From six months out to the morning of, check out our handy guide on how to get flawless skin for your wedding day
Every bride wants to look and feel great on their wedding day, and while your dress choice, hair style and make-up look will play a big part in this, often the best base is simply great skin.
So, with this in mind, we’ve put together a handy guide for how to achieve a flawless complexion for your wedding day.
Six months before the big day
This is a great time to really start to focus on your skincare and prep for the wedding as everyone’s skin cycles are different. Typically, it takes four to six weeks for your skin cycle to start again, so six months gives you plenty of time to find the right products to help your skin glow.
A great starting point is to identify your skin type (such as oily, combination, normal or dry). A little tip to help you identify this is to come out of the shower and leave your face to naturally dry and see how it feels. If you’d like professional help, the No7 counter offers Pro Derm Scans in store to help identify your skin needs. Once you’ve identified your skin type this will really help you when looking for products as you can find what suits your skin.
Consistency is key with skincare. This means that now would be a great time to focus on implementing your new routine in the morning and night! Trust me, your skin will thank you on your wedding day. And the most important piece of advice for anyone prepping for their wedding day would be to introduce an SPF50 into your regime every morning. This will help protect the skin from UV rays and unwanted antioxidants.
Beauty specialist SPF recommendations
These are great options as they are lightweight and don’t pill under make up or clog pores.
SPF leads us nicely onto the topic of retinol. Retinols are really popular and recommended a lot for people who are getting married. This is due to the effectiveness in repairing scarring, evening out pigmentation, firming and lifting the skin. However, retinols can cause sensitivity and need to be used in the right way.
Therefore, if you are new to retinols, I would recommend starting them early to see how your skin reacts and gradually build your tolerance. I would suggest only using retinols at night and once a week, and then build up your usage. Remember, always use an SPF as retinols speed up the cell turnover in your skin so if we aren’t protecting our skin with SPF, then we can damage our skin more.
Beauty specialist retinol recommendations:
The Ordinary offer a great selection of retinols at a reasonable price point but I would always speak to a beauty specialist for advice!
Three months before the big day
As we come closer to the big day, it’s time to start implementing at-home facials. For that facial feel, it’s important you start with a double cleanse.
Beauty specialist cleansing recommendations:
We'd recommend the Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm here, as its gorgeous scent creates a spa-like experience. Just apply a pea size amount onto the face to gently melt away the day’s impurities. As it’s for all skin types, it’s perfect for a boost of hydration – and it can also double up as a hydrating face mask! Who doesn’t love a two-in-one product, especially when every penny counts while prepping for a wedding.
You then want to do a second cleanse using a water-based cleanser. The Kiehls Ultra Facial Cleanser is perfect for this, Then, you're left with a fresh, clean canvas to get the most out of your other products later in the routine.
The next step would be exfoliation. It’s important to note that any products used are dependent on skin type and preference.
Beauty specialist exfoliator recommendations:
An option for a gentle physical exfoliator for sensitive, dry skin types would be the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator. Or, if your preference is a chemical exfoliator, a great choice is The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner. Just swipe it across the face on a cotton pad, or gently pat in with the hands.
Another popular choice is the Drunk Elephant TLC Babyfacial Mask which is suitable for all skin types as it has a PH level of 3.5. You can use this once a week to gently exfoliate the top layer of skin cells but always remember to use an SPF.
Now for the fun part of the facial. Choose a gorgeous face mask, again depending on your skin type.
Beauty specialist face mask recommendations:
Oily or combination skin types could go for a charcoal mask such as Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Face Mask. Or, if you need a boost of hydration and fancy a different type of mask, the Dr. Jart+ Cryo Rubber™ Face Mask is a great option!
The final steps of our at home facial would be to moisturise and lock all the goodness in and keep the bad out of our skin! For this step you want to choose serums and moisturisers which best benefit your needs.
Beauty specialist serum recommendations:
Choose a serum such as Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair which targets multiple needs like uneven skin tone and dehydration.
You can have some fun with this step and use different massage techniques and Gua Sha tools to really relax the face! And finally, don’t forget to lock all your hard work in with your favourite moisturiser.
One week before the big day
As you’re getting close to your wedding day, I would always recommend not trying any new products and sticking with ones that you know suit your skin. This way, you can ensure your skin will be at its best!
The week before I would also focus on using hydrating products, as this will help to ensure the smoothest, most hydrated skin on the day.
The night before
You can help your future self by laying out everything you will need the following morning. For example, lay out your skincare, make-up and clothes to get ready in. This will help you have a more relaxed wedding morning.
On your wedding day
On the morning of the wedding, we'd recommend a very simple routine such as one cleanse, your favourite hydrating serum and your normal moisturiser.
Keeping the skin hydrated will allow your skin to stay its best all day long and make-up application will be so much easier. You could have the most expensive foundation but if you haven’t prepped the skin, it won’t sit smoothly on top.
It's also a good idea to drink lots of water and invest in a good hydrating mist, for example Clinique Moisture Surge™ Spray. This means you can lightly spray the face if you start to feel overwhelmed on the morning. Not only will it keep the skin hydrated, but it can also help destress yourself as well.
We'd suggest performing your skincare routine about half an hour before make-up application so that your products have time to sink in. When it comes to wedding make-up, you want it to last all day and the trick for this is all your skin prep which you’ve been putting into practise this past six months.
Beauty specialist make-up recommendations:
When it comes to your wedding make-up, there’s a few products I would recommend for that long-lasting, flawless finish.
- Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base is a moisturiser and primer in one. This will help to smooth out your skin and give your make-up more longevity.
- Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray has a temperature control technology so that it keeps your make-up locked in place for hours!
- Clinique High Impact Zero Gravity Mascara is transfer proof which is perfect for weddings as there may be emotional tears throughout the day.
- Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder is so lightweight and creates an airbrushed finish with no flash back for photos.
- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder is perfect for getting that golden glow without being glittery. Using it as a bronzer will give you that golden goddess look!
Final top tips
Lipstick is a very personal choice for your wedding day. You can go for a neutral look which will change depending on your skin tone. I would suggest going into store and speaking to a member of the beauty team to help find your best neutral.
Alternatively, some brides love to go bolder and brighter so you could go for a red or pink! Lipstick is what you’re going to need to top up throughout the day so it's a good idea to give one of your bridesmaids the duty of keeping it safe so you can top up whenever needed.
We'd also recommend layering cream products with powder products on your wedding day. For example, using a cream blush topped with a powder blush will allow the pigment to show through and stay in place for hours.
Also, only use light layers of each product because we don’t want them to move about underneath. During application, use a patting motion rather than swiping as this creates a smoother looking finish.
No matter what though, the key for a flawless wedding day look is always going to be great skin, so make sure to follow our handy guide to ensure you and your skin are fully prepped for the big day!
