Me, My £10,000 Pre-Wedding Beauty Routine And I

Alice Henshaw knows a thing or two about pre-wedding beauty treatments. Alice is a Harley Street practitioner and owner of both Harley Street Injectables and results-led skincare brand Skincycles. She specialises in tailored injectable treatments and has many a bride navigate pre-wedding bookings. Three years ago it was time to put her own beauty regime in the spotlight as Alice prepared for her wedding day in July 2019. Her extensive pre-wedding beauty prep schedule kicked off five months ahead of the big day, and is worth over £10,000. Intrigued? From laser facials to underarm Botox and hunting down Pippa Middleton's bridal hair stylist, here's what Alice Henshaw booked in for in the lead up to her big day:

The Pre-Wedding Beauty Schedule

'To get in the ultimate shape pre-wedding I trained with Luke McGurk Fitness who helped me with my nutrition and started whipping me into shape a year before the wedding and continues to train me to this day.'

5 Months Before The Wedding

'Five months before my wedding I had the HIFU Ultraformer treatment. HIFU is a skin tightening treatment that helps tighten and lift the skin. I like to have this treatment on my face but as I already have a full face I don’t need to add any volume, rather I want to lift it. I also had the treatment performed on my abdomen, arms and thighs.'

3 Months Before The Wedding

'Three months prior to my wedding I had Botox in my jaw. I was clenching and grinding my teeth during sleep which can be caused by stress and this treatment is a great help for this. It can also end up slimming the lower half of the face as well, which in turn can accentuate the cheekbones.'

2 Months Before The Wedding

'Two months before my wedding I had Botox injected into my armpits, a procedure that is called hyperhyddrosis treatment. It basically stops you from sweating. As I was wearing fake tan and a white wedding dress this was an important treatment and I find that it's generally very popular amongst brides. On average the effects last for 6-8 months so it's a great treatment to book in for ahead of summer if sweating is a concern.'

'I also had tear trough filler two months before my wedding to help fill the hollowness and darkness under my eyes. I generally get this every 2-3 years as a top up. I had a series of three mesotherapy treatments for under eye hydration and brightening of the skin.'

1 Month Before The Wedding

'I had Botox in my upper face done four weeks prior to my wedding – I wanted my make-up to look smooth on application but I still wanted some movement - I tend to prefer Baby Botox , which is small amounts of Botox strategically placed for a very natural look. I use it preventatively.'

'I also had the Clear and Brilliant laser facial and [Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment](https://www.harleystreetinjectables.com/treatment/prp/#:~=Platelet%20Rich%20Plasma%20){href='https://www.harleystreetinjectables.com/treatment/prp/#:~ =Platelet%20Rich%20Plasma%20(PRP)' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'} at my clinic (Harley Street Injectables) four weeks prior to my wedding to resurface my skin and lessen the appearance of old acne scars and blemishes, which I didn't want to be as visible. The PRP treatment involves having one’s own blood plasma injected into the face, which is why it's also known as the "vampire facial.'"'

2 Weeks Before The Wedding

'Two weeks before the big day I treated myself to the Aquagold Microneedling treatment, which involves a combination of hyaluronic acid and micro-Botox, which helps refine the pores. I booked in for all of my cosmetic procedures at my clinic Harley Street Injectables.'

The Night Before The Wedding

'I spent the night before my wedding on my own at the Ritz. I had a couple of glasses of champagne with oysters and celebrated my last night of being an unmarried woman. I used the time to reflect and gather my thoughts. I enjoy my own company and it was important for me not to be surrounded by too much noise or stress. A night spent pampering myself and eating and drinking my favourite delicacies was just perfect. I used one of my hydrating Skincycles bio-cellulose masks which are now available for consumers to buy. Really they are the best products to use on your skin before an event. They are hydrating, smoothing, calming and packed with amazing active ingredients to make you glow.'

The Pre-Wedding Skincare Routine

' I used the ZO Skin Health range - it's medical grade so you need to find a clinic that stocks it near you - alongside my own brand Skincycles, which at that time was still under development.'

The Wedding Hair

'I researched bridal hair and was inspired by Pippa Middleton’s bridal updo so I contacted her hairdresser Pol Garcia. For my church service I wore my hair up in a gorgeous chignon-inspired look. The style had structure but was soft enough for a stunning bridal style. Pol came to the reception and so he was able to revamp my ceremony hair look. He removed my veil and restyled my hair into loose curls for the afternoon tea. I also had some hair extensions added for volume from Bradley King, which gave me extra body. My colour was done by Alaa Tormas in Knightsbridge who always gets it spot on.'

The Wedding Dress And Shoes

'I remember trying on wedding dresses and thinking "how will I know which one to choose?" there were so many different styles and I loved them all. I took my mum to dress fittings with me and I remember some friends telling me that when you know you know. Let’s face it, mums are brutally honest! When I tried on a gown at Caroline Castigliano I felt like a princess. I felt elegant and comfortable. I also got an absolutely stunning veil from Castigliano’s hand stitched lace collection. I chose a classic and timeless style as I wanted to avoid anything too trend-led that would look dated in years to come. My shoes were a pair of white heels by Manolo Blahnik.'

The Wedding Make-Up

'I went to a few make-up trials with different make-up artists and the amazing Melissa Short really stood out. Melissa has done my make-up for years. I met Melissa at MAC and she knows my face, my foundation shade, my preferred tones and I can always rely on Melissa making me look like the best version of myself. I didn’t want to look overdone. I wanted something classic, which I feel that she executed perfectly.'

The Wedding Scent

'I experimented with many different scents leading up to my wedding day and loved them all for different reasons. I have an acute sense of smell and it was important for me to wear something that not only made me happy but that I knew my soon-to-be husband would like too. Chloé Signature Eau de Parfum always stood out as a classic effortlessly chic feminine scent that I truly believed would stand the test of time. I think that's why I felt like it was the perfect scent to wear on my wedding day. I wanted to know that it would be around forever, and could invoke memories of my wedding day afterwards.'

The Wedding Manicure

'Gel is a great idea for your wedding day as it won't chip or smudge like a lacquer manicure might. Gel will last up to 2 weeks which means you'll have perfect nails for your wedding day and honeymoon. When choosing the perfect shade, it's important to look at your skin's undertones. I have a cool skin tone which typically suits pinky nude shades and I chose a classic French manicure with my nails filed into an oval shape and not too long.'

Memories Of The Big Day

'It all seems a bit of a blur and I dislike being the centre of attention so I can’t really remember walking down the aisle as I was concentrating on staying composed. We had a choir at the church singing hymns and Psalms that we both personally picked which were meaningful to us, namely Psalm 121 Levavi Oculos, If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis and Ava Maria by Franz Peter Schubert. This is a very special and profound memory for me. Other than that I don’t really feel that I saw my husband for most of the day, which no-one tells you about! You each tend to be so busy talking to guests and being ushered here and there. We decided to have a traditional ‘tea party’ with drinks, hor d’oeuvres and a spectacular cake in the garden at our wedding venue The Hurlingham Club. We also had an emotionally moving Haka from Haka Works to honour my māori heritage and all the guests travelling from New Zealand and live music from the incredibly talented Kerrie-Ann Phillips. Oh and the weather was just wonderful, thankfully the heatwave the day before had abated. Later in the afternoon my husband and I flew to Clivedon House for a few nights as we were delaying our honeymoon to the Maldives until after our guests had left the country. This provided a superb and exciting end to our beautiful wedding. '

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