Every bride wants to look their best but when the wedding countdown speeds up, it can be hard not to panic. You've stressed over the seating plan, argued over the guest list and nearly had a break down over the budget - and now you're supposed to look gorgeous? Ha.
Time to indulge in some SERIOUS me-time.
Skin Care Routine
As we all know the first step to achieving flawless beauty is good skin. But of course thats easier said than done, stress alone is sure to induce a breakout. But they is so much you can to achieve perfect skin, before your big day.
Anti aging expert Nicky Hambleton Jones suggests eating and drinking well in the weeks leading up to your wedding. She says: "Feeding your skin from the inside will give your complexion a boost. Pack in as many ‘super foods’ as possible throughout your day - have a handful of blueberries on your cereal as they're packed with anti-oxidants, fantastic at preventing fine lines."
When it comes to your wedding day, it's likely you will be wearing make-up, a lot of it, so it's important to prep the skin for this. Make up artist Natasha Lakic says: "You should start preparing your skin as early as possible, so get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water. Any new beauty treatments should be tried one month before rather than a day before the wedding."
Also before your wedding day, its important to stick to a skin care routine, no more sleeping with make-up, seriously don't do it. Find a skincare range that works well for you and keep your skincare simple. Liz Earle says cleansing, toning and moisturising are the cornerstone of any skincare regime, so find a skincare line you like and stick to it.
We recommend Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser for reliable results that work for all skin types.
Banish blemishes
As if getting married wasn't stressful enough without a bridal breakout threatening to steal all the attention. Prevention is better than cure, so in the month before your wedding, get into a regular skincare routine with gentle products that will keep blemishes at bay.
Try Nelsons Pure & Clear range, it's designed specifically to keep skin clear. The Purifying Daily Facial Wash has a natural seaweed base and is brilliant for everyday use, and the Blemish Gel ensures skin is radiant and clear just "as nature intended” says natural beauty specialist Brigitta Lark.
If the worst does happen, and a zit erupts on your big day, use a calming spot buster like Liz Earle's Spot-On which uses tea tree and lavender to soothe angry blemishes.
Perfect Mani
If there was ever a time to have perfect pretty nails, your wedding day is definitely it. You hands are going to be centre of attention, everyone is going to want to see the bling on your finger. Think about the close up photos, you need your hands and nails to as pristine as possible.
Nail expert, Lizzie Benton at Nubar says: "It is important to start to prep the nails at least a month before the big day to ensure they are looking their best. Moisturise your hands daily with a good quality hand cream like Nubar's Skin Essentials, it is packed with vitamins and minerals to solve any problem dryness and ensure hands are silky smooth.
"Use a good cuticle oil to moisturize and nourish the cuticle base and help promote strong healthy nails. If you suffer from weak nails use Nu-Nale Strengthener, it is a great base coat that will strengthen and help nails grow long and healthy."
And if all else fails, remember you can always get falsies, which is the perfect solution to any last minute breaks.
Bridal Diet
Most brides try to shift some weight prior to the wedding day. You want to feel beautiful, confident and you want your wedding dress to look amazing. But trying to lose weight can be pretty tough. And as we all know by now, the best and most effective way to lose weight is through a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Yes we know... It's easier said than done.
Try to avoid going for any fad diets, instead try to simply cut bad things from you diet. So avoid sugar, fizzy drinks and take aways. Rope your fiancé in to exercise with you. Go for runs, or walks it's a great way to exercise and escape from all the wedding planning.
The Perfect Smile
It's your wedding day, the happiest day of your life, you are going to smiling all day, the last thing you want is to feel self-conscious about your teeth, so whiten them up a few weeks before the big day.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to teeth whitening. Try using Crest Whitening Strips. These strips really work and are affordable too. A 14-day kit can be stretched across four weeks if your teeth are sensitive, so you can have the perfect white smile just in time. Simply place strips on your top and bottom teeth and leave for 25 minutes to work their magic. Your teeth will be much whiter and brighter and you can start to notice results after 3 or 4 days.
If you prefer a professional treatment then UltraSmile offer Professional Tooth Whitening from £295. Or why not try their Ultra Sparkle Diamond Polish for only £95, it restores the natural whiteness and gleam of your teeth using an air jet and a diamond polishing paste.
The Bridal Glow
Every bride deserves to have a beautiful glow on her wedding day. Fake tanning before your wedding could be a disaster, umpa lumpa springs to mind.
A healthy glow is good, streaky limbs, orange stains not so good. So what's the best way to master a healthy glow prior to your wedding? The tanning experts at XEN-TAN suggest doing a trial run, ten to fourteen days before the wedding. Then fit in all your other treatments like leg waxing, manicures and pedicures, before booking in for a professional air brush tan.
It's best to book a fake tan two days before the wedding, and chose an evening appointment time, that way you have all evening for the tan to develop. Simply wash off the guide colour when you're ready ,either before bed or during your morning shower, and you'll have a natural looking tan glow and no trace of tide marks.
Don't forget to exfoliate well before you go - we love Caudalie Merlot friction scrub, which polishes skin perfectly.
Bridal Make Up
Everything about your wedding makeup needs to be perfect. Think of all the pictures! It's best to do a makeup trail before the big day. Go for a look that suits you, and one that you feel comfortable with, "don't be tempted to try anything new on the day," says Melissa Evans, bridal Make Up Artist.
Natasha Lakic, Make Up Artist to supermodels, also gave us some advice for your bridal make up. She says that "whichever make up look you go for, you should test the make up in natural light and on camera before the big day. And remember that your make up has to be timeless, you really don’t want to look at the photos in 15 years time and cringe."
Heavenly Hair
No bad hair day allowed! Renowned hairdresser, Richard Ward has a hair countdown checklist for all brides to be.
One month before the wedding….
"This is the time to consider your new look cut that will work with the overall look on the day. It will give you time to get used to the style and you should be getting your stylist to show you some easy to recreate styles for the honeymoon too."
Two weeks before….
"Fine-tune your colour and style. Roots need to be re-touched, or maybe have a gloss treatment to get that extra shine."
The day before….
"If you’re wearing your hair up, then wash and blow dry your hair the evening before. This will enable more grip and hold for the hair up style."
On the day….
"If you’re wearing your hair down, wash and style it on the morning of your wedding. To get shiny, healthy, try shine sprays to give that glisten to the finished look."
Eyebrow Game Strong
Your eyebrows need, and I repeat NEED to be on fleek. Your brows are great for framing your face, and complete every make up look.
"One point to remember is your eyebrows - if they are over-plucked then leave them to grow and have them done one day before the wedding," says make up artist Natasha Lakic. You need a eyebrow shape that suits your face, and looks natural. It's your wedding day, don't do you eye brows yourself, go and get them professionally threaded or waxed 2 days before the wedding.
Smooth Bride
For your wedding night and honeymoon, smooth limbs and a preened err, "Lady Garden" are a must, so you can feel sexy in your wedding lingerie. Hair removal is usually a personal decision, so whether you prefer waxing,shaving, epilating or hair removal creams, stick to what works best for you - you don't want any adverse reactions in the lead up to your big day.
If you can handle a little pain waxing will see you hair-free throughout your wedding preparation and your honeymoon. Hot was like the chocolate hot wax at the Ministry of Waxing leaves skin feeling soft and smooth and doesn't hurt as much as strip waxing.
If you are looking to say a more permanent goodbye to your hairy bits, then you'll have to start earlier than one month. Intense Pulsed Light therapy can permanently remove hair but it will take a course of 3-6 sessions at 6-8 week intervals (and a fair bit of pain too).
And Relax...
A massage prior to your wedding will have your skin glowing from head to toe, and also allow you to have some much needed time out. The Knightsbridge based Paul Edmonds beauty team says, "A massage prior to a wedding is perfect preparation. It helps to relax and de-stress, great for easing the nerves.
"A massage will manipulate the skin and body, as well as activate circulation and limph drain. Finally, a massage will give a glow back to the body so you will be looking fresh for the big day."
Cellulite
It's your honeymoon, your in a exotic holiday somewhere wearing a bikini, the last thing you want is cellulite. Try using Karin Herzog's Dynamic Duo oxygen cream which banishes toxins - and leaves skin firmer and smoother. When used twice a day this only takes three weeks to give your thighs and bum a more even appearance. Trust us this thing is magic.
Another great way to tone wobbly bits is to book in for a series of detox body wraps in the lead-up to your wedding. The Monu Slim Gel Body Wrap works quickly to contour problem areas and reduce the appearance of lumps and bumps. In one treatment alone up to 10 inches can be lost across the body. The treatment takes 90 minutes, the body is measured and marked while the Monu Gel is warmed, applied to the body and then wrapped in bandages.
Book in for one every week, three weeks prior to your wedding, for a more contoured behind.
How are you getting ready for your big day? Tweet us @sofeminineUK!
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