From masking to exfoliating: Exactly what you should do before an event.

2022 is going to be the year of the wedding, and before that we’re looking forward to (hopefully) most state and international borders opening.

What this means is after almost two years of events being few and far between, most of us probably don’t have a consistent event prep routine. 

Watch: An awkward person's guide to social events. Post continues below.

Enter me, with my cheat sheet timeline so that all your prep work can be done in time for your event (even with a little wiggle room in case of a fake tan disaster).

It’s also a great way to build a routine to help keep your skin happy, especially if you’ve got to roll it through multiple weekends in a row. 

For the sake of ease, we’re going to pretend your event is on a Saturday and we’re starting with a self-care moment on the Sunday before that. 

Sunday. 

No matter what you’ve been up to this weekend, taking some time on a Sunday to rehydrate your skin and body is a great way to set you up for your week. 

Pop a soothing mask, like the Aceology Frose Infusion Gel Mask, $64, in the fridge for a bit before applying it. 

Putting on a chilled mask feels refreshing and a little luxe, plus it can help to reduce inflammation and puffy under eyes (because maybe your Saturday ended in the wee hours of Sunday). 

It’s also a great time to have a big drink of water, or if you’re like me, your collagen. I’m currently reaching for the Hebe Supplements Hyaluronic Marine Collagen, $68.

Monday. 

Monday night is for setting yourself up with a clean slate for the week. This is the night to do a decent double cleansing routine and use a nice clarifying mask. 

The point of these treatments is to help decongest your skin and bring any impurities to the surface, so if you do it tonight, it gives you plenty of time to deal with any pimples that arise. 

My pick is the Go-To Removalist Mask, $48, which is basically like pressing the reset button on your skin but without stripping it.  

Image: Supplied 

Whilst I have my mask on, I like to spend a good 10 minutes or so dry brushing my whole body. I love it as a way to gently get that body exfoliation happening, especially if I want to start encouraging old tan to come off.  

Tuesday.

Very little homework for you to do tonight, other than dealing with any pimples that may have come up as a result of your mask from the previous night. 

This is also a good night to use any actives or exfoliating treatments on your face, again giving yourself plenty of time in case of a reaction or irritation.  

Wednesday. 

Tonight, we prep our body for any tanning we might want to do. Eighty per cent of what makes a good tan is doing proper skin prep and giving yourself time to get it right. 

Start off with a body exfoliator, like the Luna Bronze Back to Base Exfoliant, $39.95, to help remove any dregs of tan and leave your skin smooth and supple. This is also the time to do any shaving you may wish to do. 

Once you’re done in the shower with all of that, it’s time to moisturise! It doesn’t really matter which one you use, but after that exfoliating session, you want to give back to your skin and hydrate it as much as possible for tomorrow night’s tan.   

Thursday. 

If you’re planning on fake tanning, this is the night to do it. You’ve already done all your skin prep the night before, so you’re ready to go, plus it gives a bit of time before the event to fix up any patches you may have. 

Now, I won’t tell you how to tan, because that’s a full article in itself and I’m absolutely not an expert. But I do have two tricks that always give my chronically dry skin a good, even tan. 

First, apply your tan within five minutes of having a cold shower. That tip comes straight from Jules Von Hep himself, so you know it’s a good one. 

My second tip is that straight after my shower but before putting my tan on, I moisturise my dry spots. 

My favourite moisturiser to use is the Bangn Body Firming Lotion, $48, and I basically just work it into my hands, feet, ankles, elbows and knees – all the spots you often have trouble with tan catching or going patchy. 

Image: Supplied 

For me, this is also the night I would do a gentle exfoliant on my face, prepping my skin so it's nice and smooth. One I keep reaching for is the Youth To The People Unity Exfoliant, $59, which is super gentle but leaves my skin slippery smooth. 

Friday. 

Almost there! Tonight is a bit more relaxed so all we’ve got on the agenda is a hydrating face mask and getting your nails sorted. 

I always just do my own nails, so I like to leave this until the day before so that I reduce the chance of chipping. My personal favourite is the Sally Hansen Insta Dri formula, $8.95, which comes in a range of gorgeous colours and dries super quick – before I even have time to smudge it. 

This is also a good time to fix up any issues with your tan. If you find any spots you’ve missed, I love using a gradual tanner like the Luna Bronze Glow Gradual Tanning Moisturiser, $28.95, to help blend it in. 

Also, just use a regular moisturiser all over to hydrate the skin and keep your tan looking fresh.  

I like to bookend my skincare routine on this night with soothing, hydrating face masks. After cleansing, my favourite mask to reach for is the Go-To Transformazing Sheet Mask, $45. 

Image: Supplied 

Sheet masks, especially this one, always seem to be very generous with the amount of serum in the mask, so I like to be a bit cheeky and get two uses out of it. 

If you gently fold the sheet mask up and put it back in the pack, then put that in the fridge, it’s good to go again in the morning. 

I follow this up with a few drops of the Luna Bronze Good Night Serum, $45.95, which gives my face a subtle tanned glow, so my face matches up with my body.  

Image: Supplied 

After this, it’s the rest of my routine and then I finish with a hydrating sleeping mask, like the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask, $23. It’s a thick and rich mask that helps to lock hydration in, making your skincare work harder for you while you sleep.  

Finally, I pop a hair mask like the Grow Longer Stronger Anti Breakage Mask, $6, on my hair overnight. I like to wash my hair the morning before I style it and an overnight mask just makes it that much softer and healthier looking for the day. 

Saturday.

The day is finally here! 

At this point, all that’s really left to do is get your hair and makeup done. If you did the sheet mask trick I mentioned, you have a chilled mask ready to go for your makeup prep. 

From there, it’s time to enjoy whatever event you’ve got going on and take alllll the photos.  

Now I know it all sounds like a lot, but spreading it out over the week before helps me to reduce the stress of trying to get everything done in a rush, or worse, getting to the night before and realising I’ve got a full beauty disaster on my hands and no time to fix it. 

You can also absolutely adjust it to your own routine, like if you don’t use a fake tan, but it’s a really useful timeline to plan out treatments like masking so you get the most out of every step! 

Feature image: Supplied.