From the Professionals...Long lasting beauty products

You may have spent a small fortune on your dress (hands up if you're one of the 36% of brides who go over budget) and after spending the money there, you certainly want the rest of you to look your very best.

Hair and makeup has to last the distance on your big day. From dawn till dusk, you will want to be presentable and photo ready at any given point. So what do professional hair and makeup artists do to ensure this? We asked some of our hair and makeup artists to spill the beans on their go-to products for wedding proof hair and make up. Here's what they had to say ...

Lisa Ellis

Since entering the Hair and Make Up Industry in 2001 Lisa turned her main focus to the wedding industry in 2014 and is enjoying every minute! Offering bespoke wedding hair and make-up packages, Lisa offers a consultation followed by a trial to ensure perfection on your wedding day

Lisa works closely with brides to establish their style and the look they are wanting for their wedding day and will ensure her experience and products create a lasting look. Here is what Lisa has to say about her “go-to” products…

"Organic - Spritz Control, smells wonderful and is perfect for Bridal styling adding them final finishing touches to give the hair optimal shine and hold"

"Far right in my kit bag which is always almost used on every client is my no1 go to product ‘Aveda' light elements serum - smells fantastic and is so light weight but delivers fantastic results to smooth out any unwanted frizz but suits all hair types especially more prone to oily/greasy hair as it is so light weight it doesn’t leave the hair feeling or looking greasy."

"My Favourite go to lipstick palette is by Bobbi Brown - whats not to love with 54 different shades to choose from whilst also leaving the lips feeling soft and smooth in optimal condition"

Lisa orders products on average every three months, and will restock and replenish her total must haves which are MAC prep + prime (great for all skin types and used on 95% of her clients), YSL - waterproof mascara a must for any occasion!

Rachel Neate

Rachel offers a bespoke makeup and hair styling service for weddings, special occasions and proms, working at your chosen wedding venue or home on your special day. Rachel works alongside Caroline who has worked with her for the last 6 years as her assistant for larger wedding parties. Both strive for the perfect flawless finish and are friendly and committed to achieving the very best possible look and style for their clients. Rachel and Caroline make a strong team and keep up to date with the very latest trends and looks. Working seamlessly together, they bring a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to your special day.

Here is what Rachel had to say about her makeup kit faves...

"I love all things that shimmer and sparkle so special occasion or party makeup is one of my favourite things to do. My best eye palette is the Couture Eye Colour palette from Mii Cosmetics. It is a palette that suits anyone. A minimalist party look can be created by using the Chantilly 01 shade and some bold eyeliner teamed with a glamorous red lipstick. To a rich smokey eye using all three shades of Chantilly 01, chiffon 02, and damask 03 and enhancing it with baroque 04 a gold glittery shade. This smokey eye would look good with a rich berry lipstick or a more nude shade if you really wanted your eyes to be the feature."

"My product of the month is Mii’s Full Focus Lash Duo Mascara. It is one of the best volume and definition mascara’s I have used. It comes in black and is a double ended mascara. One end gives drama and volume and the other end has a very thin bristled brush to give definition. Its gets to all of the tiny lashes that you would normally miss with a ordinary mascara brush. The Full Focus Lash Duo Mascara doesn’t clog your lashes, but if one or two of your lashes stick together, just go over with the definition brush and it separates them nicely. It is perfect for that natural look when you just need mascara to open up your eyes and make you look bright eyed and bushy tailed. Or it is great for a glamorous evening look and can be layered up a bit to give that extra glam and volume without looking spidery."

So there you have it, the must have bases, eye-shadows, mascaras, lipsticks and hair products. The advantage of using a professional hair and makeup artist is they have spent the small fortune on products so you don't have to. You may wish to buy a the lipstick your makeup artist used for any touch ups later in the day and as a reminder of your special day every time you wear it in the future!

For more information about the very talented ladies above, check out their pages over on our directory Rachel Neate Makeup & Hair and Lisa Ellis Hair & Make Up Artist