Remember the saying "You're never fully dressed without a smile"? Well, as a bride, your look is not complete without lipliner and lipstick. I know some of you are thinking, "Ewww! Yuck!" because you don't use lipstick on a regular basis. This is one day you want to use it to complete your look and look polished.

Every eye in the crowd will be on you -- and your great big grin -- as you walk down the aisle to the man of your dreams. Make sure they see beautiful, soft, full lips by following some of these simple tips:

First of all, start experimenting several weeks (if not months) before your wedding with colors to find one you like (especially if you don't wear lipstick regularly). Remember your lip, nail and cheek colors need to all be coordinated. That's not to say they need to all be the same shade, it simply means they need to come from the same family -- all warm (oranges, browns, tawnies) or all cool (pinks, purples, plums). As with your mascara, you want to be sure that when you purchase your lipstick, it has a 100% guarantee on it. You don't want to be saddled forever with a color or texture you don't like.

Take special care of your lips in the month before the wedding. This means use a lip balm regularly -- whenever your lips get dry (don't lick them!) -- and use a lip mask twice a week to remove dead skin (make sure the mask is specifically formulated for your lips. Your facial mask is too strong for the delicate skin on your lips). If you're going outside, especially for long periods of time, make sure you are wearing lip protector (SPF 15 or higher) or that your lipstick has sunscreen in it.

The day of your wedding, start your morning off with a good covering of lip balm to soften your lips. Before applying your lipstick either apply a thin layer of foundation to your lips or use a product specially formulated to lengthen the wear of your lipstick, such as Mary Kay's Triple Action Lip Enhancer (either will keep your lipstick on longer). Apply your lipliner first and then fill in with lipstick. Blend with a lip brush for a perfect finish and blot if you wish (it's not required). If you want a little shine, top your lipstick off with clear gloss.

One word of caution: avoid frosted lipstick on your wedding day. While it may look great in other situations on other days, you want a true color (especially if you have a blusher on your veil) when you get married. You can find several neutral, natural colors (if you don't like the bright pinks and reds) without frosting the color. Here's to a beautiful smile!

Marybeth Henry is Your Personal Beauty Consultant and Mom to two beautiful children. For more information or answers to any questions you may have, visit her website or e-mail her at momsonline@juno.com.

Submitted By:
Marybeth Henry
Your Personal Beauty Consultant