Six months to go
This is the time for any professional or cosmetic treatments to take place. Teeth-whitening is a great pre-wedding treatment as there’ll be lots of smiling and plenty of photos. If you can afford it, a professional teeth-whitening treatment, six months before the big day, will ensure teeth are pearly white, while giving you a chance to adjust to any increase in sensitivity and get used to how much whiter your teeth look. If the end result is too white, six months is the perfect amount of time for the brilliance to fade to a more natural shade. If a professional teeth-whitening treatment is not within your budget, find a good quality teeth-whitening toothpaste or whitening strips and start using now, on a regular basis.
Three months to go
See a brow specialist at least three months before your big day for an initial consultation and shaping. A brow professional will be able to assess your face shape and natural brows and can determine the most flattering brow shape for you. They will be able to wax, thread, tweeze and tint your brows, regularly, over the next few months, helping you to grow in any new hairs where necessary. Wait four weeks in between each session and then schedule your final shaping for a week before the big day so your skin has time to settle.
One month to go
Start using a regular facial exfoliator and skin oil. By regularly buffing and oiling your skin now, it will be silky smooth on your wedding day. Find an exfoliator and oil that are specific to your skin’s needs; there are so many different types, from daily bead exfoliators, to chemical exfoliators, designed to be used less frequently. Layering an oil under your daily moisturiser and night cream will help to retain moisture and will encourage a natural, dewy glow to the skin. Massage the oil in for a few minutes each day, to boost circulation and further encourage your skin to glow.
Two weeks to go
Make any hair removal appointments for this week. If you are planning on waxing any areas of the body that will be on show, you will need to allow a fortnight for any associated reddening or skin reactions to settle down and / or pores to close.
One week to go
Book in for professional lash extensions. Ideally you will have trialled these at least two months beforehand, to know which length and style suits you. You will also need to know which type of extensions you will be wearing, so that you can adjust your wedding makeup accordingly. For your big day, it’s ideal to have them applied a week before. Individual lash extensions should last 2-3 weeks, before needing to be filled in, so they should last until you return from your honeymoon.
Two days to go
If you’re planning on fake tanning, whether you are applying it yourself or are opting for a professional spray tan, this is the time to do it, to allow the colour to settle on the skin and develop a more natural hue with no tell tale aroma. A good wedding beautician with experience in spray tanning will be able to match the right colour, brand and formula to your skintone. If you would rather apply the fake tan yourself, spend time researching brands to find one that suits you. Remember hands and feet soak up more colour than the rest of your body, so dilute the tan with moisturiser before applying to these areas, and wash it off sooner than you would for the rest of the body. For lighter skin tones or winter weddings, wash the colour off after six hours rather than the recommended eight-12 hours. Exfoliating the skin, as well as hair removal, is a pre-tanning essential: We’d recommend doing both 24 hours before tanning.
One day to go
Leaving your manicure and pedicure until the day before will leave less opportunity to chip the nail varnish or break your nails before the big day. For a longer-lasting and glossier colour that will see you right through your wedding day, to the end of your honeymoon, opt for a professional or home-use gel polish, which can last for up to three weeks.
