After over 20 years of consulting with brides prior to their big day, there is one common denominator that has remained constant: all brides want to look stunning yet maintain the integrity of who they truly are. I get it. Brides want to look flawless and impossibly gorgeous, yet they do not want to be transformed into someone they (or their families) do not recognize.
As a beauty and make-up teacher, I often instruct young women on how to create a flawless make-up application, as well as how to identify the specific angles of their face. Understanding how to emphasize your best features are very empowering! Therefore, before you hire someone to make you over on your big day, you must first have a good understanding of what (specifically) needs to be achieved in order to transform you into the best version of yourself. Here are my top 5 beauty tips to ensure that the blushing bride looks fresh and flawless on her wedding day.....and beyond:
1. TAKE A MAKE-UP CLASS: Learn the contours of your face and understand how to manipulate your facial features by the use of shadow and light. Even if you hire a pro to apply your makeup, you should have a clear understanding of how to create your wedding-day-look for your honeymoon and well into your anniversary years.
2. HIRE A PRO: So you've taken a make-up class and your knowledge of glam-ready is in check. However, the last thing you want to do on your special day is your own hair and make-up. Therefore, find a recommended stylist and artist that will make house calls, and create at least two trial make-up looks prior to the big day. Make sure that the specifics of your look are documented and that all products and colors are noted. You want to ensure that any allergies or reactions, to any of the products used for your look, are identified well in advance. For example, you may decide to sport false lashes on your wedding day, but how will you react to the lash adhesive?
3. GET YOUR SKIN IN CHECK: As an Aesthetician and a beauty writer, I am constantly amazed over the technology available to achieve flawless skin (not to mention all the amazing skin-changing serums and creams on the market). However, skin needs time to adapt to new products and treatments, so make sure that you start a skin-care plan at least six months prior to the wedding. Whether it's a monthly-facial protocol, injectable fillers, a chemical peel, a series of radio frequency treatments or an Ultherapy session (just to name a few), have a customized skin care plan to treat the specific needs of your skin.
4. IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE FACE: My clients come to me with questions about their skin concerns all the time, and the one question that is the most common pertains to hyper-pigmentation (AKA: sun spots). If you plan on bearing your arms and décolletage, make sure that this skin is smooth and spot-free. A protocol of glycolic acid twice per week may be all you need for that rough and patchy arm skin (can you say Keratosis Polaris?). Moreover, there are topical creams as well as amazing laser treatments that your Dermatologist can recommend to aggressively erase the hyper-pigmentation. The point is, be aware of every inch of your body. You may not bare your legs at the ceremony, but what about the shorts you plan on wearing on the honeymoon?
5. EYEBROWS ARE THE PILLARS OF THE FACE: No feature on the face packs as much visual punch as the eyebrows. As a brow specialist, I see clients every day in brow-911 mode caused by years of over removal. The hair growth cycle of eyebrows is about 3-6 months. Which means that if you need a brow-growth plan to get those arches wedding day ready, start soon. I often recommend systemic supplements coupled with topical growth serums to get damaged brows back on track. An important point to note is that there is no such thing as "brow trends"; the eyebrows are part of the face. Every face has a specific brow anatomy which needs to be carefully identified and mapped out in order to maintain its integrity. In my opinion, hand tweezing is the only way to truly manipulate the shape of the eyebrow. Learn the anatomy of your arches by visiting an experienced brow-pro who can educate you and assist you in maintaining this very important, high-impact feature.
Your wedding day will be one of the most memorable days of your life, so it is important to plan out even the minutest details like what lipstick color to choose.Understanding how to care for skin or how to contour your face is information that will last you well into your Silver Anniversary. Confidence is empowering, so when you know that you've created the best version of yourself, nothing can put a damper on your special day!
CIAO for now xoxo
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