Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and you want to look your absolute best (obviously!)
Whether it is a natural or glam makeup - I have included my tips to help your skin glow and your makeup last all day.
The secret to good makeup, is good skin preparation. This doesn't have to be expensive, there are some simple steps you can take leading up to your wedding and there are some more involved steps if you have it in your timeline and budget.
While some of these can be incorporated easily, I would suggest for anything that is new to you, to be tried out at least a month or 2 before your wedding. If you have a reaction to any product, you will need to leave time for your skin to heal.
DRINK WATER - This is the one of the most important and least expensive things you can do. Looking after yourself from the inside out is going to be your best weapon. Make sure in the weeks leading up to your event that you are staying hydrated and drinking 2 litres of water a day. Especially the week of your wedding.
SUNSCREEN - Apply SPF whenever you step out your front door. Not only do you want to avoid any sunburn on your event day, this is seriously one of the most important things you can apply to your face and don't forget your décolletage. Long and short term this avoids sun damage and prevents wrinkles.
SKIN CARE - This can be as complex or as easy as you like. To keep it basic, a cleanser, toner and moisturiser can be enough morning and night. Your skin does its healing and repairing at night, so my highest recommendation is to remove your makeup before bed. You can get 1 moisturiser for both times of day or you can get a day moisturiser with an SPF built in for you and a night time moisturiser, which should be a little thicker to lock moisture in. I would also recommend a gentle exfoliator 2 times a week. You can then add an anti-aging serum into the night routine if you want to be as fresh as possible on the day. If you want to be a little extra, you can add a face mask in weekly or twice a week. This can be a sheet mask or a clay mask. You can also add an under eye cream into your daily routine.
For anti-aging you can add a product with AHAs and vitamins into the night routine.
FACIALS - There are lots of different types of facial treatments available. If you have skin concerns such as dull skin, acne, rosacea, pigmentation, large pores, scarring, veins or lines and wrinkles, you can step up your skin care game and start a treatment plan with a skin specialist. Some of the treatments available include facials, chemical peels, skin needling and laser. FACIAL HAIR - With hair removal you can consider permanent and temporary. With permanent hair removal it will be time consuming, I would allow around 12 months. You will usually need at least 6 sessions with around 2-4 weeks between. With temporary hair removal you have a few options, you could wax, thread or derma-plane. I would suggest trialling what is best for you. I know personally with waxing, I need at least 4 days for my skin to calm before any makeup is applied. Everyone is different. FACE ROLLER - I highly recommend a quartz face roller. In my experience it has made such a difference! And it is not expensive. Face rollers can increase circulation, are detoxifying and promote lymphatic drainage. They also can reduce dark circles, firm and tone skin as well as reduce pores. The main 2 stones are rose quartz and Jade. I personally use a rose quartz as it stays cooler longer then the jade. But it is a personal choice. I use it morning and night with my moisturiser or serum. You can also get a gua sha that has similar benefits, but I have just found my roller to be so easy. COSMETIC SURGERY - I believe surgery is a very personal choice. For anti-ageing there is botox and for altering shape there is fillers. You can speak to your clinician about these options. This is something you may want to put a lot of tought into as once you do it, it is difficult to reverse. I also recommend trying in advance to make sure you are happy with it.
ACNE - is one of the hardest things to combat as acne can be caused by a number of different reasons. It can be caused by diet, hormones, skin care, medication, medical reasons or just skin type. You need to find what is right for you and speaking to a dermatologist is the best way. If you are unable to and want to try and look after your skin yourself then there a few standard things which will not hurt. Eating healthy, staying hydrated and having a skin care routine morning and night as above.
LIP PREP - Like your skin, hydration is key! Make sure you are drinking plenty of water leading up to the day (not just on the day). Dehydration is usually the main reason for chapped lips. You can get some beautiful lip scrubs to help slough away any dead skin and a lip balm to lock moisture in. * Please note, I am not a medical professional. Please speak to your doctor or health professional regarding any questions or concerns, and before making any decisions that could impact your health or any existing medical conditions.