Skin care advice

Part of the secret to ensuring your makeup has you looking your absolute best is giving yourself the best possible base to start from, allowing your makeup to enhance your features rather than concealing unnecessary blemishes.

This is all about skin care.

The better the condition of your skin, the better you will look in makeup.

Top tips to prep your skin to be camera ready.

• Plan ahead
  Often brides do too much too soon to their skin before the wedding day, which can lead to problems easily avoided. So I would advise getting into good skin care routines and habits around 6 months in advance if possible.
• Go pro
  Learn from the experts and have a professional facial. To get your skin looking its best I would always say invest in a course of facials and have a 4-6 treatments, each one week apart, so that your skin is in optimal condition. It is worth noting that when having a professional treatment that you shouldn’t have it any nearer to the big day than around 2 weeks, as due to the deep cleansing nature of a professional treatment, it could possibly lead to break outs.
• Hair removal
  Avoid having any facial waxing done a week before the wedding to avoid any visible irritation. It’s been known for some people to have signs of swelling as well as redness after facial waxing and threading so leave time for your skin to go back to normal.
• Trial the tan
  I would always recommend a professional tanning application as you don’t want to risk getting any unsightly streaks or patches. Always avoid automated booths, I don’t care what anyone says, a personal touch from a trained professional will always do a better job than any automated machine can. I would also suggest getting a tan a month or so beforehand so you know the colour result and don’t have any surprises on the day. A professional spray tan usually stains the skin for around 5-6 days.
• Eat your water
  The best looking skin is plump and hydrated. You can apply the world’s best moisturisers and makeup but if your skin is dehydrated then it will never glow. The best way for your skin to gain all the water it needs is for you to provide it with water rich fuel. Eating raw fruits and vegetables such as melon and cucumber (both are 97% water!) on a daily basis will optimise the water content in your skin cells and increase elasticity. Other excellent examples of water filled foods include tomatoes, pomegranates, apples and leafy greens.
• Learn to massage
  It is seriously underrated, but start taking the time to physically apply your night time moisturiser or oil, rather than quickly slapping it on. You will see visible results from spending only a few minutes per night. When massaging in your facial products, always with ensure you have clean hands, work in upwards strokes with a keep to a light pressure. Facial massage stimulates circulation, oxygenates the tissue, eases muscles and most visibly, softens frown lines.
• Ditch the wipes
  They may be quick and convenient, but nearly all facial wipes contain the skins enemy – alcohol. This hidden nasty ingredient triggers free-radical skin damage and in time can actually break down the skins barrier. Instead invest in an eye makeup remover specifically for the delicate eye area and a separate facial cleanser for your face, neck and décolleté. For cleansing I would suggest a rinse-off foam for oily or combination skin, a balm or oil for a dry or mature skin, or a milk for sensitive or normal skin.