Beauty on a budget
A beautiful way to save - we show you how to look fab while spending less!
With money tight in the run up to your wedding, it may seem odd to include beauty in your budget. But your hair, skin and make-up are part of your overall look and just as important as your dress or jewellery to how you'll look and feel on the day. So it's vital to give yourself a beauty budget, to spend on pros and products.
However, your product budget doesn't have to be huge because you're bound to have some of the products you need for the big day already. So spend the most on adding key bridal purchases to your beauty bag, like waterproof mascara, or investing in a handful of pricier wonder products that will make you look amazing.
More expensive doesn't always mean better but if you have a tricky skin type, such as sensitive, oily or combination skin, spending extra money to get better products can make a huge difference. Karen Gibling, Bath-based bridal make-up artist, agrees:
"Your skin is the most important thing and there can be a dramatic difference in the quality and ingredients of products.
Of course, your purchases depend on what's important to you - you could splurge hundreds of pounds on various goodies but to make your money worth spending, think about what's important to you and what's really going to make a difference.
The saying, 'prevention is better than cure', also applies to beauty products - it's best to spend more on perfecting your cleansing routine to get flawless skin than to buy expensive make-up to cover imperfections. Of course, a good foundation and concealer are important, but a truly gorgeous bride will look naturally beautiful with minimum foundation, thereby saving you money! Sue Devitt, makeup artist to the stars, agrees: "Foundation should be applied lightly but it needs staying power. If you need heavier coverage, layer concealer over strategic points, especially under eyes."
With many products, it's fine to use a low-cost version or what you already have, like eye shadow and blusher. While it's important to find the right shades, it's the way you apply these that will make the bigger difference. Demure blusher is applied subtly over foundation with a big brush to the apples of your cheeks. Eye shadow applied with a small brush over a priming product should make it last longer without creasing. Similarly, it's important to invest in the right tools - it's no good splurging on a liquid foundation if you don't have a good brush to apply it with.
Don't forget your hair and body, especially if you're going strapless. Your arms, shoulders and chest will be on show all day so invest in a good body scrub and a subtle fake tan so skin looks radiant. When it comes to hair, a professional cut and colour is a must, while a weekly intensive conditioner will give you healthy, glossy locks on the day.
You can also save money with DIY home treatments instead of going to a salon - with home spa tools from Babyliss, Scholl or Homedics, you can do your own fake tan, manicure, pedicure and facials for a fraction of the price. However, unless you're an expert, there will be some compromise on quality so if you can afford a salon treatment, they are worth the money. Paying a professional to do your bridal hair is always money well spent, but hiring a make-up artist can also have cost benefits - they will bring their own quality products so you won't need to budget for any make-up, except for lippie, which needs to be reapplied all day.
Words: Becky Skuse