Okay, you caught us. It’s true, we have been on a bit of a beauty bender these past couple weeks! But can you blame us? Winters here in our beloved desert state, while typically very mild and very pretty, are also dry as all heck, so we’ve got skincare on the mind.

That, and we simply had to share all the love our community sent to the team at the Beauty Nook Studio in their very first year of business.

(Psst – it’s never too early to start your wedding-prep skincare routine! If you’re ready to skip this exposition and get right to it, keep scrolling to find the 10 expert skin tips from Bonjour Belle waiting for you below.)

Last week we chatted about the importance of having a beauty expert that you know and trust to be there for you on your wedding day, because, of course, you feeling beautiful is going to make the whole day run much more smoothly.

This week we want to take it a little deeper. It’s true that, if you hire a certified MUA like Brittany of Bonjour Belle Makeup, your makeup artist is really an artist. Spots and blemishes are no match for their years of training with concealer and brushes!

But when you start prioritizing the health of your skin before your wedding, it just means less worrying about whether or not that spot will get covered, and more feeling-like-your-best-self on your big day.

And, you don’t have to just take our word for it. Luckily, Brittany of Bonjour Belle Makeup, the aforementioned locally-loved and highly passionate certified MUA has given us the skinny on what she normally only shares with her clients.

Starting with a month out (or longer, if you’re like us and love to be over-prepared), Brittany uses her years of training and firsthand experience to walk us through each step of her recommended skincare practices — leading us right up to tips for the big day itself. (You might want to bookmark this one!)

1.

Invest in a skincare routine at least 1-2 months before your wedding so your skin has enough time to adjust and start glowing. Go for toner, serum, moisturizer, and an SPF – the whole shebang!

2.

The most integral part of your new skincare routine is going to be this: washing your makeup off at night! Seriously. Like, really seriously. Nothing irritates and breaks out your skin more than leaving your makeup on overnight.

3.

As you get closer to your wedding day, get more discerning. The week before your wedding and the week of are NOT times to try new products, new routines, or anything that could make you break out – stick to what you know works for you.

4.

Stock up on those cute little acne patches that are taking the internet by storm! Or you can get the non-cute ones too, either way. Keep them on hand for the week of your wedding and stick one on the moment you feel a blemish forming!

5.

The week before your wedding, spend a little time with your favorite local esthetician – not only do you totally deserve a facial after all that wedding planning, but future you will definitely thank you for prioritizing this.

6.

After your facial, keep up with (or start) your exfoliating practice. Don’t go to crazy and damage your skin, but also don’t forget to exfoliate the night before your wedding or the morning of.

7.

While we’re at it – don’t forget to exfoliate your lips the night before or morning of, too! Dry crusty lips on your wedding day are, ahem, a huge no.

8.

On the night before this new chapter of your life, do a hydrating face mask. It’ll give you the perfect excuse to lay back, relax, and get your body hydrated too – perhaps a bridesmaid can get you some cucumber water while your skin gets glowy and fresh?

9.

Here’s an important one to remember if you do exfoliate the night before your wedding: wash your face with a cleanser on the day of your wedding!

10.

Last, but certainly not least, when you wake up on the morning of your wedding day, you might be tempted to try another face mask, slap on a new product, or something like that. Fight that urge and stick with your normal skincare routine! If you don’t have a skincare routine, you can go back to step one, or just prioritize putting on a moisturizer.

(If you don’t have one, don’t worry, Brittany will have some for you. Wink!)