Who doesn’t want that glowing beautiful skin, especially on their wedding day?

Below I have outlined my pro tips to giving yourself that natural glow from within (without breaking the bank!)

♥ Water – It really is true that your skin is a reflection of what you put into your body. Water is super accessible, plus it has a huge impact on how we look and feel. The ideal amount of water we should be drinking is 2.2 litres per day. That’s 9 glasses, which is the ideal hydration level for our bodies. Hydration is the key to a brighter, more glowing complexion! Plus there is the added bonus that keeping your appropriate levels of hydration helps with minimising the appearance of fine lines. Hydrated skin is less tired and slightly fuller so it reduces those pesky little smile lines. Bonus.

♥ Diet – Don’t forget to get your intake of super foods! Your body doesn’t only crave water, it craves hydrating foods as well! No matter what your skin type is—oily, dry, normal or combo— you can snack on naturally hydrating foods like watermelon, grapefruit, cucumbers, tomatoes and kale.

♥ Cleanse, tone & moisturise – Make a point to cleanse, tone and moisturise every day! This will ensure all your days makeup and build-up of natural oils are removed leaving your skin nice and clean! When you purchase your skin care, ensure you have a full consultation prior to purchasing anything. This will ensure you get the right skin care for your skin type. The sooner you start this before your wedding date the smoother and clearer your skin will be on the big day! Try to go for brands who specialise in skincare only (i.e. didn’t start as a makeup brand and then expanded into skin care). From my previous experience, I noticed a real difference to my skin as soon as I switched to skin specialist brands.

♥ Eye cream – This is vital to assist with keeping your eye area hydrated. The skin under your eyes can easily dry out through the winter months, so looking after yourself with a hydrating eye cream is crucial. This will assist with minimising any under eye creasing of your foundation on the wedding day as well!

♥ Exfoliate – I suggest exfoliating every second or third day depending on your skin sensitivity levels. Again this should be discussed as part of your skin consultation (refer above). When exfoliating ensure to really focus on the nose and chin areas as these are often the areas where dry skin can sit. Regular exfoliation will get rid of any build-up and dead skin, which will allow your foundation to sit flawlessly for the whole day (especially vital for your wedding day)!

♥ SPF for your lips – It’s easier to prevent your lips from getting chapped than it is to repair them after they become damaged. A thick lip conditioner (not a lip balm) with SPF will help keep your lips hydrated, which will allow you to pull off any lip colour and finish on your big day with confidence. Dry lips can prevent darker lip shades and certain lipstick formulas from sitting nicely on your lips. If you are having an Autumn wedding and were thinking of having a vampy lip, then lip conditioners should become your best friend!

♥ Schedule professional facials – Your wedding is the perfect excuse for some extra pampering. You may want to consider booking monthly facials to really refresh your skin (ensuring your last facial is at least 2 weeks before the wedding day so your skin has the chance to renew and look its best). Experienced aestheticians will massage your skin, scalp and neck to stimulate blood circulation and keep your skin looking healthy and glowing naturally. You can also request extractions, which is great for those hard to get blackheads. Your facialist will get all the dirt out of your pores, leaving your skin flawless and glowing. **Disclaimer: This is a nice to have and definitely not an essential**

♥ “Shrink” your pores with microdermabrasion – Microdermabrasion, glycolic acid and other chemical peels will exfoliate layers of dry skin and minimize pore surface. This again is not essential. However, it all depends on your skin type and the size of your pores. A professional skin consultation is essential for this.

♥ Nails – Don’t forget to look after those cuticles with cuticle oil and moisturising hand cream! You will be amazed how much your hands are photographed and looked at by guests on your wedding day so get onto those cuticles asap! Your nail technician will love you for it too!