Having beautiful skin has always been an obsession of mine, but I’ll admit that when I found out last year that I was getting married, it reached a whole new level! Once the excitement of the announcement had settled, my two priorities were finding my dream dress and a way to guarantee a perfect complexion on the big day. It wasn’t easy: although my teenage acne was nearly ten years behind me, I still get bouts of blemishes and haven’t quite worked out how to manage my combination skin, which is dehydrated and prone to playing up ;-) So, three months before the wedding, I decided to put a proper plan of attack in place and follow it to the letter to give myself the best possible chance!

I’ve always tended to try every product I could get my hands on: I love it, and I’m lucky enough to do it as part of my job. But beauty journalists and the Oh My Cream experts all agree: constantly switching products is bad for skin and increases the risk of minor reactions.

As a result, I’ve been holding back as much as possible for the past few months and have pared my routine down to the bare minimum: the three essential steps you all know — double cleansing, exfoliation and moisturising.

In the evening, I remove my make-up with Oh My Cream Skincare’s Cleansing Balm : it’s the best make-up remover I’ve ever tried! I love its rich texture, which melts into an oil and rinses off beautifully, and it contains ingredients that are great for my skin (antibacterial coconut oil, soothing oats and balancing jojoba). I then cleanse with REN Skincare’s Rosa Centifolia Facial Cleansing Gel. I’ve stayed loyal to it for years because I’ve never found a gel that feels so fresh yet is so gentle on my delicate skin. Sticking to this routine every evening really makes a difference: the pair suits me well, visibly reducing blemishes without ever being harsh on my skin.

I then usually go to bed with nothing on my skin, with two exceptions:

• If my skin feels tight, I apply a few drops of Oh My Cream Skincare’s Plumping Oil, an essential for hydration and waking up with baby-soft skin, thanks to its hyaluronic acid and vitamin A content.

• If my skin is playing up, I sleep with a generous layer of Promise Keeper Blemish Facial by Allies of Skin. It’s incredibly effective: when I finally took the time to read its INCI list, I was amazed (manuka honey, hyaluronic acid, fruit acids, niacinamide, colloidal silver, centella asiatica…), and it works little wonders for my complexion and blemishes!

In the morning when I wake up, I exfoliate in the shower (much more convenient!) two or three times a week with Oh My Cream Skincare’s Exfoliating Powder, which is particularly gentle and easy to lather. Then I apply the same cream I’ve used daily for years: Dermalogica’s Skin Smoothing Cream. Its level of hydration is just right for me, leaving my skin comfortable and smooth without overloading it or causing little spots.

To some people, that probably sounds like a lot of products. For me, sticking to these four to six skincare products and not touching anything else is quite an achievement. But my skin is thanking me for it: it’s never looked so clear or felt so calm!

I’d never been to an aesthetic medicine clinic, apart from having a peel a few years ago. I liked the results, but it meant staying out of sight for a good week. I really wanted to go back to give my skin a fresh start before the big day, but I’d left it too late: the first rays of spring sunshine rule out this kind of treatment.

Then I heard about the Médecine de la Beauté clinic on Instagram. I went to its practice in Paris’s 8th arrondissement to meet Dr Valérie Leduc and get her advice. I explained that I wanted to get rid of a few acne scars, which bothered me even more than the small spots I got regularly but knew I couldn’t eliminate completely. She prescribed radiofrequency treatment for the scars (I’ll only be able to tell you about the results in a few months), but, more importantly, explained that contrary to what I’d thought, it was entirely possible to put an end to the mild adult acne I was experiencing, thanks to Miltaderm (a combination of LED and cold lasers). I’d heard of LED treatments before without ever really looking into them, but if the articles and Dr Leduc are to be believed, they’re THE new weapon against acne! Essentially, a lamp emits different colours of cool light that act deep within the cells: blue light kills the P. acnes bacteria responsible for acne, red light boosts collagen and elastin production to soften wrinkles, and yellow light targets redness. I was told that after an initial course of six to eight sessions, followed by a little maintenance, I’d finally have the perfect complexion I’d been dreaming of for years.

Two months and eight sessions later, the verdict is clear: I can’t remember the last spot that made my life miserable — and I used to get lots of small, red, inflamed microcysts. I no longer have anything to conceal in the morning, I have far less redness, and my skin looks better overall (LED treatments also help with pores, hydration and radiance). MA-GIC!

It’s a real investment (€120 for a 25-minute session), but perfect skin was my holy grail, and I don’t regret spending the money for a second. If you can afford it, or if you have a special occasion that makes it worthwhile, I highly recommend this clinic (Dr Leduc and her assistant Carla are lovely)!

Although there’s no scientifically proven direct link between diet and spots, I think we’ve all noticed how our skin changes when we eat more healthily.

Without becoming obsessive about it (I don’t have enough willpower anyway!), I’ve decided to follow a few basic tips:

• Cutting out cow’s milk and gluten: not so much because of any intolerance, but to reduce bloating and limit small spots. So I’ve switched to almond milk, sheep’s milk yoghurt, quinoa, brown rice, lentils and so on...

• Avoiding too much sugar and snacking: I’ve completely given up sweet treats (pastries, shop-bought cakes, cereals with added sugar, fizzy drinks, sweets and so on) and opt for alternatives (fruit, one square of dark chocolate a day, fromage frais “sweetened” with a spoonful of honey or cinnamon, and muesli with no added sugar) so I don’t feel deprived. But there’s no need to cut out healthy fats just to fit into your dress: among other things, they help keep skin hydrated and looking brighter. For that coveted glow, try avocado, tuna, salmon and eggs!

• Limiting alcohol to two glasses a week: I’m not an alcoholic, of course, but I used to allow myself a glass of wine with dinner now and then, and almost always when eating out. It adds up faster than you might think, and my mother has always told me that cutting out alcohol completely is a sure-fire way to slim down and improve your complexion. I plan to do that a month before the wedding; for now, I’m limiting myself to no more than two glasses a week. It’s a start!

By following these basic principles, along with two swimming sessions a week and a course of probiotics (first thing in the morning on an empty stomach), I’ve also managed to make a real start on slimming down ;-)

I hope these tips help you enjoy lovely skin this summer, whether you’re a bride-to-be or not!