Any photographer you go to for your boudoir session should obviously be exercising the use of proper lighting, flattering poses, & photoshop but the REAL weapon and determining factor of your portraits is, that’s right, you guessed it girlfriend…. YOU! And allow me to let you in on another secret…. Radiant, glowing skin can completely bump up your photos to a whole new level. Not only will amazing skin make your portraits absolutely flawless, but the steps you’ll take in achieving radiant skin will make you feel confident, improve your mood, and increase your energy! HOLLAAAA

I’m going to take you through the steps over a span of 7 days, so ultimately… a week before your session, you should start prioritizing a few changes in your daily self-care plan.

DAY 1 – CLEANSE TONE MOISTURIZE

On Day 1, so 7 days before your shoot, we’ve got to pay special attention to your CTM routine. If you are not already Cleansing, Toning, & Moisturizing every morning and every night….this is the day to prioritize this.

Our skin is constantly picking up funk from outside dust & pollutions so we’ve got to keep up with this first and foremost. The cleansers and moisturizers are your choice but I prefer to use Natural Products since they are more gentle on my skin. To tone up, or just make sure you get all of those left over oils and dust off your skin, you can use green tea or white vinegar. After cleansing, moisturize of course & consider adding in an eye serum. Keep in mind also, that boudoir is about your entire body so make sure you are applying your moisturizer to reflect that. I know a lot of boudoir photographers who prefer their clients  skip the spray tan and tanning beds, however, I say go with a tinted moisturizer if you have mastered the art of applying without streaks. Streaks are nearly impossible and incredibly time consuming to fix in post processing so if you’re not an avid tinted moisturizer fan, skip it.

If you have very dry skin, try switching up cotton bed sheets and pillow cases to satin ones. This will help your skin retain extra moisture.

Speaking of sheets and pillow cases, removing your makeup at night is a MUST! If you don’t normally do this, try to fit it in your night time routine at least until after your shoot.

DAY 2 – HEALTH of skin

On Day 2, so 6 days out from your shoot, we’re going to pay attention to fixing our skin from the INSIDE. This part is ESSENTIAL to the process.

Today and for the next 5 days, up your water intake. This gently cleanses your body & balances your body. When you are dehydrated…..it shows. Keeping yourself fully hydrated also aids in the control of oil production and tightening of your pores. Who knew??

The next few things I’ll talk about are so incredibly underrated but are going to make a huge difference for you.

Start adding two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar to your daily diet. I usually mix mine into a big glass of water with a little bit of lemon juice. I’ve noticed this reflects in my skin and belly bloat. Eat more vegetables & avoid sugar at all costs until after your session. I also notice doing light stretches before bed makes a HUGE difference.

I have an app on my phone called Yoga Studio that has ten minute stretch sessions that will suit you just perfect. The app costs $2.99 I think but it is well worth it even if you only use it for the next couple days. This is also going to start loosening up your muscles for your session. In boudoir, I’ll have you pose in ways your body does not normally move so these daily stretches are really going to benefit you in all aspects.

As silly as this last step is going to sound, it shouldn’t be overlooked. Be mindful of your breathing. Whether it is while you’re in the shower or walking from your car into the grocery store, make sure you take a couple deep breathes throughout the next couple days. This is an amazing detox exercise and will aid in the health of your skin more than you could imagine.

DAY 3 – EXFOLIATION

Alright we’ve made it to day 3…. 5 days before your big debut. Unlike your CTM routine & being conscious of your skin’s health from the inside, we will only exfoliate twice before your session. Today is that day for your first exfoliation routine.

For your face, the spin brush is my favorite way to exfoliate. I just feel great afterward and can tell all the dead skin has been removed.

Something else you can do to get a FLAWLESS look & take your exfoliation to the next level, is to shave your face. I do this once a month, and my hair does not grow back thicker or darker. I have a video on my youtube channel on how to do this and there are also others, so if you’re new to this idea, check those out before your do anything. If you DO plan to shave your face or get a facial… today is the day to do it. Don’t wait until last minute or the day before. You could be left with unwanted redness on the day of your session.

For your body, I am absolutely in love with sugar scrubs. I’m huge on spa items and they just make you feel like a new person. I’ve also seen some amazing coffee scrubs and clay scrubs for the body.

After you exfoliate, slap on your favorite face mask to lock in that moisture. Use an extra intense body butter tonight also.

DAY 4 – DEEP CLEANING

Today, 4 days before your session, go in for the steam clean. Steam your face for about 10 minutes just to get any deep gunk out of there.

Stay true to your CTM routine and healthy skin habits.

DAY 5 – MASSAGE

3 days before the big day!!! If you are a “go to the spa” kinda gal, book yourself a massage to flush out all those toxins. If a spa day isn’t in the cards for you, create your own home spa night. Give yourself a foot massage. Massage your face with Aloe Vera to increase circulation. My YouTube Channel also features a video about creating your own spa night from home, check it out.

Make sure to keep up with your CTM routine and healthy habits today.

DAY 6 – EXFOLIATION DAY AGAIN

Woot Woot!! Day 6, or 2 days before your session!! Today we’re going to exfoliate again! Ideally, we should exfoliate twice a week indefinitely. This will keep your skin healthy and radiant looking all the time.

DAY 7 – INDULGE & PREP

We’ve made it to the last day of the week. Hopefully over the past week you have been keeping up with your Cleansing, Toning, & Moisturizing twice a day. Morning and Night. We have had 2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar every day. We have been drinking more water, doing nightly stretches, being conscious about our breathing, staying away from sugar and alcohol, & being sure to get enough sleep every night.

Now it’s time to play it up and really indulge ourselves here.

We’re going to do another face mask today and deeply moisturize our body.

Pay special attention to when you plan on going to sleep tonight. Getting the sleep your body needs is another huge factor in reflecting radiance!!!

I am 100% certain that these steps are going to have you looking like a goddess for your next boudoir session and you’re going to feel absolutely amazing as well!

If you want to maintain your new goddess like radiance, just stick to the plan!

• Exfoliate twice a week.
• Use a Face Mask & Deeply moisturize twice a week.
• Cleanse, Tone, & Moisturize every morning & every night!
• Stay away from alcohol and sugars!
• Drink lots of water & eat lots of veggies!
• Do stretches everyday & get massages when you can!

Time to shine girlfriend!!