Wedding Beauty Blunders

Just days before you say I do and suddenly... a zit, a sunburn or bad wax job!  All is not lost, with these easy solutions to common beauty blunders. 

Your spray tan has you looking like George Hamilton... Now What?!

First, kudos to choosing a spray tan over the dangers of fake-n-bake.  Walking down the aisle with looming threats of skin cancer rather undermines stress related to your oompa loompa coloration. Thankfully, spray tans only affect the first layer or so of skin, making them easier to remove.  First, start with long soak - this will hydrate skin cells making them easy to remove by exfoliation, which is step two.  Baking soda is a great exfoliate.    Rub this into your skin, removing as much of the top skin cells as you can, take a break and repeat.  Other ideas?  A dip in a chlorinated swimming pool can help to diminish a spray tan as can bug spray, Dove body wash and Curel lotion.  After a few days, your color will return to normal.

Insider's Tip:  Are you battling a sunburn instead of a botched spray tan?  Your solution is still exfoliation but this proves more painful with a burn.  Cold compresses or chilled Aloe Vera applied directly to the skin and drinking lots of water will help to minimize pain and aid in healing your sunburn.  Time is really your only safe bet so be mindful of sun exposure leading up to wedding day.

You over tweezed your eyebrows... Now What?!  First things first, put down the tweezers.  They are no help to you now.  Grab a brown brow pencil a shade similar to your brows and draw in the ideal brow shape.  Your brow should start in line with in the inside corner of your eye (A), arch following the natural line out from your pupil (B) and finish, again following the natural line from the outer corner of your eye (C).  Fill in the outlined brow with short strokes, replicating the look of real hair.  Repeat daily as the hair begins to grow back.  The good news?  Eyebrows are remarkable resilient and usually will start to grow back in a few short days.  When you have gotten to the point of plucking again, use your brow pencil to determine which new hairs to pluck and which to leave.  Shun the high-def magnification mirrors and stand back when shaping to avoid repeating past offensive.  Objects tend to look larger than they appear under such scrutiny.

Monster Zit and right before the big day... Now What?!  If your happen to have  a dermatologist on speed dial, a cortisone shot at least 24 hours before is said to be the best bet.  For the rest us, a litany of at-home remedies include toothpaste, Visine eye drops, Hemorrhoid cream and most commonly benzoyl peroxide (but this can be very drying, making your zit difficult to cover with make-up).  I suggest a few test runs on wedding planning pimples in the months ahead to determine what works best with your skin and then working to dial down stress levels the weeks before.    What not to do?  Pop a zit that is not ready - this increases the irritated area, making cover-up less likely to work.  On the big day, concealer is your best friend to cover a blemish.  Opt for a shade as close to your skin as possible.  Start at the center and work your concealer to where the red ends, setting immediately with translucent powder.

After a bikini wax, I am with red bumps and irritation... Now What?!  While common after waxing, reactions can be more severe or uncomfortable in some cases.  Keeping the area clean is important to prevent bacterial growth in newly expose hair follicles (using mild soap and water is your best bet).  Some dermatologists also recommend an over-the-counter tropical ointment to speed healing.  Wearing loose fitting clothing can also help minimize additional irritations and after a few days or so things will start to clear up.

Most Important?  Remember to smile big and have fun on wedding day... A confident and happy bride will look amazing on wedding day, no matter what may have transpired only a few days before.  As the old adage goes, true beauty is from within.   

For more advice on this or any other wedding related topics, send me an email!  Krista@thepinkbride.com

Images courtesy of Getty Images.