Many of those who follow me on Instagram know that I got married recently (currently on the way to my honeymoon in the Maldives!). Almost two weeks ago, I became a Mrs. It was an exciting, crazy, stressful but absolutely wonderful time of my life and the big day itself was one of the happiest and best of my life. It was a huge day for both myself and the Mr – with a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony in the morning, followed by a church ceremony, photos and finally the reception (with almost 300 guests attending). I couldn’t believe how fast the somewhat long day went by but it was such a wonderful time to celebrate such a milestone with those who have made such an impact on our life. We had guests fly from all over the world to celebrate with us and I am just so forever grateful of each and everyone person who not only attended but also helped out in the lead up or on the day.
Now that the party (or should I say parties – we had an additional reception for more family overseas a week later) are over, I now can spend some valuable time with the Mr – my partner in crime in the Maldives. Its so surreal to think that the 18 months of wedding planning has reached its climax and is now over. In the months leading up to the big day, I started to adopt new habits with the mindset of trying to achieve my best skin yet and I thought I would share 8 different things I did for my skin in preparation for the big day.
1. Starting Taking Skincare Supplements
The Beauty Chef Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost
One thing that has really changed in my every day routine is that I have incorporated the use of skin supplements. Every morning I have been drinking a mixture of the Beauty Chef’s Antioxidant Booster and Glow Powder and during the day, I have been sipping away at my water bottle which include the brand’s Hydration Booster. Whilst, I haven’t really noticed crazy wonderful ‘glowing’ and radiant skin. What I have noticed is that my energy levels, general skin health (in terms of less eczema flare ups) and digestion has been so much better than what it used to be. I have really enjoyed taking these supplements and I think these are something that I would continue to use after the wedding is over!
2. “Tried” to Stick to a Routine
After reading You Glow Gal’s skincare tips some time ago, she did mention that a bride should find a routine and stick to it – consistency is key and I couldn’t agree more with her. However, as a person who is obsessed with skincare and loves to try different things, this mindset of sticking to a routine would never work. What I did do though, is minimise what I would introduce to my routine and being wary about products that could bring about a reaction. I also found my self consciously starting to use the same products on a more regular basis and would change depending on how my skin was feeling and responding. Towards the final month of my wedding preparation, instead of rotating through 6 different face oils or serums, I was rotating through around 3 different ones. I also made an effort to incorporate an eye serum more often to help depuff those baggy eyes. To compensate for the ‘stricter’ rules I had placed with serums and face oils, I found myself rotating or opening new cleansers more often!
3. Looked After My Body as Well as My Face
The infamous Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub
I take my skincare pretty seriously but when it comes to general body care – I am pretty useless. I hardly ever moisturise my body – unless going out and never touched a body scrub until about 3 months ago. I don’t take long baths, I hate ‘relaxing’ massages (much rather deep tissue massages that cause some pain), I hardly ever purchase nice body creams and to top it all off – I never partake in getting my nails done. As you can see, I am very low maintenance when it comes to body self care but for the lead up to the big day I actually decided to engage in some of these activities which are very foreign to me! Whilst the whole body self care was something very new and different to me, I have to say that I didn’t mind it at all. I took a long bath one evening to help relax the mind, I decided to use a coffee body scrub at least once a week, I started to moisturise my body more often in the evening AND I even got my nails done for the big day. Some of these I have started to incorporate in to my daily life after the wedding and some of these activities, I will just give a miss for now! Hahahaha.
4. Started Getting Facials on a Regular Basis
Getting married was an amazing excuse to go treat myself to a indulgent facial at Bodhi J Spa once a month. This treat not only helped me to relax, but also was such a great treat for my skin. I also loved the fact that I could sit down and chat with my amazing facialist about all things skincare, trends, things we have tried and tested and just life in general. My facials at this spa became a fantastic way for me to tune out from what was happening around me and gave me the opportunity to stress less (and sometimes even doze off). I found that these facials not only helped my mental state but also were a fantastic way to learn more about my skin and also help my complexion be the best it could be. I found my treatments and consults really helped to achieve smooth, glowing and vibrant skin. The discussions with my facialist also helped me narrow down some problems that I generally do have with my skin and how to further improve them. I most definitely recommend a regular facial for any bride in the lead up to their wedding. It’s a fantastic way to learn more, treat any skin issues and but also a means to relax and be pampered. It really does help to alleviate any stresses.
5. Drink More Water
During the last few months in the lead up to my big day I really tried to drink more water. I normally am pretty terrible at remembering to drink lots of water during the day – its such an easy thing to ‘forget’. I made it a habit (one that I still continue to practice) to drink at least 1.5 – 2L of water every day and made sure I carried a water bottle with me always. I found that having a water bottle with a particular capacity a great way of tracking my water consumption – I normally carried a 500ml bottle which was easy enough to put into a bag or carry around. I knew that if I drank at least 3-4 bottles of these I had made my target goal for the day. During really hot days or when I would do some exercise I made sure I incorporated an extra hydration supplement (I chose The Beauty Chef Hydration Booster) just for some extra oomph with hydration and water retention. From just increasing my water intake, I found that not only did my skin look and felt better but my general body and well being seemed to be a lot healthier as well. It’s why this habit has stuck after the wedding!
6. Ate Less Sugar
Chu Bakery goodness
Image Source: Queen of Bad Timing https://queenofbadtiming.com/too-good-to-be-chu/
We have all heard that sugar is bad for you but unfortunately for me – I do love a sweet treat! Research shows that sugar not only makes us gain weight but also is a culprit in making us age faster as sugar destroys collagen. Whilst yes, a lot research does show that processed sugar is unhealthy for us – I am not one to completely quit sugar from my life ( like cake and ice cream far too much). Instead I took an eat less sugar approach instead of cutting the substance from my life completely. I do firmly believe that life is all about balance and that a daily block of dark chocolate wasn’t going to be the end of my world. I still consumed sugary foods but I did so in moderate amounts and saved the ice creams and cake indulgences to special occasions and on the weekend. Except chocolate – I would eat a square at least once every 2 days hehe.
7. Take Initiatives to Relax More
I am one of those personality types that really struggle to just sit down and relax – I am constantly on the go and often my weekends are just jammed packed full of catch ups and all sorts of activities. However, in the lead up to the wedding I found myself a little stressed (I was planning a wedding for 300 guests!!), exhausted and a little run down. It not only showed in my energy levels but also on my skin (I had the worst break out on my skin 2 weeks before the wedding). This was a sign for me to take some time out and take some initiatives to stop, get some rest and most importantly relax. I treated my self to face masks of all varieties, massages, taking advantage of walks, Gossip Girl binges and I relished every moment of my facials. These simple moments of stopping to take a break or to clear my head did wonders for my well being and I found that my skin (along with the help of some skincare and skincare advice) improved along the way. I learnt that is is easy to get caught up in everything and its so important to take a moment to enjoy everything and just take it a little easier.
8. Masked More Often
It is no lie that I love a good masking session and I found myself masking a lot more often as I got closer to the big day. Masking helped my skin to be brighter, improved my skin tone and also help treat my awful breakouts I was having (thank you stress levels) but also gave me time to relax and enjoy everything that was going on around me. It forces you to stop and just take it easier. I really enjoyed sheet masking every day in the week before the wedding and 2-3 times a week before that with a sheet or wash off mask. Its a wonderful and simple way of treating the skin and something I recommend everyone do before a big day or important event!
Another beautiful shot from Natasja Kremers at http://www.natasjakremersblog.com/
I think some of these habits I will most definitely maintain as I found that they have been quite beneficial to keep my skin and my overall health at an optimum. Others I may struggle to maintain but I will try to at least keep them in mind!
Did you change some habits to maintain your health and your skin before getting married? For those who are not yet married, do you think you will undergo some prep? If so what would you plan to do? I would love to hear (and any additional tips) in the comments section below!
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