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The beauty timeline for the bride to be

2 years News, Weddings

Congratulations! You are engaged!  Now that he has proposed, there are thousands of things to prepare to get the wedding up and running.
 
Future brides tend to forget themselves during the whole wedding organization process and only start thinking about the details regarding their looks closer to the day.
For most women, planning can be a stressful moment and this may affect their skin as well as their metabolism. 

I have reached out to some of the best specialists in our area, to create a timeline that will help you get your glowing natural beauty for D-Day.

12 months prior to the wedding

Full Body

If you were looking for an excuse to start working out, you have found the right one: your wedding.
 
Depending on the style of your dream dress, you may want to target some part of your body more than another. For example, most brides tend to focus on the shoulders and arms specifically.
If you are having a summer wedding and thinking of wearing mini dresses or swimsuits, you may want to target your legs and abs.
No matter what part of your body you concentrate your efforts on, exercising will always be a smart idea. Of course, a well-balanced mix of cardio activities, muscle building, and stretching is a winner cocktail. 

Since the COVID, I am a huge fan of Sissy Mua and I have downloaded her app where I find all types of training. It is self-paced training and you are able to find almost everything from cardio sessions to Pilates, dancing class, hit, etc. 
 
Along with sport, you would like to keep your skin and body as healthy as possible. It is time to start the detox. 

Tessa Ang, nutritionist and wellness coach explained that weight loss is 75% from your diet and 25% from exercise! (weight gain can also come from emotional origin or stress for example). Your essentials for this are fruits, veggies, and water. You do not necessarily need to diet, you can start by making your best to incorporate these 3 elements into your routine.

Tessa recommends the following steps:

  1. Favor natural and raw food. This means avoiding industrially processed food and checking the ingredients of the products you buy.
  2. Eat proteins and healthy fats for breakfast. Favor animal proteins for lunch and choose plant-based protein for dinner. If you’re on a plant-based diet, then it’s different : you can have plant-based proteins at both meals.
  3. In order to optimize the natural detox process by the body, avoid heavy dinners, especially meat or mix different kinds of animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream…).
  4. Decrease as much as possible “toxic food” category: caffeine, alcohol, red meat, refined sugar (sodas, sweets, chocolate…) 

“It is important to think of your diet as a lifestyle and not as a one-shot diet as the results mainly tend to be a yoyo effect: quick weight loss, more weight gain, and disruption of hormones, metabolism, and wellbeing,” said Tessa. For Tessa, and I 100% agree, an upcoming wedding is an opportunity to make a 2.0 version of yourself and cherish your health and wellness with kindness and love towards yourself with pleasure and no frustration or guilt.

She supports you with tailor-made coaching sessions to guide you feel globally balanced and healthy. Also, she shares delicious recipes to inspire you to add more veggies in your plates with taste and pleasure.

Tessan Ang
Tessa Ang from Tessa Holi

10 to 6 months prior the wedding day

Skin

How’s your detox progressing? Hopefully, you will notice some changes in your complexion already.
Now it’s time to schedule body exfoliation sessions. Scrubs are highly recommended to be done weekly, but if you can’t, at least every time the season changes. 
If you do not have time for a beauty salon or spa, do it at home while taking a shower or a bath, this will enhance the glow of your skin on the d day.
Although, when doing your facial, I advise talking to a specialist or at least using products from known brands that you have used before (a homemade test anti-allergy is to try the products on your arm first).

Nadege Beauquis, the founder of Blossom Institute, is a specialist in facial treatments. She works with the well-known Swiss brand Valmont and the organic French one Demain. In case you wish to make “disappear” some childhood scars or sun marks, she advises doing the first check-up at the earliest possible. During the first session, Nadege will examine your skin and make a diagnosis. She and her team will let know the type of treatment that fits you better and the length of it. Knowing in advance of your wedding day, they will be able to offer you a tailor-made package that includes many sessions until D-day.  

In case you feel like you need a deeper treatment, I would suggest scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist. Together, you can think about a strategy and agenda of sessions before the wedding. This should be done as soon as you get engaged. 

What about your tan?

Have you guessed what’s coming next? I will always prefer a sunbath more than UV or a spray tan. But it has to be moderate: you can start with some sunbathing 3 to 2 months prior to the wedding, using the right sunscreen of course. This way you will get a fresh and smooth glow. Besides giving you a bright tan, sunlight has so many benefits: improves your sleep, reduces your stress, lowers blood pressure, and so forth. If you are not “sun-friendly”, remember that only 15 minutes of exposure per day is enough to get your vitamin D. Just the time you need to walk your dog. 

6 to 4 months prior to the wedding

Hairstyle: round 1

It is time to think about how you would like your hairstyle, what is a trend, and what should work for you.
I suggest trying at home first and, if in doubt, let your hair grow and keep it as natural as possible.
You may notice already that I am fond of an authentic look, so my advice here is not to get crazy trying to be someone else. Be YOU. 
Being natural doesn’t mean boring. The goal here is to elevate your daily appearance, not to change it.

Now is the perfect occasion to play around with different styles and decide what color you will be using.
Following your style, you will need to choose your color. Whether you are wearing it darker or lighter, try to stay between two shades of your normal hue.

Makeup

Amandine Boussy, a professional aesthetician, makeup artist, and owner of Les Yeux d’Amand, says that «It is essential you get the full picture of your look», this is why it is best to test your makeup and hairdresser at the same time.

Even if you are used to wearing makeup every day, my suggestion is to keep it as natural as possible (how many times have I used the word “natural” already?). Remember that photos last forever and you will not want to look back wondering who that person was. Be faithful to your style and express it in an elegant manner. 

Having said that, there are many new ways to elevate your natural glow, like lash extensions. Amandine said that they are an excellent alternative to mascara, «start prior to the wedding to get used to them» she recommends vividly. They enlarge and intensify the eyes and will allow for a better makeup on the day of the wedding: no mascara, a more harmonious final result, saving time the day after the wedding, no makeup to camouflage the fatigue!  The extensions last for 3 to 4 weeks depending on how you take care of them. A filling will be necessary 3 to 2 days before the wedding.

Makeup Bride to be
Amandine Boussy from Les Yeux d’Amand

4 to 3 months prior to the wedding

The dentist check-up

Program your annual visit to the dentist 90-45 days prior to the wedding day, so if you have a cavity, the doctor will have enough time to fix it.
Once you’re all good on the dentist’s side, the next step will be visiting your hygienist for a cleaning and whitening. 
The hygienist will be able to recommend the type of whitening you need. Immediately after you begin your whitening and until the wedding, avoid drinking coffee, tea, red wine, or any type of food that may tint your teeth. 
 
If you were waiting for the right moment to straighten your teeth, wait no more. A big and bright smile for your special day is crucial! Consider the Invisalign method, which may last between 8 and 12 months.

6 to 3 weeks prior to the wedding

Hairstyle: round 2

If you are doing your color, 3 weeks before it is the right moment to do it and cut it, this will leave you enough time to get used to your new style.
If you have chosen a completely new color that you have never used before, test it at least 5 months before your wedding, and now, just do some retouching. 
Avoid experimenting with brand-new things so close to the wedding.

Glow

This is the appropriate time to book a deep cleaning if you haven’t done any facials yet. There is a specific, 100% natural rejuvenation treatment known as the jet peel that can be used in this situation. At Blossom Institute, they propose a program of 5 appointments (every 10 days) which could be just amazing before the wedding. However, please remember, that a first diagnostic is required with Nadège in order to be able to personalize the treatment to your skin. 
The last full-body scrubs before the D day should be done 2 weeks prior. 15 days before the big day you will probably be having a mix of stress and emotions, so even a 30-minute massage will be very beneficial!

Jet peeling
Jet Peel traitement made at Blossom Institute, by Nadege Beauquis

15 to 10 days prior the wedding 

Hair Removal

Facial
Relaxing treatment at Blossom Institute

In the 10 to 7 days prior to your wedding, it’s the perfect time to have your eyebrows done. Our skin may not react as it normally does. Believe me, I have seen brides with their skin burned due to the wrong combination of wax and stress.
 
Personal advice: in case you have not done it before, you might want to consider laser hair removal. Indeed, it’s a bit painful but the result is totally worth it.
Depending on your skin type the treatment will last between 18 and 12 months. If you were looking for the perfect excuse to do it, your wedding is a good one!

Facial: last call

A really soft facial. Either you go to a salon for the last cleaning or you do it at home.
Use products you are familiar with and I would like to emphasize the SOFT part of this treatment. The last thing we want is an allergy reaction. Nadège Beauquis proposes a mix of two important points for the last sessions: hydration and well-being. «We know the future brides need to relax before the wedding, so we propose massages that combine relaxation and if needed, light therapy». 

Day Before

Mani & Pedi

I would always recommend waiting until the very last day to do your hands and feet. First, because you will need a “me-time” before the wedding, a moment where you could be alone (or with your besties) in a sweet and soft bubble far from the logistics, family drama, etc.
And also, because it is a sort of “damage control”, you have a lower risk of breaking a nail the day before. Especially since you should not be doing anything! 

Mani by Amandine Boussy

Amandine recommends the Russian manicure. This technique will allow to remove the cuticles and unsightly skin around the nail for a clean and precise effect and then create a natural curved shape to and create a natural light after the application of the colour which will be applied as close to the skin as possible for slower growth and precise contours. «Your hands are going to be photographed it is necessary that they are perfect,» she said.

Sleep

Sometimes the excitement of being so close to your precious day and surrounded by your loved ones doesn’t let you rest. Your wedding, on the other hand, will be a day full of emotions and a short and a long day at the same time. Lie down to bed early, take a cup of chamomile tea, a warm bath, and sleep. I know, Ive been there, easy to say so but do try !

D-Day

Hydration

A bottle of water should travel with you everywhere you will be throughout the day. So, your inner circle must know the following rule “where the bride is, the water bottle follows”. 
The stress and anxiety caused by emotions will drain your energy. The second key rule is “one glass of alcohol, one glass of water”.  

Let it go

Are you familiar with Murphy’s law? “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
This is it, the end of the journey and the beginning of a more wonderful one. Don’t get hung up on details, maybe things won’t work out as planned (like they always do). Your job is to enjoy, the day flies by so fast and you need to savor each second of it.

Last Advice: Mental Health

As you can imagine, organizing a wedding is a voyage and it is supposed to be fun. However, you may get easily overwhelmed by all the tasks, particularly if you are doing all of them alone. 
If you do not wish to work with a wedding planner, get as much guidance as you can from a professional planner, check our 121 sessions.
Do not do it alone: involve your future partner in the critical decisions and gather a bride team. Your bridesmaids should be your soldiers, your shell, and your therapists. Create a group of no more than 3 friends, with different personalities and tastes. It’s wise to have diverse points of view. 
And don’t forget, have fun!