The wedding wow factor: Our former Bride-to-be’s top DIY bridal beauty tips
By CAT TOOGOOD (née Gray)
I may no longer be the resident Sloaney Bride-to-be, but after my wedding last month I wanted to share some top tips for looking and feeling great on the big day.
Over the past year, I’ve tried so many products to prepare for my wedding, so I wanted to tell you all about the best bridal beauty buys to help you down the aisle!
Cat was our former Bride-to-be
Health and Wellbeing
Although planning a wedding is extremely exciting, it can be stressful. It takes up a lot of your time and energy, as well as causing sleepless nights and the dreaded wedding nightmares (trust me I had a few!). So it’s important to look after yourself and make sure you are looking and feeling great on the inside and out.
Lumity is a revolutionary beauty supplement that targets the 9 processes of ageing simultaneously and effectively. With a simple two-step method, which includes taking three soft-gel capsules in the morning and three in the evening, Lumity aims to boost the health of your cells to give you increased energy, improved sleep, glossier hair and clear, radiant skin. I was sceptical at first of everything Lumity promised me as it sounded too good to be true, but even after the first week I was very impressed. Lumity made a massive difference to my sleeping, to the extent that I was sleeping through the night without waking up multiple times, which is my usual problem. I even managed a night of uninterrupted sleep the night before the wedding, despite the excitement and nerves! I also found I had a lot more energy in the day causing me to be more productive and less exhausted.
Lumity is the ideal solution for brides wanting to look and feel their best on their wedding day, and is likely something I will continue using to keep me healthy and feeling good now I’m married.
The Lumity beauty supplement
Face
Every bride wants to be glowing on their wedding day, so it’s important to look after your skin and moisturise regularly. Favoured by Elle Macpherson and hailed as the “anti-ageing wonder cream” by a host of backstage makeup artists and celebrities, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentre is credited to providing smooth, soft, line free skin that imparts a youthful glow. With a very light consistency, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentre is ultra-nourishing and repairs dehydrated, over sensitised skin until it becomes supple and incredibly soft, eradicating any first signs of lines. Its simple formula allows the cream to be used as a moisturiser, a makeup remover and a primer all at the same time – the perfect product for a bride-to-be!
Cat tried lots of different beauty products in the run up to her big day
Hair
Whether you’re hiring a professional or doing your own hair on your wedding day, it’s important to prep and use the right products to create the style you want. As a girl with curly hair, frizz is always a problem for me, and getting married in Scotland, I was worried that the inevitable rain and wind would ruin my hair. Bamboo Smooth Anti Frizz AM/PM system is a revolutionary two-step system from Alterna Haircare which has been clinically proven to provide 72 hours of frizz free, humidity proof hair. Ideal for those with curly, unruly or frizz prone hair, the two products have been formulated to instantly nourish dry, dull and frizzy strands providing weightless moisture and vital nutrients creating strong, smooth healthy hair. I would suggest using this in the couple of days prior to your wedding in order to ensure your hair stays glossy, smooth and frizz free on your wedding day.
If possible, I would suggest washing your hair the day before the wedding, as freshly washed hair is harder to style and is less likely to stay in place on the day. When styling your hair on the day, I would highly recommend using products from Ecru New York. Their Silk Texturizing Balm is a great lightweight styling balm that separates, defines and adds pliable hold to any length or texture of hair. It’s perfect for creating intricate hair styles and holding things like braids in place all day. Their Sunlight Holding Spray is a finishing and thermal styling spray for luminous shine and brushable hold. Pro-vitamin V-5 and olive oil extracts increase moisture retention, balance pH and provide anti-static, heat and UV protection. Perfect for protecting your hair while styling and keeping your style in place all day, even after a night of dancing!
Bamboo Smooth PM Anti-Frizz Overnight Smoothing Treatment
Body
Every bride I know has had worries about their arms on their wedding day, whether wearing a strapless dress or a lace bolero. Armlift by Transformulas is a revolutionary product that promises to sculpt, firm and moisturise your upper arms. A powerful cocktail of amino acids hydrates and boosts elastin to increase firmness and address sagging skin as well as even out skin tone and imperfections. The ideal solution to make you feel confident in your dress!
Another worry for some brides can be blemishes on the skin that you don’t want showing up in photos. Remescar offer a range of clinically proven treatments to help those suffering from dark circles, spider veins and scars. Endorsed by Katie Piper, the Remescar Scar Stick is easy to use and leaves behind an invisible, transparent thin film which creates an optimal protective barrier for the scar to heal and helps to maintain the skin’s moisture balance. It can be used on all areas of the face and body and is clinically proven to improve scars by up to 73% over 8 weeks of treatment. Although Remescar will not make blemishes completely disappear, it is a great product to minimise them and help you feel beautiful on the big day.
Cat on her wedding day
Good luck to all the brides-to-be planning their weddings! Although it can be a stressful process at times, it really is the best day of your life and I wish you all a wonderful journey down the aisle.
