My Wedding Beauty Guide

Seeing as today’s video is all about the makeup look that I wore on my wedding day (and surprisingly stayed put till the end of the night despite my jigging around to Despacito), I thought I’d talk about the prep that I did before the wedding day on the blog. I don’t think it was particularly hardcore when it comes to bridal prep, but there were a few tweaks in my routine, tips I came across and treatments that I did that I feel are worth sharing for to-be brides or those who have a big event coming up that you want to feel like the bees knees at…

HAIR

This will be the quickest paragraph ever, because I really didn’t bother too much with my hair. I always hate it when it’s first been cut, so I went for a trim around February-time, knowing that when May rolled around it would have grown out and should in theory be at my perfect length. In true style I despised it when it was first cut, but thankfully by the time the big day was here it was at a length that I was happy with. I didn’t do any treatments or add any colour to it (I haven’t done any colouring for about two years now) and on the day I just gave it a curl with my GHD Straighteners and added in some Oribe Dry Texturising Spray and IGK Down & Out Dirty Spray for some texture.

BODY

I don’t subscribe to the whole ‘bridal diet’ shenanigans and although I tried to look after myself despite the tonne of travel and London days I had in the run-up to the wedding, I think that being a happy bride is the most important thing. I kept up with my PT sessions as best I could and I added in the odd Reformer Pilates class when I had the time, but I certainly wasn’t as regimented with my workout routine as I have been in the past. I ate lots of pizza still and when I did have time on the clock I spent it trying to decompress and destress – looking stressed ain’t cute, you know? 

In terms of tanning I kept it simple. In the week leading up to the wedding I used the St Tropez Sculpt & Glow Gradual Tanner every other day. I’ve actually used a whole bottle of this stuff now because it doesn’t pong too much and it gives good colour pay-off despite being labeled as a gradual tanner. Two days before the wedding I topped up with the St Tropez Express Bronzing Mousse and I have never had Mark tan my back so delicately – the poor guy was terrified. On the actual day I used the Amerliorate Skin Smoothing Body Lotion because it’s a moisturiser, but an extremely non-greasy one so I knew it would keep my arms soft, but wouldn’t get any oil marks on my dress.

SKIN

My main tip here would be to find a routine that’s working for you, two or three months before the wedding and then stick to it. I wanted glow and I felt like my previous routine, although skin-softening and spot-ridding, needed a bit more moisture so for the past couple of months I’ve been using the following in the mornings and the evenings. If I’ve got makeup to remove I do so with the Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover, then I cleanse with the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. I then take a couple of drops of the Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence on a cotton pad or my fingers and work it into the skin (if I had to attribute one product to amping up my glow, I’d say that it was this). In the mornings I then go straight in with the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream SPF30 and in the evenings I layer up the Glossier Super Bounce Serum with their Priming Moisturiser Rich and call it a day. So on the wedding day I just used my usual morning skincare routine (I did apply SPF because I knew that we’d be taking no pictures with flash in the evenings, it’s something to consider though if you’ll be snapping away at night time!).

I did use a couple of extras. In the month leading up to the wedding I’d do an intense session with the Glossier Moisturising Moon Mask, where one night a week I’d apply a thick layer after cleansing in the evening and leave it on till the morning. I also started to use the Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze & Glow Mask, which is awesome. I’d use this in the evening every couple of days (after cleansing and using the Kiehl’s Essence) and I’d wake up with a subtle glow and nice bit of bounce to my skin. The night before the wedding day I used the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, followed with this on top and I looked pretty darn radiant come the morning (PHEW!).

TREATMENTS

OK, here’s where the s**t gets real when it comes to wedding prep. I only booked myself in for a few treatments, but I feel like they really made the prep that I needed to do myself at home practically zero. I went to my lovely Beautician friend, Jamie, for an eyebrow tint and shape about two weeks before the wedding day. I like them a little more grown in and with the tint a bit worn out, so that timing worked out just fine. She also sorted me out with a bikini wax (ouch!), and some eyelash extensions. Now I haven’t had lash extensions for around five years and they’ve come a long way since then. She went for more of a natural look, but it meant on the day that I didn’t have to faff around with strip lashes or worrying about my mascara running. I love them and I have to say that I’m considering a top up already. If you’re anticipating a lot of crying on your wedding day or just can’t be arsed with the faff of false lashes then I’d highly recommend them.

I also booked myself in for a luxury gel manicure and pedicure at Dry By and although it cost a small fortune (if you can’t treat yourself on your wedding day then when can you?), they did a great job as always. I still have the CND Field Fox on my fingers and toes and it was the perfect wedding day neutral, without having to worry about chipping. SWEET.

Photos by Lauren Shipley

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