The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep PART ONE

photo by Liv

Real beauty comes from within. Your skin says everything about the kind of lifestyle you lead and most skin problems originate internally – the body is one whole integrated system so what’s going on inside our bodies will show up on our skin as well. That feeling of inner health shows up externally on our face and skin more than the best facial ever could. All parts of your bridal beauty prep program from nutrition & exercising to meditation are therefore having a huge impact on your skin. Further here are some beauty, tips and tricks that will ensure your skin and hair will be in best condition and excelling natural radiance. Now read on and get that glow!

The earlier you start to create a holistic fitness, nutrition and beauty regime the better. Besides the 6 week week beauty plan I will go through more general beauty prep, tools, products and techniques and expert Interviews. I always try to stay on top of the latest products and ingredients and hope to share some insider tips with you, while I prepare myself for my own wedding day.

6 Weeks to go: Exfoliate & Detoxify

BODY BEAUTY PREP

Now it's time to start your regular exfoliating regime. It's super easy to get your body glowing. Try daily Dry Brushing: All you need is a natural bristle brush and a body oil. Why? I have listed some amazing facts below:

Benefits: Removes dead layers of skin and other outer impurities. Stimulates and increases blood circulation. Helps release fatty deposits under your skin’s surface. Assists the eliminative capacity of your body’s organs. Rejuvenates your cells. Strengthens your immune system. Increases muscle tone. Improves skin texture. Helps prevent premature ageing.

How? Read my Step-by-step guide to dry skin brushing: 1. It’s best to dry brush first thing in the morning before you shower. I do it after my morning run or yoga session. Start with light pressure until you’re used to the sensation, then move on to firmer strokes. 2. Use a natural bristled brush. Avoid synthetic or nylon brushes or gloves as they’re too sharp and can damage the skin. 3. Start with the soles of your feet, use swift upward strokes and brush from the feet, up the legs, working towards your heart. 4. Once you’ve covered your lower body, move to your hands and work up your arms toward your heart in the same manner. 5. Next , brush your back (that's why it's good to get a long handle brush). 6. Last, work on your abdomen (moving in a clockwise direction to follow the movement of the colon), chest and neck. It’s best to avoid your face as most people’s facial skin is too sensitive. 7. Brush for about three-to-five minutes until your skin is rosy and slightly tingly. 8. Always shower after you dry brush to wash off the dead skin. 9. Immediately apply natural body oil onto the wet skin afterwards. You can use a luxurious blend of Oils or simply use organic unrefined Coconut Oil. Read here how to choose the right one.

And last but not least just a few little precautions: Avoid on sensitive skin, varicose veins, open wounds, inflamed skin or painful rashes, sunburnt areas, breasts and other sensitive areas. Seek doctor’s advice before brushing if pregnant or if severely/chronically ill. Stop brushing if an allergic reaction appears.

If you want to really enhance that new glowing body, and your wedding dress is showing some skin, try a light shimmer lotion on your wedding day to highlight your collarbones and shoulders or legs. I recently fell in love with the Youngblood Mineral Illuminating Body Tint, which I have used on beauty editorials. It's an all mineral and natural product, really fabulous!

Enjoy and keep it up! Keep posted for part 2, which will tell you all about exfoliating the face. :)

The Ultimate Bridal Beauty Prep Series: Coming Soon!

As you might know, Liv&Dave are getting married! Yes, that's us! It's been a lot of fun working out the wedding details, and also just enjoying this special time. The wedding planning is in full swing and while I am swamped with work I am set on the idea to write and share a personal bridal beauty guide for you, giving pro advice from my experience as bridal beauty expert (which I have been lately called a lot) as well as my personal experience in how I prepare my body & mind for the big day. Wish me luck ;)

I am personally quite low maintenance, which you might not expect from a makeup artist and beauty blogger, but don't forget that in the end of the day we all only have 24 in a day and I am working long irregular hours, so I prefer to keep my own routine as simple as possible. Yet I do want my skin and hair to look their best and also be in an overall good shape for our wedding, like any other bride.

I am working on a series of posts about tips & tricks, favourite products and techniques, as well as holistic beauty approaches. Expect regular updates, blog-posts and Instagram posts on these topics! I am happy to hear from you about any comments and questions that you might have and would love this to become a dialogue, if you are up for it! Otherwise just read & learn, I hope you enjoy. And quite obviously this is not just for brides to be, but all Ladies that want to up their beauty game.

To start off here are my Top Five Tips For Glowing Wedding Makeup:

1. Good skin care and skin prep are key, it's best to start a good regime months before your wedding day: Regular exfoliation, a gentle good quality cleanser and a nourishing & balancing moisturiser are a must.

2. Less is more, only use foundation and concealer where needed, be selective and keep it fresh and natural.

3. Secret technique for extra glow: Massage your face with your hands to enhance circulation and radiance and stimulate lymph flow prior to makeup application.

4. Apply a liquid highlighter onto your cheek bones prior to your foundation.

5. Use a soft buffing brush for the perfect invisible makeup application to work a small amount of foundation into the skin. Photo credit: Photography: Lara Hotz Photography Stylist: Stefanie Ingram Floral Styling: Jardine Botanic Floral Styling Hair and Make up: Liv Lundelius Makeup Artist Model: The Agency Models

Haute Boheme - New Collection by Moira Hughes

While it was storming we braved the crazy weather and went ahead with the campaign shoot for Moira Hughes Bridal Couture. Moira is a little bit awesome and is the designer I choose to work with for my very own wedding dress. It was so much fun doing the bespoke design together and I could not believe how good her fabrics feel on the skin. I actually can't wait to wear my dress on the day. As a former designer myself I was blown away by the technique and quality of fabrics, it truly doesn't get any better than this. But own planning aside she just came up with this lovely collection of dresses and her campaign was just released a few days ago. I love the feel. I know that due to the lighting and editing of these moody images you can't see much of the makeup that I have created, but I still love the images a lot. It's about the dresses after all, not about the beauty. Creating makeup for a campaign and working closely with the designers is a very special part of my work that I love so much. We worked with a great team of creatives on this photo shoot and I can't wait for the next collection. Photos by Jason Ierace Makeup by Liv Lundelius Hair The Bridal Hair Co

Australian For Beauty- new botanical beauty products

Today was a simply perfect day! After a Yoga session at home, I started my work day with a beautiful breakfast beauty launch held at Chiswick at the Gallery. A fantastic new restaurant within the Art Gallery Of NSW. The occasion was a interesting product launch of Red Earth and Coast To Coast. Red Earth is relaunch of an Australian makeup & skincare line, while Coast to Coast includes a bath&body range as well as skincare. Both are inspired by natural ingredients. The presentation and packaging of the products appears premium in many ways and is minimal and chic. While NOT being certified organic the ranges are not tested on animals and contain a high percentage of active natural and organic ingredients and no artificial colours or fragrances. It's certainly not an all natural line, if you are an eco-beauty fan seeking 100% purity and toxin free products these lines are not for you. There are still plenty of ingredients in this line which are potentially harmful and that I would personally avoid. If you are after affordable, effective skincare with lovely smells & textures you should give these a try. The founders believe that good skincare does not have to be expensive, and therefore both ranges sell at a very affordable price point. The focus is on very active botanicals many of which are sourced in Australia to create potent skin care and makeup products that deliverresults.

Coast to Coast formulations include a host of exceptional native Australian ingredients. Take Kakadu Plum; native to the northern tip of Australia, it provides the skin with six times the vitamin C of an Orange. Tasmanian Sea Kelp, from Bass Strait, is a rich source of vitamins A, B, C & E, & contains nourishing minerals & amino acids. Wild Rosella, Desert Quandong & Sea Parsley also add to the range of scientifically proven actives chosen based on their merit, rather than aesthetic to visibly replenish & nourish the skin.

While I love the presentation of the brand I am afraid that the mentioning of natural ingredients might mislead consumers to think this is a toxin free line that is certified organic. Therefore I have to make this clear: Read labels and don't get fooled by Greenwashing.

Rise Editiorial Makeup & Hair for Zephyr Magazine

A little while ago I teamed up with fashion photographer Levon Baird and stylist Susannah Best for an ethereal fashion Editorial that just got published in the current issue of Zephyr Magazine.

I hope to work with these creative people again sometime.