Today we’re joined by our fabulous panel of bridal make-up artists Eyrebrushed Makeup Studios, Rebecca Keane Make Up Artist and The Beauty Shack who are sharing their beauty wisdom and favourite skincare products for brides-to-be so your skin is in top top shape once the Big Day rolls round!
Emma – Eyrebrushed Makeup Studios | View Profile
As a makeup artist I’ve always loved skin! Unfortunately for many brides they wish to hide and mask problematic skin. Our ethos is to treat first and with results driven skincare your makeup will look amazing. Preparation of the canvas is key! I see our brides getting so much more confident because they are getting skincare results from using the right products and having the right treatments specific to them.
Your Routine: It’s so important to establish a good skincare routine. Ditch the micellar water or the wipes and book yourself into a salon or skin clinic for a skin consultation. We recommend you start your skincare routine sooner rather than later. If changes are needed you need to let the skin acclimatise to the new products. During a skin consult, a facialist will ascertain your skin type and gain a deep understanding of any skin issues you may be experiencing. From there, a routine will be drawn up for you including your double cleanse, exfoliator, serum, moisturiser, eye cream and a treatment product. It’s important to note that your routine is completely personal to you, what works for your best mate may not work for you!
There are of course certain products that we swear by at the Eyrebrushed Skin Clinic for brides-to-be to get their glow on. Ingredients to look out for and to add to your routine (as specified by a therapist) include:
Hyaluronic Acid: powerful humectant (aka moisture-binding ingredient) that keeps skin plump and hydrated. Try IMAGE SKINCARE AGELESS total pure hyaluronic filler! This topical filler’s high concentration of hyaluronic acid instantly plumps skin, smooths the appearance of fine lines and delivers an immediate, noticeable boost of hydration to dehydrated, irritated or post-peel skin. No need for injections just yet!
Vitamin A: is a proven molecule to have hugely positive effects when introduced topically and internally for your skin. It is known to promote the effects of the skin’s natural moisturising levels, stimulate the production of collagen to keep skin looking healthy. It also supports the effects of skin’s immune system and helps prevent the appearance of breakouts. A Vitamin A supplement is also recommended or if anyone suffers from Acne, breakouts of congestion, I highly recommend the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax. Please be advised Vitamin A must be gradually introduced into the skincare routine under guidance.
Recommended Products
Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair
Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex
IMAGE AGELESS total overnight retinol masque
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is not only necessary for collagen production and maintenance, but it is also a potent antioxidant that can neutralise free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are molecules that damage the skin and cause ageing to occur. Image Skincare do an entire range based upon the healing properties of Vitamin C. If you suffer from dry, dehydrated or redness prone skin try the Vital C line. Try Vital C Cleanser and Vital C hydrating Repair Creme!
Lip Care: It’s also important to address your lip care in the lead up to the big day! If you suffer from dry lips no amount of Vaseline or Carmex is going to cut it. A gentle sugar scrub (sugar and your cleanser) every second night over the lip area will remover dead cells. Then apply IMAGE Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement which not only hydrates but also plumps the lips with continuous use! Nice natural way to get a lovely pout! It can also help aid the recovery after lip fillers and increase their effect.
Treatments: In addition to your skincare routine, we also recommend you super charge your routine with treatments such as facial peels and Microneedling which are both great for problematic skin, skin texture, scarring and pigmentation. LED Light therapy incorporated into these treatments is also highly effective.
No need for the Botox: We are huge fans of the CACI Non Surgical Facelift. A course of treatments lifts and contours the muscles and targets lines and wrinkles plumping the skin. It’s a very popular red carpet treatment and a must for any bride who wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day. Also a firm favourite for the Mother of the Bride.
SPF: Oh and ladies (not just brides-to-be) remember to wear your broad spectrum SPF 365 days of the year! Your skin is on show for a lifetime, so mind it!
I cannot stress enough how important it is to attend a professional consultation when using powerful skincare products and ingredients. When used incorrectly they can have negative effects on your skin and overall well being. Seek out the help of a professional. Our skin consultations are only €20 but are redeemable on product in salon. Book your skin consultation with our facialists Marie and Lynda here.
Rebecca Keane Make Up Artist | View Profile
Skin preparation is definitely key to beautiful bridal skin and as the old saying goes, start as you mean to go on! All too often brides leave skin prep until 6-8 weeks before the wedding which to me is just too late in the day. I always tell my brides that when you start planning the wedding, you start your skin care routine. The first point of call for anyone looking for good skin health is to start from the inside out. What we put in to our bodies, we wear on our skin!
1. Water intake – Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its own weight in water, thus attracting water to the skin and holding it there. Drinking at least 8 glasses a day will help rid the body and skin of toxins. By increasing water intake, skin has a more radiant glow. If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.
2. Berries, berries, berries! – Most berries are loaded with antioxidants which help fight free radicals. Regular consumption of a variety of berries helps protect skin from damaging UVA & UVB rays PLUS aids in skin cell renewal. The best anti-aging berries for skin and body are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, acai berries, cranberries, goji berries and elderberries.
3. Go Green!! – Green veg is essential for slowing down the aging process, including wrinkles and age spots and are loaded with minerals and toxin flushing hydration. They contain, amongst other amazing things, vitamin C for collagen reproducion and vitamin E to protect the skin against damaging toxins that effect skin tone. The best green veg to incorporate in to your regime are green peppers, avacados, spinach, broccoli, cucumber, and kale.
4. Selenium – This little gem helps fight against UV rays and boosts skins appearance. Its works in conjunction with vitamin’s C and E to boost skin with a healthy and youthful glow. You’ll find it in abundance in meat, fish, tomatoes, broccoli, seafood and eggs.
What about the outside?
As water is lost in large quantities every day, you need to replace it somehow. The unfortunate truth about drinking water and skin is that water will reach all the other organs before it reaches the skin. So, it’s important to apply water to our skin and keep it there – this will not only show a visible difference in hydration, but it can prevent wrinkles as well.
More often than not, I find my clients skin to be dry or dehydrated. If there’s an oily client it’s usually only a certain area of the skin that’s oily and the rest is dehydrated. I am an ex MAC employee so I choose to use majority MAC products in my kit. What many people don’t realise is that MAC not only stock some amazing skin care products but they’re very reasonably priced considering the size and quality.
Here are the skin care products that you’ll find in my kit as well as what I recommend to brides to invest in way ahead of their big day.
1. MAC Mineralise Charged Water Mist – This lightweight mist soothes, hydrates, and leaves skin ever so slightly luminous thanks to it’s crushed diamond powder. The key ingredient is charged water that connects with the ions in the skin, followed by caffeine for skin brightening and as mentioned, crushed diamonds for illumination. I spray this as a first step before serum, and again over the finished look with another mist to set the makeup and give a gorgeous dewiness. It’s also a great quick and easy boost to skin throughout the day at any stage!
2. MAC Prep + Prime Moisture Infusion Serum – A lightweight serum that saturates the skin with a concentrated boost of hydration. Soothes, plumps, for all skin types, improves barrier strength over time, improves radiance and hydrates. I massage this in an upward motion with the palms of the hands to really work it in.
3. MAC Mineralise Charged Water Eye Cream – A luxuriously rich eye cream infused with ionized Super-Duo charged water technology. It moisturises and adds radiance and reduces the look of dark circles, puffiness and fine lines. This is my perfect wake me up around the eye!
4. MAC Mineralise Charged Water Gel – This Godsend is for all skin types and features a 77 mineral complex. It’s ultra light and a gel like cream that absorbs instantly to give really intense hydration. It leaves skin super luminous and supple and I cannot rave about it enough. There is also a body version that is fab for keeping the body ready for tan and all the other elements.
5. MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance Primer – This comes in two options, Radiant Yellow for sallower skin tones and Radiant Pink for fairer. Personally I love the finish of Radiant Yellow on all skin tones, but I’ll leave that to you. It’s a gel emulsion, rich in natural ingredients that hydrates and primes the skin. It contains Vitamins C and E and skin calming caffeine. It has illuminating pearl powders that leave a beautiful glow on the skin. And as if it couldn’t get any better, also helps to control oils.
6. MAC Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment – For those of you that suffer with oily areas, this is an unsung hero! This is a light, oil free emulsion that helps conceal visible pores whilst controlling oils. It provides a gentle micro-exfoliation when going on wet and dries instantly to create a long wearing matte finish. The beauty of this product is it doesn’t just do the job for the day. Because of the micro-exfoliation, it acts as an ongoing oil controlling treatment that helps to clean out and close off the pores. It also leaves you free to wear any type of foundation so you can ditch the mattifying foundation for beautiful dewy skin for the big day! Warning with this one, only use on the oily areas and use sparingly!
With the right internal and external regime in place from the beginning, you’ll find the stresses of planning passing you by without attacking your immune system or your skin health. The last word of advice, don’t try any new products up to three weeks before your wedding. This includes skincare, hair care or make-up! The last thing you need before your big day is trying to calm down a reaction!!
The Beauty Shack | View Profile
Your wedding day is a one time event in your lifetime. So, everyone wants each and every aspect in it to be perfect. Here are some basic wedding makeup tips that can help you achieve the best results.
Facials: About 6 months into the build-up, I highly recommend a facial at least once a month to prepare your skin. Your last facial should be 2-3 weeks before your big day for any unforeseen eventualities. Either you can do these at home or or with a local beauty salon.
Great Skin Rules: With clear, smooth, glowing skin as the goal, here are some tips for every type of complexion imperfections — and how to fix the flaws!
1. Keep it simple. Too many products can irritate and too many steps may tempt you to skip.
2. Keep it up. If you want great skin, care for it each day. Sporadic care won’t do it.
3. Keep it gentle. Scrubbing and over drying leaves skin rough and red. Don’t fight with your face.
If you want to pamper your skin, an at-home facial treatment works wonders to keep your face in tip-top shape. While some procedures like dermabrasion and chemical peels are best left to the dermatologist, you can achieve complexion perfection with a low-cost skin facial treatment. Using expert tips and beauty secrets, you can apply a skin soothing treatment in the comfort of your home. Here’s one such treatment:
Step 1: Move your hair away from your face with a headband or wrap your hair with a large towel. Wet your face with a dampened small towel dipped in warm water to remove make-up. Gently blot your face with a large towel.
Step 2: Bring a small pot of water to boil. Pour the hot water in a large basin. Sitting at least 12 to 18 inches away from the bowl, place your face over the bowl to steam. Close your eyes and steam for 5 to 10 minutes maximum. Pat face with a warm, wet towel or cloth.
Step 3: Place a quarter sized amount of a gentle facial scrub in your palm. Rub your hands together to warm the product.
Step 4: Apply the scrub to your face using your fingertips. Starting at the forehead, smooth the scrub into your temples using a small circular motion for 30 to 40 seconds. Spread the product to the rest of your face, including your cheeks, underneath the eyes, and on your chin and neck.
Step 5: Wet another washcloth with water. Exfoliate your skin by moving the cloth around your face in a circular motion to remove dead skin cells and stimulate circulation. Remove the scrub granules off your face with a clean facial tissue. Rinse the skin with warm water.
Step 6: Lightly pat a mask onto your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave the mask on for no more than five minutes. Rinse your face with warm water to remove the mask.
Step 7: Apply small dots of the moisturiser to your temples, cheeks, chin and nose using your fingertips.
Main photo by Eyrebrushed Makeup Studios
