The 12 best bridal beauty looks of all time

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The best wedding beauty looks of all time

Deciding on a hair and makeup look for your wedding can be daunting. Do you opt for an ornate updo or  let your hair down ? A  no makeup beauty look  or  a bold lip ? We’ve done an edit of the fairest brides of them all to spark your imagination.

Click through our gallery and let these bridal beauties make the hard decisions for you, then share with your makeup artist, hairdresser and wedding planning crack team. Or just get a few ideas for a night out this weekend- Bianca Jagger’s look is particularly foxy.

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Audrey Hepburn

Immaculately demonstrating that floral head garlands are not simply the reserve of 18 year old festival goers, Audrey Hepburn’s boyish crop, perfectly arched brows and simple crown of white roses are gorgeously nymph-like.

If A Midsummer Night’s Dream is your idea of wedding styling heaven, let Audrey be your muse. Find further inspiration at www.stylemepretty.com  and wedding hair expert Emily Kent ’s blog , before visiting your local florist. As for achieving eyebrows à la Audrey, take a few tips from the legendary Mary Greenwell.

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Elizabeth Taylor

The ever-elegant Liz also took a trip to the florist for her wedding to Richard Burton in 1964, but true to Taylor’s style her botanical hair accessory was anything but understated. High on the crown and wrapped around a long braid, Liz’s garland was regal, feminine and ever so slightly otherworldy. Combined with sultry, kohl lined eyes and dark pink lips, this is a look that Cleopatra herself would surely approve of.

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The Duchess of Cambridge

A modern day bridal icon, Kate Middleton’s wedding day grace took the nation’s, nay, world’s, breath away (Pippa’s derrière may have competed for attention, but Kate’s classic beauty won out). She’s in the  Kim Sears  camp of seemingly unattainably perfect hair, and on her big day she gave us a masterclass in the half-up half-down do.

Her customary sweep of dark eyeliner was present and correct and her cheeks glowed with the flush of young love (and the accomplished application of rosy blusher). Even better, she famously did her makeup herself, having done her homework beforehand under the masterful tuition of Get The Gloss expert Arabella Preston . She may have been on the cusp of becoming a Duchess, but in the wedding grooming stakes she was remarkably down to earth.

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Grace Kelly

From one royal bride to another, Grace Kelly’s bridal beauty captured the essence of the perfect princess. More formal than Kate, Grace’s delicate dress matched her dainty lace headress, and with her hair swept back neatly into a ballerina bun and her lips painted a dusky pink, the soon-to-be Princess Grace looked like she was already comfortably settled in her role.

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Jackie Onassis

From Princess to First Lady, Jackie Onassis managed to strike the balance between stately and romantic with her lower neckline, tousled hair and luminous, tanned skin. If self-tanning before your big day fills you with fear, check out these  tips  to achieve a perfect finish. No tan on white dress disasters, we promise.

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Bianca Jagger

The bridal rebel of the group, Bianca may have worn white, but her look was anything but conservative. Her plunging white tux, wide-brimmed hat and sensationally glossy blow dry suited her down to the ground - we doubt anyone has ever looked as alluring at the altar. The tux did the talking - Bianca offset her risqué outfit with a  simple nude lip  and smokey, come-hither liner. We bet the reception was a hoot.

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Kate Moss

Another wedding with impeccable rock and roll credentials, Kate Moss was less femme fatale, more boho bride. She teamed relaxed waves with shimmering burnished bronze shadow, courtesy of close friend and superstar makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury.  To achieve the look, check out Get The Gloss’ editor-in-chief Susannah Taylor’s vlog  on Charlotte’s “Golden Goddess” collection. Charlotte’s ‘How To’ instructions are so spot on that you can do a Kate Middleton and go it alone on your wedding day, should you wish. Recruit bridesmaids if you’re shaky handed.

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Poppy Delevingne

The ethereal haze of copper shadow around Poppy’s eyes can also be attributed to the Tilbury magic touch - she was Poppy’s makeup artist on the day. Her bronzed cheeks, baby pink lips and smattering of freckles make for one of the prettiest bridal looks we’ve seen for quite some time. Although there was one particularly exquisite 2013 bride who stands out in our memories…

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Millie Mackintosh

With a background in makeup artistry, we expected nothing less than dewy, flawless skin, cheekbones to die for and refined eye makeup from Professor Green’s wife to be. That’s exactly what we got, with the addition of a plaited updo that made her look like an angel sent from above.

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Mia Farrow

Let Mia’s gorgeously gamine crop, radiant skin and megawatt smile serve as your “au naturel” bride guide. Bambi lashes, a slight sheen on the eye sockets and a creamy complexion are low impact but lovely; she’s the centre of attention without even trying. Farrow her lead (sorry).

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Marilyn Monroe

If you’re more about razzle dazzle than raw beauty, you can’t get better than Marilyn’s classic red lip, flicked liner  and seductive fan of lashes. Her marriage to Joe DiMaggio may only have lasted nine months, but at least her makeup was timeless. Perhaps pass on the beauty spot if you don’t have one naturally...you don’t want it swimming in your soup during the starters.

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Olivia Palermo

She’s been married for just a few days but Olivia was always going to make it into the the bridal beauty hall of fame- her peerless poise is admired by designers, editors and tastemakers the world over. On her wedding day she looked as chic as ever- a ponytail may not be a classic bridal style but Olivia made hers look like the natural choice for nuptials, rather than the default option for the netball team. Her makeup was easy breezy, as she explained on her website :

“I wanted the makeup to be light and fresh and more focused on the lashes while keeping the eyes clean”