Wedding beauty preparation at Carol Joy London in The Dorchester
By The Sloaney Bride
In the run up to your wedding day there is so much to think about that it is often easy to forget about your beauty needs. Perfect makeup, luscious locks and immaculate skin can be hard to get all at the same time and the latter is probably one of a bride’s biggest concerns.
Everyone wants perfect skin but there is one day in a girl’s life when you probably want it more than ever and that is on your wedding day. You want to look the picture of health with a radiant glow. This may mean trying to avoid a breakout or perhaps working to hydrate your complexion to prevent any obvious dry patches, depending on your skin type.
Giving thought to your skincare routine and treatments in the run up to a wedding is crucial and I have been thinking about how best to prepare for my big day for some time. I have been told by many people that it is important not to do anything too drastic in the few days beforehand, so you need to plan ahead and also use your trusted brands.
The Sloaney team and our readers are very fond of Carol Joy London beauty products and, needless to say, this was my first port of call when thinking about how best to prepare my skin. Aside from having an impressive range of truly excellent lotions and potions that help with anti-aging, Carol Joy is also the resident spa at one of London’s most luxurious hotels, The Dorchester.
Alongside the very chic spa in the famous Park Lane property is the Carol Joy London beauty salon. While they often welcome hotel guests and those loyal to the brand for all the usual treatments, there is also a fabulous Wedding Package that caters for all bridal needs.
The range of facials is particularly impressive and I visited for some general advice about skincare, but also to experience a preparation facial a few weeks before the wedding. It was a chance for an experienced therapist (Louise) to critique my skin and give some bespoke tips. Unsurprisingly given the current heat wave in the UK, my skin was very dehydrated but interestingly Louise said that it was not dry and that there is a difference between the two.
The Carol Joy London Oxygen Facial was decided as the most appropriate course of action and this facial includes an infusion of pure oxygen, which really helps with improving radiance. The key part of this facial is the cooling air jet, which focuses on giving your complexion a more even finish. Of course, there are also the typical phases of a facial involved and all of the best Carol Joy products are used. This particular treatment is very good for sensitive skin and I think this makes it particularly suitable for a bride-to-be. Ideally, you want a subtle facial in the run up to the big day so as not to upset the normal balance of your routine.
That being said, apparently the Carol Joy London Diamond Facial is chosen by brides even on the morning of their wedding. This includes exposing the skin to a gentle micro-dermabrasion diamond head to exfoliate and refine its texture for an ultra polished finish.
Following the facial, my skin felt greatly improved and very nourished. I would certainly recommend that any bride-to-be takes advantage of the cutting edge technology that the brand uses.
Apart from focusing on just the outside appearance, Carol Joy London also has their nutrient range, the magical ‘Golden Seeds’. The idea behind the ‘Golden Seeds’ is to unleash your inner beauty by making sure that your body is packed full of the right nutrients for shiny hair, glowing skin and perfect nails. You can try a four week course but ultimately these are best used for a period of three months.
Apart from visiting the lovely spa, I also popped into the beauty salon. While I didn’t have a hair and makeup trial, I did speak to Bridget who is the top stylist about some key tips for brides. She explained that the temporary hair extensions, which last for one month, are really popular for brides visiting the Carol Joy London salon. It is a great way to add some extra volume and it seems that nowadays the natural, bouncy blow-dry is the most chosen style and more favoured than an up do for many. Bridget always makes sure that brides look like the most beautiful version of themselves and this means avoiding things like excess hair spray that can dull locks down.
On a makeup front, the theme is similar and the focus is on making sure that the person getting married leaves the salon with incredible confidence and carries that confidence with them throughout the day. Two great tips include using the collagen eye mask before applying the makeup as this provides an instant lift and also to avoid getting a heavy spray tan as you don’t want to look orange on the day!
I left the salon feeling full of confidence, despite being makeup free after my facial. This is partly due to the knowledgeable team at Carol Joy London who put you at ease when it comes to skincare and other beauty needs. Their expert advice is incredibly helpful but also the products give such amazing results that it is difficult not to feel a million dollars on the way home or when walking up the aisle.
Book your treatment or the wedding package at The Dorchester online www.dorchestercollection.com/en/london/the-dorchester/spa-hotel-london or by telephoning +44 (0)20 7319 7109 You can find out more about Carol Joy London online at www.caroljoylondon.com