Here are some tips you should follow leading up to your Wedding Day! I've seen several posts lately of Brides asking about steps they should take to ensure their skin is in tip top condition for their Wedding, the only problem is - most of these Brides have been a month or less out from their Wedding date! So I thought it would be helpful to provide Brides to be with a bit of a timeline/checklist of things to do and things to avoid leading up to their Wedding Day!
First Step - Get yourself into a COMMITTED skin care routine. If you're unsure about what products are best for you or what you should be using, make an appointment with an Esthetician. This is something you should do AS SOON AS you get engaged! A solid skin care routine can take up to 3 months to see results depending on the condition being treated, but good things come to those who wait! I always recommend Brides starting a serious regimen at least a year out from their Wedding. At minimum, you should be cleansing at least once a day, moisturizing morning and night, and exfoliating 2x a week.
Do NOT sleep with your makeup on. I REPEAT - DON'T DO IT. I'm the biggest culprit of this. In the few months leading up to your Wedding, there will be a lot of celebratory events resulting in late nights, and maybe a few extra glasses of wine (or Jameson) - falling asleep with your makeup on is one of the easiest ways to disrupt your skin's balance, and end up with immediate pimples. At bare minimum, get yourself a "The Makeup Eraser" towel, it runs about $20 at Sephora, and it removes almost all of your makeup with just water. A good item to have on hand for those wilder nights.
Speaking of wild nights - try to avoid alcohol as much as you can as your Wedding day approaches. Your skin will thank you.
Use SPF religiously. The last thing you want is dried out, flaky, dehydrated or burnt skin on your Wedding day. It's always important to use SPF, but extra important in the month or two leading up to the big day. I've seen some horror stories of Brides looking like lobsters from getting burnt a few days before their Wedding. Makeup may seem like an easy fix for this, but there's only so much that can be done to a completely burnt chest and shoulders without your artist needing a lot of extra time that will definitely end up costing you in more ways than one.
Speaking of your chest and shoulders - make sure you're giving your entire body the attention it deserves - not just your face! Exfoliating and moisturizing your entire body will pay off especially if your dress reveals any specific areas (back, legs, chest, shoulders etc.). You want to be glowing from head to toe!
Drink water. A lot of it. Look up how much your body type should consume in a day and challenge yourself to do it. If you're hydrated on the inside, that will reflect in your skin. Do this as soon as you can and make it a habit.
Avoid dairy in the month leading up to your Wedding day. Dairy is known to cause breakouts in a lot of people. If you feel like you're getting breakouts, cut out as much dairy as you can to see if it's the culprit.
Don't Stress! Stress is another culprit of breakouts for a lot of people. Weddings are stressful, especially during the home stretch, but try your hardest to indulge in plenty of self care during this time and remember everything will come together. Try some stress management techniques to help ease the nerves.
Get enough sleep! Especially in the month leading up to the big day - you do not want puffy eyes in your wedding photos!
As far as a timeline is concerned for hiring a Makeup Artist - don't wait! Myself and some fellow Artists I work alongside are booking 2 years out right now for popular dates and a year out for most other dates. I'd say once you have a venue booked and a date set, I'd reach out to all of your major vendors pretty quickly. I always recommend scheduling your trial at least 3-4 months out!
Avoid introducing any new products on your skin within a month before your Wedding to avoid reactions, breakouts.
Avoid waxing or facials within 3 days of your Wedding, you want to allow any swelling or redness to diminish, and makeup does not adhere well to raw skin.
A spray tan should be applied at least 2 days before Wedding, and showered off twice.
Exfoliate your lips every other day for a week before your Wedding, follow with a hydrating lip balm/oil!
Whiten your teeth a week or two before the big day!
If you have any questions or concerns about your beauty needs leading up to your Wedding day, please don't hesitate to reach out!