Taking off bridal makeup after a fourteen-hour day

By the time the last guest leaves, most brides want nothing more than to wash their face and sleep. But long-wear bridal makeup, lash glue, setting spray and two hundred hairpins do not come off with a splash of water. Ten calm minutes, in the right order, make the next morning much more comfortable. This is general advice from makeup artists, not skin treatment.

Start with the hair. Ask a sister or friend to help remove the flowers, the maang tikka and every pin before you touch your face. Brides often find thirty or forty pins we used to secure the dupatta or the jasmine strings. Brush the hair out gently from the ends upwards and leave it loose.

Next, the eyes. Soak two cotton pads in a cleansing oil or micellar water, hold them on closed eyes for thirty seconds, and wipe downwards. The lashes will lift away on their own; do not pull them. Then massage a cleansing oil or balm over the whole face with dry hands for a full minute, which loosens the long-wear base, before rinsing with lukewarm water.

Follow with your usual gentle cleanser, pat dry with a soft towel, and use a plain moisturiser you already know suits your skin. This is not the night to try a new mask. We pack a small kit with cleansing oil, cotton pads and a hair clip for every bride, and leave it with whoever is staying with you. If your skin feels unusually irritated afterwards, speak to a dermatologist.