As you know, I've been planning my upcoming wedding over the last few months, and on a rather strict budget. One way to reduce expenses is to do your own makeup, which is something many women fear doing. "But I don't know what to apply, or how," they say. I say, you do it all the time! This time is not very different than any other. Knowing a few tricks from what I've picked up along the way will make you rather good at it, and save you wads of fat cash.

If you've ever acted on stage, you might recall the ridiculous amounts of makeup you had to put on so you wouldn't appear ghostly under the lights. Wedding makeup follows a similar path - you need to wear much more than you usually do so you don't appear washed out under your photographers lamps. At the same time, you want to look perfectly normal to everyone else. Start with a basic routine - a good coverage foundation, concealer for the imperfections, and a finishing powder dusted on top. This time, use extra foundation, but don't forget to blend well! Cover the imperfections with a concealer of your choice, and finish with a heavier than usual powder. I recommend Bare Minerals powder, a Las F favorite, which is thick enough to stand on its own. A thorough dusting of this and you'll have a smooth, flawless palette upon which to put the rest of your makeup.

Your next step is color, and as far as blush goes, I'd caution against using anything too dark or contrasting. The wedding day is an interesting one, and you may blush, overheat or who knows what, so too much blush to start out with might make you end up looking like a clown. Go for a light dusting of a neutral shade, or something that just makes you glow, even bronzing powder. Also, beware of shimmery makeup! With the advent of digital cameras, shimmery makeup can end up looking much brighter than you intended in photos. Matte choices are a safe bet, like the Nars blush pictured above. It bills itself as translucent and natural, but beware, because it comes in shimmery varieties as well. Add some eye shadow - your call on this one. Find a color combination that will compliment your dress, and the color scheme of your wedding. I wouldn't recommend matching the color scheme, however; that's probably overkill.

Eyelash curling and extra mascara is a must! Eyes that stand out boldly will look well-defined in a photograph. If you choose a standout eyeshadow, go for a muted lip color, preferably the low-gloss kind. Matte might also be a better option here, since kissing the bride is pretty much a good luck tradition. If you go for neutral eye shades, a lovely lip hue is a good idea. Pick your best feature and play it up. Most importantly, tailor your makeup to the time of day of your wedding. If you have a morning reception, that superdark smudgy look that Kiera made famous might not be the best choice. For an evening wedding, something a little darker is certainly called for. Remember the tone of your event and you will totally look the part.

The best advice I could give you, however, is practice! Practice repeatedly, and take lots of pictures. If you're having both color and black and white prints, take both kinds of photos and see how you look with that makeup on. Do you appear the way you want to? Take pictures outside, inside, at night, during the day - whatever circumstances you will be in on that day, take some practice photos. If you use a particular color and brand of makeup, stick with that throughout, and make sure the product will not be discontinued when you intend to buy it for the big day. Remember, you will be center stage on that day. The last thing you want is to be surprised when all is said and done and you open your beautiful album of memories.