Ramadan; the perfect time to slow down and look after ourselves both inside and out (before wedding festivities resume inshallah ). We’ll leave you to sort the in, and our Bridal Beauty Expert, Laure Sejean, to have your outer beauty shining ready for your big day. This month, she’s sharing her favourite masks to prepare your skin before, on and after your fabulous day!

Last month I was talking about how incredible the hydra facial treatment at LuciaClinic is for a pre-wedding treatment. But if you’re squashed for time in those precious few days prior, or tight on your budget after spending on a bigger than anticipated big day, there are a few other options that you can choose from to get your skin wedding-ready from the comfort of your own home, with incredible value. This month, we’re talking masks! Not the annoying kind that 2020 bought with it, but the beauty kind that got us through 2020.

Before Saying ‘I Do’

To see the best results, I would advise setting up a skincare routine that yields the perfect results possible from your mask. Once you’ve got that down, it’s time to introduce masking to it.

Here is the masking routine that I recommend to my brides:

STEP 1:

A recently launched mask that I’ve already had the pleasure of falling in love with is the new Charlotte Tilbury ‘Super Radiance Resurfacing Facial’. It gets rid of dead skin cells using a blend of HA + BHA + PHA acids, unclog pores and evens skin tone and texture with Exfolactive, a natural extract from prickly pear cactus. And it manages to achieve all of this whilst remaining gentle on the skin that you only need to use once a week. Now in store and available to purchase from Charlotte Tilbury, Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates branches.

STEP 2:

If you tend to have oily skin, I would advise you to get into a 2^nd step regime with a clay mask. My favourite of all time is the Caudalie ‘Instant Detox Mask’. I like to apply it to the areas where I tend to get oily, or where I have larger pores. It is a pink clay mask that deep cleanses skin and absorbs toxins with a natural antioxidant that also exfoliates and refreshes the skin. It contains papaya extract to minimize and tighten pores too. You can buy this online at Lookfantastic.ae

STEP 3:

My third and final step is to rehydrate my skin with a moisturizing and nourishing mask, like the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask. I also like to use this mask in a thin layer under my eyes from day to day for an extra hydration boost. This multitasking mask contains nourishing vitamins, ceramides and antioxidants that leave the skin looking instantly renewed, radiant and ready for your big day.

On The Big Day

In order to look fresh on your big day, apply the Patchology Flashpatch restoring night eye gels. These will be your dream companion so don’t forget to pack them on your way to the hotel. They contain all the ingredients that loves the thin skin under your eyes, like Cedrus Atlantica Bark to brighten and reduce dark circles, plus Arnica Extract to soothe tired, youth-depleted eyes (it happens). And Squalane to naturally hydrate, soften and protect the skin from free radicals, so that you wake up looking bright-eyed and ready for the rest of your life. You can buy these from Faces.com or on YouBeaut.com.

To achieve the ultimate goal of the perfect radiance and fresh glow a bride could ask for, before applying your bridal makeup, apply one of my all-time favourite mask brands, 111Skin’s ‘Rose Gold Brightening Face Treatment’ face mask. Created to promote the skin’s natural restorative properties, the mask is infused with 24K gold, damask rose and silk amino acids. You will not believe the results of it!

The Night After the Night Before

You said yes (both of you!) and are ready to take on your life of two to the next level! As you’ve both shared more than your fair share of emotions over the last few days, you need to take some time for yourself and your skin.

And you know what they say, ‘a couple that masks together, stays together’ (at least that’s what I tell my husband… shhh!) So why not start some new couple goals with Knesko Skin’s ‘Nanogold Repair Face Mask’. This will re-hydrate your skin and some other bits, being extra generous in serum that you can slather over your neck and décolleté too. It will also calm your skin & bring out a youthful and radiant glow. This mask rejuvenates the delicate skin on your face to calm and replenish. Sounds perfect right?

Wow, just call me Miss Maskalot because I cannot bear to choose between them, they all sound amazing! At this rate, I’m going to need a whole storage system just for my beauty regime and I’m not even mad at it. If you give any of the masks mentioned a go, we would love to hear about your results in the comments below. Remember to take a before and after pic for proof and feel free to tag us @brideclubme and @lauresejean! Now, what are you waiting for? You’ve got some masking to do!