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Wedding planning guide for noobs
Not every woman wants to get married nor does every girl keep a box of her wedding dreams under the bed, but those who do – now they are to be adored for their lovely enthusiasm and joy.
However, what appears to be very symptomatic with the future brides is that, while they serve as perfect bridesmaids and could easily take up on a role of wedding planners in those moments, when it comes to their wedding – they get entirely lost and overwhelmed. After all, there’s so much to do behind the scenes and an already fragile, excited bride-to-be can’t possibly handle it all without proper organization.
If you are one of the future, adorable brides with no clue what to do next, we’re giving you an insight into things that’ll help you organize your glorious wedding and give it that sweet, personal flair. We’ve made the entire list based on the most common errors brides make or oversee, so – enjoy your read and all the future planning:
Only the loved ones
Yes, your dear aunty from there and there did send a card, wishing you a happy marriage but given you can barely remember her face, let alone anything else about her, it’s safe to say she isn’t going to cut the guest list… just like plenty others won’t.
Cut throat! That’s the bride we love! To enjoy your wedding fully, without much drama (and consideration for people you don’t actually know all that well), the key is to invite the people you love, see or talk to often, and those who keep your heart warm. Even if your wedding turns out to be smaller than you’d expected, that’s okay – all of them are people that’ll help make unforgettable memories with you on your fabulous day.
Keep it original
An all-white wedding invitation may be a great, elegant choice, but so will a vibrant, personalized one! Hey, just remember – how many of the all-white invitations have you stashed in a drawer somewhere and have no idea whose weddings were they from! To make your W-day memorable and your guests pleasantly surprised with their invitations, choose personalized wedding invitation templates that are absolutely you!
Bridesmaids can do it alone
We are absolutely sure you aren’t one of those annoying brides forcing her gusto onto everyone else, especially the bridesmaids. Be your quirky, free-spirit self and let the bridesmaids choose their own dresses! The only thing you should be supervising is the style they opt for… no one wants a bridesmaid dressed in circus colors, right? Well, unless that’s the wedding theme!
Dress for amazement
While most brides love going shopping for their wedding gown with their best friend, we strongly suggest you do it alone. Or, at least – do the first few rounds of browsing by yourself and present your bestie with your final options. Then, go for some champagne and wedding gown try-ons and make it a day!
The best way to start your gown hunting is to explore online offers, magazine editorials and search for the best wedding shops in your town (or towns around). You’d be surprised what all you’ll find!
Venue is key
Just as choosing the right gown is crucial for the bride’s look so is picking a venue for the entire wedding vibe. The type of venue you opt for is the type of wedding you’re planning to hold – so make sure you pick right! If you are going for a theme wedding, make sure you talk it out with the venue renters – while some venues are super excited to offer pre-planning options (some even offer decoration, too), others aren’t that enthusiastic about it. Oh and – explore your options, don’t book until you are sure!
We wish you a happy and beautiful wedding and a lovely married life afterward. Send us some pics!
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2017 Spring Beauty Report
It’s that time of year again where your entire Winter routine gets thrown out the window. The weather is quickly changing and so should your beauty routine! Whether you are looking for a new hairstyle or a new skincare routine, this Spring there is something new for you to try. Check out our 2017 Spring Beauty Report!
Infusium Hair Care Line
Designed for women who are intrinsically motivated to aim high and constantly push to get better, Infusium’s new line of multitasking haircare and treatment products combines professional quality with everyday ease for a healthy no-fuss hair routine – transforming hair health with every use. This new and lean lineup is all wrapped up in a vibrant bottle design with elegant fragrances for a luxurious user experience.
Price: $6.97-8.49
Available at: Walmart, Target and Walgreens nationwide.
Confidence in a Compact with SPF 50+
Until now, no one has been able to create a serum and combine it with pigments and SPF 50+ for full coverage. Not only does it deliver all the amazing skincare benefits of our best-selling Confidence in a Cream, the groundbreaking solid serum technology and high-performance anti-aging ingredients truly transform your skin!
Now available in 7 skin transforming shades!
Price: $38
Available at: Sephora, Ulta, ItCosmetics.com
Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Oil Treatment
The ultimate hydrating, repairing and reconstructing treatment for Medium – Coarse hair textures. It is infused with the exclusive PRO OIL COMPLEX, which leaves hair silky, detangled and frizz-free. It improves hair health, shine and elasticity and is ideal for dry, damaged or color-treated hair. This product is color safe, cruelty-free and free of sulfates, gluten and parabens.
Price: $39.99
Available at: Ulta, Ulta.com, MacadamiaHair.com and fine beauty salons nationwide.
SuperPlump Thickening Blow Dry Spray
From ColorProof comes this new addition to their super popular SuperPlump line! Check out ColorProof SuperPlump Thickening Blow Dry Spray.
Vamp up fine hair with this heat-activated, miracle body builder that weightlessly plumps each strand to expand volume and density while smoothing for touchably soft, noticeably thicker hair with maximum color and heat protection. Thicker. Fuller. Stronger.
Price: $28.00
Available at: http://www.beautycarechoices.com/
Give your skin a vital dose of moisture with natural argan oil and olive leaf extracts when you lather up with Live Clean Exotic Nectar Replenishing Body Wash.
Price: $5.99
Available at: Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond
Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Masque
Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Masque is the ultimate hydrating, repairing and reconstructing treatment for Medium – Coarse hair textures. It is infused with the exclusive PRO OIL COMPLEX, which leaves hair silky, detangled and frizz-free while also improving hair health, shine and elasticity. Ideal for dry, damaged or color-treated hair.
Price: $36.00
Available at: Ulta, Ulta.com, MacadamiaHair.com and fine beauty salons nationwide.
Textrovert
Bed Head Textrovert Texturizing Iron, for frizz free lived in texture. Easy to clean barrel with tourmaline gemstone and ceramic emits maximum hair conditioning ions and infrared heat, helping hair retain its own moisture for soft shiny styles in a fraction of the time.
Price: $29.99
Available at: Ulta, Ulta.com
Je Ne Sais Quoi™ Lip Treatment
Developed with plastic surgeons, this innovative, lip-reviving, color-infused treatment is clinically shown to awaken your lips with intense hydration and your perfect flush of pink! While essential butters and oils, hyaluronic filling spheres and antioxidants smooth the look of lip lines and lock in moisture for your most supple, pillowy-soft results, the proprietary Vitality Lip Flush Technology™ reacts with the warmth of your lips to create a beautiful pop of color that lasts all day.Price: $24.00
Available at: Sephora, Itcosmetics.com, Ulta
Osmosis Colour Mineral Cosmetics Brow Gel Collection
Gone are the days of overdrawn, penciled in brows. Whether you’re looking to camouflage sparse spots, add dimension or cover up greys, the Osmosis Colour Brow Gel Collection does it all. Available in 4 shades, this water-resistant, smudge-proof gel lets you fill in, shape, and color brows without flaking or fading. They glide on like a cream and set to last all day. It won’t move until you want it to.Complete with an angled brush for a precise application, each glide will make a stroke so natural looking, you would never know it wasn’t real hair. Formulated with emollient beeswax, this unique gel formula dries quickly while mimicking actual hairs to give you full arches in a flash. Great for covering grey hairs, simply dip a clean mascara wand into your brow color, painting each side the desired color. Mix and match tones to coordinate with hair color.
Price: $25 each
Available at: osmosisskincare.com/BrowGel.as
px?cn=2019 Live Clean Collection
Founded in 2006, Live Clean was created with a simple vision: to create high performance body, hair, and baby products that celebrate natural beauty while honoring the earth. Live Clean evokes the beauty in plant-based ingredients to create gentle and effective products that are safe for the environment and at an extremely affordable price. They currently have has three distinct collections: The Fresh Water Collection, The Argan Oil Collection, and the Coconut Milk Collection.
Price: $5.99
Available at:Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods.
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Four Ways To Help You Get Forty Winks
We all know that sleep can have so many physical and mental health benefits, but sometimes it just feels impossible to drift off. The stresses of modern life mean that more people than ever are suffering from insomnia. The rise of technology and the fact we are constantly reachable by work has meant that our homelife has been affected, and our sleep has suffered as a result.
Though there is no single cure that is guaranteed to fix it, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.
Get Into A Nightly Routine
You will find it much easier to sleep if you get into a nightly routine. Go to bed at the same time each night, and try to keep this going on weekends as well. Your body should then find it easier to adapt to a wake-sleep cycle. Try to find some relaxing activities to do just before bed. Many people like to have a shower or bath as a way of soothing their bodies. Others enjoy some gentle yoga. Try to avoid watching TV or movies as some studies have shown these can interfere with your sleeping patterns. Think about removing all technology from the bedroom completely. In a world that is so interconnected, it can be nice to have a room that is a place to simply switch off. Instead try listening to some calming music or reading a chapter of a book.
Avoid Eating and Drinking Too Much Close to Bedtime
Try to limit the amount you eat and drink when you are approaching bedtime as this can interrupt your sleep. Getting up to go to the toilet can totally interfere with your sleep, so try not to drink much one hour before bed. Before this however, apple cider vinegar has been found to provide certain health benefits. Find out more at The Alternative Daily. Caffeine and alcohol are two other substances that have been proven to disrupt sleep, so again these are best avoided late on in the evening time.
Get Comfortable
Try out some different sleeping attire to find out what you are most comfortable in. Also, vary the different types of duvet and blankets depending on how warm the night is. If you are someone who gets easily disturbed by noise, try out sleeping with some ear plugs in. Similarly, if you find light disruptive to your sleeping pattern, try out an eye mask. An alternative is investing in a blackout blind that totally blocks out the light from your window.
Find A Way of Clearing Your Mind
This can be the trickiest one. With so many stresses in modern life, one of the main causes of insomnia is simply having too much on your mind. A technique that some people use is writing everything they are worrying about down in a notebook and coming back to it the next morning. Another way is through meditation, which is the process of clearing your mind and existing in the present rather than being consumed by the events that cannot be changed in the past or future.
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Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Blender?
The blender is a fantastic tool in the kitchen, if yours is sitting around gathering dust it’s time to make a change! It allows you to prepare foods you simply would not be able to any other way, and can really help to elevate your cooking. Here are some of the things you can make in your blender and get the very most out of it.
Smoothies
The most obvious thing to make in a blender (and the reason most people buy one) is to make smoothies. Smoothies are fantastic, they’re a great way to get more fruit into your diet and make an easy breakfast or snack. Even fussy kids who don’t like fruit will generally sip on a tasty smoothie so it’s something the whole family can get on board with. For an excellent smoothie, every time use frozen mixed berries, chopped frozen banana (for thickness and sweetness) and juice or almond milk. From there you can add any additional ingredients of your choice. Goji berries for a nutrient-packed boost, avocado for good fats, Greek yogurt for protein, even a handful of spinach which you can’t taste when it’s with the other ingredients. Once you have that base smoothie right, you can tailor it with any extras you like so experiment and work out your favorite combinations.
Soups
Soup is such a convenient, versatile lunch. It’s light, healthy and a doddle to make if you have a powerful blender such as a Vitamix. There are a variety of models so some research will help you decide on the best Vitamix for you. Roast or boil some veggies, leave to cool and then blend with some stock and herbs. Heat up the mixture in a saucepan and swirl through some cream, creme fraiche or natural yogurt to finish. It’s a great way to use up the odds and ends you have left of your week’s veggies and is a super nutrient rich and healthy lunch. Eat with some wholemeal bread for added fiber if you want something more substantial.
Curries
Many of us indulge on unhealthy and expensive curries at the weekend from takeaways, but there’s no need as it’s so simple to make your own. To create your base sauce start with onions- lots of them. Around six large onions will do the trick, chop them and cook them down until they’re brown and sticky for maximum flavor. Add some herbs and spices- garlic powder, turmeric, coriander leaf, paprika and cumin seeds are good choices. Blend up this mixture with a tin or two tomatoes and a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and you have a great base sauce. You can cook this down to reduce it if you want a thicker consistency or add a little water if it’s too thick. Taste your sauce as you go, decide if it needs anything else adding. If you’re not confident with herbs and spices, buy a curry paste (not sauce) jar and add a few tablespoons of this instead. Add some marinated cooked chicken and simmer for thirty minutes until the flavors are infused. Stir through cream or natural yogurt and serve with basmati rice for the perfect weekend treat.
Breadcrumbs
Buying ready made breadcrumbs is kind of expensive, and they can be a little crunchy and bland too. Making your own is far better, they taste nicer, and it’s a good way to use up stale bread. Plus they freeze nicely so if you make a big batch, simply divide into sandwich bags and pop in the freezer to use when you need them Slightly toasted or stale bread (but be aware of mold which is not good!) works best. For added flavor put in a pinch of herbs too. Breadcrumbs are useful for a technique called ‘penang.’ Here you coat meat, fish, even firm cheese in flour, then dip it in beaten egg and finally rolling it in the breadcrumbs. You can cook these in the deep fat fryer, but for a healthier option put them on a baking sheet and cook in the oven. You can make homemade breaded chicken, nuggets, goujons, fish fingers, even mozzarella sticks using this method.
Purees
Have you got fruit trees in your garden, or just regularly manage to snag good prices on fruit? A good way to use these up is by turning them into puree. Chop up the fruit and cook it down in a saucepan until it’s caramelized. Once cooled blend it up and put it into containers. If these will be used in recipes or cooking at a later date, you could freeze it in icecube trays. Simply pop out a cube or two from the freezer as needed and use it however you like.
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Exercise Yourself Beautiful
The importance of a workout for fitness and health is not lost on any of us. When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, or just strengthening our bodies for the daily grind, it is essential to focus on fitness.
That said, doing things for the “right reasons” is not an incentive for everyone. Knowing that we should do something, does not always translate into actually doing it – or doing it with any enthusiasm. We know that we should eat right but that alone is sometimes not enough. Let’s face it: advertisers know that. That’s why so many tempting foods are advertised as “guilty pleasures”.
So to strengthen the incentive, is it perhaps a good idea to sometimes we a little less noble? A little more… shallow? This bears some thinking about. Does it matter why you do the right thing, if you still end up doing the right thing? In other words, if you don’t feel motivated to work out for fitness and health alone, why not work out for beauty? It’s not like it’s a bad thing, after all.
In any case, once you start doing something and get into a pattern, you see the benefits beyond what first convinced you to begin. So if you want to look better, here are some workout tips that will also have you feeling and looking better.
Can Your Workout Improve Your Skin?
Now, it is worth noting that working out with a full face of makeup on will diminish any benefits to beauty you get. In fact, you should cleanse your face before working out for maximum benefit. But yes, your workout can be a pivotal part of good skincare.
In exercising, you better regulate production of cortisol – the body’s stress hormone. Too much cortisol causes the skin to age, thinning and encouraging blemishes. Not to mention that the best workout supplements have benefits for the skin. As AlgaeCal reviews point out, the supplement provides calcium, which aids healthy skin and regeneration. Remember: always check with a doctor before starting any supplements.
So the more you work out and supplement yourself to do so, the less cortisol in your system – and that means your skin will be better than ever.
Can Your Workout Help Your Hair?
What can exercise do for your locks?
You will no doubt be picturing a line of people on treadmills, red faced and sweaty. How, you might be wondering, could this ever be good for your hair? Especially as you’ll shower afterwards, and doesn’t that strip the hair of its natural oils?
Studies show that, in fact, a vigorous workout can be one of the best things you do for your crowning glory. Far from making hair dirtier for no reason, intense cardio releases toxins. This benefits the release of purer, healthier sebum on the scalp – an oil that stops hair becoming dry and lifeless. As another benefit, exercise stimulates blood flow which can increase the speed at which your hair grows.
And Another Thing…
Beauty is more than skin deep. We all know how exercise can help the skin and hair now, but it’s fair to say that everyone looks better when they’re smiling. And there, again, exercise has you covered. By working out, you will release endorphins, your body’s natural “happiness hormone”.
Just one note of caution. Studies have shown that too much endurance exercise can be bad for your teeth. Avoid sugary energy drinks (just avoid them anyway – they’re not good for you in any way, shape or form) and when working out, try to limit how much you breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing can dry your palate, which harms teeth, and as a double-protection you should gently brush your teeth after any gym session.
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Big Night Out? Preen Yourself Presentable
Via FlickrWe’ve all been there. You enjoy yourself a bit too much on a wild night out and start to regret it slightly when you wake up in the morning. You wouldn’t trade the fun for anything, but it might be nice to wake up feeling fresh as a daisy instead of like you’ve just taken an 18-hour flight. On top of not feeling too great, you don’t exactly look amazing, either. You’re still tired and you look a little pale, but you’ve got places to be. Maybe you even have to be at work. If you’re panicking, don’t worry too much. You can make yourself presentable, and no one will be able to tell what you got up to last night.
Start with a Shower
Before you do anything, get in the shower. Or if you have time, take a relaxing bath. The warm water will loosen your muscles and help you to start feeling a bit more human. You’re probably a little sweaty from the night before too, and you certainly don’t want to leave the house smelling of sweat, smoke, or anything else unpleasant. If you’ve got a headache, give your scalp a little massage when you wash your hair, and it should help you let go of some tension. If you need to wake up a bit faster, try a cold blast from the shower.
Curing Your Hangover
Helping yourself to feel better will help you look better too. You won’t have such a miserable expression on your face or find yourself wincing through the day. If you’re smart and well-prepared, you might have taken one of a number of available hangover helpers the night before. They’re meant to stop you getting a hangover in the first place. But if you haven’t taken one, everyone has their favorite hangover cures. From sugary drinks to fried breakfasts and healthy smoothies, you’re sure to have something that will help you feel better. Make sure you have plenty to drink and try to eat something too.
Dealing with Tired Eyes
Your eyes can give you away if you wake up feeling worse for wear. Even if you haven’t been drinking, when you’re tired, your eyes can really show it. If you can get them looking a little more normal, you’ll look and feel better. First, deal with any puffiness using your preferred method. It might be cold spoons, teabags, or a fancy beauty product. Bloodshot eyes don’t look great either, but some eye drops can help to soothe them. And, of course, doing your eye makeup will hide all manner of sins.
Get Glowing
If you’re looking a little sallow after a night out, it’s easy to fix. Start by moisturizing so your skin is smooth and hydrated. You’ll look much more fresh-faced once your skin is looking a little healthier. Next, you can apply some foundation, perhaps some bronzer, and an illuminator. Give your skin a brighter look so you appear more radiant than you feel.
You can turn a good night out into a good morning if you take the right steps. You’ll be looking and feeling better in no time.
