If you haven't been diligent with a skin-care routine, now is the time to begin fine-tuning your daily regimen.

Glowing skin is a worthy -- and doable -- goal. Whether it is for wedding day or if you are searching for that Insta-worthy look. How amazing would it be to get that sought-after bridal glow on your big day?

We get it. 'Skincare routine' rolls off the tongue pretty easy but putting it to work is another story. You may have insane hours at work, travel a lot, or maybe it’s a matter of making yourself do it. Either way, it requires attention and planning as everything else on your to-do list. In order to look your absolute best we must prepare in advance to create a smooth slate for your makeup and prevent blemishes.

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A makeup trial will help a bride get one step closer to the perfect wedding day makeup look. Sadly, a makeup trial will not fix problem areas in a days time. Whipping your skin into tip-top shape will ensure that you get the right makeup look for your skin type, coloring and style. The focus shouldn't be on hiding blemishes; this should be a time to highlight your best features and make you feel beautiful, both inside and out.

With minimal effort, time, and a little investment- here are our recommendations to make the most of your makeup trial, Part 1: Skin Prep.

It turns out, you really are what you eat. Whether you give your diet a full-on makeover or slowly incorporate good eating habits- try superfoods for their health and radiance-boosting antioxidants:
- Blueberries for younger-looking skin
- Cashews, crab, chickpeas and other zinc-rich foods for skin renewal
- Omega 3 superstars like walnuts, flax seeds and wild-caught salmon for smooth skin
Too Busy? Add vitamins and omega 3-containing supplements to fill in dietary gaps. Ward off puffy eyes and dull skin by avoiding salty foods and stay hydrated with H2O just before your trial and wedding. As always, aim for 64 ounces of water daily to keep skin supple. Swap water for soda and coffee whenever possible for maximum beauty benefits.
It may be the simplest—and cheapest—beauty hack on the list: drink your water.
Your skin is an organ, and hydration is part of supporting your body as a whole. Drinking more water isn't going to erase pores or magically clear your skin overnight, but being adequately hydrated helps you avoid the effects of dehydration—and it's one of the easiest habits to stay consistent with leading up to your trial and wedding day.
And we know, it's a celebration. There are engagement parties, showers, bachelorette weekends, rehearsal dinners and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. But alcohol can contribute to dehydration, so be mindful of how much you're drinking in the days leading up to your makeup trial and especially your wedding day. Alternate with water, give your body time to recover, and don't wait until the morning of your appointment to start hydrating.
Hydration also happens on the skin. Continue using a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type and resist the urge to suddenly layer on every hydrating product you've seen online.
Think inside + outside: water for your body, moisture for your skin, and consistency with both.
And this gives me a clearer picture of how I'd restructure the whole article. Rather than making it primarily a skincare-product routine, I'd build the skin-prep guide around a more holistic sequence:
1. Start From the Inside — nutrition and the everyday habits that support skin, without making promises like “blueberries = younger skin.”
2. Hydrate — water, alcohol, topical hydration.
3. Keep Your Routine Simple — cleanse, moisturize, SPF; don't suddenly overhaul everything.
4. Know When to Call a Professional — persistent acne, irritation, treatments, facials/dermaplaning and timing.
5. The Week Before Your Trial — no experimenting, picking, aggressive exfoliation, excessive sun, etc.
If you remember anything from this post remember-- Cleanse, Moisturize, Protect, and Repeat.
Cleanse: A cleanser alone isn’t a miracle worker. The idea that it will do amazing things for your skin can be debatable. However, using the wrong face wash can create a multitude of skin problems you wouldn’t normally have—When washing, look for something that will both take off your makeup and give you a good cleanse (without stripping). Not sure what the effects of over cleansing would look like? Rash/redness, adult acne, tight feeling, burning, and flaking/dry skin are key signs your cleanser may be too harsh. When washing, be gentle; scrubbing too hard does more damage than good.
Too Tired? We can't overstate the importance of removing your makeup nightly. Stash cleansing wipes by your night stand for the nights you are too tired to wash. The Neutrogena Night Calming Wipes are one of our favs!
Moisturize: If you’re feeling extra courageous start with a serum to boost radiance in your skin. A serum is typically a thinner consistency with a high concentration of the active ingredients that go to work for your skin. Follow up with a moisturizer suitable for your skin’s needs. Everything is constantly changing and so is our skin. Keep a light weight moisturizer and a rich alternative based on what your skin needs.
Protect: Sunscreen is typically the most forgotten product for the face. Who doesn’t want to prevent brown spots and skin discoloration? Suncreen not only protects your skin from harmful cancer causing rays but it can also reduce the appearance of red facial veins and blotchiness. Not to mention, it is extremely difficult for makeup to stay on peeling, sun burned skin.
A facial a few weeks before your wedding can feel amazing. A peel can exfoliate and refresh the skin. But if there is something specific you want to change about your complexion, start the conversation early.
Texture, pigmentation, redness, acne scarring, fine lines, volume loss and other concerns aren't necessarily addressed by the same treatment—and they're not things we'd wait until wedding month to start thinking about.
There are more options available to brides now than ever before, from professional skincare and resurfacing treatments to lasers, injectables and collagen-stimulating treatments. The right option—and more importantly, the right timeline—depends entirely on what you're trying to address.
We're breaking this down separately in our Bridal Skin Treatment Guide, including options such as Moxi, BBL, neuromodulators, Sculptra and other treatments—what each is intended to address and how far ahead of wedding day brides may want to begin the conversation with a qualified provider.