Wedding-morning under-eye prep, timed to the hour

Two weeks out

• Do a full trial run — the exact patch, the exact concealer, the exact timing — on a normal morning.
• Finish any course of strong actives. Don't start a retinoid, a peel or a new eye product now.
• If you're having a facial, book it at least two weeks ahead, not the week of.

The trial run is the whole point of the two-week mark: if something stings, slides or creases under makeup, you find out on a Tuesday instead of at 7am on the day.

The night before

• Go easy on salt and alcohol at the rehearsal dinner. Both show up in the morning around the eyes.
• Cleanse and moisturise as normal — nothing extra, nothing new.
• Put a pair of sachets in the fridge before bed.
• Sleep with your head slightly elevated if you're a known puffy waker.

Morning-of timeline

1. T-minus 3:00 — Wake, water, cool rinse. Stay upright; don't go back to bed.
2. T-minus 2:30 — Cleanse, then patches straight from the fridge onto dry skin, on the cheekbone rather than the lash line.
3. T-minus 2:15 — Remove, tap in the essence, moisturiser, SPF. Yes, SPF, even indoors.
4. T-minus 2:00 — Hair, breakfast, everything else. Let the skin settle for a full half hour before makeup.
5. T-minus 1:30 — Makeup starts on a surface that's hydrated but no longer tacky. This is when concealer behaves.

What not to try for the first time

No new product, no new tool, no first-ever facial massage, no ice-cube trick you saw last week. Wedding mornings punish novelty. Everything on your face should be something your skin has already met and liked.