I like to watch Tim Gunn’s  Guide to Style, What not to Wear and Project Runway, but usually with one eye while surfing the net with my laptop.

Last night, I came across a fun site – Taaz – which brought back memories of playing an old dress-up software game with Nina and Kate.

It allows you to upload your own photographs and play with different hair and makeup styles – I think the site may be helpful, or at least fun, when you’re planning your wedding day hair and makeup styling.  At the very least, it’s a good way to kill some time with a glass of Merlot.

Here’s the result of my makeup artistry and hairstyling expertise in a before and after photograph using the tools available on the site. Well, maybe I need some work – I’m not totally digging my florescent highlights upon further review.

While I highly recommend using a professional makeup artist on your wedding day and we have some suggestions for you,  some brides are more comfortable with applying their own makeup.

From a photographic perspective and especially if you’re wearing a veil, makeup is much more important than your hairstyle.

Here’s a few tips for your wedding day makeup.

•    Mix your foundation with a little moisturizer. It will give you a lighter, more natural coverage.

•    Limit the amount of concealer to the amount that just covers blemishes.

•    Powder is very important to reduce shine, especially during a hot summer wedding. It’s better to use a powder with some color rather than translucent color which can give you a washed-out look.

•    I hate glitter and pearlized finishes – to the camera and especially when flash is used, it looks like tiny holes in your skin. I’ve spent countless hours retouching little white spots from glitter.

•    Select a blush that’s close to your skin color – the camera’s sensor really heightens  the difference between light and dark tones.

•    Don’t go overboard with mascara, which can darken your eyes and create shadows over your cheeks.

•    And, don’t go too dark with your lip color – the camera sees the contrast to a much greater extent and your lips can look quite dark, especially in black and white photographs.