Bridal Beauty Blunders
No matter how amazing your makeup and hair stylists are, there are certain self-inflicted beauty disasters that no professional should have to navigate.
If you were a professional painter, would you rather create a masterpiece on a fresh, flawless canvas, or one that’s stained and poked full of holes? unless you’re going for a look that’s wildly unorthodox, we’re betting that you would opt for the clean canvas instead of the messy one. In order for you to leave your appointment looking like a bridal masterpiece, you need to do yourself and your beauty team the courtesy of prepping intelligently beforehand and not arriving at the salon looking like a train wreck. we aren’t saying that you need to walk in looking picture perfect – it’s your artists’ job to get you camera-ready, and minor flaws like errant pimples and dark under eye circles can be easily remedied – but there are certain beauty behaviors that no bride-to-be should ever engage in. Read on to discover our list of definite beauty blunders.
Blunder: Attempting a Quick Emergency Tan.
Whether you’re slathering on lotion, getting sprayed in a booth, baking in a bed, or laying out beneath some good old-fashioned natural sunlight, the odds of a last-minute quickie tan going well are incredibly low. Darkening lotions and spray tans are notorious for their streaky results and tanning beds and poolside lounging can culminate in horrific burns. So, what’s the key to successful tanning? Start early. Instead of using an overnight miracle lotion, opt for a gradual product that builds color with each use and start applying it about a week before the wedding. if you are the spray tan type, the same rule applies. Start with a lighter option and gradually work your way up to avoid an oompa loompa debacle on the eve of your Big Day. While we can’t responsibly endorse tanning beds due to health concerns, we can say that if you insist on this option, be smart about it and tan in increments rather than attempting a twenty-minute power session beneath the UV lights the night before your wedding.
Blunder: Testing Out New Beauty Products or Regimens.
No matter how convincing the reviews are online, do not – we repeat DO NOT – use any skin or haircare product that you haven’t used in the past. The night before you get hitched is not the time to finally try that fancy Brazilian exfoliating cream you got in your stocking last Christmas, and the same goes for any new lotions, shampoos, conditioners, makeup… you get the idea. Even if you have never had sensitive skin in the past or haven’t had a disastrous run-in with a new beauty product, it’s better to err on the side of caution and stick to what you know. This rule doesn’t just apply to products you can buy at a store – whipping up new homemade concoctions are also a bad idea. Making an avocado and coconut oil smoothing mask sounds like a great idea in theory, but when you show up for your beauty appointment the next morning with hundreds of tiny green clumps in your hair (mashing the ingredients with a fork is not the same as pureeing them), you’re going to have an awful lot of explaining to do. Just trust us on this one, save the skin and haircare experiments for a different night.
Blunder: Trying Aggressive Fake Nails for the First Time.
We’re all about looking to Instagram for mani-pedi inspiration, but if you’ve never worn long acrylic nails before, your wedding day is not the time to give them a test drive. They might look amazing but if you aren’t used to wearing them, performing even the simplest wedding day tasks will be next to impossible. Popping in your contacts, touching up your makeup, and holding utensils at your reception all become infinitely harder when you’ve got a set of inch-long talons glued to your fingers. So unless you are already an expert, go with the nail routine you’re used to.
Blunder: Giving Botox or Lip Plumpers a Whirl.
They may have worked wonders for your favorite celebrities but getting any kind of permanent wrinkle treatments or fillers near your wedding day is like betting on the worst horse in the race. There’s a chance that everything will work out in your favor, but there’s an even higher chance that your treatment will go wrong. Infection, inflammation, swelling, redness, itching, bleeding, bruising, allergic reaction… unless you’re going for the Bride of Frankenstein look, we recommend saving your artificial enhancements for after your wedding. Dabbling in Botox is entirely your choice, but trying it for the first time right before your wedding is borderline reckless.
Blunder: Using Communal Makeup Collections.
We’re all for sharing your deepest secrets and biggest dreams with your bridal party, but your makeup is one thing that you should absolutely keep to yourself. If you’re rolling your eyes and preparing to skip to the next item on our list, pause and imagine your honeymoon. Is pink eye part of your vision? If not, take this rule seriously. But I want all my bridesmaids to look cohesive, you are probably thinking to yourself. And I don’t want to make them all splurge on lavender eyeshadow that they’ll never wear again. The good news is that if you’ve hired a professional makeup artist for your wedding, you won’t have to waste a single moment worrying about gross germs. If you’ve decided to forgo professional help and want everyone to do their own makeup, remember that Q-tips are your friends and bring a bundle of them to your bridal suite.
Blunder: Insisting on Going Over the Top.
Until now, we have mostly focused on beauty blunders that happen before the Big Day, but one of the most common mistakes actually occurs the day-of. Every girl who’s ever modeled or done theatre knows that in order to look your best on camera and video, your makeup needs to be a little bolder than normal. Since your wedding day is one of the most photographed days of your life, it’s understandable that you would want to treat that rule like gospel. However, it’s dangerously easy to go overboard. Whether it’s dark bronzer, garish eyeshadow, heavy liner, or any other extreme beauty faux pas, we recommend leaving theatrical makeup looks to the runway models and opting for a style that’s less outlandish. As you stand at the altar with your partner and exchange vows, you want them to gaze lovingly into your eyes and not be distracted by the fact that your XXL Ultra Max Volume Explosion fake lashes are slowly becoming unglued. Yikes.
Blunder: Forgetting that Internal Health Fuels External Beauty.
Even if you’re armed with enough hair and makeup products to open your own beauty counter at the mall, all of your helpful tools, brushes, and sprays will be for naught if you don’t take care of yourself on the inside. Hit the gym. Drink tons of water. Eat your greens. Take daily vitamins (and get them from your doctor, not a former reality show contestant who is peddling “the next big thing” on Instagram). Concealers and hair treatments might make you look like a million dollars but living a healthy life is what will make you feel like a million dollars. The list of beauty do’s and don’ts is almost endless and feeling overwhelmed is totally understandable. However, the beauty blunders that we have discussed with you are things that can easily be avoided with a little planning and common sense. Steer clear of these and you will be well on your way to looking gorgeous on your wedding day.
