Due to this once in a lifetime event, engaged couples go to great lengths to make their wedding extra special. Together, they must plan every little detail for their special day. Usually, planning for the big day will include keeping a checklist for the wedding; thinking of the wedding entourage; looking for rings, gowns and tuxedoes, caterers, venues, and wedding favours among others. Wedding photographers and videographers are also in the list of must haves. On the other hand, the engaged couple may or may not hire wedding coordinators.

Once everything is all set for the wedding, the bride and groom can prepare for the wedding photos. Usually, the bride and even her bridesmaids move mountains to appear as svelte as possible in the wedding photos. A number of the ladies make it a point to go on diets to look fabulous on this special day. However, going on a diet is not the only way.

True, it is important to eat the right kind and the right amount of food in order to look great in wedding photos. Remember, there are also other factors you need to consider so that you don’t look drab in the snapshots.

Get enough sleep. Staying up late the night before the big day may sound like fun, but your wedding photos might have to disagree with you.

Get the same photographer from the pre-nups to shoot on your wedding day. Being familiar with the wedding photographer will be a great way to relax while your photos are taken. Also, you can grow accustomed to his style and there will be no awkward moments between you and the photographers.

Choose a flattering gown and tux for your wedding. The more suited your wedding clothes are to your personality and body type, the better you’ll look in the wedding photos.

Take care of your skin. Drink lots of water to ensure you have perfect glowing skin for the big day. Also, avoid harsh facial products; you don’t want to end up with rashes on the wedding, do you?

Flash those pearly whites. Make sure that nothing’s stuck in between your teeth. Also, you can use teeth whitening products to enhance your smiles for the big day. On the other hand, you can also choose to smile with your eyes while your lips are pursed. Experiment! The important thing is you are having a great time on your wedding.

Lastly, savour every moment with your partner. Think of all the good times, joke around, and play with the wife or the hubby during photo sessions. The wedding photos will definitely capture just how great and happy you are together.

Follow these simple reminders and you’ll have fantastic wedding photos to look at for the rest of your life.

With the VS Str8 Up Hair Straightener, dull frizzy hair will be a thing of the past. The ceramic tourmaline plates on this hair straightener ensure that you get flat and shiny locks after you’re done ironing your hair. Not only that, having ceramic plates also means that your hair straightener will be lightweight compared to other hair straighteners that are of the same size. Moreover, quick heating of the tool can also be attributed to this choice of ceramic plates. Hence, your hair won’t get damaged since it won’t be exposed to overheating from the hair iron.

The VS Str8 Up Hair Straightener is also a perfect choice to bring on your travels as it is durable and compact in size. You will definitely not have any difficulties slipping this hair tool in your luggage.

However, it is advised that you use this hair straightener only when you have completely dried you hair. This is to avoid any accidents that may arise from using this on wet locks. Another reminder, which we have for users, is to remove any labels on the gadget before using it on your hair. Moreover, consumers are also advised to check with the manual first before fiddling with the temperature control. The section about temperature controls will give you a clear idea which setting will be ideal to use on your hair. Furthermore, make sure that you let the VS Str8 Up Hair Straightener cool down before keeping it after use. Lastly, you should always make sure to use conditioners on your hair. Doing so will keep your crowning glory soft, shiny, and healthy.

Whatever hair straightener you use, be sure to take your time when looking for one. Understand what your hair needs and work from there. The internet has lots of information that you can use. Hence, it wouldn’t be a Herculean feat shopping for a hair straightener that is perfect for your hair type.

The VS Str8 Up Hair Straightener is available now from thegoodguys.com.au

What is it?

Facial microdermabrasion is a deep mechanical exfoliation of your skin using millions of inert Aluminium oxide crystals. A machine with a small applicator nozzle is drawn across the skin while the crystals gently blow against your skin, revealing fresh new skin. Generally, you will need a course of treatments, depending on the condition of your skin and what you want to achieve. Microdermabration can be a great preventative treatment as well, as the healing process can stimulate collagen production, preventing fine lines and dark spots. This is a far better way to stop aging in it’s tracks, as prevention is always better than cure.

Is it safe?

This process is extremely safe. The crystals themselves are inert, meaning they will not react with your skin, as the treatment is mechanical, and not chemical. Of course there will be some immediate mild side effects, you will most likely come out of your treatment looking a little sunburnt, but this subsides within a few hours. Your therapist should soothe your skin afterwards with a basic moisturiser, although some people prefer to add a peel to the skin afterwards, as microdermabrasion is excellent for prepping skin for chemical exfoliation when you need that little bit extra.

Is it for me?

This procedure is virtually painless, and can be used by all races, genders and ages. There is a benefit for everyone, from acne reduction, scar reduction, the prevention and reduction of fine lines and the fading of pigmentation. It’s a great way to get fast results without overspending on creams and potions that will promise you the world. There is no face cream on the market that can mimic the results you will get with microdermabrasion, and these creams are best used as maintenance in between micro treatments.

You may have seen at home microdermabrasion kits, and creams that are meant to achieve the same results for a massively reduced price; our position is that these can help if your skin is already in a fair condition, however you will not see the results that a professional can give. Also beware that these at home machines may well be too harsh and could scar your skin, making it much worse!

So if you have been thinking of taking the plunge and trying microdermabrasion, it is a great and safe way to improve the look and feel of your skin, without the need for invasive or painful solutions. For the best in microdermabrasion facials, Perth salon Dynamic Skin Services will give you a free consultation and also offer many other state of the art treatments.

You must remember, however, that there is a proper way of putting on eye makeup. For one thing, you have to consider the colour of your eyes. The shades of the eye makeup you should use will depend on your eye colour. There are certain colours that might clash with your eyes. So, it is always a must to get the eye makeup that complements your eye colour very well.

For example, those with blue eyes can go for shades of chocolate brown, khaki, grey, and white eyeshadow. These colors will definitely make blue eyes pop. On the other hand, you can try purple, mauve, copper, and gold colours if you have brown eyes.

You can also choose your eye makeup colour depending on the shades of your locks. Brunettes could use chocolate coloured eye makeup. Blondes will definitely look great in shades of taupes and creamy colours. On the other hand, redheads can experiment with pink, peach, and copper.

Next, you must take note of the occasion. Are you wearing the eye makeup for school or the office? Are you attending a wedding or a birthday party? Will these events be held in the morning, afternoon, or the evening? Now, depending on the occasion and the time of day it is going to be held, you can either go au naturale or you could go for something with more drama or flair.

Choosing your eye makeup should not be too difficult a task. Just remember the basics mentioned earlier. Soon you’ll find that you are playing with various colours to match your eyes.

You need to prepare the following for your do-it-yourself lip balm:

Old lipsticks
Microwavable container
Petroleum jelly or vaseline
Bowl
Vegetable oil
Medicine dropper
New small container for your DIY lip balm

Take the vegetable oil and petroleum jelly. Place these ingredients in your microwavable container. After mixing them very well, microwave this mixture for less than a minute. 45 seconds will be a good enough time. Next, experiment with the old lipsticks you have. Mix these colours until you get the right shade you want for the lip balm. Remember, it might look dark while you are mixing up the colour. However, the colour will lighten up once you mix it with the petroleum jelly and vegetable oil mixture. You can then carefully add this mixture once you have your preferred shade. Stir everything very well. Once you are satisfied with the consistency, you can either pour the mixture on your new lip balm container or you can get a medicine dropper to do the trick. Either way is acceptable, but the medicine dropper will be a neater way to do it. Lastly, you can let sit this mixture until the colour turns a bit opaque and solid. On the other hand, you can also keep them in the freezer to speed this process up.

It takes some care and effort before you can achieve that glowing flawless skin. Not to worry though. It’s quite easy so long as you remember some of the following reminders.

Consider moisturisers your best friend. Whatever your skin type (oily, dry, or combination), you can never go wrong with a quality moisturiser. You don’t necessarily have to get the most expensive product in the market. There are really affordable moisturising products that work as good as the expensive ones. Take your time looking for reviews of these products and you’ll find out soon enough which inexpensive moisturiser to buy.

Keep in mind, however, that there are certain types of moisturising products for each skin type.
Dry skin should be treated with moisturisers featuring vesicular emulsion. Studies have shown that this kind of technology will keep your dry skin moisturised through the whole day. Another thing, a thick and oil-based moisturiser will do wonders for your dry skin, too! On the other hand, oily skin should be treated with gentle moisturisers to avoid inducing more oil. It’s also a good idea to get a water-based moisturiser for those with oily skin.

Regardless of your skin type, it is advised to put on moisturisers after bathing. Also, you can put on some moisturisers on your knees, legs, elbows, and some other parts that seem to be flaking. Lastly, it doesn’t matter how old you are.

Start the habit of moisturising and you’ll end up with health glowing skin in no time!

Healthy gorgeous eyes can be achieved by eating lots of vegetables and fruits. Carrots, which are rich in Vitamin A, are good for maintaining your eyesight. On the other hand, eating green leafy vegetables also has its benefits. This is because these vegetables contain zeaxanthin and lutein that are responsible for fighting off free radicals that could be harmful to one’s eyes. You can also try eating fruits like oranges, avocados, kiwis, and blackberries if you are not much into veggies.
Also, eating these kinds of fruits and vegetables are very useful in protecting the eyes from cataract, an eye disease where in the clouding of the lenses are experienced.

Aside from eating fruits and veggies for your eyes, you should also avoid staying up late. Staying awake until it’s way past bedtime will only strain your eyes. Furthermore, lack of sleep, too much sodium and alcohol intake could result to puffy eyes.

Lastly, do remember to wear sunglasses when going outdoors, especially on bright sunny days. Sunglasses aren’t just used to enhance your outfit. It does more than that. For one thing, sunglasses protect the eyes from the dust particles in the environment. Second, it also keeps the eyes safe from UV rays which are harmful to the eyes and the skin. Third and last on this list is that sunglasses can reduce eyestrain and headaches. This is possible because sunglasses reduce the amount of sunlight that might reach your eyes. With this feature, there is less cause for you to squint and strain your eyes.

The first thing you have to think about in making sure that you are going to have a fabulous night is the perfect outfit. The best bet to wear in any parties is a little black dress. It is an important closet staple that can be appropriate to women of all ages. If you are more daring, you opt for a dress in a bold color such as red, blue or canary.

After picking the right dress, the next step is to pick the right shoes. Remember that the shoes should complement the dress and the whole look you are going for. Accessories should also complement the two as well, as this is the next thing you have to choose. Keep in mind that it should empower the whole outfit in a way, but never overpower it. Do not also go overboard in accessorizing yourself. Remember: the simpler, the better.

To finish the whole look, make sure that your hair and make-up go well not just with your whole outfit, but most importantly with the time and place of the event. These two play a vital role in achieving a perfect look.

The hair can dictate the mood of the whole look. For a sexier feel, you can put your hair up in a bun or a simple chignon. This also conveys a very sophisticated look. For a romantic feel, you can curl up your hair to have big, sexy waves. In both looks that were mentioned, volume is very important that is why it is advisable to use hair extensions. There are lots of hair extensions available in the market that are very convenient and very easy to use. Gone are the days that you have to go to a salon just to have someone put it on you. Now, even if you are on the go, you can easily clip it on to your hair anytime, anywhere. Hair extensions are also easier to maintain now, compared to the previous ones before.

On the other hand, the make-up will dictate the vibe you want to possess but it should depend on the time of the party. For instance, if the party is set at the morning, light make-up is advised to achieve a fresh look. If the party is set at the evening, you can experiment and play with a smokey eye and dark lipstick.

Now you are all set to be the belle of the night. Just make sure to have enough confidence to wow them all.

Recession chic is simply defined as ‘staying fabulous on a budget’. That means you can still look glamorous and fabulous without spending huge amount of cash on the season’s trendiest bag, shoes or clothes. Here are some few tips to help you maintain your fashion-forwardness without breaking the bank:

1. Shop at the right places.

There are lots of stores that offer cheap but nonetheless trendy clothes! Most of these stores are the highstreet fashion brands, that are also now being tapped by designers to produce quality clothes at a very affordable price.

2. Invest on the classic pieces.

Trends may come and go, so the top you are wearing right now might not be the hottest clothing piece the next day. This is such a waste of money, so the best thing you can do is to invest buying classic pieces such as a little black dress, crisp white shirt, blazer and jeans. Those will never go out of style.

3. Learn to mix and match.

Learning the art of mixing and matching is very important on being a recession chic. You can wear the different pieces on your closet in many and different ways over different seasons and occasions too. This will save you a lot of money.

4. Go thrifting.

Thrift stores are goldmines in a fashionista’s world. A lot of beautiful pieces can be found here, and if you are lucky enough, you can snag a one-of-a-kind vintage piece from a renowned designer at a very discounted price! You just have to have the patience to rummage through all the clothes and the eye to see an interesting piece. In thrifting, possibilities are endless.

Even with a limited budget, a good fashionista can always find a way to look glamorous and fabulous. With all these tips, you are now ready to live a life of a recession chic!