DIY Bridal Beauty!

Your wedding is the start of a beautiful life with your special partner. It's also one of the most stressful ones as well. As if brides-to-be don't have enough to worry about, we also have to think about our makeup game plan. In reality, it's not as hard as you might think. With the proper products and some practice, you can easily create the magazine-perfect look yourself. The following suggestions will give you a basic idea to obtaining that dewy, fresh visage.

Prep - Begin by prepping your skin with a toner (such as Kiehl's Rosewater Facial Freshener-Toner), then moisturize with a light lotion - we used Estee Lauder Future Perfect Anti-Wrinkle Radiance Lotion SPF 15. Follow with your favorite eye cream and lip balm.

Face - Bridal makeup should never be heavy. You want it to enhance your features, not hide it under cakey layers. Makeup artist Maggie Kerr applied Aveda's Inner Light Tinted Moisture SPF 15 to even out the skin tone. She then used Burt's Bees Concealing Creme to eliminate dark circles and blemishes. Everything was set with Stila Sheer Pressed Powder. A light wash of blush (Estee Lauder BlushLights) was then gently blended on the apple part of the cheeks.

Eyes - Start with a MAC eyeliner pencil to define the upper lash line. Kerr then used NARS Decameron on the base of the lid, then blended Estee Lauder's Pure Color eye shadow (Bronze Cube) on top. Blend, blend, blend! The dark brown shade from Tarte's Social Butterfly Palette is then gently swept along the crease and to lightly line the lower lash line. Finally, curl lashes and brush with Estee Lauder Illusionist Waterproof Maximum Curling Mascara.

Lips - Get the sexy pout with Tarte's Sexy-Lexy double lip liner, nude shades that will work on most skin tones. Glide on Tarte's supergloss in J.R. and you will be all set!

Hair - 2006 marks a resurgence in soft styles, with mild sculpting for a romantic look.

"If you have thicker hair that has length, try leaving your hair down as wearing it all the way up might be too heavy and give you a headache," Steve Elias advises. "For thin hair, use pre-styling and blow-drying with volumizing products to get more texture and hold, as thin hair tends to lose style quickly."

Elias started by applying Aveda's Light Elements Reviving Mist, then blow-drying the locks to remove excess build-up. He then sectioned the hair in 1-inch sections, starting in the back. Using a 1-inch ceramic curling iron, Aveda's Brilliant Hairspray (helps guard against humidity) was sprayed as the hair was curled in different directions for a natural, tousled look. To set it in place, he then gently finger-styled the locks to loosen the tight curls.

Voila! Bridal perfection is now at your fingertips!

Special thanks to the following talented folks who created this bridal look:

Photography: Will Taylor, wtphoto.com

Makeup: Maggie Kerr, missmaggiek.com

Hair: Steve Elias, steveelias.com

Wardrobe: Verrieres & Sako, studio23fashion.com

Model: Amber Lunsford of Look Model Agency (San Francisco)