If you believe the hype, your wedding day should be the best day of your life. It can also be a lot of work and pressure beauty-wise. There's a lot to take into account: How the heck are you wearing your hair? Should you wear your makeup natural or glam? How on earth can you make sure no day-of pimples pop up before you take your first step down the aisle?
To help you shed a little big-day stress, we've consulted a few beauty pros who are either recently or soon to be married on how they prepped to say "I do." Coming from a nail artist, an aesthetician, a makeup artist, a beauty editor, a hairstylist, and other beauty veterans, there's a lot of noteworthy, well-researched advice ahead. Feel free to use their getting-ready tactics as mere guidance, though. At the end of the day, there is no day more appropriate for you to do you. Sure, it's a major event, but you also want to feel authentic. Congratulations and best wishes, brides-to-be: May your love continue to grow and your skin forever glow.
Miss Pop , Nail Artist
Nail extraordinaire Miss Pop is getting married in October, and she tells us her main aim is to feel like herself. "I’m really playful and colorful with my hair and makeup every day, and I’m definitely not going to tone myself down for my wedding," she says. "Mr. Pop’s favorite color is purple, so I’m going to incorporate a range of that shade into my beauty look — from my nails to my amethyst jewelry to my lipstick."
Photographed by Joel Barhamand.
"For my nails — the most important part — I’m either going to use CND Shellac or Vinylux, the long-wear polish, to create my design and keep it gorgeous all weekend long," Miss Pop says.
The actual mani is still TBD. "I’ve been going back and forth on doing hand-painted metallic accents and negative-space looks," she explains.
CND, $9.99, available at Walmart
"My friend Lara Eurdolian gave me a crème CoverGirl lipstick called Divine Wine about a year ago, and it quickly became my favorite," Miss Pop says. "It starts out this intense purple and wears into a fuchsia stain. It’s so beautiful and highly pigmented at every stage. I won’t have to worry about it flaking off or turning into patchy lipliner."
COVERGIRL, $6.99, available at Ulta Beauty
"I haven’t changed my skin regimen because I have really sensitive skin," she tells us. "I’m obsessed with Erno Laszlo’s eye refiner, and I’ll do the Transphuse mask the day of for that bridal glow."
Erno Laszlo, $105.00, available at Erno Laszlo
"For my eyes, I’m going with a copper shadow with a black cat-eye," she says. "I’ll be counting on the Urban Decay eye primer to hold it all in place. I’m still searching for the perfect, magical waterproof mascara and liner, though."
Urban Decay, $20.00, available at Sephora
"For my foundation, I love Armani Luminous Silk," she says. "I’m getting married in Florida, so I’ll be setting everything with translucent Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte."
Giorgio Armani Beauty, $62.00, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
Deena Campbell , Senior Digital Editor, A llure
Aside from getting a triple-oxygen facial from Bliss a week before her wedding this past April, editor Deena Campbell says that she kept things extra chill. "Unfortunately, I didn’t do any crazy beauty things for my big day. As a beauty editor, I’m always trying new and crazy treatments, so it was actually nice to be a minimalist for once and do something simple."
Photographed by Trenique Artistry.
"My main focus beauty-wise was to master the no-makeup makeup look," Campbell says. "It was important to look amazing, but I didn’t want to have too much on."
Her makeup artist, Regenna Carson, plumped up her skin with moisturizer and a little serum. Next, she used the Anastasia brow pencil to fill in her arches and shaped them with MAC's Studio Finish Concealer.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil, $23, available at Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Using the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette, Carson subtly contoured the lids. She added a slight winged liner to bring out Campbell's almond-shaped eyes and topped it off with some faux lashes.
Urban Decay, $58.00, available at Urban Decay
For the skin, she used Kat Von D's Lock-It foundation. Next, she swirled on a wash of blush and a dab of highlighter from Becca.
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, $35, available at Sephora.
For the lips, she used a neutral-pink gloss, which she followed with a few spritzes of Caudalíe's face mist.
Caudalíe Beauty Elixir, $49, available at Caudalíe.
"The hairstylist I wanted cancelled on me two weeks before the wedding. So, I had to scramble to find a good one in Baltimore (where I got married) who was available on my wedding date," Campbell tells us.
At the suggestion of a friend, she came across Shy Watters of Shy Watters Hair Studio, who, "Did an amazing job! I normally wear my hair curly, but I knew I wanted my hair to be straight the day of." Watters blowdried, added a few extensions for fullness and body, misted with finishing spray, and was on her merry way in two hours, Campbell says. Crisis averted.
Serge Normant Meta Sheer Dry Oil Finishing Spray, $24, available at Nordstrom.
Aviva Perea , Hairstylist
For hairstylist Aviva Perea, prep started from the inside out. "I got married on December 20th of last year and, about three months before the wedding, I started really getting focused on exercise," she tells us. "I also switched to a mostly plant-based diet. I still ate cheese, but I focused on veggies, because the best way to glow on the outside is to start with what you eat. My hair grows faster and my skin looks infinitely better."
Photo: Courtesy of Aviva Perea.
Perea recommends planning your haircut and color in advance. She got highlights and a cut a month-and-a-half before her big day, so that there were no last-minute catastrophes. "There's nothing better than doing things as far in advance as possible. Because weddings are inevitably stressful, your glam should be relaxing and fun," she says.
Perea used Nexxus' Reconstructing Treatment along with coconut oil on the bottom half of her hair every Sunday two months before the wedding. "By the time the big day came, my hair was super-healthy, shiny, and strong," she says.
Nexxus Emergencée Reconstructing Treatment, $21.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
It also helps to have friends in high places. "Luckily, two of my best friends are [hairstylist] Mark Townsend and [makeup artist] Andre Sarmiento, so I got to be taken care of by them that day," Perea says.
For her makeup, Perea and Sarmiento decided on a light-brown smoky eye and glowy skin. "We were getting married at home, so I wanted to look the best version of myself but also not like I was getting married in a ball gown in a fancy location," she says.
NARS Matte Eyeshadow in Coconut Grove, $25, available at NARS.
"I have boxy eyes, so we picked lashes that kind of elongated them," she says.
Ardell Knot Free Double Individual Lashes, $4.99, available at Sally Beauty.
Perea says that Sarmiento introduced her to this hydrating spray from Epicuren and the wonders of aloe vera gel, which did wonders to improve her skin.
Epicuren Colostrum Hydrating Mist, $49, available at Epicuren.
"For my hair, I just told Mark I wanted his magical texture that he's known for — slightly wavy, slightly beachy, completely touchable, and romantic," Perea says. He styled it with one side pulled back and a vintage-style Jennifer Behr accessory. "It was a nice juxtaposition with the soft hair," she says. "It made me feel like a bride."
She explored the idea of adding extensions, but ultimately decided that she didn't like how they'd feel on her hair. At the end of the day, it was the right choice. "I truly felt the most beautiful I've ever felt and, because my best boys helped me get ready, I felt loved and cared for, which adds to the glow," she reflects. "I'm a lucky girl."
Jennifer Behr Double Crystal Orchid Bobby Pin, $352, available at Jennifer Behr.
Alicia Yoon, Founder, Peach & Lily
Beauty buff Alicia Yoon's primary focus for her late-2016 wedding is having great skin. "It's the Korean in me! To me, the most beautiful accessory to my wedding dress is going to be healthy, radiant skin," she tells us.
Yoon says the most intense thing she's doing to prep for her upcoming wedding is nutrition-response testing to help deal with her eczema. "To make sure I'm flare-up free on my wedding day, I decided to deal with it from the inside out in a serious way," she says. "After some research and recommendations from a few friends, I came across an amazing specialist who analyzes your body's biofeedback response to identify which systems, organs, and glands are not in optimal health and which whole food-derived supplements can remedy those systemic issues."
Outside of testing, she's also regularly going to her family facialist in Korea. Since Yoon has sensitive skin, she hasn't been doing anything invasive but rather focusing on deep cleansing, oxygen treatments, LED lights, rubber masks, facial massages, steam facials, and more.
Glitz LED Therapy Anti Aging Mask Daily Tricolor Phototherapy Solution, $250, available at La Fontaine Cosmetics.
Yoon says she's also toying with the idea of getting radiance shots. "They're surface-level (apparently, very painful), hyaluronic-acid shots that you can get on your skin to give skin an instant and incredible dewy, plump, healthy glow," she explains, noting that they're designed for special occasions. "It basically helps your skin look like you just walked out of the world's best facial non-stop for two weeks. I don't do well with shots, so if I'm in Korea a couple weeks prior to the wedding and I work up the courage, I might do this — partially because it looks great and partially because, as a beauty curator and writer, I should be willing to give all things a go, right?"
Derma f+ Portable Sonic Skin Scrubber, $149, available at Spa & Equipment.
Yoon says she plans to style her hair in a traditional Korean way. She's a fan of Herbolle's shampoo and conditioner to keep her locks at peak lusciousness.
Herbolle Rosemary Hair Conditioner, $32, available at Peach & Lily.
"For makeup, I'm doing a very no-makeup makeup look, focusing on having super-translucent skin that is slightly flushed," she tells us. "No smoky eyes, no cat liner, no dark lipstick." She plans on wearing this cream as her priming base.
Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream, $37, available at Peach & Lily.
"I'll definitely be wearing the 24/7 Perfecting Skin Cream for highlighting, because I love the way it looks," she says. The morning of the wedding, she also plans on using a sheet mask for optimum glow.
24/7 Touch Up Skin-Perfecting Cream, $22, available at Peach & Lily.
Janessa Paré , Makeup Artist
Makeup artist Janessa Paré's wedding ethos was incredibly relatable: "I wanted to feel like myself, just more glamorous."
She got married right after fall Fashion Month, so she didn't have much time to stress about her big day. One major obstacle she had was trying to dodge the sun. "I got married in October, and chose a strapless dress, so one challenge I had was not getting any crazy tan lines the summer before with all of the events going on."
Photo: Courtesy of Janessa Pare.
"As a makeup artist, I am naturally obsessed with great skin so I am always very good about my skin regime, but I became obsessed with my systems prior to my wedding," she tells us. What was on her vanity? Chantecaille's Bio Lifting Cream with drops of the brand's Rose de Mai mixed in. She also added SK II's Cellumination Aura Bright and Cellumination Cream EZ to her rotation to ensure her skin stayed bright and even throughout the summer.
Chantecaille Bio Lifting Cream, $342, available at Chantecaille.
"For my hair, it was about perfecting my red color to the exact shade and keeping it there throughout the summer months," Paré says. "Michelle Combs at Fourteen Jay is the color master I always see."
She used Aveda's beautifying oil to treat her dry, color-treated hair every day, along with the entire Aveda Dry Remedy system. For her 'do, she says her inspiration was Old Hollywood meets classic, romantic glamour. Her hairstylist, Clay Nielsen, added a few extensions for that dream look.
Aveda Beautifying Composition, $30, available at Aveda.
"I actually didn't do my own makeup (except for the tweaks at the end)!" Paré tells us. Instead, she had a close friend step up. "I was originally going for a natural look but, last-minute, we decided to add a bright-red lip after the ceremony, since the weather was so rainy and dark. I got married the day of Hurricane Joaquin; thank goodness everything was planned to be inside!"
Shu Uemura Laque Supreme in Red 01, $30, available at Shu Uemura.
Melissa Ouellette, M aster Aesthetician, Joanna Vargas Salon
Aesthetician Melissa Ouellette said that she started prepping her skin a year before her wedding. "I started a year out doing Triple Crown microcurrent and Oxygen Purifying facials once a month. Also, around this time, I did a series of eight radio-frequency Forever Facials done over the course of eight weeks."
She's also doing a vitamin-IV drop once a week leading up to her date.
"They make your skin look really great and also help fortify your body before all of the celebrating," she says.
But the prep doesn't stop there. She adds that she's also doing bimonthly colonics and infrared saunas, taking many Barry's Bootcamp and Throwback Fitness classes, and plans on seeing her chiropractor three times the week before her wedding. "Posture is so important!" she stresses. "No one looks elegant in a gown without good posture."
Photo: Courtesy of Melissa Ouellette.Additionally, she's been doing LED-light therapy one to three times a week. She still plans on doing microcurrent and oxygen treatments once a month until about 12 weeks out, and then she'll start doing them once a week.
Glitz LED Therapy Anti Aging Mask Daily Tricolor Phototherapy Solution, $250, available at La Fontaine Cosmetics.
"I've already started using a lash- and eyebrow-growth serum that has been amazing, and I'm taking a supplement that's supposed to make your hair grow really long and strong," she tells us.
RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner, $69.99, available at Drugstore.com.
"As far as hairstyles go, I haven't quite decided yet, but I know I want to wear it down and long," she says. She also plans on doing some pro-conditioning treatments and a gloss before October rolls around.
Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème, $19.99, available at Target.
Though she hasn't settled on a makeup look yet (skin care is really the focus here, if you haven't noticed!), she knows that she wants her lashes to be super- full.
Shu Uemura False Eyelashes Smoky Layers, $28, available at Shu Uemura.
AJ Palace , Hairstylist
Hairstylist AJ Palace pulled a wedding move that you don't see very often: She styled her own hair, along with that of all nine of her bridesmaids, her mother, her mother-in-law, her grandma, and her aunt.
"Doing everyone’s hair gave me personal time with each of my girls, making them feel as beautiful as they are to me," she explains. "I did the hair for my friends and family, then I curled mine in less than 10 minutes while singing Taylor Swift, drinking a mimosa, and wearing a baseball tee with my soon-to-be last name and fiancé's baseball number on my back."
She explains that doing hair is what makes her feel most at peace, so it was a natural decision. "I’m so comfortable behind the chair, and it felt normal, but special," she says.
Photo: Courtesy of AJ Palace.
"I’m sure every couple says this, but we wanted our wedding to be as 'us' as possible. For me, that meant long, blond waves — definitely down with a flower crown," Palace says. She gave the rest of her ladies free-flowing 'dos — no tight curls here. "Myself and many of my girls have permanent extensions, a service that I offer at the salon," she says.
She notes that she couldn't do her job without Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray, which was in full force on the big day. "It's super-important for curl that holds and volume that makes you feel like Mufasa!"
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $44, available at Oribe.
"Great makeup starts with the canvas," Palace says. "I set my makeup artist up for success by gently exfoliating with this after my cleanser. I’ve been using it longer than any single product in my routine."
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, $55, available at Dermalogica.
"For makeup, I had my go-to girl Shannon amp up what I usually do," she tells us. "She added lashes lush enough that I felt like I could fly away with [them]. She also understands that I have a deep love for winged liner and a blue-toned, light-pink lip."
MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Patentpink, $20, available at Macy's.
"I have intense rosacea and after trying millions of expensive foundations, including custom blends, Revlon sent me this a few years ago — and I will never look back," Palace says. "Even though my makeup artist doesn’t use this foundation, we used it for my wedding day as it’s my fave!"
Revlon ColorStay Makeup, $12.99, available at Ulta Beauty.
Lily Pebbles, Beauty Vlogger
Vlogger Lily Pebbles is taking the chill route — the supremely chill route. She tells us that she plans on keeping her skin hydrated while traveling, might get her hair colored and a Brazilian-keratin treatment, and that she'll keep up her eyebrow-threading.
"I don't want to feel stressed in any way, so I'm reminding myself what it's all about," she says. "Our priority is getting married and having all our family and friends there to celebrate. The little details are a bonus, but what we'll always remember is the way it felt, so I'm trying to be very relaxed about the whole thing."
Photo: Courtesy of Lily Pebbles.
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