Fashion

How to prep your skin, hair and brows for a big day

Tried and tested: starting months in advance can really benefit your skin

Dominique McMullan
Mon Apr 17 2017 - 06:00

I’ve been taking my (delicious) daily shot of Yana Collagen (€99 Image Skincare) for two weeks now, and I am seeing a big difference in my skin. It is clearer, plumper and brighter. The bottle lasts a month and treating your skin from the inside out is well worth the investment.

If you have any markings on your skin that you are unhappy with such as age spots or thread veins, then Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, will zap them right off. I won’t lie, I found this treatment quite painful but you can’t argue with the results. After only one treatment (although a course is recommended), skin was immediately clearer. (Full Face €180, course of three treatments €480; Renew Clinic)

Ice therapy, which tones, lifts and de-puffs the face; and herbalism, which calms and feeds the skin; have been used as beauty treatments for centuries. The Jalue Ice Cone (which looks like a Calippo) is filled with special herbal tea and placed in the freezer at home. Once frozen you sweep it over the face; any puffiness is immediately reduced, and skin is tightened and nourished. It sounds mad, but it really works. (€48 for one cone plus four herbal sachets = one month’s supply at jalue.com)

Facials are key to prepping your skin in the months leading up to the big day. A good beauty therapist will recommend treatments but extractions, brightening facials, LED therapy and light peels will keep skin clear and fresh. If your dress is backless, a back facial is also a good idea. I can recommend Neelu (Henry Street) and No 3 Herbert Street as places I trust with my skin.

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Everyone wants luscious locks for the big day, and the first step towards that is giving the curling iron and GHD a rest. The next step is a good conditioning treatment like ESPA Pink Hair and Scalp Mud (£33 espaskincare.com) for dry hair or a keratin treatment like Kérastase Discipline Keratin Thermique Creme (€18.45 lookfantastic.com) to tame down frizz.

Dominique Loves

We all know importance of a good brow. Start seeing a brow specialist a few months before the days, and work on creating your perfect shape. Siobhan Macken in Callan & Co is a genius. Callan & Co are also great for false eyelashes, as they don’t apply too many, avoiding that Barbie doll look. False lashes mean less makeup, and less stress: exactly what you need for the big day.