With my 10 years of experience, I always offer little beauty tips and tricks for my brides. Until i became a bride myself, I never fully understood how helpful and important some of these would be until i was on the other end of the advice. I recently got married in March 2019, and boy do I have more respect for my brides! It is singly one of the most stressful things I have experienced (with the exception of writing my thesis paper for college). I just wanted the anticipation to be over, and most importantly, I just wanted people to stop asking me questions!
So here are some wedding beauty tips that I recommend to all brides!
1. Water! I know it seems simple and common, but seriously. Your skin will thank you. Your skin is your body's largest organ, and your body's first line of defense. If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the
lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, dull, tight and flaky. No one wants their skin to have that appearance. But you also want to keep in mind that your skin is like a canvas for makeup. You want that canvas to be in the best shape possible to ensure your makeup lays smoothly.
2. I always recommend getting your face dermaplaned a couple days before your wedding; especially if you are having airbrush makeup done. Dermaplaning is an exfoliation procedure. It requires the use of a sterile, surgical scalpel to gently "shave" the skin's surface, removing the top-most layer of dead skin along with fine, vellus hair (aka peach fuzz). This is done by a trained professional in a spa or doctors office. It is completely painless, and usually is accompanied with a facial. Believe me, it sounds scarier than what it really is. This will make your skin feel baby soft and smooth. Because you have removed the top layer of dead skin, your skincare products will also work better as to they will be able to penetrate the skin easier. You skin will also look smoother and brighter.
Airbrush makeup can make peach fuzz hair stand out, and it really can bother some people when they see it. As a makeup artist, there is nothing I can do to prevent this except recommend hair removal. Make sure you look at reviews before you choose where to get this treatment done at. The blades should never be reused. I also would not recommend trying the "at home" tools because they are never the same as the real deal. While dermaplaning is usually pretty safe, those with extreme sensitive skin or rosacea probably should not consider dermaplaning.
3. You never want to switch up your skin care routine 1-2 weeks prior to your wedding date just in case you may have a negative reaction. That being said, if you are seeking to try a new skincare line and have plenty of time before your wedding, make sure you stick with it for at least 30 days, even if you do not see results immediately. A full skin cell cycle takes 30 days, so you want to go through a full life span and allow new cells to interact with the product before you make a decision.
4. Do not wax your eyebrows, or any facial hair, the day before the wedding. I wouldn't even do 2 days before the wedding. When you wax it sometimes can make it difficult for makeup to "stick". If you have ever tried to apply makeup the same day of getting waxed, I'm sure you have noticed this. Also, do not try out a new person before your wedding. That is such a risk- they may not do as good of a job as you would prefer, and you can't put that hair back on!
When you forcefully remove a hair, that create an opening that does not always close immediately. That is why most people breakout after waxing. Using witch hazel as a toner morning and night can help prevent this. If you see an esthetician for your brows, you can ask if they can use high frequency on you skin post waxing. (High frequency current is a machine with a handheld wand that they glide over your skin to eliminate toxins and acne-causing bacteria. I can also enhance blood circulation, increase collagen and elastin production, encourage lymphatic drainage, exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve skin care product absorption.
5. The night before my wedding I exfoliated my whole body. I wanted my skin to look glowing and healthy, plus I wanted to be silky soft when my husband touched me. I soaked in the tub to soften my skin, then used a scrub all over. I used Acure's Brightening Facial Scrub with sea kelp and French green clay. I know its a facial scrub, but I love it for all over! (You can get it on Amazon for a pretty fair price also.) As soon as I got out of the tub, I coated myself in body oil and let it soak in while I applied my facial products. I always use Target's Body Oil after I discovered it in my friends bathroom one day. I even shave my legs with it! I use this over baby oil (mineral oil) any day because the sesame oil is better for your skin and actually absorbs.
6. The morning of I recommend lightly exfoliating you skin during or after cleansing. Then follow up with your favorite moisturizer. Don't just focus on your face. Your neck, chest, and arms will be in photos too! Make sure you give your skin plenty of time to completely absorb your moisturizer before getting dress and applying makeup. I love Dermalogica's facial moisturizers!
7. If you dress is strapless, make sure you do not wear a bra (or at least the straps) an hour or two before your wedding to avoid strap marks on your shoulders.
8. Make sure to brush your teeth prior to makeup application to prevent lightening of foundation around your mouth. You can also use your tooth brush and gentle exfoliate your lips the morning of as well. I have friends who swear by Hello Oral Care's Charcoal Toothpaste.
9. Get plenty of sleep. (Easier said than done, I know.) Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you sleep, which means you wake to a healthy glow. I recently discovered Olly vitamin gummies, and let me tell you they have changed my life! The stress and sleep gummies really help me in my day-to-day life, but I was especially grateful for them leading up to my wedding. The sleep gummies use a combo of melatonin, L-Theanine (an amino acid), and botanicals to calm the mind and promote sleep. I never wake up feeling groggy from these either. Obviously, I recommend trying these prior to the night before your wedding just in case. Heads up: they taste weird- not bad, but weird. lol
Olly recommends that you thoroughly chew the gummy as well for the full benefit. You can find these gummies on Amazon and drug stores.
10. Breakouts. If you have any breakouts, try not to "pop" them the day of, and, preferably, the days leading up. It is sooo much easier to cover up the pigmentation of a zit with makeup, rather than trying to hid the texture of a scab or flaky skin. Never put rubbing alcohol, peroxide, or tooth paste on you breakouts. It will not help. Seriously, the toothpaste "tip" makes me shudder every time I see someone say that on social media. You can try a warm compress and clay masks as spot treatments. Salicylic acid treatment gels are great for breakouts, as long as they don't have a lot of extra junk in them, but they can dry your skin out and/or sensitize your skin, so be cautious.
Have some other tips for brides? Leave them in the comment section below!
Thanks Beautiful!