Top Tips To Look Stunning On Your Wedding Day

Looking your best on your wedding day is absolutely essential. You want to be the most beautiful person in the room. Most importantly, you want everyone to remember that moment when you shone brighter than the stars. There are lots of ways you can ensure you are radiant for your big event.

Start with having a spa day a few days before. You might enjoy it as part of your hen night. Most day spas offer a bridal package. They include things like manicures, pedicures, facials and hair removal. Then, of course, comes the champagne and massage! You can be spoilt and pampered for the last time as a single lady. Lush!

Even if you don’t have a facial at a spa, it’s worth spending some time on your skin in the run up to your wedding day. Exfoliate gently, and keep on top of your moisturising routine. This will help prevent dry patches and breakouts that may appear under your makeup on the big day. It’s especially important you cleanse thoroughly on your wedding morning as your makeup will be heavier. You’ll be wearing it all day so it could leave your skin vulnerable to clogged pores

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Choose bridal jewellery that suits you. Less is more. A simple necklace, your engagement ring, and some drop earrings are usually enough. Then you can add your tiara or hairpiece to finish your look. Using a hair stylist can help ensure your hair looks stunning under your veil. Curls are still very popular for bridal hair. Up dos are also still on trend, or you can try hair extensions for a half up and half down look.

Makeup needs to be heavier than usual for the bride. This is so it shows up well on any wedding photography and videos. There are plenty of bridal makeup artists for you to choose from. Choose products that stay all day, as there will be little opportunity for touch-ups. Blush is quite important to get that rosy glow for a bride. False lashes help open up the eyes and create feminine elegance for your look.

Fake tans can help if you are quite pale and have a sleeveless dress. Alternatively, a little moisturiser with bronzer can do the trick. Have a look at http://www.prima.co.uk/fashion-and-beauty/beauty-news/g21803/top-10-gradual-tanning-moisturisers/ for some ideas. Keeping your skin soft and supple is important if it will be exposed on the day. And summer brides need to avoid tan lines and burns that will show up!

Your wedding photographer is responsible for capturing the whole day. Most importantly, a good photographer will be able to show you at your most beautiful. Check out http://www.weddingsbyjp.co.uk/wedding-photographer-bridgend to see how to find a photographer with a knack for catching those natural moments where your smile is most genuine. Angles and light choices go a long way to bringing out your natural beauty. The venue should have plenty of places for naturally lit photography to be a success.

Finally, choose a dress that suits your body shape. Maintaining a good posture will help show off its detail beautifully and help maintain your perfect silhouette. With all these tips, you’re sure to look stunning on your wedding day.

The Beauty Addict’s Guide To Travel Essentials

Whether you’re heading off for a mini break or are taking a business trip, there’s no need to wave goodbye to looking your best. Even if you need to travel light, you can still ensure that all your hair and beauty needs are met. It’s just a case of being smart about your packing.

To help you ensure that you have everything that you need to look your best while away,  we have put together a guide to all the essentials.

Hair care essentials

It goes without saying that for any trip, you will need your fave shampoo and conditioner. (Ideally, in mini bottles to save room when it comes to packing.) But what other hair care products do you need? This will depend on your hair type and, of course, where you are going.

If, for example, you curl or straighten your hair every day, your curling ironing or straightener is a must, as is a bottle of heat protector spray. If, for instance, your hair is prone to drying out, you might also want to pack a deep conditioning mask. Of course, there are also your daily styling products to think about - your mousses, sprays and gels. If you want one product that can be used for all manner of things, Argan Oil is ideal.

Skincare must-haves

What are the most important skincare items for travel? Cleanser, toner and moisturiser go without saying, but what else is a must-have? If you’re heading off for longer than a few days, an exfoliating scrub is also essential.

To make it easier to travel light, opt for mini versions of your favourite products. Instead of taking bottles of cleanser and toner, pack cleansing and toning wipes. They might not be as good, but they’ll do the job and will make your suitcase a little lighter.

Miscellaneous bits and bobs

From hair ties to your toothbrush and toothpaste, there are a few travel essentials that don’t fall into the above categories.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, it’s crucial that you remember to pack these, so pop them at the top of your list. Remember if your lens stash is running low, to reorder from www.lensdirect.com, at least, two weeks before your trip. How about treating yourself to a cute mini contact lens travel case for keeping your lenses and solution safe while you travel?

Your hairbrush is also a must-have. If, however, you don’t want to pack your usual brush because it’s too bulky, swap it for a space-saving Tangle Teezer. These are amazing for keeping your hair looking good and work wonders on tangles, hence the name.

Makeup

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And last but not least, your makeup. When it comes to packing for a trip, choosing what makeup to take can be tricky. The best thing to do is to limit yourself to one of each product, instead of taking every piece of makeup you own.

For bases, a concealer pot, foundation or BB cream, and a setting powder are essentials. For highlighting, you’ll need a blusher, bronzer, and highlighting mini palette or cream - Benefit does a nice one. And for your eyes, eyeliner, mascara and a mini shadow palette is perfect. Oh, and don’t forget to pack your sponges or brushes, else you’ll have to use your fingers.

There you are, all the must-have beauty essentials for your next trip.

Tips to Help You to Take Better Photos

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Did any of you set goals this year? One of my goals is to take better photographs. I love capturing special moments. It is so nice to have the memory to look back on. It also works well for this blog. Good photos on a blog are a must. At the moment, though, I’m just not impressed with what I take. I have been doing a little research and want to share what I have learnt about making my photos look better. Hope these tips are useful for you too.

Get to Know Your Camera

Some of you may be using the camera on your phone. Some of you will be using a ‘point and shoot’ style camera or a DSLR. Whatever type of camera you are using, it is important to get to know your camera. There will be a lot of features that you should play around with an practice with. The better you know your camera and what it is capable of, the better your photos will turn out.

Lighting

It is important to take photos under natural light. The best place is by a window on a cloudy day. You can brighten photos afterwards but it is tricky to edit out the glare from sunshine. You should avoid using the built-in flash as much as possible. This can make things rather awkward but when I want styled photos for the blog, I need to time it all just right and take them in daylight. 

You should also move around to find the best light. If you are photographing food, you don’t need to feel like you can only take photos in the kitchen. Think about your home and which rooms are naturally brighter or get the sun. Using some tablecloths or props, you can get great photos taken in a bedroom and no one will be able to tell.

Look Around for Inspiration

There are some amazing photographers out there. The great thing for us is that their work is online, and we can look at their websites. Take Darren Howe Photo for example. Find some photographers that you like and then browse their work. If there is a style that they go for or a look with their editing, try to emulate it. Imitation is the best form of flattery! 

Editing

Try to take it easy with the editing. Less can certainly be more. If you have a decent camera, and you got the lighting right for the photo, it shouldn’t need too much editing. Try to brighten the pictures slightly and sharpen a little. This can be a trial and error thing, but practice makes perfect.

Snap Away!

You just need to take a lot of photos! You will be bound to get a few that you like out of them. I think lifestyle shots are best when they aren’t too styled so just snap away at your family when they are doing their normal things or out for a walk. It captures real emotions, and they will make great memories.