Tender Loving Wedding Style

The beauty prep timeline

The countdown is now properly on for her wedding and top Scottish style blogger Rachel Lawler of Tender Loving Style is ramping up her regime

“We all know about the hair and make-up trials, but what about all the other beauty and wellbeing prep in the wedding lead up? I’m calling in the experts to give us the beauty countdown lowdown. Ready, set –book that appointment!

Glowing Skin

As someone who has developed some annoying skin issues in adulthood (I’m looking at you, rosacea), it was number one on my beauty priority list to get my skin sorted ASAP. I booked in for an initial consultation with trusted skin expert Jodie McLuskie, owner of Glasgow’s prestigious Skinstitute Scotland clinic to begin the skin journey.

Specialising in skin health, Jodie instantly put me at ease as she completely understood how a skin concern can impact confidence and got to work straight away on a treatment plan. Timing is key here as your skin practitioner needs sufficient time to address any skin concerns. “We recommend booking in at least 6-9 months before,” explains Jodie.

To kickstart my literal glow up, she advised a three-course treatment plan of Neofound. “This treatment is the ultimate skin booster and works to hydrate, tighten and brighten the skin,” says Jodie. “It’s also great for targeting redness, acne and pigmentation.” Another of Jodie’s hero bride-to-be treatments is a course of six Platinum HydraFacial treatments; “Book in for one monthly in the six-month lead up to improve the overall health and condition of the skin.”

In-clinic treatments are great, but it’s also crucial to have a targeted at home skincare routine too. “Embark on a medical grade skincare regime at least nine months before the wedding to ensure your skin is healthy and radiant on your big day,” adds Jodie. skinstitutescotland.co.uk

I don’t know about any other brides-to-be, but between wedding planning, work, family and everything else in between, I am feeling the stress! Wellbeing is as much a part of the beauty prep so a pre-nuptial massage is absolutely on the cards.

“From my own experience the wedding stress kicks in pretty quickly when planning the big day, so I would say try and aim for a massage every 4-6 weeks,” says Rebecca Billingy, manager of The Gin Spa, the first ever gin inspired botanical day spa. “Not only will this keep on top of your stress levels, it is also a great way to start the skin prep as oils are a fantastic way to re-hydrate your skin.”

I recently experienced the Gin Spa for myself, taking along my mum for a chilled afternoon of complete relaxation. We opted for the Botanical Bliss package which lets you pick either one 60-minute treatment or two 30-minute treatments with a G&T each, plus an afternoon tea with a glass of prosecco.

For my treatment, I went for the Signature full body massage which was heavenly, whilst my mum de-stressed by combining a 30-minute back, neck and shoulders massage with half an hour of relaxing reflexology. Highly recommend for a day out with your mum or bridesmaids! ginspa.co.uk

Flawless Tan

I don’t think I’ve been without a fake tan since approximately 2006 so there’s no question that I’ll be embracing a faux glow for my wedding. The exception this time being there’s no room for tanning mishaps or dry patches.

“You want your skin to be the best it’s ever been for your special day, especially with all the photos being taken,” says Sam Lang, spray tan artist and educator at Tan with Sam. “Get yourself into a routine of exfoliating your skin twice a week with a sugar or salt scrub and moisturising daily with an oil- free moisturiser,” she adds.

Skin prep sorted, Sam also recommends a spray tan trial roughly 2-6 months before the big day. “Your spray tan artist is trained to know which solution will suit you best and after a consultation discussing what you are