BRIDAL BEAUTY ROUTINE

When we were planning our wedding, one of the things that I had in the back of my mind was my beauty routine and how I would prepare myself to look my absolute best on our big day. It’s easy to get caught up in striving for perfection in every aspect of your wedding, but I was determined to enjoy every part of it. You all know by now, anything hair, makeup or beauty related gets me so excited, and so when it came to my wedding beauty routine, I wanted to make sure I had it DOWN!!

Skin – 

Starting with my skin, I made sure to stick to my strict skincare regime that I know works for me. I have suffered from acne on and off for the last ten years, and stress is generally one of my triggers and hormones. I had been attending Monica Tolan’s salon in Malahide, having regular facials and sticking to Environ skincare. I knew this worked for my skin, so I decided to get serious about it and increase my facials coming up to the big day. I also began a course in micro-needling, which gave me results I couldn’t have even imagined. To have needling done, you had to clear the active acne, so I only started them close to our wedding date. I had 3/4 sessions of this done, and while it is painful to go through, the results were incredible. I have bad acne scarring on my cheeks, which has dramatically reduced since the needling. Suppose you’d like me to go into more depth on micro-needling and how I found it, please let me know. I did my best not to get lazy in the evenings and did my whole skincare routine day and night (well, almost every day!!)

I also decided to limit my takeaway consumption, which drastically affected my skin and managed my breakouts. I had 4/5 takeaways a week (I know, not good at all), but once I cut down on them and began eating healthier, it showed in my skin, hair and nails, and energy levels. Also, WATER, WATER, WATER….your skin will thank you for it.

Hair – 

I kept up my regular hair routine, going to Ceira Lambert’s salon in Shankill every few weeks for my colour and extensions. My hair had been very grey/ashy, and I wanted to tone this down slightly for the big day as I felt a more timeless blonde colour would work best for our pictures. They are incredible at minding my fragile hair. My two gorgeous sisters were blessed with big manes of hair, and I got about three strands of wispy fluff!! The stylists always ensure they don’t damage my hair with the extension by applying half bonds on weak areas and not overprocessing my hair. On the day, I had my hair tonged with the Hot Tools 32″ curl bar by the Ceira Lambert team, and it lasted so well. Even though my hair is shorter now, the curl bar still works a treat.

In terms of products, I usually stick to Kevin Murphy or Pureology as they are sulphate free so that they won’t damage my extensions. The Blonde Angel range from Kevin Murphy is excellent for getting longer out of your salon colour and keeps any yellow tones at bay. Check them out HERE.

Nails – 

Wedding nails were something I had thought about for a while, and I had lots of pictures saved on my phone from Pinterest and Instagram of what I wanted. I always go for a nude or natural colour on my nails, so I knew that wouldn’t change. I decided to get them shorted, though, and rounded, too, as I felt that this was timeless, and I won’t look back in years to come and say, “What was I thinking?!”

I opted for the acrylic nails, which seem to last better on me. I had them done in my usual spot – Nails Inc @ The Brown Thomas Beauty Lounge in Dublin. The colour they applied was Nails inc. Back To Life.

Tan – 

I wear false tan almost every day of my life (thanks to my pasty Irish complexion!), so I knew what I would do for my wedding day. My biggest challenge was finding someone who was the best of the best at spray tans. I always apply my tan with a mitt at home, but I wanted to have a professional spray tan done for my wedding. I asked you guys on Instagram, and within a few minutes, the same name kept popping up – Olivia from Allure salon in Drumcondra. Olivia owns Allure, so I got in touch with her and had some trials done. All I can say is that I have NEVER had a spray tan like hers…the blend around your hands, wrists, feet and knees is perfection and so natural looking. I could see why she had been nominated for so many awards. I couldn’t recommend her enough if you are based in Dublin and looking for the best spray tan of your life. She used Catwalk HQ professional spray tan on me, and I was thrilled with how it turned out. You can contact Olivia HERE

Makeup –. 

A question I was asked so many times – would I be doing my makeup for my wedding day? That answer was a definite NO! I wanted to feel pampered in the morning and not panic so my nerves would get better, and I would have a lopsided liner!! There was only one lady that I had in mind, and that’s Michelle Regazzoli Stone, better known as MRS Makeup. She has done my makeup for shoots and red carpet events, so I knew she was super talented and understood exactly what I liked. I trusted her that I didn’t even have a makeup trial with her. I just let her do her thing in the morning, and of course, she nailed it. I was blown away by my makeup, and it was photographed beautifully, not to mention last through all the tears. You can find her details HERE.  

So many asked for a product list, so below is everything Michelle used on my face to create this look –

Skin:
Cleanse with Image Vital C
Environ AVST 1
Mac Strobe Cream- Peach light
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
Mac nc25 & nc15
NARS Sheer glow Stromboli & Figi
NARS Cannelle radiant concealer
Mineralize Skin Finish -Dark Golden to bronze
Softly contoured with a Bold contour kit
Milani -01 highlighter
Mac- Dainty Blusher
Mac Cream colour base- Pearl
Laura Mercier translucent loose powder
Eyes :
Mac Prolongwear Concealer nc25
Mac Tan pigment
Mac Woodwinked eyeshadow
Mac Nylon eyeshadow
Mac uninterrupted eyeshadow
Inglot Gel liner no.90
Mac Chromagraphic pencil nc15/nw20
Benefit Roller lash mascara
Leilah Pretty Little Lash
eyelashes
Brows Mac True Brunette Brow Gel
Lips :
Mac Soar lip pencil
Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Kim K W
Mac Oyster girl lipgloss
Body:
Spritz of Mac Fix+ spray
Then applied Anastasia Beverly Hills X Amrezy highlighter

Honeymoon – 

We flew out on our honeymoon five days after we married, so I didn’t change anything about my hair and nails. I brought all of my Environ skincare and used it religiously when we were away. I also used the Shiseido Expert Sun Protection Lotion in factor 50 on my face every day. It didn’t break me out or leave my skin feeling greasy and clogged. I took a bottle of Catwalk HQ with me and topped up my tan when we were over there. Otherwise, I would have been coming home paler than I left!

I didn’t bother with much makeup in the Maldives as the temperatures were so high that it would have just slid off my face! I tried to let my hair dry most nights naturally and loved using the Loreal Stylista Beach Wave Mist, which acted as a salt spray and gave a nice wavy, undone look to the hair. It ended up on the top of my head in a bun from the humidity most nights.

I hope that answers my questions regarding my bridal beauty routine. I will say, no matter what products or treatments you have done… the best thing you will wear on the day is a smile, and I didn’t stop smiling for one second on our wedding day. To any brides to be – soak it up, enjoy every minute and don’t forget to SMILE!