Guest Blog: Skin Wonder Woman, Marie Reynolds

Marie Reynolds is fast becoming the go-to beauty expert for celebrities and editors. She has written three books drawing on her twenty years as a beauty and holistic therapist and frankly, if you've ever tried her Fifth Concept treatment at London's Four Salon, you'll think she's semi-Goddess.

Beauty guru Marie Reynolds

In fact, I had the Marie Treatment the day after returning from my hen in Dublin. Needless to say, she had her work cut out for her...and I was blown away by the results.

So who better to tell us how to look dewy on the big day - or any day, getting married or not, for that matter - than the woman herself? Welcome to aisle-be-there.co.uk Marie Reynolds to answer your questions.

Q. I've left it late with only a few weeks to go. Are there any last-minute tricks and treats I can use to make my skin look healthy and glowing on my big day? Natalie, 32, Windsor.

A. Exfoliation is key! However, you must make sure you don’t overdo it.

Mechanical exfoliants (scrubs) can be too harsh, especially if they contain kernels, they can cause sensitivity, broken capillaries or even ... SPOTS!

Look for an exfoliant with bamboo beads in or even better a cream exfoliant with AHA (alpha hydroxy acids).

This will dissolve the superficial dead skin cells and allow the skin to glow and look healthier. 

Cheaper than La Prarie..a cucumber fix

Another little trick is to use cucumber… not for the eyes but rubbing onto the skin.

 Cucumber contains phytochemicals. This encourages collagen to tighten and firm your skin. 

Also look for moisturisers with ingredients which reflect light and give a dewy glow for your big day!

Laura Mercier Tinted Illuminating Moisturiser is worth investing in.

For a Laura radiance

Q.  I look a bit tired with slight dark circles under my eyes. Is there anything I can do to look more rested on the day? I use By Terry concealer for under the eyes which is really good but always feel my eyes just look a bit puffy and sleepy. I do smoke a little and drink a lot at weekends - I think that doesn't help. My wedding is in two months. Carmine, 35, Glasgow.

Here, Angelina, it's time you starting taking Marie's advice.

A. This question always makes me smile because EVERYONE looks for topical applications for the puffy or dark offending conditions of the eyes.

It is quite simple when you understand why this is happening. Part of the reason is in your question - drinking and smoking, so yes cutting down on that is a start.

The area under the eyes links directly with the kidney meridian so this is where we have to negotiate.

Drinking Spring Water is great but also  increase foods which are high in water. The body eliminates fluid a lot faster than foods.

Water relief

The body will absorb more water through digestion and your colon will be thankful also.

Eating foods that strengthen the kidney meridian will reflect in skin, especially under the eyes. 

Oh sugar..

So look at going organic where you can, cut down on sugar - that includes your pastas, cakes, biscuits, breads … and alcohol. Remember alcohol and carbs convert to sugar. Increase in fresh steamed veg and eat plenty of fish.

It is ideal to use an Eye Gel rather than a Cream. The gel can be placed in the fridge before application.

Jade Roller

You could also invest in Jade Rollers for your home care routine. Jade is excellent to reduce inflammation especially where excess lymph (puffy eyes) is collected.

The Jade Rollers calm the skin and are exceptionally cooling. I use my mine every night and incorporate in my facial routines. 

Q.  I'd love to draw out impurities - blocked pores in my nose and a couple of under-the-skin spots on my forehead for my wedding in six weeks. Should I book in for a facial? If so, what should I ask for? Helen, 27, Nottingham.

A. I would highly recommend a professional treatment, especially with your big day looming.

Your therapist should advise you on appropriate skin care and also give you the correct treatment by preparing the skin before any extractions.

Step away from the spot

The last thing you should do is squeeze them yourself as you will risk re-infecting another follicle, bruising or permanently marking your skin.

A professional Beauty Therapist should be able to advise you on the correct treatment from a thorough consultation.

Q. What's the benefit of a professional facial compared to buying a treatment and doing it at home? What facials would you recommend? Candy, 29, Aberdeen.

Go on..treat yourself

There is nothing wrong with pampering the skin at home but it is worth investing in a professional treatment, especially for your wedding day.

The benefits are first and foremost getting the correct advise on skin conditions you may not even be aware you have and which can be easily remedied by educating the client.

For example, topical skin care or make-up ingredients that are clogging can cause blackheads and dehydration.

Many think pigmentation is a result of too much sun exposure but again hormonal influences or photosensitive ingredients may be the cause.

I tend to look at the client as a whole. I analyze as soon as I lay eyes on my client and observe how they sit, talk and lie on the treatment couch.

I then look at the ears, toes and face and gather information that will tell me what I need to know enabling me to advise on diet, lifestyle and skin care.

24 gold carat leaf

I also use pulverized crystals and 24 Carat Gold Leaf that illuminate, rejuvenate and hydrate the skin.

When you have a consultation with a therapist you will only tell her what you want her to know but I can see beyond that. 

The human body is a walking, talking book, every line, every mark tells a story. We are what we are by what we eat, experience and inherit.

This marks the body in all sorts of manifestations including skin conditions - you just have to know how to read the human novel.

I am a Guest Therapist at FOUR LONDON (www.fourlondon.com) every Monday where I carry out the FIFTH CONCEPT TREATMENT which I have created myself

Celeb fans include presenter Kirsty Gallacher

Click here for details of the Fifth Concept Treatment and for celebrity comments including presenters Helen Fospero, Caroline Flack and Kirsty Gallacher, as well as actresses Tamzin Outhwaite and Clair Sweeney, click here.

Q. I've never had botox before but have a good few lines. Is it a good idea before my wedding in seven months? Or is there something magical and natural I could try? Annie, 38, Greenwich

Botox bonanza: Kylie? Is that you?

Botox and fillers are a personal choice. I truly believe if you do things that make you feel better then go for it!

You must do your research and go to a reputable practitioner – check out the ‘Treatments You Can Trust’ register www.treatmentsyoucantrust.org.uk 

Remember you are restricted from certain facial treatments if you do have fillers and botox and you have to be aware of certain ingredients that may stimulate cell activity and cause reactions.

Facial massage is natural and can increase blood flow

I am a huge fan of Chinese Cosmetic Facial Cupping. 

This is a technique that increases blood flow and muscle tone, it will stimulate collagen and elastin in the skin and plump fine lines and wrinkles. 

Q. What products do you like to use? I've heard Dermologica is good. I have pretty normal skin with some congestion. I want to look five years younger!! Caroline, 34, Cardiff.

Natural ingredients..Dermologica

Dermalogica is a good product to use, as they are free from artificial colours, fragrances, they are non comodegenic (not blackhead forming).

It is important to look at ingredients that will not cause dehydration, pigmentation or topical acne.

It is so easy to be drawn into the misconception that a highly priced product is luxurious or effective.

Expensive ingredients are not always the best

You may find that certain products claim they have a wonder ingredient ranging from caviar to gold to crushed pearls that do wonders to the skin, which to be fair do benefit ( I use pure gold in my treatments - it is a super anti oxidant, extremely hydrating and illuminating)..

BUT! When you look at the ingredients you will more than likely find the ‘wonder ingredient’ is minimal and the rest is full of artificial colours and fragrances, SD alcohols and many other nasties.

The best advise I have given to therapists and consumers is to invest in a book by Ruth Winter ‘A Consumers Guide to Cosmetic Ingredients’ or download an app ‘Cosmetic Ingredients’.

Warm up..with Winter's beauty bible

Simply search for an ingredient you are not aware of and you will see for yourself the effect this has on the skin.

Marie..THANK YOU for giving us a wealth of information on how to look our dewy best in a one-stop-shop of expertise.

For more info on the Fifth Concept Treatment and to book an appointment, Marie's website is www.mariereynoldslondon.com

Follow Marie on Twitter: @marie_reynolds


Thank you international man of mystery and celebrity hairdresser Charley McEwen for introducing me to Marie.

Would You Pay To Try On Dresses?

The woman on the other end of the phone is checking her diary to see when she can fit me in to try on bride dresses.

“Would midday suit?”

“Perfect.”

“And we will require a payment of £25. I can take it now if you have a credit card at hand.”

“Sorry?”

“A payment of £25.”

“What for?”

The staff member at Browns Bride put it a certain way.

I asked if, put simply, she meant the charge was to enter the shop and try on frocks.

She concurred.

She pointed out they would refund the money should I buy one of their dresses.

Browns in London now also run the exclusive Vera Wang bridal outlet. Women who want to visit both boutiques are charged twice, even though they will – unless loaded or insane – will probably only buy one dress.

That aside, surely it’s just offensive to ask for payment to enter a shop?

I asked to speak to the manager.

“Hello Miss Maxwell. I believe you are wondering why we charge customers when they make a booking?”

She explained I would be paying for a service refundable against purchase.

I asked why no other top end bridal designer shop charged – Sassi Holford, Suzanne Neville, Pronovias at Harrods or Temperley to name but a few.

And why no other service I can think of charges you to consider purchasing their products.

It doesn’t sound the sharpest thing to do while the world is in economic dire straights.

B&Q doesn’t charge you to look at their kitchens, or indeed for an hour-long appointment with a designer to show you how it would look in your home.

A car salesman invests hours every day showing customers his motors. It’s his job.

The annoying bit was, I ventured to the manageress, that friends who have been to Browns say it’s lovely.

A number of designers are showcased under one floor, which is time-effective for a bride like me who is behind schedule.

Oddly though, no one I’ve spoken to remembers paying to look at gowns.

Perhaps it’s a new thing? Would you pay? Or perhaps you have?

I sighed. “I disagree fundamentally with your policy but I tell you what, I’ll pay £25 to come to both stores.”

“Rules,” she said, “Cannot be broken.”

I countered that rules are there to be changed slightly to take into account the individual needs of the customer.

My mother was flying down, the expense of a Big Day was making my head spin – come on, let’s be reasonable, was my friendly gambit.

“Ladies fly from all over the world to come to Browns Bride and we cannot change the rules for any one person.”

I’m sure she meant it to sound exclusive but I thought it insufferably crass.

I thanked her and bid farewell.

Martel Maxwell's Stag Do For Girls

Stags are more fun than Hens. Fact.
Men go to Iceland or the Algarve, say things like "what goes on tour stays on tour" and wake up in jail.
The last Hen I was on, someone brought their baby.
In fairness it turned out to be a hoot, but that's not the point.
Men see a get-away with the boys as an extravagance, but one to which they are entitled. A rite of passage.

They decide to go, wherever it is, spend the same as their pals and worry about the bill afterwards.
If he's under the thumb, he will:
a) refer to her covertly as 'The War Office' or;
b)  keep a secret bank account, so as not to be nagged ad nauseam upon return.
Studies show women worry up to twice as much about money as men.
When it comes to Hens, this translates to fretting about cost from the off.
So sympathetic brides-to-be are more likely to opt for a spa day or weekend in the UK.
Each to their own, but I want a trip to remember.
And in part, hopefully not.
As you know, I'm way behind on planning. Anything.
So my friend Zoe kindly offered to take the reigns, ably assisted by my sister Holly and pal Sal.
"So Max (the first half of my surname) what do you want to do?"
"Go to Vegas."
I knew it was never going to happen. The cost, a couple have newborns, others can't get time off work.
But she did ask.
"Ok," I conceded, "but I don't want the highlight of the weekend to be a manicure and glass of champagne."

Hen do hell

Our first destination idea for 'Martel Maxwell's Stag Do For Girls' was Marrakesh.
The group emails (there will be ten to fifteen of us) were flying, excitement mounting at our Moroccan adventure with kaftans and couscous; fezzes and fine wines.
Until, that is, Venetia pointed out drunk women are arrested and put in prison.
While this is one way of making it Stag-like, it's not ideal.
Females entering a bar are considered prostitutes.
My initial response - that this is a good thing as it will increase the single girls' pulling power, was not shared by The Team.
We are now thinking Ireland and specifically Kinsale, where the Guinness is great and food delicious, the town known as the country's culinary capital.

Martel Maxwell's stag weekend for girls

The flights are reasonable and we should be able to hire a couple of cottages with ocean views.
I envisage a rustic bar with fiddles and giggles, seafood that melts in the mouth and clubs that throw us out when the lights come up.
Perfection.

The Guest List

His list. Number 104:
"Irish Si."
"What do you mean 'Irish Si'? What's his surname?"
A frowning Him: "Dunno actually."
"You can't bloody have someone on the list if you don't know their surname."
We are three drinks in to the Dutch courage it has taken to start our Guest List.
My homage to starting this blog yesterday is finding a nice beer garden in Greenwich and ordering halves of Guinness to Jamie's pints. Because that stone is not going to lose itself.
That and the fact we brim with Celtic genes.
Jamie, who may possibly have a medical phobia about being told what to do, is affronted.
"Of course he's coming. I've had at least ten of the best nights out I've ever had with Irish Si."
To settle the matter, he calls a friend who furnished him with Simon's surname. With a flourish, he adds this to his list, along with a 'plus one' for his wife.

We have set an upper limit of 200.

When I tell former brides this they pucker their lips and say things like "Oh that's...ambitious,""Really?" or "We had 120. That was more than enough."

It's not a boast of popularity; simply a reflection on the amount of friends you collect by the time you hit your early thirties.
School, university, work, kindred spirits picked up along the way. They mount up.
And I think Scottish weddings often are a bit bigger.
I have enforced a rules to keep things getting silly. I say enforced..it works for me and Jamie may come round.
1. If I didn't go to their wedding, they won't be at mine.
My intended says this is a silly rule. If you like them and want them there, what difference does it make? Your friendship may have changed since they wed.
2. Other than family, no children.
This is  a political minefield in itself and one best saved for a future post.
The real fear is of leaving someone loved and downright obvious off the wedding list.
Like the time mum forgot to pick a Great Aunt up for my seventh birthday party.
It wasn't until we were headed back from the church hall, where the little boys in kilts had stabbed each other with pencils and cried, that mum screeched the car to a halt.
She later apologised for the strange words that came out of her mouth.
Auntie had sat on her sofa for two hours waiting for us to arrive, before sighing and taking off her new dress.
When I think of her, I smile.
And that makes me think perhaps Jamie has it right after all.
What better 'rule' for inclusion than: I think of them and remember the good times. They're coming because they make me smile.

Why I'm Keeping A Wedding Blog

It has come to my attention that I am not a normal bride.
Not if that means I am living, breathing and daydreaming about the big day; revelling in the finishing touches - that seems to come naturally to everyone else.
I've met the man of my dreams, love him and can't wait for a future with him.
Yet looking through bridal magazines and attending wedding fares has done nothing short of put me into a mild manic.
This is not in character - I love a party and am not averse to being the centre of attention.
But the relentless questions from those who have 'been there' are terrifying. "Will you take his name?" "What boutiques have you been to?" "How many guests?" "Menu?" "Bridesmaids?" "Where's the hen do?"
Perhaps it's the desire to be different. Or fear of being the same. Either way, the thought of being on this monstrous conveyor belt which churns out similar-looking women in white dresses is terrifying and I'm sure I can't be alone.
This blog is for me to keep a public diary and therefore force myself to get a move on.
Perhaps it will be a comfort to women who are similarly scared stiff of getting it right. And hopefully it will be a journey from this paralysis of indecision to our perfect day.
There are only six months left and by April 27, 2012 a fair bit to do - get a dress, create a wedding from scratch, make it original, lose a stone. You know, everything.
I will achieve these dizzying heights with your help. So please, keep tuned.