BRIDAL BUZZ

Some Bridal Buzz Tips From My Wedding Day, December 1st, 2012!

Some of these topics might be a little crazy, but they are everyday issues we all face... Just keeping it real.

**Check out this article by clicking the link below for an amazing DIY mask to give you the wedding-day glow! I tried it, and was blown away by the results!**

Yogurt & Honey: 2 Key Ingredients in Your DIY Facial

One thing you should invest in on your big day is AIRBRUSH MAKE-UP...

For those of us who were not born with the perfect, China-doll complexion, the airbrush foundation application is the way to go. It makes your pores look tiny, and gives you the porcelain/flawless finish we all strive for. You know, the ones you see in every picture you pin on Pinterest? I did it for my engagement photos and for my wedding day! Believe me, it is the way to go.

My skin was doing the best EVER until 2 days before my wedding- OF COURSE. All the anxiety/stress/excitement showed themselves right in the middle of my forehead, which is very common for most brides. With the airbrush make-up you could not even see the bump in person, much less the photography!

A little hint, in case this happens to you:

DO NOT SQUEEZE! Trust me, that is harder than it seems. It only makes things ten times worse. My make-up artist let me know that the best thing to do is to use a warm compress on the area with the break-out. Take a washcloth and moisten it with hot water. Fold it up and apply it to the pimple.  As the outer folds of the washcloth start to cool, refold it so the warmer inside layers are exposed and reapply.  After 10 or 15 minutes when the washcloth has cooled off, run it under more hot water to get it hot again and repeat.  Keep doing this for as long as you've got time. Visine eye-drops reduce the redness in the pimple. You can squeeze some on a Q-tip or cotton ball and apply. AND you wont believe what you can use to shrink it!!! Keep reading ;)

*~My Bag of Tricks~* In my bag of tricks for the wedding, one of the most important things I made sure I had was..... Preparation H cream!! Not for the intended use of course- haha! Any hemorrhoid cream does WONDERS on under-eye circles, bags, and puffiness. I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before my wedding because I was so excited. The next morning, it would have been very obvious. I applied the cream before I went to sleep. When I woke up, I could not believe how effective that was! The point of the cream is to shrink swelling/ inflammation on the area in which it is applied (gross, I know). So, it also shrinks the swelling of pimples! Pretty cool stuff. The only downfall is, it is kind of embarrassing when you buy some at the drug store :) 

Another remedy for under eye puffiness (if you have more time) is potato slices. Raw potato slices will help tighten baggy, puffy eyes. All you need is a potato and a knife or slicer! Leave them on for 10 minutes. They truly work wonders. The last remedy for the pesky under-eye circles/puffiness is the frozen spoon trick. Freeze two spoons over-night. The morning of your big day completely dry under your eyes (you know why- go ahead, get a mental picture of the spoons being frozen to your face, lol). Lie down and place the bottom part of the spoons on your eyes. Once the coldness of the back of the spoons dissipates, turn them over to the scooped side. Leave the spoons in that position until they get warm.

If you have any crazy remedies in your Bag of Tricks, I would love to hear about them!! We all need affordable, DIY, at-home remedies to help with those every day pesky problems, and to help us look our best on our big day!

Much Love!!! Meg

Golden Words For Your Skin-Care Regimen: Word # 2

                                      

 Here is Golden Word Number Two: 

Hydrate: Keeping our skin hydrated is one of the most important aspects of our daily regimen. Moisturizers prevent water that is already present on the skin from evaporating. For this reason, it's important to apply moisturizer within about three minutes of bathing. Lightly pat your face dry after washing, then apply moisturizer (don't forget to keep your neck hydrated as well). Putting moisturizer on a dry face will prevent external moisture from reaching the skin and seal in dryness. We definitely don't want that!

Skin Care Specialists recommend using a daily facial moisturizer as part of your skin care routine. By gently cleansing and exfoliating your face, you are removing those dead skin cells, dirt and bacteria. BUT, you are also stripping the skin of much needed hydration. Water (not oil) in the skin keeps it plump and smooth. Dry skin loses it's elasticity, making it more prone to developing those pesky wrinkles. Also, when you don't give your skin the hydration it needs, you develop a dull/flaky appearance. If you have naturally dry skin, you should try a serum or a more intense night cream (since our skin dehydrates at night). I have also recently learned that sleeping with a humidifier in your room can help keep your skin from dehydrating at night, giving it that dewy glow we all love.

Make sure to always apply moisturizer after cleansing the face, with clean hands. Bacteria on hands can lead to breakouts, so try not to touch your face during the day unless you have just washed your hands. One of the main causes of acne and breakouts is clogged pores. Your pores can become clogged in several different ways. One way is the overproduction of our skin's natural oils (sebum) caused by our skin being dried out from harsh cleansers, toners, and lack of moisturization. It is important to cleanse and effectively moisturize so your skin doesn't overcompensate for the dryness by producing this excess sebum. No one wants to have that icky/greasy skin OR those annoying breakouts. Another way your pores can become clogged is by the use of synthetic versions of skin's oils that are in your moisturizer. When your pores are blocked, bacteria can become trapped inside, causing acne and breakouts. Stick with a high quality oil-free moisturizer if you have naturally oily or acne-prone skin to avoid this problem.

You can hydrate your skin externally by using moisturizers, etc. and internally by drinking plenty of water. While drinking water won't actually moisturize your skin, it will help your internal organs function properly, which affects your skin's health and beauty. Staying hydrated helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leaves you with a younger, healthier appearance. Drinking about 8 glasses of water each day helps to keep your body hydrated. 

~MY Bag of Tricks~ Since I never can drink the recommended 8 glasses of water each day, I have turned to something else that helps give me the same about of hydration by drinking less. Coconut water is a very refreshing drink packed with electrolytes and minerals to replenish hydration levels within the body. The cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water have been proven to show significant anti-ageing effects!

Keeping that youthful dewy glow is what we are striving for. This will help you will have soft, moisturized skin, free of shine, and you should notice a lessening in your breakouts as well.

Much Love~ MeG

Click here to see how to make your own hydration facial spray

Golden Words For Your Skin-Care Regimen: Word # 1

The Golden Words of Glowing SKIN

Do you have a skin-care regimen? By the time we are in our mid-twenties, we should have a routine skin-care regimen in place. It is important not to over-do our skin regimen, since that can "stress" your skin and cause it to be irritated. Also, we must make sure what we are doing is truly necessary. It is important to know what gives the best result over time, and provides your skin what it craves.  

Here is Golden Word Number One:

Exfoliate: It is so important to exfoliate your skin about once a week. There is a difference between washing your face and exfoliating. We should wash our face in the morning with gentle cleansers for a fresh palette to apply our make-up too, and before we go to sleep, to wash the dead skin, make-up, oil, and dirt build-up. The facial cleansers we choose should not have the harsh treatments, parabens, or fillers in them (that you get from most stores). I suggest asking a specialist what is best for your skin, especially if it is sensitive like mine. I used products from local stores that only made my face worse! Finally, I found a delicate cleanser that I can't live without! (Just message me directly if you would like to hear about it). Once a week, we should defer to a gentle/textured scrub. These scrubs truly give you the GLOW you desire as they pull away the dead layer of skin that builds up over the week. Also, try the spinning brushes that gently exfoliate giving that healthy, polished shine. Remember it is so important not to over exfoliate your skin (even though the glow you get afterwards is kind of addicting!). 

Myth Busters!!! Most of us have heard the myth that it is OK to sleep in your make-up since it acts as a moisturizer to your skin. That part may be true, BUT there is so much more to the story. There are so many "extra" things in our make-up that are not good to keep on for an extended period of time. It is not good to sleep in your make-up since bacteria can grow, and the oil/dirt/make-up can settle into your pores and existing wrinkles. Not only does this clog your pores for a pimple/blackhead-FEST and make the appearance of wrinkles worse, but it can give your skin a dull and grayish look since dead skin cells build up. We do not want that! INSTEAD, wash your face with a gentle cleanser before you go to bed, and use some good moisture cream (since our skin dehydrates while we sleep). I will share more about that in the up-coming posts. 

*Message me directly if you would like to hear about some amazing products that can help you exfoliate!

Much LOVE from MeGlow!!

   

Complimentary Facial

OK- I took advantage of my complimentary skin treatment that I discussed in the previous post.... and I have to say, that was a piece of CAKE! I was a little nervous, but it was so quick and easy. I only felt a tiny bit of tingling that tickled just a little. Two days ago I had this done over my lunch break, and it lasted about 45 minutes! The treatment I got was the Oxygen Trio. I was told by my skin specialist (who is AMAZING) that I would see full results in 24-48 hours. I could see the results soon after I left. I will definitely be doing this again in the next several weeks. Check out the before and after pics! In both I am wearing eye makeup but no face makeup. Pretty cool, huh?? 

Before          AFTER!!!                                     Another AFTER pic :)

Before, my face had some scarring, sunspots, and redness. After my Oxygen trio facial, I did not even need to wear face makeup to work. My skin looked better afterwards than it did with makeup on before! It was cool to the touch and felt smooth and refreshed.

Email me at meglow8@gmail.com for information about my skin care treatment, skin care specialist, different products available to you, etc. It is totally worth it!! -Meg

Get the Professional Wedding Day GLOW that fits in YOUR budget!

Click here for >> Beauty Tips on Pre-Wedding Facials!

 

Tips for a Wedding Day Glow 

Or any special event that you want to “WOW” people (Reunion, Graduation, etc.)!

That time in your life is finally here. The day you have dreamed of since you were a little girl. You have seen your friends do it, your sister, cousins, etc. Now- it is your day in the spotlight, your time to GLOW. The last thing you need is a big pimple, dry or lackluster skin screwing up your perfect day. We all focus and stress over working out, getting the perfect dress, hairstyle, etc. But- our skin is our best accessory- hence the term "Blushing- Bride". It is never too soon to get a head start on your wedding day complexion. I suggest consulting an aesthetician or dermatologist to discuss any concerns/issues. Then, it is time to decide on your bridal boot-camp skincare plan of action! Don't be afraid to try these skin treatments. I was nervous at first because the terms "abrasion" and "peel" aren't too "a-peeling" (haha). If you’ve never had a facial before, have one right away so you know how your skin will react. Get recommendations from friends, from your favorite blogs, magazine beauty-editor blogs, makeup artists, etc. My suggestion is to try these long before your wedding just to see how your skin reacts. You will probably be surprised at the results! 

Keep Reading by clicking "Read More" below, to find out facial treatments to consider, what to expect, and how you can fit this in your budget!

Awesome article!

Click Here>> StyleList | How to Get a Glowing Complexion

A Look In My Bag of Tricks: Contouring

Click here for: Kim Kardashian Contouring secrets!

Check out this link for some serious contouring secrets. I do not recommend putting on as much as she does (since most of us are not constantly being photographed), but the general effect is what we are looking for. For instance, I have broken my nose three times, and I hate that it is not symmetrical. When you use certain contouring and highlighting effects correctly, they have the desired effect of changing what draws the attention of the eye. When I know I am having my picture taken, I will use these highlighting and contouring effects to make my nose look much more "straight" than it is! For my everyday look, I just put a small amount of highlighting cream or concealer on my trouble spots to get a similar effect without so much make-up. For the "Contouring" effect, I simply use blush (don't get carried away, LOL). Also, if you have the dark circles under the eyes (from lack of sleep, genetics, etc.), this trick helps to highlight those! Highlights and blush give your skin that healthy/vibrant glow that we all crave!