Today we’re joined by our fabulous panel of bridal makeup artists Geena B, Kerry Harvey, Laura Kay and Rachel from Forever Fabulous who are sharing their beauty wisdom and favourite skincare products for brides-to-be!
Rachel from Forever Fabulous – View Profile
One of the biggest parts of your wedding is how you look and most importantly that you feel fabulous. You spend thousands on your dress, venue and photographer, and your makeup and skincare should be a vital part of the planning process as well, you will look back at these photographs and how you looked for years to come! Flawless makeup is not achieved by your makeup artist in one session unless your skin is being looked after. I suggest to all my brides that they start their skincare regime at least six months before their Big Day (although I would suggest you ALWAYS stick to a good skincare routine!). Here are some skincare tips and advice…
Cleanse, tone and moisturise EVERY morning and evening, use a night cream as your nightly moisturiser, exfoliate your face and neck twice a week (leave the product in the shower and you will not forget), exfoliate your whole body at least once a week (again leave it in the shower so no excuses). After every shower moisturise your whole face and body as hot water strips moisture from your skin and causes dryness. Use a face mask once a week and make sure you are using products that suit your skin type. If you’re unsure of what products to use, visit your local beauty salon or skincare professional who can advise you on the products and ingredients you should be using for your skin type. Some of my favourite products are listed below – you don’t have to buy the most expensive brands to see results but your products should be natural and free of any harmful ingredients including parabens.
Cleanser: Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water, Natural Cleansing range from Biofresh Skincare
Toner: Rose Water
Moisturiser – Day: Probiotic Day Therapy Collagen Expert Cream from Biofresh Skincare, Guinot Crème Hydra Beaute (Long Lasting Moisturising Cream), Charlotte’s Magic Cream by Charlotte Tilbury
Moisturiser – Night: Lacura Q10 Anti Wrinkle Night Cream from Aldi, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream
Exfoliation – Face: Guinot Gommage Éclat Parfait, Boots Botanics Shine Away Face Scrub
Exfoliation – Body: Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream, Soap & Glory ORANGEASM Exfoliating Body Polish
Moisturiser – Body: Clinique Deep Comfort Butter, Super Nourishing Body Lotion Q10 from Biofresh Skincare
Face Mask: Guinot Masque Essentiel Nutrition (Instant Radiance Moisturising Mask), Multi Miracle Glow by Charlotte Tilbury, No7 Beautiful Skin Mask
Coconut Oil is a must have product for face, body, nails, hands and hair care!
Geena B – View Profile
When it comes to looking your Big Day best, it’s important to know all the tricks. Between putting together mood boards, synchronising looks and arriving at a final professional result, in my experience it’s all about treating the skin on the inside to get that base and glow working together. I cannot stress how important skin preparation is and two months before the wedding is the ideal time to get working on a skincare routine. Most of us just want to look like ourselves on our wedding day, just more glowing and radiant. I’ve put together a list of my must have products (they’ve never let me down) to get your skin prepped and rejuvenated and with a little perseverance each day you should see results.
1. Kiehls Midnight Recovery is a wonderful treatment for most skin types; use it every evening to nourish and plump the skin.
2. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish is a multi-purpose product and one I recommend to either leave on as a mask or use as a cleanser. It will leave your skin fabulously soft and glowing.
3. Trilogy Rosehip Oil is a bit of a cult favourite and delivers optimum skin health and radiance. Apply daily before moisturiser.
4. Kiehls SPF50 is so important. Ultra lightweight, it protects against UVA/UVB rays, delays ageing and helps you keep that glow!!
Kerry Harvey – View Profile
Every Makeup Artist in the business will strongly advise you to have a good skin care routine, eat well and drink lots of water pre-wedding (and every other day too). This is a must! You should also cleanse, tone, moisturise and exfoliate (once or twice a week)! Here are my 3 favourite products for your skincare routine which are all available from Boots:
1. Facial Brushes aid cleansing and exfoliation! You can get the manual little brushes but with such a fabulous range of electrical brushes out there, why waste your own energy – you’ll need it for all that wedding planning. From the Rio Sonicleanse (approx. €33) which is highly affordable, to the high end, top rated Clarisonic Aria Sonic Cleansing Brush (approx €199), these give the added abrasion that a simple exfoliator will not muster. Not only does it remove all dead skin cells but you feel totally fresh faced and I promise, your skin will look amazing after the first go. Include this in your weekly skincare routine and it will have you looking fresh and more youthful in no time.
2. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Protectant isn’t just a cult product, it’s a legendary product. For your face, hands, feet, burn, scars, blemishes, it works miracles! Just apply a layer to the face at night, or mix a little through your moisturiser during the day for a fabulous dewy look. I’ve converted bridal clients who said they wake up glowing when they use this product… this product is amazing and one I couldn’t live without! Everyone should have this in their bathroom and the hand cream version is just a must for your handbags ladies!
3. Lancome Advanced Génifique is Lancome’s No 1 product with 7 patents to back up its reputation. Another cult product with an outstanding reputation for reviving tired skin! It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and evens out skin tone. I’m a huge fan of all of these products and have seen them tried and tested many times and they work! Remember, with a little work, you can have a great skin base and your wedding day makeup will sit flawlessly and photograph beautifully.
Laura Kay – View Profile
Every bride wants to look her best on her special day. The key to this is preparation. My brides ask me what the best foundation is, but in truth, healthy glowing skin is the most important base for flawless makeup.
1. In the run up to your wedding, ensure you’re eating a healthy balanced diet. Vitamin supplements are also a great way to get the best nutrients for your skin. Ones to take are A, B, C and E as these are great for collagen production, maintaining skin tissue, skin conditioning and to repair your skin. Evening primrose oil supplements contain an essential fatty acid which is reputed to strengthen skin cells and boost moisture content.
2. Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep to reduce dark circles and bags, plus skin repairs itself during this resting phase. It’s important to remember this during the week of the wedding. You’ll have so many things to do so try to delegate. There will be lunches and dinners, meeting friends and family. If you’re having a few drinks – try to remember to drink plenty of water as well. Otherwise all of your hard work will go out the window.
3. Exercise is also great for the skin as it increases circulation and blood flow, so either keep up your routine or if it isn’t part of your week already, try to add in a short walk during lunch, take the stairs instead of the lift/escalator or park further away from where you’re going. Adding these little exertions will definitely make a difference.
4. Stop touching your face!!! Our hands have so much bacteria on them so if you do have a blemish, you’re not going to help the situation if you keep touching it. In addition, our phones come with us everywhere these days, alcohol wipes will help to remove germs before they get to your face when taking calls.
5. Get into a cleansing routine every morning and evening; cleanse (Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish), tone (Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water) and moisturise (Ponds have a great range). Give yourself a face mask (Glam Glow) once a week and use a gentle exfoliator (Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash – I use it in the shower) once or twice a week. Don’t have a facial within three weeks of the wedding as this could bring out your skins impurities. Your skincare products don’t need to be super expensive, but they need to be right for your skin type, (e.g. Oily skin needs oil free products etc.) and used routinely.
Main photo: Hearts Makeup Bag available from Alphabet Bags
