Every bride wants to look gorgeous on her big day. A day that all eyes are on you and the photos live forever. But in Kate Middleton’s case we are talking about MILLIONS of eyes all around the globe on her, and photos that will plaster the pages of countless magazines and be glazed onto porcelain for years to come. Talk about PRESSURE!!

Kate lived up to her girl next door, low maintenance reputation in a BIG way on her BIG day … instead of being primped and pampered by a team of beauty experts, Kate opted for the more practical route. She took a series of private lessons from London makeup artist, Arrabella Preston. A trend I’ve seen popping up more and more these days. Not only will you learn how to make yourself look stunning on your wedding day, but these are tools that will keep you looking stunning each and every time you apply your makeup. It’s an incredibly practical way to make the most out of the wedding makeup expense. Good on ya girl! And you can see from the photos below (at the bottom of the page) just what a difference a few lessons made! I will say it is rather daring that the new Duchess of Cambridge decided to do her makeup, for one reason – the countless numbers of portraits that will be published. There are just certain things for camera that require a true professional to master. You can definitely see a difference in how stunning she looked in the videos, but slightly less so in all the still images.  From the photo above you an definitely see something was lacking in the foundation application.  But she still did a damn good job for a non-pro.

It has been rumored that many of the products Kate used were Bobbi Brown. A great choice for the bride looking for that natural understated glamor.

Princess Katherine opted for a subtle look that draws extra attention to her eyes. But the biggest difference she seems to have gleaned from the lessons is how to properly define and emphasize her brows. Just look at the before and after! As for her eyes, she used a combination of a neutral beige on the entire lid, and a darker taupe in the crease. Then she finished off her eye with a black cream liner on both the top and bottom. I would have not taken the bottom liner quite so far in if I was her – I think it made her eyes look smaller. She kept her skin fresh, with a pop of pink on her cheeks. Kate achieved a more natural look by combining two (or more) shades of blush on her cheek. The brighter tone will be placed on the apple of her cheek and the shimmer brick will be used to blend it back along her cheekbone. Her look was finished off with a soft pink lip and clear gloss.