Monday, December 15, 2008

Beauty Tips: How to Prepare for Your Wedding Day

When was the last time you were watched by over 300 of your closest friends and family? Never? Well as the bride, all eyes will be focused on you, especially the gaze of your soon-to-be husband. You want to look your absolute best, especially with all of the photos and the video taken for posterity.

The first step towards attaining that healthy wedding-day glow is to return to the basics. Good foundations in skin, hair, and nail care will give you the solid base from which you can construct your "bride-beautiful" look.

Building a good skin care regimen revolves around four key elements: cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and protecting. The cleanser you choose should be suitable for your skin type (oily, dry, or combination) and should be gentle enough to use several times a week without drying your skin out.

Toning is a very important step, although many women leave it out. Using a toner or astringent sloughs away dead skin cells, making make-up look fresher for a longer time.

The moisturizer you choose should be oil-free, to avoid that greasy shine that can develop when you sweat. It should also be non-comedogenic, so it won't clog pores and cause unwanted ble mishes.

Protect your skin from harmful ultra-violet rays with a good sunscreen. It should have a minimum skin protection factor of 15.

Start this skin care program months before your wedding, to make sure that your wedding-day skin is flawless and smooth. At this time, you should also start repairing damaged hair to make it shine for your big day.

Daily conditioning treatments are a must for dry or damaged hair, but helpful for any type of hair. If you use a blow-dryer frequently, pick up a heat-activated moisturizing treatment to repair broken hair follicles and give hair that healthy luster.

Consult your hairstylist several weeks before your wedding to discuss wedding-day hair-do's. Bring along your headpiece, jewelry, and a picture of your gown so that your stylist knows what he or she has to work with.

Stylists suggest that you come in to the salon for a "dry- run" hair appointment on the day you are having your picture taken for the newspaper announcement. This will allow you to see how durable and beautiful your style is before it's too late, and will also give you the most for your money.

Healthy nails also take time and patience. Get periodic manicures to keep nails growing long and strong, and take vitamin E supplements to speed the process.

For daily nail protection, use a nail reinforcer that will protect your nails from splitting, drying, and peeling. Above all, don't bite your nails, no matter how nervous you may be!

Now that you have all of the basics down, you can look to adding the frills that will make your healthy look radiant. Experimenting with different make-up and colors is important to do before the wedding day, so that you can find a combination that suits your skin and tastes.

Good foundation and powder are must-haves for your wedding day, even if you don't normally wear them. The combination of the two will give your complexion a smooth, matte finish, and can disguise any last-minute blemishes.

Blush should be used to enhance Mother Nature's natural colors -- it shouldn't end up looking like war paint. Choose a lipstick shade that is similarly understated, or a bold color to make a more obvious statement.

To keep lipstick lasting longer, buy a lipliner in a shade that matches your lipstick. Outline your lips with the lipliner, blot with a tissue, repeat this process, and then dust the lips with translucent powder. Now apply your lipstick, and add a dab of gloss in the middle of your lips for kiss-able shine.

Eyeshadow shades are generally understated in wedding make- up. Choose two shades that complement your skin, instead of trying to match them to the decor or your dress.

Make sure that the eyeliner and mascara you choose are waterproof. Even the least-sentimental brides have been known to break down on their wedding day, and you won't have a lot of time to touch up running mascara before leaving the church.

Once you have established a solid foundation of skin, hair, and nail care, as well as chosen make-up to complement your features, the only thing you have left to do is smile. Your healthy glow will be felt by all, especially the lucky groom.

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