BEAUTY   by Estelle van Heerden       All brides glow naturally on their wedding day, but subtle make-up and good   grooming can make a bride surpassingly lovely. Today, various skincare and   make-up ranges are available to assist you to create a natural, but   enchanting look.       With good planning, every bride can look her best for her wedding – a   glowing, well-groomed woman is not produced overnight. Any mother who   wants to give her daughter a gift that will last a lifetime will teach her   daughter how to start a good skincare routine from very early on. In spite of   a vast amount of information on the importance of a good skincare routine,   many women still do not start such a routine early enough. To look glowingly   lovely is just as important as your dress and all the other fine details that will   turn your wedding into something to remember.       For many years, make-up was something mysterious that happened behind   closed doors or in the fashion or film industry. But with a little guidance every   woman can use make-up to bring out her best features. Some women   “decorate” their faces without ever questioning their technique; and this can   detract from their appearance. With the right make-up, you can create a   picture of beauty and elegance. Kevyn Aucoin, a talented make-up artist,   always said that there are no rules when it comes to make-up, but that there   is make-up that works and ways to apply it.       It is true – and very normal – that the stress levels just before a wedding can   sometimes be almost unbearable. But with the right advice and assistance,   you will definitely survive! Drink lots of water, eat healthily and exercise   regularly – a light exercise programme helps to reduce stress.       Three months before the wedding you must already start cutting out some   harmful factors such as fizzy drinks, overeating and fatty foods. They can   make your skin look tired and pale. Reduce your salt intake a week or two   before the wedding by avoiding savoury snacks, because they can make your   face look puffy. Drink eight glasses of water per day to flush toxins out of your   system and rather steer clear of crash diets and junk food – they make your   hair brittle, leave your skin looking pasty and reduce your energy levels. Eat   three meals per day and make sure that you get enough “me-time” to relax –   time when you do not have to think about wedding arrangements. Set   yourself specific goals and try to keep to them; in other words, adjust your   lifestyle and stick with what you have decided.       Diets can only contribute a small part of the perfect picture; skincare from   the outside is just as important. Excessive sun exposure is harmful to your   skin – use a moisturiser that contains UVA/UVB sun protection factors.       Make-up is the next important step in the final preparations for your special   day. If you feel a bit clumsy when you apply make-up, ask a friend or   professional make-up artist to help you look your best. Make sure that you will   be satisfied with the end result by having a trial run a week or two before the   wedding. Book a trial run for your hair and make-up on the same day,   because that will give you an idea of how you will look on one of the most   important days in your life. Also arrange a lovely massage session a few   days before your wedding to relax your muscles.       Plan your beauty routine six months in advance, using the following steps   toward looking like a breath-taking fairy princess:       Five to six months before the wedding:   Start a stress-free routine – put one day per week aside for “me-time”.   Take out a movie, eat out with a friend, read, relax in a bubble bath; do   anything, except more planning for your big day!   Start a regular skincare and moisturising programme and go for a facial in a   salon once a month.   Start a light exercise programme – do yoga, walk with a friend. De-stress.   Follow a healthy diet programme if you want to lose weight before your final   fitting. Avoid crash dieting!       Three to four months before the wedding:   Make an appointment with a make-up artist if you plan to use one. Ask for   photographs of the person’s work.   If you want to go for sun-bed sessions, this is the time to do so.   Remember to avoid the harmful factors mentioned above.       One to two months before the wedding:   You should now have the trial runs for your hair and make-up. During these   sessions you must tell the person(s) what you have in mind and be clear   about anything you do not like. There is nothing worse than being unhappy   about your hair or make-up on the wedding day. If you do not plan to use a   professional, get your ideas straightened out now. Practise your make-up   beforehand in daylight, in twilight and evening light. Take a few   photographs and ask for advice.       If you are planning to use a make-up artist, decide beforehand what you   want to look like. Look at the photographs of yourself in which you looked   your best and draw inspiration from them. Take into account the following:   where you are getting married, the time of day and style of your wedding   (e.g. sophisticated, casual, African). Make notes on your daily beauty gripes   (e.g. a shiny forehead, smudged mascara, red patches and dark circles under   your eyes), decide on whether you want heavy or light make-up and chat to   your make-up artist about these issues. You may find that colours you   normally feel rather daunted by might work very well.       Do not forget about your lips – moisturising your lips is vital.					The day before the wedding:   Drink lots of water and eat enough fruit.   Pack a beauty first-aid kit that one of your bridesmaids, your mother or a   friend can keep handy for you.       It might contain the following:   Tissues and a few ear-buds   Hairpins or clips   A few safety pins   Peppermints   Concealer   Dental floss   Deodorant   Eye drops   A hair brush or comb   Hair spray   Hand lotion   Lipstick   Lip-liner   Mascara   Perfume       Exfoliate with products you are familiar with. This is NOT the time to   experiment!   Take a long bubble bath – lavender and chamomile are relaxing. Sip a   glass of champagne and relax.   Check that all your make-up has been removed and moisturise well all over.   Get enough sleep.       The big day:   Have a good breakfast and drink enough fluids. You might run around so   much and be so nervous that you might forget to eat or drink anything else   for the rest of the day. Take a tranquilising pill (one that you know) if you feel   you need one (or take some Rescue Remedy).   Take a nice long bath before you have your make-up and hair done. Steam   can ruin your hair and make-up. Layer your favourite fragrance: bath oil,   body lotion, deodorant and perfume.   ave your hair and make-up done. Put the make-up on after your hair has   been done. If you need to sit under a drier, take along some moisturiser   and put some on repeatedly. This helps to prevent a flushed look and dry   skin.   Wear a comfortable top with buttons in front, preferably the same colour as   your wedding dress, so that the make-up artist can gauge the intensity of your   make-up effectively. Put on your perfume before you put on your dress.   Take a few minutes to reflect on what this day means and to take a few deep   breaths.       Do’s and Don’ts:   Do’s:   • Do consider using a make-up artist. Your everyday make-up needs are very     different from what you need for a wedding. Contact a few make-up artists     and choose one that understands your needs. If your eyes are red, use eye     drops that you are familiar with and get enough sleep. Even the best make-     up artist in the world cannot give you a glowing face if you have not had     enough sleep the night before.   • A day before the wedding, do go for a manicure and a pedicure to prevent     peeling.   • Go for waxing 3 to 4 days before the wedding.   • Go for a head massage to stimulate your hair follicles and use a good     conditioner in the week before you wedding.       Do not …   • wear too much eye make-up;   • wear coloured contact lenses unless you always wear them;   • wear a concealer that is too light for your skin; it will reflect light badly in     your photographs;   • start experimenting with new skin care products and make-up just before     your wedding;   • wear black or brown make-up (it can look as if someone has given you a     black eye);   • wear shiny make-up; it will reflect the camera flash;   • wear lipstick that is too pale; it can make you look tired and drawns in the     photographs. Keep a lipstick handy for touch-ups throughout the day;   • forget your eyebrows. Pluck them, but not the day before your wedding or     the day of the wedding. Define them;   • wear fake eyelashes unless you find them comfortable and are sure that     you will not lose them;   • forget your blusher;   • fiddle with any pimples. A dermatologist can give you a cortisone     injection which will make prominent pimples go down immediately;   • forget about your elbows and heels. Groom them regularly beforehand.       “The ideal make-up artist has the eye of a character expert, the hand of a   sculptor, the brush of a portrait painter and the curiosity of a student.”       Enjoy the day fully; nobody except you will know if anything small goes   wrong at the last minute. Be the most beautiful bride you can be!                     to top
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