THE BRIDAL BLOG

How to prepare for your hair and makeup preview

Prepping for your Bridal Preview is a great way to practice prepping for your wedding day glam squad appointments! Both hair and makeup have preferred ‘preps’ to ensure your appointment goes off without a hitch.


how to prep your skin for your makeup application

The night prior to your makeup appointment, you should gently exfoliate your skin. A mild chemical exfoliant like an aha(alpha-hydroxy acid), or a 10% glycolic acid peel are great options.

AhA peels are water-soluble acids containing diluted concentrate of acids or enzymes to help even texture and reduce hyperpigmentation (dark spots) by increasing cell turn-over. Both of these benefits help produce a brighter and more even complexion! By gently exfoliating the night before your appointment your makeup artist will be able to give you a nice, even foundation or airbrush application.

If you have a sensitivity to either of these ingredients, a great alternative is washing your face with a gentle cleanser using a soft washcloth! After wetting your skin, apply the recommended amount to your washcloth, and rub the cleanser into your skin gently in a small, circular motion. Rinse the cleanser after the process has been completed for your full face.

When exfoliating, it is super important to deposit moisture back into the skin after. You do not want to disrupt the skin barrier by exposing freshly exfoliated skin to the elements.
After exfoliating, apply a hyaluronic acid serum and/or daily moisturizer with at least spf 30 and uva/uvb protection. Hyaluronic acid is humectant, which will help your skin retain moisture.

WHEN CHOOSING A DAILY MOISTURIZER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE ONE THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE. if you have acne prone skin, or mild breakouts, please make sure your moisturizer is noncomedogenic (not pore-clogging).

HOWEVER, REGARDLESS OF SKIN-TYPE, YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A MOISTURIZER WITH AT least spf 30 and uva/uvb protection. UVA AND UVB REFER TO DIFFERENT ‘STRENGTHS’ OF RADIATION EMITTED BY THE SUN, WHICH WILL OVER TIME AND EXTENDED SUN EXPOSER CAUSE DAMAGE TO DIFFERENT LAYERS OF THE SKIN.

UV-A IS THE LONGER WAVELENGTH OF RADIATION EMITTED BY THE SUN THAT CAUSES YOUR SKIN TO AGE, AND UV-B IS SHORTER WAVELENGTH OF RADIATION THAT WILL CAUSE YOUR SKIN TO BURN. SHORTER WAVELENGTHS WILL CAUSE DEEPER AND MORE SEVERE TYPES OF DAMAGE TO YOUR SKIN OVER TIME.

UV-A RAYS WILL PENETRATE THE MOST SUPERFICIAL (NEAREST TO SURFACE) LAYERS OF YOUR SKIN AND CAUSE YOUR SKIN TO SHOW PREMATURE SIGNS OF AGING. UV-B RAYS WILL PENETRATE DEEPER SKIN TISSUES AND CAN HAVE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES IF YOUR SKIN ISN’T PROPERLY PROTECTED. IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE A DAILY MOISTURIZER WITH A BUILT-IN SPF, ADDING ONE TO YOUR DALIY SKIN REGIMEN BEFORE YOUR WEDDING IS A GREAT TIME TO START!

IF YOU SEE MOISTURIZERS WITH BROAD SPECTRUM PROTECTION LISTED ON THE LABEL, THIS JUST MEANS THAT YOUR SKIN WILL BE PROTECTED FROM BOTH UV-A AND UV-B RAYS. Sun exposure and sun damage are the number one cause of PREMATURE-aging, wrinkles, AND SKIN CANCER. prevention is key!

Making sure your skin has enough moisture prior to your makeup appointment is WILL ENSURE THAT MAKEUP PRODUCTS SIT EVENLY ON YOUR SKIN, TO HELP GIVE YOU THE DEWY, GLOWING BRIDAL GLAM LOOK!

THE MORNING OF YOUR MAKEUP APPOINTMENT, YOU SHOULD CLEANSE AND MOISTURIZE AS USUAL. IF YOU HAVE A LIP COLOR YOU LOVE, YOU SHOULD BRING IT WITH YOU TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. YOUR LIP COLOR WILL WEAR THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND MAY NEED TO BE TOUCHED-UP AFTER EATING OR DRINKING.

HOW TO PREP YOUR HAIR FOR STYLING

PREPPING FOR YOUR HAIR FOR STYLING PROPERLY WILL ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON YOUR DESIRED STYLE AND HAIR TEXTURE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSULT WITH YOUR STYLIST PRIOR TO THE APPOINTMENT TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RECOMMENDED HAIR PREP THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU! HERE WE WILL GO OVER SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES ON HOW TO PREP YOUR HAIR.

FOR MEDIUM/FINE HAIR TEXTURES WITH A WAVY/STRAIGHT CURL PATTERN, CLEAN, DRY HAIR IS BEST. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT, YOU SHOULD SHAMPOO YOUR HAIR TWICE, AND RINSE IN-BETWEEN SHAMPOOS.

THEN USE A VERY SMALL (TYPICALLY DIME-SIZED) AMOUNT OF CONDITIONER AND APPLY THE PRODUCT MID-HAIR SHAFT TO ENDS, AND THEN RINSE. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO APPLY THE CONDITIONER DIRECTLY TO YOUR ROOT SECTION. YOUR STYLIST MAY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING YOUR DESIRED AMOUNT OF VOLUME INTO THE ROOT OF YOUR HAIR IF YOU DO.

AFTER WASHING AND CONDITIONING YOUR HAIR, YOU SHOULD BLOWDRY YOUR HAIR STRAIGHT USING A BLOWDRYER WITH A CONCENTRATOR AND A CERAMIC ROUND BRUSH (WITH EITHER WIRE OR NATURAL BOARS HEAD BRISTLES). BRUSHES WITH A CERAMIC CENTER WILL APPLY THE HEAT FROM THE BLOWDRYER TO YOUR HAIR EVENLY AND TYPICALLY GIVE A SMOOTHER BLOWOUT. USING A BLOWDRYER WITH A CONCENTRATOR WITH HELP ‘FOCUS’ (OR CONCENTRATE) THE AIR-FLOW FROM THE BLOWDRYER TO HELP SEAL THE CUTICLE AND PREVENT FLYAWAYS.

IF YOU HAVE A WAVY OR STRAIGHT CURL PATTERN, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT FLAT IRON YOUR HAIR. APPLYING THIS TYPE OF HEAT TREATMENT TO YOUR HAIR PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT WILL CAUSE THE CURL/WAVE THAT A STYLIST PUTS IN TO FALL OUT SHORTLY AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT. IF YOU NATURALLY HAVE FLYAWAYS WITH A WAVE PATTERN AROUND YOUR HAIRLINE, PLEASE INFORM YOUR STYLIST THE MORNING OF THE appointment. S/HE WILL LIGHTLY FLAT IRON THESE ROOT SECTIONS OF YOUR HAIR THE MORNING OF YOUR APPOINTMENT IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH YOUR HAIR MAINTAINING A CURL OR WAVE.

FOR COARSE/MEDIUM/FINE HAIR TEXTURES WITH A DEFINED CURL PATTERN, YOUR HAIR PREP WILL ULTIMATELY DEPEND ON WHAT TYPE OF STYLE YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL CURL FOR YOUR STYLE, YOU SHOULD SHAMPOO AND CONDITION YOUR HAIR AS USUAL THE NIGHT PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. APPLY A LIGHT CURL CREAM EVENLY TO THE MID-SHAFT - ENDS OF YOUR HAIR. GENTLY COMB THE PRODUCT THROUGH WITH A WIDE-TOOTHED COMB. ALLOW YOUR HAIR TO AIRDRY BEFORE GOING TO BED OR BLOWDRY YOUR HAIR WITH A CURL DIFFUSER APPLYING THE HEAT FROM UNDERNEATH YOUR HAIR. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT YOUR CURLS ARE SMOOTH AND HELP MINIMIZE ANY FLYAWAYS. YOUR STYLIST WILL LIGHTLY SMOOTH YOUR CURLS WITH THE CURLING IRON THE MORNING OF YOUR APPOINTMENT BEFORE STYLING. DO NOT DISRUPT OR BRUSH THE CURLS AFTER THEY HAVE DRIED, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REFORM A NATURAL CURL ONCE IT HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A STYLE THAT HAS MORE OF A HEAT-STYLED WAVE LOOK, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE HAIR PREP LISTED FOR MEDIUM/FINE HAIR TEXTURES WITH A WAVY/STRAIGHT CURL PATTERN — CLEAN, DRY HAIR IS BEST. TWO SHAMPOOS, WITH A DIME SIZED AMOUNT OF CONDITIONER, AND BLOWDRIED STRAIGHT. YOU MAY ALSO CONSIDER SCHEDULING A BLOWOUT THE NIGHT PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT AT THE SALON IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE BLOWDRYING YOUR OWN HAIR. IT CAN DEFINITELY BE DIFFICULT GETTING A SMOOTH BLOWOUT ON YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE A VERY TIGHT/DEFINED CURL PATTERN.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO USE HAIR EXTENSIONS FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY, YOU SHOULD BRING YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS WITH YOU TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAIR EXTENSIONS USED FOR WEDDINGS — CLIP-IN EXTENSIONS AND HALO HAIR EXTENSIONS. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR HAIRSTYLIST PRIOR TO PURCHASING. REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF HAIR EXTENSIONS, YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR 100% HUMAN REMY HAIR. HUMAN HAIR CAN BE HEAT-STYLED, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR ACHIEVING YOUR DESIRED LOOK! REMY HAIR IS JUST A RATING OF THE QUALITY OF THE HAIR THAT IS BEING USED FOR YOUR SET OF HAIR EXTENSIONS. REMY HAIR HAS A THICKER, AND HIGH-SHINE CUTICLE. THIS TYPE OF HAIR TENDS TO LAST THE LONGEST AND PHOTOGRAPHS WELL.

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE SYNTHETIC HAIR EXTENSIONS. SYNTHETIC HAIR EXTENSIONS ARE MADE OF A PLASTIC POLYMER, AND THE MATERIAL WILL MELT UPON CONTACT WITH ANY HOT TOOLS. THIS WILL PREVENT YOUR STYLIST FROM BEING ABLE TO HEAT STYLE YOUR EXTENSIONS AND S/HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STYLE OR USE YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS PROPERLY OR AT ALL.

HOW TO PREP YOUR 100% HUMAN, REMY HAIR EXTENSIONS FOR STYLING

-IF THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME USING YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS, PLEASE SHAMPOO YOUR HAIR EXTENSIONS TWICE THREE DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. GENTLY BRUSH THE EXTENSIONS, THEN HANG OR LAY FLAT TO DRY.

-IF YOU HAVE USED YOUR SET OF HAIR EXTENSIONS PREVIOUSLY, SHAMPOO THE HAIR EXTENSIONS ONCE OR TWICE TO REMOVE PRODUCT BUILDUP, CONDITION IF NEEDED. GENTLY BRUSH THE EXTENSIONS, THEN HANG OR LAY FLAT TO DRY.