These are some things that I also thought about or were brought up in conversations related to grad prep. While you may choose to skip some (or all) of them, I thought mentioning them would be worthwhile.
If you decide to get cosmetic services done like brow/body waxing/threading, I highly recommend getting them at least a week before the day you graduate. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to threading and waxing, and has different healing periods to go from red and a little irritated to normal again.
I’ve never had microblading done, so I can’t say for certain how much time it takes to heal (and again, different people will have different healing periods), but I would say minimum two to three months in advance. My mom had microblading done a few years ago, and I think it took a good two months for her to heal.
While going to a spa to get facials done is something on my bucket list, I’ve heard that some soon-to-be grads go and get them done before their graduation, too. I think 1-2 weeks before your ceremony would be good, but it also depends on what type of service you get. Honestly, if you’re thinking about it, I think it would be a great idea to pamper your skin, and it could help makeup go on smoother the day of.
On the other hand, if you plan to get your nails done at a salon before your grad ceremony, you might have to plan accordingly. The timing of when to book your appointment is different depending on so many factors, for example, are you going to a big salon? Private or home studio? A solo nail artist, etc.
I follow a few different accounts of nail salons, private studios, solo artists, etc, and some are booked out at least a month in advance. So I do recommend calling or messaging ahead of time to work out the time for that. But if you plan to do your own nails (like me) there’s really no set time of when you should get them done by. Just make sure you’re free, give yourself enough time and don’t have to rush through everything.
However, for those who plan to do their nails at home, make sure you resupply ahead of time. Whether you’re restocking on your favourite products or buying something new to try for grad, give yourself at least one to two weeks for them to arrive (if ordering locally) or three to four months if ordering overseas.
And also give yourself some time to practice the style of technique you want to try before actually doing it on your nails. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to simplify a style or do something else altogether because I didn’t practice ahead of time.
Now for styles, choose whatever you want! Since my dress is black and ivory, I was thinking about doing either a glittery champagne colour, or going with a nude type colour with magnet gel. I think standard French tips, marble, and magnet gel designs are super popular right now for grad nails, but honestly, I think they’re just plain popular year round.
