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Beauty and makeup - tips

Your groom already knows you’re beautiful but your bridal beauty is celebrating that and ensuring you are the very best version of yourself. Yes, your groom wants to be blown away - but not by a stranger! He is marrying the woman he loves and knows so make sure you are the best version of that.

Bridal beauty starts with the bride, obviously, but could also include your bridal party. You may want to co-ordinate or you may just want to focus on your own presentation. But certainly getting a professional to oversee your bridesmaids’ make-up and hair will ensure they complement you and there are no glitches or clashes. You may decide on a total bridal make-over or you may just want to ramp up your current beauty routine but not make any radical changes. Either way, there are some basic tips to help guide you through the plethora of options.

In a nutshell, your countdown to stunning bridal beauty may look something like this:

BEFORE THE WEDDING DAY

9-8 months

  • Begin hair and make-up trials
  • Start your exercise plan
  • begin taking multi-vitamins
  • start on a nourishing skin and hair care routine

4 months

  • Decide on hair and make-up

2 months

  • Test different tanning options
  • Get beauty accessories (lashes, hairpieces, specific make-up)
  • Teeth whitening
  • brow shaping

2 weeks

  • hair color and trim

7 days

  • gentle facial

5 days

  • waxing

3 days

  • natural face mask (avocado or Greek yogurt)
  • deep hair conditioning
  • massage

2 days

  • manicure/pedicure
  • spray tan

1 day

  • 8-10 hours beauty sleep
  • drink lots of water! No alcohol or salty, processed food - hydrate!

 

TOP BRIDAL BEAUTY TIPS

EAT HEALTHY
Yeah, yeah. You’ve heard it all before - but not the specifics and not for your wedding. If you really want great hair, skin and nails, ditch the junk food, the booze and cigarettes at least six months before. Start feeding your face with the following if you want to be that radiant bridal beauty no expensive treatments can buy:

Fresh fruit and vegetables
Green leafy veg
Salmon
Sweet potatoes
Eggs
bananas
walnuts
red peppers
strawberries
kidney beans
garlic
onions
brussels sprouts
live yogurt
oatmeal
broccoli
brazil nuts


AVOID SUGAR, SODIUM, SOYA, ANYTHING PROCESSED, WHEAT IF POSSIBLE
All these lead to belly fat and bloating. Rather ensure you build up your intake of leafy greens, fruit and lots of water. Seriously, water is a cure-all for everything! A regular large intake of water will keep your skin, hair, nails, joints and brain looking and working phenomenally. If you are serious about being stunning, eliminate or cut down on booze. All that sulphur and ehtanol will make your skin puffy and dry, no matter how good a red it is!

WORK OUT!
But differently. Stop the jogging and heavy aerobics; it will drag your face down and make your skin sag! Instead, focus on yoga, pilates, pole, barre, lifting weights or use of a seated dumbbell. These activities sculpt and tone those small but essential muscles so you look shapely and svelte for your wedding day instead of exhausted or built up. Gentle regular brisk walking, swimming and cycling is good too - releasing stress and buzzing endorphins to get you through the crazy, busy schedule

SCHEDULE WEEKLY MANICURES
Come on - what’s the point of the rings otherwise! From the moment you become engaged, your hands are the main show. Keep your nails and hands in optimum condition. If they’re not, start working on it now. Also, this is when you get time to experiment with colors, sort out your nail bed so that you get long tapering fingers and nails. If you choose a flesh-toned nail polish, even stubby digits will look like delicate princess paws.

TO WHITEN OR NOT TO WHITEN?
Despite the crucial coffee and teeth whitening toothpastes, you may want some professional help. Professional help does not mean cosmetic surgery - just something to ensure your gnashers are sparkling for those radiant smiles on the day. But be aware that teeth whitening can make your teeth more sensitive to hot or cold. If you had planned ice cream for the wedding dessert, maybe reconsider…

TEST RUN YOUR HAIR AND MAKE-UP
...at least three months before, maybe twice. Be objective and consider the big picture and logistics of maintaining it over possibly twelve hours. Some beauticians give free trials, others may discount or give for free if you decide to book them.

BROW SHAPING AND LASH EXTENSIONS
Do invest in strong brows - thick is in. If you usually pluck or tweeze, stop and consult with a brow specialist. If you have sparse lashes, consider extensions or falsies and trial these out. Does it suit or does it look to over-the-top for the style you are aiming for?

PREPARE THOSE LUSCIOUS LIPS!
Massage those kissables every night with Vaseline or sugar butter using a wet flannel. This exfoliates and ensures they will be soft and demanding some long kisses! Avoid matte lipsticks for bridal make-up as these won’t last all day.

BUFF THAT BODY
Likewise, start to do dry body brushing before your shower and then moisturizing with almond or shea butter. Use hot dam wraps around your elbows to ensure the moisturizer fully works in. If you really mean business, invest in a full body sugar scrub or body scrub exfoliator.

NOURISH YOUR HAIR
Put on an intensive natural hair mask each week. It could be avocado, coconut oil or olive oil based, doesn’t have to be expensive but does need to be done regularly to have its awesome cumulative effect: glossy, silky hair. Pay particular attention to split ends if your hair is long or colored, bleached or highlighted.

GET RID OF THAT HAIR!
Whether it be waxing, threading - book in monthly waxes at least six months prior for best results. Your legs want to be smooth for pulling off that garter - not stubble-ridden from a razor!

HAVE AN EMERGENCY KIT
A little first-aid bag of hairspray, clear nail varnish, deodorant, nail file, a couple of kirby hair grips/bobby pins, hair bands...you know the score. You will need one. There won’t be time to go rummaging through your toiletries on the day.

HAVE A GIRL FRIDAY FOR YOUR BRIDAL BEAUTY!
Assign one of your close friends or family members as your ‘touch up’ girl to work out when you need more lipstick, your mascara is running, a lash is dropping off a corner...all things no one dare tell a bride on her day! So find one of your frank and genuinely helpful, practical pals to have this responsibility.

REHEARSE WITH PRIMER OR HYDRATING FACIAL SERUM
Start now if you don’t already: apply hydrating facial serum before your make-up or choose a good primer. Use it daily. It gives a smooth surface for foundation to stick to. It will give your skin polish and smoothness.

USE A BRONZER
Bronzers give your skin a natural, healthy glow so they are perfect for a wedding day.A one time spray tan will give you just enough for a sun-kissed look. But, whatever you do, DO NOT use a tanning bed or sunbathe without sunblock. REally this is not the time to rock a sunburnt or toasted face! That is one look that will never be fit into bridal beauty…

HAIRSTYLES
Your hair needs to be trialled out along with any hair accessories you may have -for example, a veil or tiara. And not just for one hour - but for several. If you are just going to be rocking the veil for the wedding ceremony and then taking it off, you need to ensure you can easily take it off without demolishing your hairstyle. If you do decide on hair extensions, you need to be certain these won’t also come off! Find a style you feel beautiful in and which you can also function, enjoy yourself in. If it is giving you a headache after an hour from the tight braids, it is not a good idea for a full-on wedding day..

BOOK BEAUTY CO-ORDINATION FOR ALL YOUR BRIDESMAIDS
If you have some bridesmaids who are not as confident with make-up and beauty than others, or bridesmaids with dramatically different skin tones, it may be worth investing in a make-up artist to do all their make-up.