cannot get from a simple moisturiser.

How do I ensure my lips colour lasts and doesn’t come off on others when I kiss them?

Use a lip liner, in your chosen shade (be it natural or more vibrant) all over your lips, penciling around the edges and then colouring in. Finish with a light sheer lip gloss and be confident that your base colour will last for hours even when the gloss fades away. Try some liners in natural light and choose a shade that suits your skin tone.

Visit www.sophiechamings.co.uk for more information or contact Sophie on 07734 994783