We are terribly excited to announce ELLIE SANDERSONS new Beauty Expert.

We have known this wonderful multi award winning Make Up Artist for many years, infact she has done Master-classes for all the ES girls, made up Ellie for Sky TV , hosted Glamour parties in our shops, been on location with us and also worked on many of our Boudoir shoots. She has more awards than we can count and appears regularly on Radio Berkshire and writes for the National Wedding Publications.

So Ellie had one of her brain waves and decided to ask Joyce to be our Beauty expert.

In the months ahead Joyce will share key tips every week to help our brides prepare for their big day. She will be hosting more Beauty parties in the ES empire and no doubt will pop on our face book page too.

Here is the first entry from Joyce about Skin care.

Do you now your skin type?

Using the correct skincare products for your skin will make all the difference to how it looks and feels. To help you choose the right products here are some tips to help you know what your skin type is. Because great skin means your make up will look flawless on your wedding day.

Normal: There should be no signs of blemishes on normal skin types. Your skin should have the right balance of oil and moisture. Normal skin feels smooth to the touch and doesn’t show signs of fine lines.

A facial wash is great for normal skin. Exfoliate once a week and use a hydrating mask once a week. Use a medium weight moisturiser daily and a lightweight eye cream.

Dry: Signs of flakiness and dry patches with fine lines usually relates to dry skin. Your skin might feel slightly rough to the touch and is lacking in oil.

Using a creamy cleanser daily will help to keep the skin soft. Exfoliate twice a week with an AHA product to dissolve the dead skin cells and use a nourishing mask weekly. Use and oil rich moisturiser daily and a fine line reducing eye cream around the eye socket.

Oily: If you’re prone to blackheads, breakouts and shine you are most likely to have an oily skin. Throughout the day the skin feels greasy to the touch and shows signs of high shine anywhere on the face. The skin produces too much sebum (oil) and this can cause breakouts.

Use a clay cleanser to help absorb the oil on the surface of thee skin avoiding the eye area. Use a granular exfoliator twice weekly to loosen blackheads and a clay based mask weekly to help minimise the appearance of pores. Avoid alcohol based products which encourage oil production.

Combination skins: A combination skin can be a mix of any of the 3 types above. Parts of the face will show signs of any of them. Oil on the t-zone, dryness on the cheeks, blemish free in other areas. Use products that are suitable for that skin type in the particular areas to help treat the problem.

Top Tips for all skins:

• Double cleanse. The first cleanse removes make up and the second cleans your skin.
• Avoid alcohol toners. They are very drying and if your skin is oily it will increase the oil production making the problem worse.
• If your skin is irritated by a product then stop using it immediately.
• Have your skin professionally analysed so you know you’re using the correct products for your skin type.
• Clean your make up brushes and sponges weekly. Applying make up with a dirty brush can lead to skin irritation and breakouts.
• Get plenty of sleep because your skin repairs itself at night.
• Drink at least 2 litres of water a day to keep skin fresh and hydrated.
• Regular exfoliation helps the moisturiser to penetrate better.
• Have at least one professional facial before your wedding day.

Written by: Joyce Connor

Web: www.bridesandbeauty.co.uk