The Venting Bride: Prep your face!

Our favorite tips for a relaxing and stress-free day! Follow these tips for a flawless makeup application:

1. Drink plenty of water! It is important to be drinking as much water as you can the week of your wedding to help keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. It will also help reduce blemishes.

2. Keep the sweet and salty snacks to a minimum as this will encourage breakouts.

 3. Use an oil free makeup remover. We prefer Neutrogena or Mary Kay. Removing your makeup from the previous night is really important so it doesn't interfere with your bridal look.

 4. Wash your face with an exfoliating cleanser. I like Clean and Clear's Exfoliating daily wash. It is a gentle cleanser with round micro-scrubbers. You always want to use an exfoliating wash that has a round scrub. It is easier on your skin and won't cause any damage.

5. Make sure you moisturize your face! Cetaphil is a wonderful product. In the past it was a  prescription moisturizer and can now be found over the counter. It is non-comedogenic and fragrance free.  This is good option for clients that have very sensitive skin or skin allergies. 

xoxo,

Lindsay 

Photo credit: Google.com

Tuesday Tip: Do you prime?

During these late night holiday parties, we are constantly checking our makeup. A lot of the time, it fades, runs or picks up on the clothing of others. A way to prevent this from happening is finding your favorite primer. This will decrease time in front of the mirror touching up and increase the time on the dance floor.

Some great brands to try are: Smashbox and Laura Mercier.

And for the eye makeup that just won't stay, give Benefits or Urban Decay a try!

Happy Priming!

Sara

Mondays with Mindy: The "Not-So-Perfect" Poem

We set out to find the perfect tree

Big, full, and triangular it had to be

Knowing it would be a nice festive addition

Cutting one down would be our new holiday tradition. 

We sang carols to get in the Christmas spirit

After driving for miles I wondered if we were near it

Winding along those old country roads

Filling with excitement I'd thought I'd nearly explode

We parked and then wandered through the acres of land

With our scarfs, gloves, and saw in hand

"This one is too skimpy." "This one is too tiny."

"This one looks dead, it isn't at all shiny"

Then what out of the corner of my eye should appear?

But a tree so perfect I let out a cheer

As the smile on my face grew and grew

Without a doubt he knew what he had to do

He broke out the saw and hacked away

Our home would be its new place to stay

As he muscled through the thick trunk of the fir

I couldn't help but scream out, "TIMMMMMBER!"

We lugged the hefty beast into the back of the pick-up

Before we left we sipped hot cider from our cups

Our home in the distance, we drove through the night

Admiring the town's decorative lights

Pulling up to our house, we imagined our tree

So perfect and trimmed and full of glee

We took it out of the truck nice and slow

As we stood it up he questioned, "Did it grow?!"

In utter amazement we stared in disbelief

It would fit outside our roof but not underneath 

Once in house on its side it did sit

For when it stood up it surely wouldn't fit

I brought out the tape measure to determine its size

And grasped when I saw the number. It sure was a surprise!

He waited for an answer as I turned red as a beet

"What will we do with over nine and a half feet?!?"

Unlikely as it was, we laughed until our stomachs ached

How silly we had been to make such a rookie mistake

To the neighbor's we went to borrow an electric saw

We cut and cut away. Twenty inches in all

In its tree stand it finally stood

It still was big but actually looked good

We strung up the lights and hung each ornament with care

Until not even one single inch was bare

There it stood, our Christmas tree

Now we have a great story

Even though it wasn't perfect, that's not the issue

We made the best of the situation, and in turn, we grew

So for years to come this will be "our thing"

But next year a measuring tape we will be sure to bring!

XO Mindy

Inspiration: Wedding Dress 101

So, how much do you really know about dresses? How about wedding dresses? Make sure to check out this infographic by SimplyBridal’s before you start shopping away! Consider the silhouette, and what about the neckline? Don’t forget the train length! And, what about the fabric? Sure, satin is smooth and shiny, but it’s also heavy, a wedding gown made fully of stain can weigh up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg)! These are also some good points to consider when selecting the bridesmaids dresses as well.

 

Dream Team: Celebrating 2012

Last night we had the honor of celebrating our 2012 wedding season. Our team met at Blush and Brush in Georgetown for a night of painting. It was so much fun to see each of our artists bring their creativity to their canvas. It was extremely interesting to see how different each canvas turned out with the same inspiration picture. It was certainly refreshing to step away from the makeup counter and from behind the chair to sit in front of canvas with 4 simple colors ~ black, white, red and yellow. Check out what we created!

 

For more photos of our night out and the finished product, check out this album..

You can also see a quick recap video of us hard at work! 

Product of the Week: Lashes

Every bride dreams of having photo ready eyes. Our number 1 recommendation is to add lashes.

 But what kind of lashes? 

It is best to have a trained professional apply your lashes. Your artist has experience with choosing the correct shape, length and application specifically for your eye shape.  The decision for strip or individuals is something you should discuss with your artist during your makeup trial. 

Strip lashes (applied one time along the base of your natural lashes): 

 Individual Lashes (applied one at a time): 

We can't wait to help you decide what lashes will look best on you! 

xoxo,

Lindsay

Tuesday Tip: Investing in Makeup?

Invest in the Best

A lot of people ask me if brushes, applicators, sponges, etc are really worth the money. I always respond, "Well, that really depends on what you want to look like!" Now, I'm not saying by using those products you're going to look cheap, but they don't last as long, don't have warranty's, etc. To me, those things really add up. If I have to make one extra trip to a store to return a high end brush and get a replacement for free, then that's worth it. One really big perk of buying them from a place like Sephora is that you can take them back if you don't like them! Anything you are not satisfied with, take it back! 

I have some inexpensive brushes and some that are $50.00, but they are worth every penny and achieve the best looks.  I'm not saying buy the most expensive or buy them all right now. It takes time to accumulate a good brush collection. Explore natural hair and synthetic. Learn how to use a fan brush and an eyeliner brush. They will change your look and usually shorten up the time it takes to get ready.

Happy Brush Hunting

Sara