How to be the Belle at Your Own Ball

“To a certain extent, everyone wants to look like a supermodel on a daily basis, but we may not have the drive to do it,” says New York dermatologist Dendy Engleman, who helped Sophia Vergara prep for her wedding day. “A date forces you to start to make a move.” (1)   

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Hey there! I’m so glad you are here! I get asked so often for suggestions on how to prep for a wedding day beauty appointment. It can take a lot of work or as little as you want. It really depends on your personality and your beauty goals before the big day. Get your pen and paper ready! In this blog, I have compiled a list of easy to do beauty prep tips to help you be best prepared for your wedding day hair and makeup appointment with me.

1. Manage Stress-Stress weakens your immune system which can lead to illness. Excess stress can also disrupt your sleep which can lead to a gray, very unbridal complexion. (1) I plan to write an entire blog on how to manage stress before the big day, so for now I will just mention it and call to mind how important it is. The good news is, your appointment with me on your big day is all about relaxation and pampering!

 2. Sleep. Web MD suggests 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Your skin makes new collagen when you sleep which prevents it from sagging. Your body boosts blood flow while you sleep which can lead to a healthier glow. (2)

3. Eat well. Please refer to my previous blog, “Secrets Inside My Makeup Kit: Part 2” to find an entire list of healthy food choices that you can make to help your skin look the best that it can. (3) 

4. Drink plenty of water. This is important because your skin is an organ and like any other organ, it is made up of cells. Cells are made up of water. Without water, the cells will not function properly. Not drinking enough water will cause our skin to be dehydrated which can lead to dry, flaky skin. Eight glasses of water each day is the recommended amount of water to keep your body and your skin sufficiently hydrated. (3) 

5. Schedule your wedding day hair and makeup trial with me. This is so important! It makes me nervous when a bride chooses not to do a trial and the first time that I meet her is on the day of the wedding. Doing a trial allows for you to see how you will look on your wedding day before the big day arrives. You may change your mind about your wedding look after your trial. For example, you may have been considering wearing your hair down, but when you see it, you may decide to wear it up. You may think that a bold red lip is your color choice for your lips but when you see it on you, you may change your mind. I always block out a two hour interval for a hair and makeup trial. This allows enough time to try different things and change anything that you may change your mind about during the appointment. I will write an entire blog on how to prepare for your trial appointment with me so look for that one to be posted following this post!

 6. Consider laser hair removal. “Planning should be done nine to twelve months before the wedding as it typically takes six sessions, six weeks apart, to see permanent results,” Christian Karavalos, owner of Romeo and Juliette Laser Hair Removal in New York. (1) 

7. Wax your eyebrows. This is so important ladies! Please schedule this at least a week before your wedding day to allow time for any redness that it may cause to subside. I also suggest starting your waxing regimen a few months before the wedding date to ensure that you achieve the shape of the brow that you prefer. So many times, I have had ladies that arrive to their appointment with me with eyebrows that are very out of shape and expect me to be able to correct them. In some cases this can be done, however, concealer can not cover up unruly, bushy eyebrows! 

8. Exfoliate. “As dead cells accumulate on the skin, they interfere with light reflection, giving the skin a dull appearance,” says Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a New York Dermatologist. (1) I kid you not, I have had ladies come to me with skin that needed a very good exfoliation and expected me to “just cover it up” and “make it look smooth like the picture” (as a FaceTuned photo is handed to me). Makeup can not “cover up” skin that needs to be exfoliated such as rough, dry skin patches. What happens is that the makeup settles into the areas of the skin that need exfoliation causing the “cakiness” that every bride wants to avoid. Bottom line is, makeup can not “cover up” dead skin areas. Please start exfoliating on a regular basis a few weeks prior to your wedding day. You will be glad you put in the effort plus it is relaxing, in my opinion, which helps you with tip #1. A product that I recommend using once a week is the Luminous 3 Minute Peel by Real Chemistry. This is a “protein peel” that can remove a large amount of excess, dead epidermal skin cells in a matter of seconds. Another good product to use is Three Times Sublime 3 in 1 Wash, Scrub, and Mask by Formula 10.0.6. This is a super multitasking product that removes excess oil, unclogs pores, and eliminates blemishes. Pink grapefruit cleanses while jojoba exfoliates. (3) 9. Get a spray tan. Allure Magazine recommends test driving your spray tan two months in advance before the wedding and to book your final appointment two days before the wedding. You should wait 8 hours before rinsing it off. (4) 

10. Cut down on wine and alcohol three months prior to the wedding. It is a dehydrator, capillary breaker, and radiance robber. (4)

11. Cut down on salt, sugar, dairy, and bread one week prior to the wedding to aid in depuffing the skin. (4)

12. Plan your hair color. The general rule of thumb is to stay within two shades of your natural hair color-whether going lighter or darker. “Color always looks better when it is lived in and settled down. Two weeks prior to the wedding date is the sweet spot,” says Teddy Crawford, a hairstylist and co founder of the White Rose Collective, a bridal booking agency in New York. (4) 

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13. Wear a robe or button down shirt to your wedding day hair and makeup appointment. This will allow you to get changed into your wedding gown without disturbing your hair and makeup.  

14. Eat. Make sure that you plan to provide refreshments for you and your bridal party to munch on during the wedding day beauty appointment. If you have a larger bridal party and you will be with us for awhile, you’re going to get hungry. 

15. Make sure that your hair is clean and dry and your face is clean and devoid of all makeup prior to your appointment. If your hair is wet, your artist may not have a hair dryer on hand. I am the only one on my team who carries one and I am not always at each appointment (you will know this ahead of time!). Having wet hair will also increase the amount of time your appointment will take. If you only allow 45 minutes for your hair appointment and your hair is wet, of course the time allowed will run over. The same applies for your face. If your face is not clean and devoid of makeup,it will increase the amount of time for your makeup appointment because we will have to clean it all off.  

16. Enjoy! Enjoy your wedding day hair and makeup appointment! We are there to ensure that you receive nothing less than excellent service and we want to leave you looking and feeling amazing!

 I get excited for each and every wedding that I work on! I’m also a hopeless romantic so don’t be surprised if I leave your appointment a little teary eyed and as excited for you as one of your close friends. I can’t wait to see you on your wedding day!  

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Resources: 

(1) “How to Plan and Start a Wedding Beauty Regimen”. Dana Wood. Www.brides.com.

(2) Www.webmd.com/beauty/features/beauty-sleep#1‍

(3) “Secrets Inside My Kit: Part 2”. Ronee Aguilar. Www.braidnhairpins.com/blog 

(4) “The Ultimate Wedding Beauty Timeline”. Cara Birnbaum and Catherine O’Neil. Www.allure.com.