Beauty Emergency 911

Wedding Day Beauty Emergency Tips
By Melissa Willis of Mary Kay Cosmetics

Photo Credit: Images by Robert T

“Beauty Emergency 911, what’s your emergency?"

“I’m getting married tonight and I woke up with a zit the size of Mount Everest on my chin! What the *^$# am I supposed to do now?”
 

Ah those beauty emergencies, they happen every day, many times a day.  Sometimes even the best laid plans can’t prevent one and that proverbial road to hell paved with all those good intentions will probably lead you straight to one.  So many euphemisms, so little time.  Here’s a quick rundown of what to do and what not to do if you encounter a beauty emergency.
 

The zit that has appeared overnight:  The most important thing to remember about blemishes is that the more you attempt to hide them, the more they show.  If you have a soft foundation on the rest of your face and then put five pounds of concealer on the offending spot, the end result is that everyone you see will look at the zit first.  First and foremost, clean your face with your regular facial cleanser and put on your moisturizer.  Let the skin take comfort in your normal routine (whatever that may be). Before putting anything else on your face, apply an ice cube to the pimple for as long as you can stand it.  The ice will reduce any swelling or inflammation that sometimes accompanies a breakout and it will reduce the redness. This is not an excuse to pick.  When pimples are picked, they leave a nasty open pore and ultimately a scar.   If you are having your makeup professionally done, the makeup artist will know what to do. If you are doing your own makeup, apply your makeup as usual.  If you are going to use a concealer, use sparingly and apply it after your foundation.  The foundation will cover some of the problem and the concealer can cover the rest.  Think of applying your makeup in order to make the pimple less noticeable, not hide it all together.  The futile attempts to hide it completely are what backfires.  The good news is that we always have Photoshop if all else fails.
 

The puffy eyes:  The great thing about puffy eyes is that there are a multitude of remedies and they all work!  Take your pick or pick more than one!  Once again, cold water and ice are your friends.  Swollen areas on your face or body respond very well to ice or ice packs.  Soak a washcloth in ice water and then place the folded cloth over your eyes.  Lie down and rest for about 15 minutes.  Another great remedy everyone knows about is cucumbers.  There is a calming, soothing element in cucumbers.  Cucumbers are used in many skin care lines for their replenishing and relaxing properties.  There’s a reason women in spas are drinking cucumber water and putting cucumber slices over their eyes.  Apply thin cucumber slices to the eyes and lie down.  Five minutes should do the trick.  There’s an old supermodel trick to take care of those bags that should have a claim check attached to them - Preparation H.  Disclaimer:  I have heard about this technique but I have not used it myself.  I’ve heard it is very effective.  Preparation H as a hemorrhoid product is designed to reduce swelling in the….well, we all know where hemorrhoids are located.  Apply a thin layer of the product under the eyes, lie down and relax for about 15 minutes and then remove the product with a washcloth, making sure that no trace is left behind.
 

Sunburn/tan lines:  Perhaps that girls’ weekend on the beach just before the wedding wasn’t the best plan you’ve ever come up with.  There might have been a little too much tequila and not enough sunscreen.  If you realize this a few days before the wedding, the safest thing to do is consult an experienced spray tanner.  A spray tan is safe, fast, and it can even you out faster than you can say, “I do.”  If you really whooped it up and you just didn’t notice the tan lines until the day before or the day of the wedding, you will have to take matters into your own hands.  A self-tanner is risky at best and takes a little while to show up; this option carries a lot of risk.  Blend some of your foundation and some of your moisturizer and try to “blur the lines” so that your skin looks and stays hydrated. Mixing the foundation in will make the line less noticeable.  With this technique, ask someone to look out for you to make sure you’re not “melting.”  The best option would be waterproof body makeup, but that isn’t always readily available.  To avoid this problem altogether, use a lot of sunscreen!
 

Hives/an allergic reaction:  (Disclaimer:  This writer is not a physician in any way, shape or form.)  If you wake up with hives or a rash that seems to be an allergic reaction, try not to scratch and stay calm!  Benadryl is the go-to OTC drug for this kind of thing but can cause drowsiness and/or hyperactivity.  You know yourself better than anyone; take what you know will work with minimal side effects.  In the interim, apply Benadryl topically (in the cream form or the spray). Our old friend, ice, is good, too, to reduce swelling and redness.  Here again, to avoid this altogether, stay away from those food, drink, makeup, and fragrance items that are unknown to you.  Right before your wedding is not the time to try new things, especially if you have a history of this kind of reaction.
 

The most important thing to remember is that you’re getting married!  Whatever beauty disaster befalls you, if you end your wedding day with a spouse by your side, you’ve accomplished what all your friends and family came to witness.  Have fun and make memories!