Engagement-long regimens?

moshi's paw

Hi All!

Our wedding is about 8 months out, and I definitely want to look and importantly feel absolutely fabulous on our wedding day.  I know that you can't get great glowing skin overnight, or white teeth by just wishing them, so what are people doing now that will help on that big day?

I know that may sound kind of cheesy to some who are already naturally glamorous and take the time to look fabulous all the time...but I'm mostly a tomboy through and through, and the nature of my work is such that I don't have to put my best face forward every day (I'm a 5-minute showerer, wear jeans and a t-shirt to work in my laboratory, etc).  So things like nail treatments, deep conditioning, and whatnot are kind of lost on me.  Any and all advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
~MP

KappaK

If you aren't ther type to highlight, dye, blow dry, and iron you hair, you might not NEED deep conditioning treatments.  I am the type that does all of those things so I am doing treatments once a week. 

I take Biotin which is suppoed to help with hair and nail growth.  My hair has been growing faster, even my stylist noted when I went in for my hair trial.

pooh8402

yea, you shouldn't need deep conditioning. a trim about 2 weeks before your wedding will take any split ends off and your hair should be soft and smooth.

nail treatments--obviously, don't bite your nails if you do. my trick to keep me from biting my nails is to keep a very dark or bright nail polish on my nails. I'm less likely to bite them because I don't want to mess up the polish. get a nail/cuticle oil (something cheap, like Sally Hensen that you can get at Walmart) and rub it into your nails and cuticles every night before bed.

face--just keep it clean, exfoliate about every other day or so. if you don't have a lot of breakouts, then this is probably all you need. use a night cream after washing your face for bed. I use Oil of Olay Fortifying Cream--it has a dark blue lid. inexpensive and designed for younger skin that doesn't have a lot of issues yet.

pinkpinot

I'd start using Crest Whitestrips and be consistent.  I use the Classic and my teeth are sensitive so I can't use them twice a day, just once.  After the initial daily use, I buy another box and use a strip once a week to maintain the color.  Right before your wedding, I'd start using the strips daily for 14 days straight.
http://www.whitestrips.com/whitestrips-products/whitestrips-classic.jsp

Depending on your skin (oily or dry) use a face mask once a week for your skin type.  Walmart started carrying a lot of new/organic brands of skin care.  I also love Biore pore strips for a weekly treatment (use after a face mask while your pores are "open").  I tend to get blackheads so these work great for me.
http://www.biore.com/usa/products/pore_strips_detail.asp?productId=9

If you don't use skin care, start with basics - gentle cleanser, moisturizer, night cream and eye cream.  L'Oreal, Oil of Olay & Clean & Clear are great brands to try and aren't too expensive.

You should still use a hair treatment regardless of how often you style your hair and keep up with trimmings.  I use a leave in conditioning rinse.  I use Henna N Placenta (sounds gross but not what you are thinking) hair treatment.  It makes my hair unbelievably soft & shiny.  It's $1.99 for one vile
http://reviews.longhaircommunity.com/showproduct.php/product/44/cat/3

 I love Moroccan hair oil (the original).  I use it on towel dried hair before I style or let it air dry.  My stylist also comments that my  hair looks really healthy and she is the one who recommended I try it - I'm addicted
http://www.moroccanoil.com/

If you can't tell...I'm a product JUNKY.  I try EVERYTHING. 

moshi's paw

thanks for the advice so far ladies!

my hair is relatively healthy right now- no dye, no blow dryer, no iron.  i have very low-maintenance hair right now because i shaved my head in May (Mom lost her hair to chemo and I was a baldy alongside of her).  however it's getting to be winter and that means my hair and skin will be dry asap! 

as far as nails go, i never wear polish on my hands because they're stuck in nitrile gloves all day and there's no point.  i try to keep a clear coat on my toes in the winter and usually get pedis in the summer

skin- i have WICKED sensitive skin, so i have to be very careful about what i use on my face.  right now i'm washing it with Philosophy Purity and I moisturize with Neutrogena Helioplex SPF a million, lol.  I rarely wear makeup (cells don't care if I look sharp or not!) unless I'm going out somewhere.  but i like the idea of the mask and pore strips! 

teeth- Thank you so much for the whitestrip regimen!  i am a serious coffee drinker so my pearlies aren't so pearly right now.  i was wondering about doing the strip treatment and how far out to start, so that's a great reccommendation   the one thing i'm worried about with those is that i also have sensitive teeth- the last time i tried the strip treatment it felt like i was chewing on a t-shirt afterwards, ICK.  i don't want to have that feeling on the big day!

hillaryeggert

You sound like a pretty low-maintenance kind of girl, which is awesome.  You probably don't need any engagement-long regimens.  Weekly manicures and waxing and facials etc. etc. just seem like a huge waste of money to me.  Your fiance loves you just the way you are - so you may want to avoid morphing into a high-maintenance beauty queen 8 months before your wedding.  Think about the issues that you do have (and it doesn't sound like many) and then focus on those.

Word of warning about tooth whitening... brightening them up a shade or two, not 10, is most flattering.  And I'm not sure you need to start whitening 8 months out - a month in advance would be sufficient, even if you only apply one strip per day.  Also, you might want to have your fiance hop on board with that too - too much of a contrast between your teeth in pictures will make your teeth look alien and his look dingy.

Whatever you do, don't go looking for things you need to "fix" about yourself.  Enjoy your engagement and planning your wedding!  Good luck!

turtle2011

For whitening your teeth, the Crest Whitestrips are a great way to whiten. I work in a dental office and what we tell patients who have sensitive teeth is 1.) use sensitive toothpaste (like sensodyne or call your dental office they should have a perscription for a fluoride toothpaste) for at least a week prior to bleaching until you're finished the whitestrips. 2.) if they are that sensitive use only one strip a day (if it calls for twice a day) or do it every other day. That won't make it that you won't have any sensitivity but it should decrease it. Another thing about whitening, don't expect dramatic changes. Not everyone's teeth will bleach or turn bright white! If you have any fillings or other dental work that will not bleach either. Things to keep in mind before bleaching! If you have any questions or concerns best thing to do is contact your dentist.

medallion

I'd say a good skincare regimen is probably the best thing you can do for yourself. I'd invest in a good night cream and an eye cream. My personal favorites are the Nurtura moisturizer from Avon and their Solutions Plus eye gel. They've made a huge difference in making my skin glow and getting rid of dark circles under my eyes.

fallbride1109

I got a glycolic peel a month before the wedding.  I did microdermabrasion once a week. About a month before I started using a Vitamin C serum every night and my skin got baby smooth.  I started using the Crest whitestrips a week out and I saw a difference even in just that short of a time.  Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep to combat dark circles.

I agree with PP--just do what you normally do and then about 3 months before start things like teeth whitening, try a facial, start thinking about how you will do your hair, etc. 

laurening

Don't try any type of new beauty treatment for the first time immediately before the wedding. If you think you may want to have waxing, a facial, etc. and you haven't done it before, try it out at least once in advance to see how your skin reacts.

AlmostMrs.Munoz

I think that what the PPs have said so far is pretty good advice, just be sure to not do things too far from what you normally do. You don't want to look like someone completely different walking down the aisle.

I'm pretty low-key too (it sounds like you are as well) and I don't want to look like this unrecognizable person at my wedding, so I'm not changing too much. Just teeth whitening mostly, and making sure my skin looks it's best with the help of a dermatologist. (I've struggled with acne for a while).

Also, since you said you don't wear make-up a ton to work, etc. be sure you pre-test the products you are going to use for any beauty care well ahead of time for your wedding. You don't want to find out you have an allergic reaction to something just before the big day! That wouldn't look that cute....hahah... trust me. A friend of mine tried a new place for her eyebrows and she was allergic to the type of wax they use. HUGE bumps all around her brows on her wedding day. Not what you want.

Good luck!