Getting ready for your winter wedding and worried about whether your skin will be too dry, your nails too brittle, your makeup too cakey and your hair completely ruined by the cool weather? Don't!
We tapped into several industry experts, who work with everyone from Hollywood starlets to beautiful brides, to get their insider tips on how you can best protect yourself this season. Read on to find out what secret weapons you'll need to get winter-ready beauty from head to toe. —Elayne Fluker
Mally Roncal, celebrity makeup artist for Hayden Panettiere, Rihanna and Beyonce
The key to gorgeous skin: “The key thing to do this season is keep your skin fresh and dewy. Dry skin tends to be the biggest problem during the winter months. Use a great exfoliate twice a week to keep skin radiant and supple, and follow with a rich daily moisturizer. Also, a great eye cream is essential to your winter skin-care routine.”
Your secret weapon: “I love Kate in a Jar, by Kate Somerville, which is an awesome product! I also love Crème de la Mer eye concentrate, and the Dr. Brandt Infinite Moisturizer. For makeup, I tell my girls to use the Mally Beauty Smoothskin Foundation.”
The biggest makeup myth women believe when it comes to looking their best this season: “So many women think they should wear a lot of foundation; but it always looks like a mask! You can keep your complexion lighter and fresher during the winter months—we want to see your skin!”
ExfoliKate by Kate Somerville, $85, katesomerville.com
For more from Mally Roncal, visit mallybeauty.com
Ken Paves, celebrity hairstylist for Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria Parker
The best way to protect your hair: “Add moisture! During this time of year, hair tends to be drier because of the lack of humidity in the air, so spend more time strengthening and rehydrating it with products that work from the core out—not by just using a shine product.”
Your secret weapon: “I would say the most important product to get through a winter season is choosing the right shampoo and conditioner—one that's safe enough to use every day, even on colored hair. My Healthy Hair shampoo and conditioner have a gentle plant-derived formula that will cleanse hair but won't strip or create buildup."
What hair-raising mistakes do women often make? “Women always add too much or too many products to their hair, which over time create buildup and make the hair dull instead of shiny and glossy. It's important to use products that can add a gloss, but be sure not to keep layering it without washing hair in between to prevent buildup."
Ken Paves shampoo and conditioner, $21.95 each, hsn.com
For more from Ken Paves, visit kenpaves.com
Essie Weingarten, founder and president of Essie Cosmetics
How do we get our nails wedding-day-ready? “Moisturizing nails and cuticles is key. And use a nail strengthener like Essie Millionails in the four to six weeks leading up to the wedding to make sure nails are in the best health. Also, always use a base coat and top coat.”
Your secret weapon: “One of the best secret weapons is apricot oil-it's a must-have. Even if nails are between polishings, the cuticles and nails should look moisturized, not dry and brittle.”
What's the biggest nail-biting mistake most women make? “Using a rough file in two directions, which can cause splitting. For natural nails, it's best to use a soft file like the Essie Crystal File and sweep across the nail in one direction while keeping the natural shape of your nail.”
Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil, $8, essie.com
For more from Essie, visit essie.com
Ellen Sirot, famous hand model
What's the best way to have beautiful hands? “Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize—especially after washing your hands! Also rethink how you wash your hands. Look for cleansers that are sulfate-free rather than traditional soap. Pat hands dry rather than rubbing them vigorously with a towel, and apply moisturizer while hands are still damp. When moisturizing hands, stick to nongreasy, fast-absorbing, petroleum-free products; you'll know it's the right kind of product when it doesn't leave marks and smudges on your doorknobs, your keyboard, mirrors, leather—your satin gown!”
Your secret weapon: “It's more a combination of products and an ever-so-slight change of habits. Brides-to-be should think about their hands in a different way, as jewels, not tools, especially with all those ring admirers floating around!
A great home remedy to promote cell turnover/cell renewal is to create a natural sugar scrub from a combination of unbleached sugar and olive oil or flaxseed oil. Combine one teaspoon sugar and one-eighth teaspoon oil. The sugar crystals serve as your mechanical exfoliator. When combined with olive oil or flaxseed oil, it's an amazing softening and exfoliating treatment for hands. Plus, omega-3 fatty acids have been found to have topical benefits to skin by increasing moisture levels and improving texture and tone. You can apply this treatment once a week—gently rub for about a minute.”
How can a bride-to-be get picture-perfect hands? “To achieve picture-perfect hands on the day of the big event, no salt or caffeine-abstaining calms bulging veins; no aerobic exercise; and drain the blood from your hands by holding them above your heart for five minutes before they're being photographed, so they look as flawless as possible.”
For more from Ellen Sirot (not pictured), visit ellensirot.com
Lisa Hoffman, founder of Lisa Hoffman Skincare
How can a bride-to-be put her best face forward? “Keeping your lips protected and your skin hydrated are two of the most important things a bride-to-be can do. It's important so that your lips and skin do not become chapped or red. If you are traveling to a location with extreme weather, make sure to cover your face and wear extra SPF protection during the day. Even if you think you are not getting any sun, make sure you wear a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15.”
Your secret weapon: “I recommend my Vitamin A&C serum to ensure proper cell turnover. The winter air can deplete the skin of moisture, and this slows down the cell-turnover process. Also, my Day Cream SPF 15 will keep your skin hydrated and protected throughout the day. Remember, the rays from the sun are still doing their part to age our skin, even if you can't feel them.”
What kind of skin-care treatments should brides-to-be avoid? “As tempting as it may be before the big day, do not start any type of drastic skin-care treatments that you're not already familiar with. The added stress of getting ready for your wedding can cause skin to be prone to breakouts and irritation.”
Lisa Hoffman Vitamin AC Serum, $95, lisahoffmanbeauty.com
For more from Lisa Hoffman, visit lisahoffmanbeauty.com
Dr. Craig Austin, dermatologist and creator of AB Skincare
How can a winter bride protect her skin? "Be sure to moisturize a lot, especially after a hot shower, to lock back in some moisture. A humidifier is a good choice to use because it will provide moisturizing to your skin. Also avoid any soaps with scents and perfumes; they can dry out your skin more than unscented ones. Lastly, retin-A also tends to be drying, so you must be careful if you are using some type of acne prevention in your regime.”
Your secret weapon: “You should remember to use sunscreen during the winter because you can still get sun damage, even in what seems like a cloudy day. AB Sun contains antioxidants to help your skin and moisturize it. For lips I would recommend either Vaseline or Aquaphor, both of which are truly effective.”
What's the biggest skin-care mistake women make? “Drying out your skin by taking long, hot showers and the absence of sunscreen. If you want an even tone and pigmentation, you want to be using sunscreen.”
AB Sun, $45, abskincare.com
Ursula Stephen, celebrity hairstylist for Rihanna and Keyshia Cole
What's the key thing a bride-to-be needs to do to protect her hair this winter—especially women with thick, curly or kinky hair? "I would recommend that a bride practice extensive deep conditioning treatments during the winter months. Although conditioning is important all year round, the transition of seasons takes a toll on tresses."
What's your secret weapon for winter weary hair? "Try Tui Hair Smoothie by Carol's Daughter—that will definitely get you through the season! It's great for weather damage and combats dryness!"
What's the biggest hair mistake women make? "A big mistake many women make is not protecting the hair and hairline from materials such as wool. You should always wear a silk scarf under your wool hat. Wool hats and scarves are a popular reason for hair loss during the winter."
Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Smoothie, $19, carolsdaugther.com
Renée Rouleau, aesthetician and founder of Renée Rouleau skin-care line
What should be our skin-care priority this winter? “Exfoliate! This will reduce dry, dehydrated skin to keep the skin smooth and looking and feeling healthy.”
Your secret weapon: “Glycolic Serum—it addresses so many issues. It exfoliates, untraps clogged pores to lessen breakouts, fades red or dark post-breakout marks, smooths the skin, refines the pores, reduces dryness and dehydration, and breaks down pigmented cells to lighten brown spots. Essentially, it's a cure-all!”
What's a big skin-care no-no? “Women tend to overmoisturize; instead they should be increasing exfoliation. When the heat is on in the house and the air is cold outside, your skin will be depleted of its natural moisture, leaving it feeling tight and dry. People tend to load on the extra moisturizer to compensate for the dryness. This will not always solve the problem of dry skin. If your skin is dry, tight and flaky, it means that you have dry skin cell buildup on the surface of the skin. So rather than putting on extra cream to rehydrate dead, dry skin cells—it doesn't make sense!—try increasing your exfoliation with a gentle facial scrub to remove the dry skin cells so that when your moisturizer goes on, it hydrates the new cells rather than the dry cells.”
Renée Rouleau Glycolic Serum, $37.50, reneerouleau.com
Kathy Kopp, InStylist for en.terra.com and celebrity stylist for Shakira
What should Latinas and brown-skin brides-to-be do to protect their skin during this winter? “Healthy and glowing skin should be as essential for a bride-to-be as finding the right dress. Drinking lots of water, applying the right moisturizer—especially during the evening—are just a few ways to keep your radiant glow.”
What's your secret weapon? “Before giving any suggestions on a particular product, I always recommend to women that they select the ones that best fit their skin type, color and condition. For example, if you have oily skin, look for water-based products instead of emulsions and creams. Also, a matte finish will be the best choice when looking for makeup.”
Is every trend for every bride? “One of the biggest mistakes women make in my opinion is to follow trends that don't work for them. We need to know what trends or tips are the ones that work for our individual needs. Simply because lilac eye shadow is in doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you.”
Want to customize your wedding day look? Click here to visit our hair and makeup studio.
For more winter beauty tips and products, click here.
