Hamburg  - Every bride wants to be the most beautiful woman at her wedding. Her dress, shoes, veil and flowers are carefully selected, ordered, purchased and prepared in advance.

But the bride's outfit is not complete until her make-up is on and her hair is styled. However, women should not go overboard on their big day. Hair and makeup do not require a lot of preparation.

"The most important tip is: Just don't over style," said Stefanie Koehn, hairstylist, make-up artist and spokesman for the German association of hairstylists in Wetzlar. Many women have a secret desire to feel like a princess for one day in their life and they become too eager, according to Koehn.

"A sporty woman with a sugar-sweet hairstyle only looks strange. The bride should look authentic and true to herself, especially on her wedding day."

"The hairstyle shouldn't be uptight just to maintain tradition, but strictly modern haircuts can be dangerous, too," said Britta John, a beauty expert at an organization that represents cosmetic retailers based in Bielefeld, Germany.

"A wedding is not the ideal time to set a trend," said John. The photographs taken at the wedding should be pleasing to look at years later. Natural make-up and classic, timeless hairstyles are most suitable for the occasion.

"Discreet, delicately shimmering colours for eye-makeup and lipstick and a hint of rouge on the cheeks liven up the complexion and help prevent the face looking too pale against white or cream-coloured fabric in the dress," John added.

"In addition, it is wise not to use too many colours and above all no garish colours," said Horst Kirchberger, a star makeup artist from Munich. "And the make-up should be applied evenly and it should be allowed to settle into the skin."

To ensure that happens, make-up experts advise preparing the skin a few days before the wedding.

"The bride should have a peeling so that the skin is well prepared," said Koehn. Waterproof eye shadow and mascara help ensure that any tears of joy that might be shed cause no damage. Lipgloss give the lips a shimmering look.

The cosmetic experts agree that the make-up application should be practiced a few times before the wedding.

"Brides are incredibly excited on their wedding day. Only women who really put on their make-up routinely have a chance to get it right," said Koehn. An alternative is to hire a professional for a consultation, which offers a short time-out from all the preparation stress.

Classic, not overly elaborate hairstyles have their advantages. Brides who prefer to create a romantic, playful look, should choose a glamorous look that goes with their dress. Thin hair can be made to look more voluminous by using curls, a hair piece or by putting it up, said Jens Dagne of Worms, chairman of a German association of hairstylists.

Rules that apply to preparing the skin also apply to the hair. The style should be tried out sometime in the weeks prior to the wedding.

"Problems with thin or brittle hair or hair that is hard to put up can be solved with a little advance preparation," said Dagne. (dpa)