Bridal Beauty Prep - The week before the wedding

As Sunshine Coast Bridal Hair and Makeup artists we are often asked by our beautiful brides-to-be for some tips on all things beauty in the lead  up to their big day. Here are some of our faves to help you look and feel your bridal best

7 days before - Treat yourself to a hydrating facial. This is a great time to enjoy a facial treatment, not only so you can take some time out and relax but also so your skin will look healthy, vibrant and radiant on the wedding day. Avoid deep cleansing treatments or peels, which can bring congestion to the surface and , well, hello unwanted pimples. Instead opt for a nourishing, hydrating facial as the perfect skin pick me up.

Avoid the sun in this last week, and don't make any last minute hair appointments! Many a bride has encountered a hair disaster this close to the wedding. Book your final cut and colour 10-14 days out and don't go for any drastic changes.

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4-5 days before - scrub away dry flaky skin with a full body exfoliation. We love the 'Sugar and Spice' organic body scrub from El Es Body (it smells just like a chai latte). This is particularly important if you plan to have a spray tan. Concentrate on areas like elbows, knees and ankles that are prone to being extra dry and moisturise your skin thoroughly each day in the lead up to the wedding for soft, supple glowing skin. Condition your locks with an at-home hair mask to restore moisture and shine.

3 days before - now is the time for any waxing and tinting appointments. This allows time for any redness or skin irritation to subside before the day. Don't make any major changes to your brow shape or tint colour as this has the potential to end in tears! If you have lash extensions this is also the perfect time for an in-fill so they are full, glamourous and honeymoon-ready

2 days before - Mani and Pedi. Perfect excuse to book a little girly spa time with your Mum or bridesmaids and relax. Gel or Shellac polish is the best option to ensure no chips or smudges between now and the wedding day.

Time to tan. Who doesn't want that gorgeous bridal glow? I personally love a Naked Tan 2-hour organic spray tan which means you can shower and be a bronzed goddess within 2 hours of your appointment. A good time to book this is in the late afternoon when you have finished running around doing errands for the day and you can just go home and chill in your tanning dress. Don't forget to moisturise moisturise moisturise after you shower to keep your tan looking fresh and glowy.

1 day before - last-minute beauty rest! The final week of wedding prep is a crazy time and you will be feeling stressed, anxious and exhausted so make yourself a cup of calming herbal tea and get to bed early to avoid those under eye bags (your makeup artist will thank you) and to ensure you feel refreshed. All the months of planning have come together and your our big day has finally arrived, so take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

Bridal Beauty Diaries from The Brides Tree

Our gorgeous Bride Hayley's bridal beauty style was recently featured on The Bride's Tree blog so we have shared their post here;

Hayley's hinterland wedding combined her two fave styles - boho and classic elegance with the help of her Maleny bridal hair and makeup artist. Hayley’s wedding to her love, Cameron took place at Flaxton Gardens in the charming Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Moseying through the vineyard, bride Hayley certainly looked the part.  Her beauty squad from Allure Bridal Stylists turned her into the elegant boho bride she had been dreaming of with a full voluminous boho braid to die for. Warm tones with a glowing finish, her makeup was complemented by the wedding’s classy colour palette. 

Hayley shares her bridal beauty diaries with us today… 

Wedding style

The day after the proposal it was straight into planning time. I have always loved bohemian-inspired weddings, but there is also something special about an elegant  wedding. I decided that I wanted to combine both of these inspirations, to best suit both my personality and the venue. This decision was made after several weeks of scrolling through wedding blogs and Instagram pages and of course plenty of Pinterest pinning.

Choosing the bridal beauty squad

After looking at the beautiful work the amazing girls did at Allure Bridal Stylists I decided to use their creative skills to achieve my hair and make up wedding goals. Rachel took on board my simplicity with makeup up, creating a natural glowing complexion, complimented with a natural tinted lip and dusty eyes. Styling and braiding my hair has always been a passion of mine. Natasha worked with my hair to create a twisted braid with an elegant hair piece, to incorporate my inspiration from both Bohemian and elegant wedding ideas.

Bridesmaids boho vibe

With my bridesmaids, I wanted to incorporate the braid theme throughout their hair also. We decided on a half-up-half-down look to fit within the vibe for for the wedding. The hair and makeup was perfect for the day and suited the vibe of the wedding perfectly, the girls from Allure did an incredible job!

Images by Laura Slade Photography | Venue: Flaxton Gardens | Hair + makeup: Allure Bridal Stylists  | Dress: Luv Bridal | Bridesmaid dresses: Review 

Hayley's Noosa wedding

A makeup artist herself, Hayley knew exactly what she wanted for her bridal beauty - glam makeup involving rose gold shimmering eyes, lot's of lashes and a pretty pink lip to match the tones of her bridesmaids gowns and gorgeous flowers. For her hair she wanted volume and loose cascading curls to complement her veil and strapless gown.

To create Hayley's makeup look we used Nars foundation to create a flawless full-coverage base, contoured with CoverFX highlight + contour kit, accentuated her beautiful natural brow shape with Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pomade and created a glamourous smokey eye with Stila eye palette and MAC copper pigment, finishing off with Model Rock strip lashes in 'Kitty'.

For Hayley's bridesmaids Natasha created a softly swept up style and for makeup Karla created a soft smokey eye with brown tones from the Stila 'eyes are the window - spirit' palette and layered Modelrock individual lashes in 'double style' for glam.

We styled Hayley and her maids at the beautiful Peppers Resort Noosa, Photography was by Tall Timber Studios, Flowers Ginger Lily and Rose

 

Alexandra & Matthew's Maleny Retreat Wedding

Wow these images from Alexandra and Matthew’s Maleny wedding are like something from a fairy tale! The one thing you can’t control on your wedding day is the weather and it certainly wasn’t a sunny warm day as Alexandra had hoped, but it didn’t dampen the mood and as you can see from these stunning images by Playback Studios there were big smiles all round for this beautiful couple and their friends and family who had travelled from far and wide to celebrate their special day at Maleny Retreat.

For Hair Alexandra chose a soft side-swept style finished with fresh flowers, and for makeup a flawless glowy complexion with soft smokey eyes and lots of lashes finished with a natural lip, and lot’s of setting sprays to combat the weather!

Bridal Beauty Tips | How to have the perfect hair and makeup trial

Having a hair and makeup trial can be a daunting process, particularly if you're not used to wearing a lot of makeup. Here are our tips to make sure you get the most out of your trial experience.

Prepare. If you haven’t already it’s time to start a Pinterest board or save some of your fave looks on Instagram so that you have some inspiration to show your stylists. It also helps to have a photo of your dress on hand so your hair and makeup team get a feel for the complete look and can advise you on styles to complement. Try not to be too set on a particular style especially if it’s something you haven’t worn before such as a bold smokey eye or sleek upstyle as you may be disappointed if the style doesn’t suit you – this is what a trial is all about so be open to some suggestions from your stylists of what would complement your features. If you’re planning to wear a veil or hairpiece bring it along with you. It’s best to wash your hair the day or evening before your trial, freshly washed hair can be harder to style and will often not hold as well. Come to your trial with makeup-free skin and if you can try to wear a light coloured top or dress so you get an idea of what your hair and makeup will look like against your wedding gown.

Keep it small. If you’re planning to bring someone along with you to your trial we recommend keeping it to one person who’s opinion you trust, rather than bringing along a gathering of your bridesmaids, mum, mother-in-law-to-be or friends, etc who often want to share their opinions on your look and it can become quite overwhelming.

Relax. Your trial is a chance to try out the styles you have chosen, try to relax and have fun and enjoy the process. If you’re feeling nervous ask your hair and makeup artists some questions about what’s worrying you, such as having your makeup too heavy, or your eye makeup too dark, and they will guide you through the process and help you put your mind at ease. It’s important not to be shy, if there’s something you’re not sure about speak up and let your stylists know, your trial is the best chance to try out different looks so you leave happy and excited about your chosen bridal look.

Snap happy. Take lots of pictures of your finished look so you have a reference to look back on in the time leading up to the wedding. Take some inside and outside in natural light so you can see how it photographs and then let you styling team know if you decide you would like to make any changes

Wear it. If possible wear your hair and makeup look home after your trial, then as you wear it throughout the day you will have a chance to think about any changes you might like to make on the wedding day such as more volume with your hair or a bolder lip colour.

Finalise the details. While at your trial have a chat to your stylists about timing for the wedding day, style ideas for your bridal party, what your photographers requirements are with regards to when you need to be ready by, and any other details such as the order for hair and makeup on the day or any other questions you may have. That way you will feel organised and confident leading up to the wedding and your stylists will know exactly when they need to arrive and be finished on the day.

Sara and her Bridesmaids at Mantra Mooloolaba

We had such a fun morning with Sara and her Bridesmaids at the Mantra resort Mooloolaba. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we even spotted whales playing right out the front as we were styling the girls hair and makeup.

Sara chose beautiful soft up styles for herself and her bridesmaids, and for makeup a slightly smokey eye with lot's of lashes.

Sara's photography was by Tall Timber Studios, and her ceremony was held at Annabella Chapel