Beauty Prep Checklist

The ‘bridal glow’ is an incredibly popular phrase that’s become synonymous not just with health, but happiness (and great photos!). But this glow certainly doesn’t come au naturale- it takes planning, time, and preparation. If you’re staring at an unsightly spot on your cheek, thinking that a flawless complexion is a thing of dreams (and Hollywood makeup artists), then think again. You too can have a face that looks picture perfect.

(Courtesy golden-ponies.com)

The guideline below really is, well, a guideline. You may have less time to prepare, believe waxing is sheer torture and consider all faux tan shades to be closer to citrus than honey,, but if you want to be the belle of the ball, you’ll need to stick to a beauty routine. Follow what applies to you and skip what doesn’t but make sure you have a skin care schedule so you radiate from the inside to the outside.

1 Year to Go

• Your first priority is to visit your dermatologist because the better your skin looks, the more relaxed you’ll feel. You can treat acne, broken blood vessels, dark spots and scars but it can take months to see results.

9 Months

• Regular exercise is important as it makes you look good, feel healthy and it boosts your circulation. Find something that you really enjoy (pilates, hiking, walking the dog) but it must be sustainable. Set some realistic goals and then make the commitment.
• Visit a salon to experiment with hair styles and colours so that if you have a dye-saster there’s plenty of time to fix it.
• Consider laser hair removal (budget dependant of course!)

6 Months

• Get serious about your skin and have a simple face cleansing plan, along with regular facials. Also, while your skin has time to heal consider other treatments that you think may be beneficial- like chemical peels and microdermabrasion. Wear sunblock when you leave home to prevent sun damage and keep unsightly tan lines to a minimum.
• If you haven’t been exercising regularly now is the time to start, and if you have then keep up the good work! The reward is youthful and toned skin – and who wouldn’t want that?
• Find a way to remove stress, whether it’s knitting or kickboxing.

4 Months

• Like a Cheshire cat you’ll be beaming on your wedding day, so have your teeth whitened to show off your dazzling smile. Switch from red wine to white and if you’re a regular tea or coffee drinker, consider cutting down as these stain your pearly whites.

3 Months

• What you eat in private, you wear in public, so do your best to follow a healthy, varied diet. This should include fruit and veggies, crunchy greens and lean proteins. Cut down on sugars, carbs, fat, salt and dairy and load your plate with healthy fats (avocados, oily fish and olive oil), omega 3 (flaxseeds and salmon) and antioxidants (berries).
• Hydrate from the inside by drinking loads of water to flush out toxins and impurities – leaving your skin radiant.
• Exfoliate once a week from your head to your toes to improve circulation and rid your body of dead skin cells. Remember your neck and décolletage, particularly if your dress is strapless or low cut, and don’t forget your lips. There’ll be lots of kissing to be done so exfoliate and hydrate so you have the perfect pout on W-day.
• Visit a beautician so that your eyebrows can be perfectly plucked to suit the shape of your face.
• Have a dry run with your makeup artist and if you’re doing it on your own, experiment with colours and different looks.

2 Months

• Experiment with self-tan to find the right colour (and have time for the wrong shade of orange to fade) and remember that you’ll look darker when you’re wearing your light wedding dress.
• If you’re intending on having your fake tan applied professionally, begin scouting for highly- recommended companies.
• Take your veil or hair piece to your hairdresser to see how it works with your chosen style and keep the frizz at bay by starting deep conditioning treatments.

1 Months

• Get your hair cut and coloured (but no grand departures from your normal haircut) as you want your locks to grow out slightly so they look more natural.
• Focus your exfoliation on those bits that get neglected: feet, elbows, knees and especially your hands as you’ll be showing off your spectacular sparkler.
• Have your final makeup consultation.

2 Weeks

• You have time to squeeze in one more facial, if you feel it’s necessary. Don’t attempt to amp up your skin routine by using different products now, but stick to your top tried-and-true choices.
• A great idea is to have a fake tan trial run. Seeing how the tan develops over the next day will give you a good idea of the ideal shade for you, and you’ll get a better idea of how to treat your tan just before your big day.

1 Week

• Go for a wax so that you’re ready for your wedding lingerie but only if you’ve had several waxes before and know how your skin responds to it.
• Have one last eyebrow shaping session to tackle those stray hairs.
• Arrange a massage – you’ve certainly earned it!

2 Days Before

• Have your self-tan professionally applied. Take care to go to a reputable company, and ideally one you’ve visited and achieved great results with before.

The Day Before

• Enjoy your last bit of pampering with a manicure and a pedicure.
• Run a bath and exfoliate with your favourite product to get satin smooth skin.
• Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate some more.
• Do you want wedding bloat? Thought not! Say no to salt.
• It’s going to be hard but quell the butterflies, but TRY to get your 8 hours of beauty sleep. If need be, go to bed a couple of hours earlier than necessary so even if you take a while to get to sleep, you’ll have had ample rest.

The Big Day

• Drink lots of water, don’t forget to eat breakfast and have a glass of champers as you dress.
• Take one last look in the mirror – grin because you look gorgeous and you’re ridiculously excited – now go and get married!