Facial hair removal for your wedding day...

Unless its a photo booth 'tash then mostly wedding day Ronnies are a big no-no. Same goes for bushy brows and those random spiky chin hairs that seem to grow overnight from nowhere and have a complete mind of their own!
The best advise for hair removal for your wedding day is not to try anything new close to the date. If you are thinking of changing your preferred type of hair removal I would advise doing it well in advance.
Brows
My preference for brow hair removal is threading or tweezing. Waxing can be harsh on the delicate skin around the eyes and repeated waxing has been linked to sagging skin under the brows. There's also a danger of a reaction or burn if the wax is too hot. Threading, when done by a professional, gives sharp defined lines, removes even the teeniest hair and is very gentle on the skin. Tweezing is a good runner up, again done correctly. Pull gently and in the direction of the hair. A tip I always find useful when tweezing is to colour your brows in your ideal shape first and then remove everything outside of that shape. And remember less is more - remove as little as you can get away with as sometimes over plucked hair won't grow back.
Lips & facial hair
For me, this is where waxing wins out. Threading on the face is terribly sore (I am a bit of a wimp though, you might find it fine!) Facial waxing is quick, sore but over with in one pull and gives a smooth and clean finish.

Men have it so easy when it comes to wedding prep!

Getting the best out of your wedding makeup trial...

Makeup and hair trials are very exciting events in the countdown to the wedding day and its important that you get the very best out of your trial.
When it comes to your makeup, here are my top five tips for having the best trial.

1. Preparation...it really does pay to to spend a little bit of time looking at magazines or Pinterest, just to get an idea of the types of looks you like, or indeed don't like! Here's a link to my Pinterest bridal makeup inspiration looks - feel free to pin some and set up your own! 
2. Communication...its so important to feel comfortable enough to say what you would like - a lot of brides say things like 'I don't mind' or 'whatever you like' but personal tastes vary so much that its so important to be honest. If it helps, jot down a few key points about the areas that are most important to you. Examples might be:
• Must be long lasting
• Love eyeliner flicks
• Want skin to glow 
3. Feedback...I like to always err on the side of caution, beginning with a super natural look and then showing it to my bride. From there we can add more until we get to the 100% perfect look. I tell my brides feedback is so important, no makeup artist will mind if you say you would like to try a stronger lip colour or more blush. Whatever you do, don't leave the trial unhappy. A trial is an opportunity for you and the makeup artist to design the perfect look together so always tell them what you are thinking.
4. Timing...always allow plenty of time for your trial, about an hour and a half - you want to be able to sit down, have a good chat, share some images and ideas and then give time to try a few looks and amendments along the way. Its also a good idea to get your trial done during the day, in similar lighting to the morning of your wedding and while it can be tempting to get a trial when you have a big night out and can get some use of it, remember that makeup for a night out is so different to what you will want for your wedding day.
5. Tan...if you are planning on wearing fake tan on your wedding day then I would definitely recommend wearing it for your trial, even if its just a quick coat. It can change a look totally and mean that different shades of lip and eye colour may suit. 

Enjoy your trial!

Tanning and your wedding day...

Irish brides have a love/hate relationship with tan - we love the glow and the confidence it gives us but we hate the streaks, the unpredictability and the patches! There is nothing scarier than not being sure what colour you might wake up the morning of your wedding so here are my top tips to getting the best glow for your big day!
Less is more...
One of the reason Irish girls love tan so much is that the yellow undertones do wonders for those of us with pink pale skin. We don't really need to be super bronzed to get this effect, a light application of tan will give that lovely effect, neutralise the pink, and give a glow without looking dark. A light coat is also great for upper arms and shoulder areas which are usually on show.
Step away from the spray...
Oddly enough, I've never seen such bad hands, palms, ankles and feet as I do from spray tans. You would think that because you have gone to have a tan applied that you wouldn't need to worry about these danger areas. Unfortunately, spray tan tends to pool on these areas and because you aren't rubbing the tan in, it sits there and you end up with the orange. I feel that the results from a rub-in tan are much more natural, you can control the amount and you can make sure to go easy on the knees, ankles and feet. Use a baby wipe on the palms and between the fingers to ensure steak free hands. My favourites are Lancome Flash Bronzer Leg Gel and Cocoa Brown 1 hour tan. If you are nervous about applying it yourself or don't often tan, ask a friend who is a regular tanner to apply it for you.
Don't forget your face...
Always, always, always apply a light coat of tan to your face. Otherwise its very difficult to get a foundation shade to properly blend in with your tan, especially if its been brought to your neck and there's a line.

Happy Tanning!

How can I tone up quickly before my wedding?

I really liked this Bridal Babe workout from Tone it Up which is a really upbeat sunshine filled workout blog. It was designed by one of the trainers because she is getting married herself and there's both a video plus a printable version of the workout Enjoy!

How to ensure a stress free wedding morning

Here are my top five tips to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible on the morning of the big day!

1. Delegate - don't try and do everything yourself, use your bride privilege and get a bit bossy! One wedding I was at ran so smoothly because the bride had a 'runner' - someone who could go and do those last minute jobs that crop up no matter what. The runner wasn't one of the bridal party so had plenty of time to dedicate to getting everything sorted out, from dropping off mass booklets to collecting flowers to tying ribbons on cars.
2.Clear some space specially for preparation - a table and chair near some natural light for the makeup artist; a chair and a full length mirror near some sockets for the hair stylist; a nice space where your dress is hanging for the photographer to get some 'before shots'
3. Put some music on - get into the mood with a wedding playlist (check out last weeks newsletter for some song suggestions
4. Get layering - use a shower gel and body lotion with the same scent as your wedding perfume to make sure it lasts all day
5. Give yourself plenty of time - start early so you can take a break, have a cuppa and a bacon sandwich, chat with your family and don't get stressed - remember it will all come together!

Help! Getting married in hayfever season!

For those of us who dread summer just as much as we love it, hayfever is just the pits. Streaming puffy red eyes, running nose, sneezing. blotchy skin...the list of effects goes on and not one are ones you want on your wedding day. But if you are getting married in the summer and you suffer from hayfever, the likelihood of you and your makeup artist having to deal with some of these symptoms is pretty high.
So how to best deal with it? They thing about hayfever is it can be different for everyone and its important to treat both the symptoms and your own specific causes. Therefore, the products and routines I've listed are those that work for me, you might find that slight tweaks work better for you.
Eyes
One of the most important things you can do if you have sore eyes is to wash your hands as often as possible and try your absolute hardest not to rub your eyes. Oddly enough, one thing I found to really help was getting lash extensions. I was so mindful of them that I made a trojan effort not to rub them. Next up is eye drops. I continue my search for the perfect drops and recently read this article in Vogue and have since ordered the drops recommended, Rohot if its vogue worthy then I reckon it might do the job!
For dry skin on the eyes, I find a combination of Cliniques Repairware Laser Focus  followed by Double Base Cream really addresses flakey skin. When eyes are red and swollen, old reliables like cold spoons and chamomile tea bags are best.
Nose
There's no point in pretending otherwise, this one is not pretty but I cannot recommend NeilMed Sinus rinse enough. It comes with a bottle and some pre prepared sachets of saline solution which you add to some pre-boiled and cooled to room temp in the bottle and shake. Now the fun part - lean your head over the skin and gentle squeeze the bottle up one nostril and wait for the water to come down the other (yep, lovely!) When you've used half the water, swap to the other nostril. I usually wait a little while and then use a spray of Prevalin. Since using this combo I've noticed a huge improvement in symptoms plus the added benefit of no drowsiness.
Sooth red flaky skin around your nose with Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.
Skin
Blotchy red skin is a common symptom of hayfever and can appear anywhere on the face and body. The first thing to reach for is an anti-histamine and then cool the skin using a cool compress or a body lotion/face cream which has been chilling in the fridge. When the initial reaction has calmed, and the redness and itchiness has gone, buff away left behind flakes and bumps with an exfoliant. The Aveeno range is very good for skin prone to allergies as it contains soothing oats and oat oil.
Makeup
If you have sore hayfevery eyes on the morning of your wedding don't panic. Follow the steps above and when it comes to makeup, go easy on the eyes and put the focus on amazing glowing skin and a pop of colour on the lips. Use a light covering of concealor on the lids to bring down redness and mascara which is waterproof and designed for sensitive eyes.
Try Clinque High Impact Waterproof Mascara 

How can I drink more water?

I was on a plane recently reading the current issue of Marie Claire where they reckoned that there's no need to drink 8 glasses of water as long as you eat plenty of water filled fruit and veg - I was pretty horrified to be honest - nothing has made more of a single difference to my health and skin than drinking plenty of water and I don't know about you but there is no way that I am going to be ingesting enough water melon and cucumber to properly hydrate myself.
Cameron Diaz's book, The Body Book has a whole chapter dedicated to hydration and the wonders it can do for your health called Water is Life. In it she recommends that you fill up a pint glass before you go to bed and leave it next to you so that when you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is rehydrate. Its a great read and really lays out the facts about nutrition, exercise and how our bodies work.
So I recommend to all my clients that they start to really increase their water intake if its currently low but I am always surprised at how many people literally don't drink ANY. Like not a drop. Liquid for many people comes in the form of tea, coffee and diet coke. So how to go from zero hydration to getting your skin clear, your digestion functionally well and your kidneys and liver to top condition by upping the water intake?
First up, I recommend borrowing Cameron's idea. If you make sure you drink that whole pint of water first thing, before you even get out of bed, you are well on your way to super hydration.
Next up, during the day either keep a bottle on your desk or every hour get up, have a little walk and get some water at the cooler. Cut down to two teas or coffees per day and swap the rest for herbal tea as they count toward your total water intake.
At home, keep some chilled water in the fridge and mix with a squeeze of your favourite fruit for a little flavour (not Mi Wadi!) Try to stop drinking though before it gets too late in the evening, you don't want to have to keep jumping out of bed at night to go to the bathroom.
Finally, remember to keep hydrated when you exercise and try to swap fizzy soft drinks for sparkling water. Your skin will thank you for it!