Hello! I shared the post below ahead of my wedding in 2019, and felt like it’s time to bring it to the forefront again. Bride or not, pursuing glowing skin is always high on my agenda!

Bridal Beauty Prep – 4 Months In Advance

The time has come for me to start my bridal beauty prep!

Now that it’s officially four months (CRAZY!) until Oli and I say “I do” in Menorca, we’re both making some adjustments so that we feel our absolute best.

For me, a large part of this is focusing on my bridal beauty prep.

I’m starting to look after my health and wellbeing to a greater extent, and I’m excited for a healthy lead up to September!

Below I’m sharing five of the key areas I’ve been focusing on to achieve clear glowing skin. If ever there’s a time to go ALL in on great skincare, it’s now!

Here’s what I’ve been up to . . . I’d love to hear your thoughts, and any tips/tricks if you have them too!

5 Things I’m Focusing On

In My Bridal Beauty Prep Routine

1 – Eating Nourishing Food

A while ago I did an Instagram live about my bridal beauty prep, and I mentioned my focus on nourishing food. Specifically I’m focusing on food and drink which will (hopefully!) encourage clear glowing skin. 

I’ve never been the cook in our household, but recently I’ve been giving a few recipes a go in the lead up to the wedding.

In particular I’ve love Wendy Rowe’s book Eat Beautiful. Wendy Rowe is celebrity makeup artist, and believes (as I do) that you can vastly improve the appearance of your skin by eating and drinking certain things. 

What I love about Eat Beautiful is that it’s packed full of easy-to-assemble recipes, with no crazy ingredients you’re unlikely to be able to get hold of. Plus, if you’re an impatient cook, like me, they’re all satisfyingly quick to whip up!

I’ve tried a handful of recipes from Eat Beautiful so far, and both Oli and I have loved them. Heads up on the stuffed aubergines! So. Good. 

Other than Eat Beautiful, I’ve also given some of Joe Wicks’ recipes a gander. In particular I’ve made this coconut rice dish a few times. I haven’t mastered it yet (you really do HAVE to use pre-cooked rice, you’ve been warned), but it’s quick to put together and so damn tasty. 

I also have Madeleine Shaw’s books Ready Steady Glow and Get The Glow I’ve only tried the aubergine curry so far (which Ella got me hooked on) but I’m excited to try more. 

Overall, whilst Oli and I both want to lean up before the wedding, we’re focusing on changing our diet rather than restricting it. Lots more vegetables, less late-night food. We never ate badly, but there’s definitely room for healthier habits. 

2 – Exercise

I love exercise, and have been going to the same gym for 4+ years, but I can be a bit fair-weather with it. 

Normally this is AOK by me, but in the lead up to the wedding I want to properly focus in on my exercise regime.  

Alongside my usual Saturday morning class, I’m aiming to head to the gym 3-4 times a week.

My trainer Rocky and I recently got together to work on some new routines, and it was so energy-giving to change things up!

Other than the gym, I’m generally trying to be more active. Now that the evenings are longer and warmer Oli and I are trying to walk into town more often and take regular after-dinner ‘passegiatas’. ‘Passegiata’ translates to ‘little stroll’ in Italian, and it’s such a nice way to round off the day. 

There are so many ways to build more activity into your everyday, and I’m trying to remind myself of that when I’m feeling lazy and want to take the easy route ha!

I’m Wearing

Blue ‘Portofino’ Linen Blazer: Jigsaw c/o | ‘Keller’ Leather Shoulder Bag: Jigsaw c/o

Dress: American Vintage (SUPER old!) | Belt: Next (past season) 

Sandals: Pretty Ballerinas (past season) | Earrings: Wallis c/o

3 – Sleep

As I mentioned in this blog post I like to sleep in 90 minute cycles, the theory being that if you wake up at the end of a cycle you’ll feel more refreshed than if you were to wake up in ‘deep sleep’. This means that most days I sleep for either seven and a half hours, or, if I’m lucky, nine. 

Nine hours is THE dream!

Having regular great sleep is beneficial on so many levels. It’s the time your body heals (great for your skin!), it’s the time your brain builds pathways (good for concentration and thoughts), and it helps to regulate your hormones too. 

Sleep wasn’t something I gave much thought to at all a few years ago, and now I LOVE it!

4 – Skincare

A while ago my great friend (and go-to skincare gal) Fera advised me to start double cleansing. 

GAME. CHANGER. 

Before double cleansing I’d regularly get aggressive bouts of hormonal acne, something I’ve been trying to manage for years. 

Since double cleansing, my skin has been so much clearer. 

I still normally get a few spots around my cycle, but it’s nothing compared to how my skin used to be.

In terms of cleansers, I love Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish, and ELEMIS’s Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. It’s a rotation of those two 99% of the time. 

Other than cleansing, I’ve been enjoying a few masking routines too. 

Depending on how my skin is feeling, I’ll go in with a clarifying mud mask (my fave RN is Beauty Pie’s Super Pore-Detox Black Clay Mask), a glow-boosting glycolactic peel like REN’s cult Radiance Renewal mask or a soothing version like Dr Roebuck’s TAMA Healing Mask.

Whichever mask I’ve focused on, I like to follow up with a moisture-rich sheet mask. I’ve tried a handful, but my favourite brand by far is Patchology. I’ve yet to find a sheet mask which rivals Patchology’s glow-giving properties. 

Then, overnight it’s all about a big moisture boost. If I’ve used a sheet mask I’ll allow the serum residue to settle in. Otherwise I’ll apply a thick moisturiser like Beauty Pie’s Super Retinol Anti-Aging Serum or Declēor’s Neroli Amara Night Balm.

Oh, and if I have a breakout? I have been LOVING Kate Somerville’s EradiKate solution. It’s the BEST thing for calming down inflammations, and drying out spots.

I’ve popped some of my favourite facial products below . . .

SHOP – BRIDAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS

And Finally . . .

5 – Facial Massage!

My friend Jess, from TwentySixStyle, pointed me in the direction of Abigail James’ Youtube videos on facial massage and, put simply, they’re AMAZING. 

With zero equipment you can use your own hands to drain ‘puffiness’ from your face, and tighten everything up. 

I’ve loved following Abigail’s instructions, especially for a speedy ‘face lift’. 

I’ve also been using By Sarah London’s rose quartz gua sha. It barely takes any time at all to use it and my face always looks more rested for doing so. 

Speaking of rose quartz . . . Herbivore recently sent me their rose quartz facial roller and I am SO excited to start using it!

I’m ALL in for good drainage and tightening in the lead up to September!

Overall 

I’m always conscious of my skincare, but with the wedding ever-closer, I’m paying more attention than ever!

Next up on my agenda is booking in for a facial or two before September, so if you have any recommendations for a great facialist I am ALL ears!

What’s Your Take?

How do you prep your skin for a special occasion? Is there anything I’m missing which you’d recommend I look in to?

Love, Monica x

Photography by Charlotte Bryer-Ash

This post was originally shared in 2019, and has been updated for 2021