It's important to feel your best on your wedding day, but that's hard to do when you're wearing thick layers of powder and seven coats of mascara. Fortunately, says makeup artist Jeffrey Tasker, it doesn't take much to create stunning yet natural-looking bridal makeup. "More doesn't necessarily mean better," he says. Read his advice for boosting a bride's natural beauty — without overdoing it.

This side-swept braid is something of a cross between a waterfall braid and the French braid Katniss Everdeen wore in The Hunger Games movie. Not only is it a chic way to keep hair out of your face on a hot day, but it also looks elegant on a night out. See step-by-step photos, along with instructions on how you can re-create this side French braid yourself, when you keep reading.

Most skin care products take a few weeks of use before you notice any differences, but if you have a short attention span, then Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift ($95) is for you. Give it one spray, and fine lines and uneven skin tone disappear. Yes, it's a temporary effect, but a powerful cocktail of ingredients work to make skin look more radiant over time, too. A fresh boost of oxygen makes skin look more relaxed, while hyaluronic acid hydrates and smooths skin. Application is easy, thanks to a cooling and tingling foam; massage it until it absorbs, and you're left with better-looking skin (minus the sticky residue). And more proof that this stuff is worth checking out: Liquid Lift was born from the most popular service at Somerville's skin clinic, where clients include some of Hollywood's biggest stars, such as the ever-ageless Demi Moore. Need we say more?

Applying bronzer may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be that way, says Guerlain national artist Marcus Monson. "Bronzer is for everyone, even light shades [of skin]," Monson says. "What a bronzer does is simply let you go a shade darker." Here are three steps for perfect application.

1. Choose wisely. Bronzers come in a variety of formulas — cream, liquid, gel, mist, even bronzers built into foundation — but powder is easy for anyone to master. Monson raves over Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder ($50), which is available in eight shades.

2. Brush up. For the most natural-looking application, use a soft, fluffy brush that isn't too dense. This way, you can distribute color lightly and evenly.

3. Paint by numbers. "Most people just apply bronzer to the cheeks, but the sun doesn't just hit your cheeks," Monson says. "It hits you on the forehead, jaw, and nose, too." To get a sun-kissed hint of color, imagine making a number three on your face. "Start above the brow, down the temple, over the cheek, down the jawline toward the chin," Monson says. Apply one or two coats for a subtle hint of sun so you appear radiant and glowing without going overboard.

For special evening events or a night on the town, false eyelash strips (in lieu of individual lashes) provide glitz and eye-popping power to make the time and effort worth it. Armed with a few cool tricks up your sleeve, you can easily blend them in with your natural lashes so they don't look overly obvious. Celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder, Brett Freedman, offers a few ways to make the whole false eyelash strip application go more smoothly.

1. Cut the strip lashes so they are as long as the length between the center of your eye to the outer corner. "Remember it's all about blending your inner lash line lashes with the faux," Freedman explains. Avoid starting too close to your inner eye, because it's "a dead giveaway and difficult to glue down in that naturally sparser area."
2. Spread a thin line of glue along the thread, and blow on it a little to allow the glue to become a little dry and tacky.
3. Use your fingers to apply the fake lash to the outer corner of your lash line (and not your lid). Then, use tweezers to press the strip down securely along the lash line. If you are hesitant, Freedman promises it gets better with practice. "It's like riding a bike," he explains, adding, "Once you do it a few times it's way easier."
4. Hold down both edges of the false lash for a few minutes until the glue dries to lock them in place.
5. To finish, do a quick pump with an eyelash curler and top off with a few coats of mascara to blend the natural and faux lashes together.

After a short hiatus, Freeze 24-7 Age-Less Skincare is back on shelves, and the brand is touting its Daily Essential Skincare System's ($150) ability to hydrate, improve texture, and reduce inflammation. But does this stuff live up to the hype? We tried the re-released products for ourselves, and are pleased to announce that in this case, they actually do.

The whole set (cleanser, moisturizer, and exfoliator) is softly cucumber-scented, and you get a minty cool tingle when you put it on. The standout product, though, is the Skin Glacé gel cleanser. It's especially great if you're on the road or don't have a lot of time, because it triples as a cleanser, mask, and, interestingly enough, shaving cream. Plus, after using it, our skin really did look less red and more hydrated. Now if they could only work a little sunscreen in there, we'd have an all-in-one regimen. There's a lot of skin care on the market already, but in this case, we're glad Freeze 24-7 decided to throw their proverbial hats in the ring.

Designer Christopher Bailey is a man of his word. Back in 2010, we spoke to the Burberry creative director when Burberry Beauty first launched at Nordstrom. At the time, the line had no foundations for women with dark skin tones, but Bailey promised that some were on the way. Now, the makeup line has delivered, with four new foundation shades for darker skin tones. "People like the fact that it's light and breathable," Bailey said of the foundation. "The whole philosophy of it is that it enhances you, rather than covers you." Expect to see that — plus more of the Spring 2012 beauty look — in the brand's new campaign, featuring British model Jourdan Dunn.

Twilight star Nikki Reed kept popping up backstage at New York Fashion Week, and now we know why she seemed to be everywhere. The actress was filming TRESemmé Style Setters, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to take a look from concept to completion. The web series follows stylist Jeanie Syfu as she readies runway hair for Tracy Reese, Charlotte Ronson, and Rebecca Minkoff.

"I think hair completes the look on the runway," Nikki observes in one episode. "It doesn't happen as easily as one might think it does." (She would know — her mom is a stylist, too.) The just-launched series will roll out over the next eight months, following Syfu's team from the Fall 2012 shows into the Spring 2013 season. Nikki kicks it off, but keep an eye out for designer cameos along the way.