Top 10 Bridal Beauty Tips For Your Philadelphia Wedding

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As a bride-to-be, you’re probably knee-deep in timelines, seating charts, color palettes, and more. One thing you may not be thinking about it is your bridal look–but preparation for that starts well before the wedding day. Below are tips to help you get ready for the big day and stress less. Whether you’re a full-on makeup addict or only mildly interested in beauty, these tips will help you feel gorgeous on your wedding day, and look great in photos!

5396428_origMakeup & Hair by Aleksandra Ambrozy, Photo by Love Me Do Photography

1. Pick a bridal look that’s in line with your style.
Before you make any appointments, get a general idea of what you want your bridal look to be. If you’re a no-makeup girl, your wedding day isn’t the time to try full-on celebrity-worthy contouring and highlighting. By the same token, if you never leave the house without makeup, don’t test-drive a bare-faced look. Your wedding day makeup should look like the best possible version of you–but still YOU. Pinterest and beauty blogs are great sources of inspiration. Save photos you like so you can bring them to your trials.
2. Schedule a trial for both hair and makeup, and go armed with photos.
After selecting a makeup artist and hairstylist, book trial appointments with each of them 4-6 weeks before your wedding. During these appointments, the stylists will do your hair and/or makeup how you’ll wear it on your wedding day. Bring those saved photos with you, and clearly explain if there is anything you want to change about the images. These trials help both you and the stylists nail your look and tweak what you like and don’t love. It’s also a good idea to get some informal pictures after your trials. With all that you have going on in the weeks leading up to the wedding, you will not remember the specific details of your look. After doing my hair, my hairstylist snapped some iPhone photos after the trial to refer to on the morning of my wedding. I loved that; she was able to recreate my hairstyle exactly how I had requested at the trial. If you’re doing your makeup yourself, test out the look you want well before the wedding and snap some selfies.
3. Opt for airbrush foundation if you can.
You really need your makeup to last on your wedding day. Think of all you’ll be doing on that very long day: laughing, crying, dancing until you sweat, and more. Your makeup has to withstand tears and resist settling into fine lines. Airbrush makeup will stand up to almost anything, and is extremely long-wearing. Ask your makeup artist if s/he offers this service. It’s a little pricier than standard makeup application, but it’s so worth it. It doesn’t look cakey, either; I prefer a dewy finish, and airbrush foundation was perfect for me.
If you don’t have access to airbrush makeup, apply primer on your skin and eyelids after you moisturize. I like this eyeshadow primer for eyes, and this veil mineral primer and the Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation for skin. Primer will help your makeup last longer. For added insurance, finish with a generous mist of setting spray. Spritz your face in an “X” shape, then in a straight line down the center of your face. My favorites are the All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, the MAC Fix+, and the L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray. If you have oily skin or are acne prone, get the De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray in the travel size and stash it in your clutch for touch-ups throughout the night.
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Makeup & Hair by Aleksandra Ambrozy, Photo by Love Me Do Photography
4. Stay healthy and hydrated the week prior to your wedding.
What you put in and on your body greatly affects the appearance of your skin. The week before your wedding, it’s crucial to get enough sleep and drink a lot of water. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen in the mornings and moisturizer and eye cream at night. Staying hydrated and moisturized will help you glow on your wedding day.
5. Do damage control on zits.
It’s easy to panic if a zit pops up a few days before your wedding. But you have a few options depending on what type of pimple it is. (This is gross, but important stuff!) Blackheads are sort of no big deal; if they’re small, they can be covered with makeup, as they cause little inflammation and no discoloration. Treat papules (small red or pink bumps with little to no visible fluid) and pustules (painful pimples with an inflamed white head) with a topical spot treatment containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Apply these treatments as soon as the zit crops up, or even when you feel it coming on. Early treatment drastically improves how fast the zit will heal.If it’s a large cystic pimple deep underneath the surface of the skin (the kind that never comes to a head), you have two options: accept that you’ll have it on your wedding day, or visit your dermatologist for a cortisone injection 3-4 days before the wedding. The zit will be gone in a few days, compared to up to 4 weeks.No matter what type of zit, don’t ever pop it! You’ll risk scarring and pushing the infection deeper into the skin, prolonging the zit. For all types of inflamed acne, you can calm inflammation and decrease redness by wrapping an ice cube in a washcloth and applying it to the zit with a bit of pressure.
To learn more about proper skincare techniques, celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau has an entire blog section devoted to skincare advice for brides-to-be.
6. If you spray tan, do it 48 hours before the wedding.
A lot of brides get custom airbrush tans before their wedding. If you get one, book the appointment for at least 48 hours before your wedding. You want the tan to fade a bit before you walk down the aisle to avoid looking too dark.
7. Get a good pair of false lashes.
If you’re wearing false eyelashes, it’s a good idea to get a pair that’s durable, pretty, and well-made. I really like House of Lashes, where I ordered my wedding day lashes, for pretty lashes that are affordable and comfortable. They’re a step above drugstore varieties, which I find incredibly itchy (and sometimes fake-looking). You also need a good lash glue to keep those lashes in place. The best on the market is DUO Lash Adhesive.
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Makeup & Hair by Aleksandra Ambrozy, Photo by Love Me Do Photography
8. Check your finished makeup in natural light before walking down the aisle.
It will help you get a clear picture of what your makeup really looks like. You can then adjust where you like.
9. Stock your clutch with essentials.
You might want to put on a quick swipe of lipstick before a specific photo, or at different times throughout your reception. If you’re carrying a clutch or purse, stash a lipstick and gloss in it for touch-ups, as well as anything else you might want on hand throughout the reception (powder, blotting papers, mints, etc). If you’re not carrying a purse, ask your maid of honor to hold onto them.
10. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your day!
Enjoy the moment…and don’t worry about your makeup! Your smiling face and newlywed glow will be what everyone is looking at!

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Makeup & Hair by Aleksandra Ambrozy, Photo by Love Me Do Photography

Bridal Beauty Tips
By Kristen Hampton
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