Bridal Club Magazine
Beauty Prep Checklist
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!