Wedding Destressers

Yes I haven't posted in nearly 2 months and no I am not proud of it.
My days and nights have been spent preparing for the wedding....which is now in less than a month!
Throughout this whole engagement, I have had  a lot of fun planning and organizing, shopping and getting pampered, but I have also been a big ball of stress. No matter how well you plan for something, you can never really be at ease because anything can go wrong and all your hardwork and efforts gone down the drain. I will try not to be a pesimmist here, but when it is your day, you get pretty nervous!

Over the past few months I have been preparing my body, hair and skin for the big day! Below are my personal tips for making sure you are photo ready for your big day!

1) Skin Analysis
You want your skin to be glowing and radiant in your pictures, and makeup can help with that, but I highly reccommend getting your skin assessed at a skin clinic or by a dermatologist. If you are like me, I had very bad acne bumps under my skin that would not go away. I was tired of trying different cleansers so I finally decided to make the trip to a professional and have my face assessed and treated. With a series of chemical peels, my face has shed off the dead layers of skin and have allowed my congested skin to brethe again.

2) Laser Hair Removal
Since being engaged, I started getting laser hair removal for my underarms. Since it takes about 10 months (1 session a month), I decided to get started early and be ready to rock in my strapless dress.
I can not tell you how amazing it is NOT to have to shave every day. Razor burn and bumps no more! Hello smooth and hairless armpits. I highly reccommend this service for anyone...not just brides. Definately worth the investment.

3) Hair Colouring
If you are like me and change your hair colour as often as your socks, you may have some trouble selecting your hair colour for your wedding day. Throughout my 10 month engagement, I have been a red head, a brunette, a dirty blonde, and a platinum blonde. If you want to be a blonde for your wedding, and you are naturally dark, I reccommend starting to go lighter at least 3 months before the big day. It takes time to lighten and depending how light you want to be, it could take months. If you are looking for long luscious locks for your day, I also reccommend clip in hair extensions that can add not only length but lots of volume which always looks luscious and amzing.

4) Massages
Has anyone ever told you planning a wedding is stressful? Full body massages from a registered massage therapist are great for tension and stress relief. Going for a massage once a month has helped me destress and relax.

5) Exercise

Want to look fit and fab in your dress? Of course working out is the only way to do that. And eating properly! |And bonus: exercise also helps to reduce that stress. It can be tough to stick to a routine, but I find even if I don't feel like doing a full blown workout, I try and do a small one...even if it's only 5-10 minutes in my bedroom. And no need for fancy equipment either...I have found tons of YouTube videos of amazing home workouts.
This is one of my faves. Perfect for anyone wearing a strapless dress to the wedding!

And those are just my pre-wedding tips!! Again, these are my own personal experiences and reccommendations.
What are some of your routines/tips?

Arad Mud Soap

I have been battling mild adult acne for the past year and let me tell you, it is not fun. I hate standing in the facial cleanser aisle at the store trying to guess which product is right for me. It is a waste of time and money and I really don’t know what I am looking for. So I bit the bullet and finally went to see a skin specialist who could help me get into a better skin regimen.

I visited this specialist last year in Bradford. Her name is Mia and she owns The Bradford Skin Clinic right by my house. Last year, I purchased a facial cleanser from her by Arad. Arad is a line of Dead Sea skin products. I remember it working very well, so I went back in to have a chat with her about my current state of skin.

I explained my skin woes to Mia who listened intently and reassured me my face would look amazing for my wedding in October.

After going through a skin assessment and questionnaire, she advised I get a series of chemical peels. I had never had a chemical peel before, and it sounded frightening and painful but was reassured when I found out that a clay peel (which is the one she prescribed for me) was actually a very quick 2 step procedure that does not involve any down time whatsoever. The clay peels help with sun damage, acne and wrinkles.

So I went last night for my first ever peel. She started off by cleansing my face of all my makeup. The next thing she did was put a layer of clay on my face. It hardened in about 5 minutes and then she wiped it all away. It felt pretty good afterwards. The second step of the procedure was a little more uncomfortable. She applied the actual peel on my face. It felt very tingly and hot, like an army of ants were crawling on my skin. This was the part of the process where I could actually feel my pores tightening and working to get rid of the impurities. Thankfully that layer was only on for about 2 minutes and then she wiped it all off. I was pretty red afterwards (normal) and she calmed down the redness with some moisturizer and cover up.

My skin already feels tighter and looks better. I have another one booked for next week and will probably be getting a few before the wedding. It takes a few peels before you really start to notice the changes.

Before I left, I also purchased a very inexpensive bar of facial mud soap from the Arad line. I used it last night and this morning and it made my face feel really soft.  It acted like a sponge soaking up all the oil off my face. Hopefully with more use, I will stop having such bad breakouts. Mia said since my skin is super sensitive, it’s not good for me to be using products with such harsh perfumes and exfoliates.

I hope by the time this series of peels are over, my face will be in a beautiful, glowing, state.