The night before the wedding beauty ritual: Do's and donts !

Photo by Avantika Meattle. From the wedding: Delhi wedding with a Band Baja Bride

One things for sure - No one is invulnerable to tricky skin conditions, especially not a bride! Infact chances are the stress  will find its way to show itself on your skin somehow, so make sure you follow some basic dos and don'ts the night before  to have the best skin of your life !

• Don't sleep with your engagement ring on: We know a bride  who woke up with a scratch mark across her face because her ring scratched across her skin
• Make sure that you exfoliate your skin softly before your wedding day... everywhere. You don't want to be flaky, especially if you're using a foundation you've never tried before (foundation can get flaky very easily on the nose and forehead where there is dry or dead skin cells)

• Don't sleep with your bra on : You know the tiny marks you get on your shoulder when the bra straps dig in to your skin, well if you have a wide necked blouse or if you are wearing something strappy for the sangeet- you don't want that showing!
•  Sleep on a higher pillow: This reduces the chances of dark circles as your head is elevated and blood doesnt pool around under your eyes.
• We are sure you must have heard this a thousand times but we can’t emphasis more on the drinking water. Better, gorge on coconut water which is full of electrolytes.
• Do not drink caffeine and wine, however tempting it is. They both increase the chances of breakouts the next morning and cause dehydration!
• Make sure to get a mani and pedi. Choose a nice pretty blush or neutral nail so it looks clean and not harsh. You don't want to take away from your gorgeous lehenga!
• Try and sleep on your back or use a satin pillowcase:  You know how sometimes you wake up to find those weird sleep lines or sheet lines on your face because of wrinkled pillowcovers or sheets? You don't want that on your big day now do you?
• Avoid blueberries, black coffee, beets and soy sauce in your dinner. You’ll end up staining your teeth before your big day!
• Lose that pack of spearmint! Every time you chew, you're swallowing air—and puffing up your belly.
• Don’t condition your hair on the day of the wedding: Many hairdressers claim conditioning your hair makes it difficult for it to be molded into different styles.
• We aren’t that cruel. Indulge in a little dark chocolate, as one-ounce piece can help relax blood vessels to alleviate stress :)
• Make sure you sleep for a full eight hours, stop scrolling through your Instagram feed! Switch off your phone and clear your mind of stress (no wedding worrying allowed!)
• Dont try a new facial, a new mask or new cream the night before the wedding!
• Do apply a mild night cream before sleeping to ensure your skin is hydrated the next day

Lastly, the very thing that will put a glow on your beautiful bridal face (the love is in the air!) is happiness. Nothing glows like a happy bride. And remember to add the perfect accessory to your bridal glow – a big, happy smile!

By Apurva Pagar