Photo: Courtesy of vendors; Illustration by Christina Park
Looking your very best on your wedding day has a lot to do with feeling your very best. Just like eating well and exercising is an essential pre-wedding regimen, so is treating your body (namely, your skin) well. We've already brought you our editor-approved picks for everything from skincare products and face makeup to eye and lip winners and hair care essentials, but none of those products will do the trick without having a great base to work from.
The editors at BRIDES tested hundreds of products to bring you the very best for all things beauty in 2015, and these nine body necessities are our new go-tos for a beautiful body.
1. Body Wash: Dove Purely Pampering Pistachio Cream Body Wash, $7.49
Out tester's skin felt so soft after using this cleanser, she didn't even need lotion. And it smells good enough to eat. (But, um, don't.)
2. Body Scrub: Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache Body Scrub, $50
Yes, it smells like a heavenly dessert, but it's mighty too. "Most scrubs I've used are very grainy, so I didn't think a creamy formula would do much, but this powered through my dry skin — even the scaly patches on my knees."
3. Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, $9.49
So many sunscreens are pasty, greasy, and gross. Not this one. "It's completely unsunscreeny — more like a lightweight body lotion," says one editor. "I love that it absorbs in seconds, so it's exactly what you want for everyday protection."
4. Razor: Venus Snap, $13
This five-bladed razor left our testers' leg super silky. Its scaled-down size — easy to pack for the honeymoon — won them over as well.
5. Antiperspirant: Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid, $7.99
This kept out testers dry (and BO free!) during big work presentations, sweltering days on the subway, and even a spin class.
6. Self-Tanner: Lancôme Flash Bronzer Tinted Self-Tanning Leg Gel, $42
Everyone know who's testing tanners; they often wind up wearing the (orange, splotch) results of the duds. That's why this one stood out: The streak-free cream adds believable golden color minus the Oompa Loompa effect. (And despite the name, it's not just for legs; we use it all over.)
7. Body Cover-Up: Dermablend Leg and Body Cover, $31
Our tester used this concealer to blur a burn mark on her arm — and no one was the wiser! It covers just about anything, whether it's a bruise, a scar, or that tattoo you semiregret.
8. Body Lotion: Vaseline Spray + Go Moisturizer, $7.99
For those who find slathering to be a chore, this genius breakthrough delivers soft skin via a light aerosol mist. "It takes literally 10 seconds to apply," says our tester, who won't be going back to the bottle any time soon. "it's now my all-time-favorite lotion."
9. Teeth Whitener: Crest 3D Whitestrips Luxe, $65
A lot of products help you get whiter teeth, but few do so as pleasantly as this one does. Our tester loved that the strips didn't taste bad, were easy to apply, and didn't slip. "I even drank white wine through a straw when I wore them, and they didn't do anywhere," she says.
For more great beauty advice, and to find out which other beauty products made our list, be sure to check out our April/May issue, available on newsstands and for download now!