As a makeup artist, I’m frequently asked how a bride can best prepare her skin for flawless makeup on her wedding day.

Any good makeup artist will tell you that the key to flawless makeup is a good base. You would have heard this a thousand times but it is absolutely true - hydrated, smooth and bright skin will all make it easier for the makeup artist to focus on enhancing your natural glow rather than having to conceal or correct.

Speaking from personal experience, my skin had an absolute freak out in the weeks leading up to my wedding. After 14 years in the industry and 7 years on from my own bridal experience, brides-to-be still to this day seem to be finding themselves in exactly the same predicament that I was in.

So, how can we achieve that dreamy bridal skin? After working for various cosmetic companies and having an invested interest in how to get the best from your skincare, the following steps are what I recommend to anyone sitting in my makeup chair.

Firstly, it is important to note, that you need to remain realistic whilst in pursuit for the perfect skincare regime. Rather than trying to aim for unattainable skin, instead try to set some more achievable goals and work on enhancing what you already have. To me, this is the epitomy of beauty and how a bride should feel on her wedding day - the absolute best version of herself. Whether you are wanting that perfect glow, acne free skin or to reduce the appearance of fine lines, break down your goals and go forward from there creating your tailored skincare routine.

Our skin needs time to adjust to new products and ingredients which means that ideally, we want to allow enough time to reap the benefits of the products without dealing with the negative adjustment effects that they can have on our skin too close to the wedding day. Ingredients like retinol, which are excellent for anti-aging, are known to have a purging effect on the skin which generally will take anywhere from 2-6 weeks before you see an improvement. With this in mind, it is best to start thinking about our skin at least six months before the big day.

This article is purely specific to skincare products but I do recommend having regular beauty therapy treatments in conjunction with your at home skincare plan in the 6 months leading up to your wedding. Find a beauty therapist and salon you love and trust, you can’t go wrong!

Six Months -

What: Introduce a retinoid.

When: Daily, in the evenings.

Retinoid, a derivative of Vitamin A, is known to increase cellular turnover making way for new cells. This is a phenomenal way to treat congested skin/acne by unclogging your pores. Retinol also exfoliates your skin, therefore giving you a brighter complexion (pigmentation) and enhances collagen production which will help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As mentioned above, there will generally be a ‘purging’ phase before you start to see the true benefits of this antioxidant. It is suggested that retinol be used in the evenings as sunlight decreases the efficacy of the ingredient.

What: Introduce a Vitamin C serum

When: Daily, in the mornings.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which works to fight free radicals, improve collagen production and to help even out pigmentation. It helps the skin to glow and is a fantastic addition to your skincare regime.

Three Months -

What: AHA’s and BHA’s

When: Every second evening, alternating with your retinoid.

Acids are particularly good at combatting hyperpigmentation, acne and dullness. They are a very effective form of an exfoliant, targeting the more surface layers (particularly AHA’s) and deeper layers (BHA’s).

The difference between the two?

An AHA is a water soluble acid which exfoliates the top layer of the skin while retaining moisture. It is great for evening out skin tone, reducing fine lines and hyperpigmentation and replenishing moisture.

A BHA is an oil soluble acid that penetrates deeper into the skin working to clear congestion - perfect for acne prone skin.

You can choose one or use the duo, up to you!

One Month -

During this time, avoid introducing any new products to avoid irritation. Keep working with the products that are working for you. Start doing weekly hydration masks and really focussing on moisture retention. Introduce a moisture rich lip balm, to help combat dry/chapped lips on the day!

One Week -

Stop with the retinoids and the acids in order to avoid any possible skin irritation on the day. Instead, focus on hydrating and soothing serums and products that will help with moisture retention and glow. Products with hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid will help with hydration, vitamin c will help achieve the glow.

One Day -

The evening before your wedding, go to sleep with a serum/moisturiser combination that provides deep hydration to help calm and plump the skin. Saturate your lips in your lip balm and try and get as much beauty sleep as you can!

Wedding Day -

On your wedding day, you want your makeup to photograph well. Keeping this in mind, you should use an oil free, light weight moisturiser. This will provide a non-greasy feel while still deeply hydrating the skin. These types of moisturisers will help to lock down the pigment in your foundation and are less likely to separate your makeup so layers can be applied without interruption.

Use a cooling eye mask to help de-puff and plump your eye area.

Lip balm!!

L x