Your wedding day is all about marrying the love of your life, but who doesn’t want to look drop-dead gorgeous while saying “I do”? No one wants to get caught out with a bright orange spray tan, an unflattering hair-do or dry, flaky skin. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these bridal beauty nightmares.
According to Laura O’Halloran, owner of Golidlocks Beauty in Croydon, Victoria, choosing a fabulous hairstyle and having make-up that suits your complexion will not only make you feel happy and confident on the day, it will also mean you look stunning in your wedding photos.
“Let’s face it, the wedding photos are what everyone looks back on after the day, and if the hair and make-up are not done correctly, the bride will not want to show off the photos in years to come,” she explains. “We need to ensure that the foundation is matched to skin tone and the bride is happy with the overall look.”
Laura has been in the beauty industry for more than 15 years, and last year launched her own business, Goldilocks Beauty Group, which offers hair and beauty services for weddings, debutante balls and formal events. It’s a one-stop shop for brides, and services include everything from hairstyling and makeovers to manicures, tanning and facials. In addition to weddings, the salon also hosts pampering sessions for bridal parties and hen’s days.
“We want to go on a journey with our brides and to reassure them that when it comes to hair and beauty services – a major part of any wedding – that we take on board all of the organising and stress for them, and that by coming to our salon, they really can sit back, relax and enjoy,” she explains.
Here, Laura details some of the most common bridal beauty blunders and, most importantly, how to make sure they don’t happen to you!
Forgetting to prep your skin
Make-up looks best on healthy, glowing skin, so it’s crucial to stick to a good skincare regime in the lead-up to the day. This should include moisturising, cleansing, exfoliating and, ideally, the odd facial. As Laura explains, not only is dry, flaky skin uncomfortable, foundation will also cake in those areas, doing you absolutely no favours in photos.
It’s also preferable to take yourself to your beauty therapist for a wax before the wedding day. “I cannot stress enough that you really need to wax your eyebrows, lip and chin prior to your wedding day,” she says. “Make-up does not sit correctly in the hairs and it actually all glugs up, creating a terribly lumpy finish.”
Choosing an unrealistic hairstyle or look
While you do want to look drop-dead gorgeous at your wedding, now is not the time to experiment with a drastic new style that you’ve seen on a celebrity. After all, what works for J.Lo or Kim Kardashian may not work for you. So by all means, flick through magazines and comb the internet for inspiration, but it’s crucial to have a chat with your experienced hairdresser and make-up artist beforehand to discuss what works best for the shape of your face and skintone.
“Don’t over complicate things. Going for what is on-trend and in fashion is not always best,” Laura says. “In years to come, looking back at your photos, the fashion will have changed. It is very important to still be you.
That said, “coming into the salon with pictures and ideas is a really big help for us when we do the trial. We can certainly make a lot of suggestions, but it really helps us create the kind of style you’re after.”
Not doing a trial spray tan
If you plan to have a spray tan for the big day, make sure you have a test-run beforehand and wear it to your make-up trial so your make-up artist can select colours that perfectly suit your skintone, suggests Laura. Also be careful to avoid tan overspray on your fingers and feet!
Not washing your hair
There is absolutely no way your hairdresser will be able to work with oily hair, so it’s important that you wash it the night before the wedding.
“No amount of dry shampoo can fix three-day old oily, unwashed hair. We simply cannot style it. We recommend washing and blowdrying your hair the night before, or the morning of, the wedding if you are prone to a lot of oil,” Laura says.
Not packing an emergency kit
So you’ve had your final swipe of mascara and your hair is perfectly tousled. But before you head out the door and down the aisle, make sure you pack yourself a little beauty survival kit for the day. This should include:
A mini can of hairspray
Extra hairpins
A little brush or comb
Blotting paper or some powder
Tissues
Lipstick or lipgloss
A sample size of your fragrance
Deodorant
Eyeliner
It’s the final touch to keep your look fresh and beautiful all day. And trust us, you’ll thank us for the tip when your photos come back looking stylish and sensational.