Health & Beauty Advice
Commence a skin care regimen at least twelve weeks before your big day to ensure that your skin is in optimum health and vitality. Things to consider are:
- drinking at least eight glasses of water daily
- a course of glycolic acid skin care treatments
- regular facials including exfoliation
- examining your diet and altering as required eg including more fruit and vegetables and cutting down on the tim tams!
- If your skin is problematic, it may be worthwhile consulting your doctor or dermatologist. Stress and anxiety can cause lackluster skin, so relax about the wedding plans.
Exercise
Devise an exercise routine that will suit your lifestyle and help to make the very most out of your spare time. We suggest:
Rising thirty minutes earlier and walking your dog before work – you will love the benefits and so will your dog! If yours is a dog free home, go for a brisk walk to the nearest Starbucks for the daily newspaper.
Joining an exercise class. This is a fantastic workout – you’ll be fitter than you’ve ever been as well as getting rid of all your frustration’s and stress at the same time!
Take up yoga. Great if you aren’t the type to sweat. Your muscle tone will improve dramatically and your stress levels will be reduced to zero.
Jogging if you’re the type who likes to feel the pain!
Swimming. Great if the weather is warm, however you can also use an indoor pool if the weather is cooler. It isn’t necessary to take up very punishing routines. Just three times a week will make a difference.
The most important thing to remember with exercise, is that while the benefits do not always show themselves overnight, they are definitely worth the effort – and not just to your physique, but to your mind and soul as well.
Spirit
Be kind to your mind – this can be a very stressful time for you. As the wedding day gets closer, consider pampering yourself with regular aroma therapy massages. Your therapist will use the oil to best suit your mood and this can help to dramatically reduce your stress. Look for a reputable masseuse and don’t be shy about telling them how hard or soft you like to be massaged.
At the seven days-to-go mark, start thinking about using oil burners in your home, massaging a lavender oil around your hairline, or sprinkling a little on your pillow. All of these will help you to sleep well in that last week. Failing these techniques, you can always try the Rescue Remedy available at health food stores, or Valerian relaxants.
Body
Think about body exfoliating treatments – especially valuable if you are planning on wearing a low-cut gown. Many reputable beauty therapists and day spas offer body wraps, exfoliation, seaweed treatments etc. You won’t believe just how spectacular your skin will feel after one of these treatments.
Tanning
If you are after a suntan, go fake. Last minute sun baking sessions almost always end in disaster – imagine having your nose peel on your wedding day! Find a product you love and start practicing early, or have someone help you to put it on evenly. Always be sure to exfoliate your entire body before applying. If you don’t trust yourself, go to a beauty salon to have it professionally applied. Always check the color does not rub off as it would be terrible to stain your gown. Also remember to do your final application a couple of days before the big day.
Hair
Just as your face and body must be in peak condition for your big day, so must your hair. Regular trims, conditioning treatments, colors and perms all need to be carefully planned for maximum effectiveness. So, consult with your hairstylist to construct a plan of attack!
Hair not only needs to be cared for on the outside, but from the inside as well. A healthy diet means shiny, healthy hair. So to have fabulous follicles for your wedding day, eat well in the lead up make sure you get a hair dresser that is proficient in special occasion styling.
Hands
Regular manicures at home or in the salon are a treat, and apply moisturizer regularly. If you just can get your nails looking good, why not cheat with acrylic or gel overlays?
Feet
Keep your feet well exfoliated and moisturized, especially around the heels which tend to crack. Don’t neglect your toe nails! Keep it simple – filed evenly and painted a pretty color, or buffed to perfection so they look beautiful in open toe shoes and when you take your shoes off.
Body Hair
To get the most out of beauty treatments such as eyelash/brow tinting and body hair removal, try to plan to have these done close to the wedding day (not the day before, just in case of disasters!). This way you will be at your beautiful best not only on your wedding day, but throughout the duration of the honeymoon as well as.
Have your brows plucked by an expert, to make sure that you have perfect arches, because your eyebrows frame your face and a good or bad shape can really affect your appearance.
If your lashes are pale consider tinting them so that less mascara is necessary. Water proof mascara is essential for any wedding day tears.
Lips
To make your lips look perfect for the wedding day put some Vaseline on a baby’s toothbrush and buff away any dry, flaky skin on your lips.
Always color in your lips entirely with your lip liner before applying your lipstick, this ensures that when your lip stick wears off your lips will still be stained with the color instead of just a colored outline.
Don’t have your lips too dark if you are having black & white photos because in the photos your lips will be black.
Make-Up
Make-up is best left to the professionals who know how to apply make-up for longevity and so it looks good in photos. Make sure you have a pre-wedding trial so that you can work out what makes you feel good!