HEADING FOR A WEDDING? MAKE UP ARTIST JO FREEMAN GETS GUESTS GORGEOUS

'Tis the season to... attend weddings! With wedding season now in full swing we all want to look our best (without upstaging the bride of course!) - after all, chances are we'll end up in a photo album for eternity - so here's the low-down on how to look beautifully fresh-faced and radiant for a daytime ceremony, and how to easily (and tastefully) vamp things up a little for the after-party (without bursting the seams of your clutch bag).

Longevity is key, so prep skin with a radiance-enhancing primer such as BECCA's {Shimmering Skin Perfector} which grants skin a lit-from-within lustre - or Sunday Riley's {Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer} - a smooth, velveteen tinted primer which leaves things a little more matte, but still dewy. Follow with foundation - I'm a fan of Stila's {Stay All Day Foundation & Concealer} for a long-wearing, totally flawless look. The formula's enriched with oxygen and potent botanical extracts which combine to correct skin whilst perfecting - and the concealer (contained in the lid) is ideal for disguising dark circles and blemishes.

And if you're having a great skin day, or just prefer a lightweight finish, choose a tinted moisturiser - Pixi's {H2O SkinTint} has a cooling, gel-texture - while Jouer's {Luminizing Moisture Tint} is beautifully barely-there.

A cream blush is ideal for summer time and can be a good multi-tasker for cheeks and lips. I love Stila's {Convertible Colour} in 'Lillium' (a universally flattering peach-pink), which gives the perfect, just-pinched flush to the cheeks and a subtle stain to lips without looking overly made up.

For a defined but natural eye make up look stick to browns for the day time - blacks and greys can look a little too harsh. Blend a matte, neutral taupe all over the lid, then apply a mid-brown shade to the crease and a darker, chocolate shadow (with an angled brush) along the top and bottom lash lines to define the eyes in a soft, flattering way. BECCA's {Ombré Nudes Eye Palette} or Stila's {Eyes Are The Window Shadow Palette Soul} are perfect for achieving a subtle, smudgy daytime look.

Shape and fill in any gaps in your eyebrows with a shadow or a pencil (Anastsia's {Brow Wiz} is brilliant) - it's amazing the impact this simple trick has. Then to really 'open up' the eyes, apply a powder highlighter along the brow bone, and to inner corners of the eyes. You can also dust a little on your cupid's bow, to create the illusion of a fuller top lip. A nude eyeliner along the lower water line also works wonders, and is one of my make up bag staples - try 3 Custom Color's {Clarifying Pencil}. Finish with a slick of waterproof mascara (all of {Eyeko's} are totally tear-resistant), et voila!

Then as dusk approaches and the reception is about to get underway, you can nip to the loo and give yourself a quick makeover in minutes with the following make up magic wands. Carry one or two shades of Nudestix' super-slim {Magnetic Eye Colour Pencil} for a day-to-evening transformation that takes less than fives minutes. You can either run the tip of the pencil along the top and/or lower lash line and smudge with a cotton bud for a slept in/rock chick look, or if you're feeling a little more daring, draw along the eye crease with a deeper shade then smudge with fingertips to soften. Follow with a line along the upper, lower or inner eye and blend for some seductive, after-hours smoulder.

Another easy-to-carry product to take you from daytime chic to 'evening pizazz' is lipstick. If lips are your thing, then choose a bolder hue for evening that will complement the colour of your outfit. If you have an olive or darker skin tone, opt for a flattering, bright coral shade such as Lipstick Queen's juicy {Jungle Queen}. Or, for classic vibrant va va voom, go red - Julie Hewett's {Lipstick Noir} collection has a shade to flatter your colouring - perfect for channeling a Hollywood, screen siren look. If you're more of a 'pink' girl try {Frog Prince} - the bullet is green but the pigment reacts with your skin's own pH to create a bespoke shade of 'your lips but better'.

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