Showing posts with label Beauty Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty Tips. Show all posts

Is "Engagement Season" a Thing???



Isn’t this time of year wonderful?  It’s full of champagne and sparkly things… No, I am not talking about the holidays, it's officially the beginning of ENGAGEMENT SEASON, folks.

Yes, according to many sources and surveys the time between late November and mid February holds the record for the most engagements of the year.  According to wedding bells 2015 survey “35% of all engagements occur between December and February with December being the most popular month to pop the question.”  To be exact, it was observed that 1 in 5 engagements happen in December. WHOA!

After getting engaged it is natural to want to jump in with both feel and start nailing down the fine details of that wedding that you have been dreaming about since the "Barbie Years".  This is great – I hope your planning enthusiasm stays at maximum capacity throughout your engagement, but the holidays can be quite busy and stressful already, and now you have a wedding to plan?

Let’s take a look at a few more statistics according to the wedding wire survey:

- the average length of an engagement is one year 10 months – with 67% of weddings occurring between June and September.
- The average expected cost of a wedding is in 2015 was $30, 717 with an average number of 129 wedding guests and 75% of brides admitting that they will “Likely spend more than anticipated”

So, what does it all mean?

First of all, don’t freak out – these are just numbers and like everything in life, you get to set your own path. Here are three things to keep in mind as you get used to your new bling this holiday season.

1.  You don’t have to have a plan for your wedding yet – geez… you just got engaged!
Over the holiday season you will likely see a lot of your friends and family.  These well meaning and excited folks tend to have a lot of question – likely that you don’t have answers to.  It may be helpful for you and your fiancĂ© to come up with your stock answer. Example: “We are really excited to get planning, and we will likely shoot for a summer 2016 wedding”
This will give everyone enough information to satisfy that you have thought about a wedding date, but that you need more time to nail it all down.

2. Just relax and enjoy, your engagement over the holidays
With "engagement season" falling directly in line with the holidays, it is a VERY busy time of year.  There will be plenty of time to pour over budgets and spread sheets in the months to come.  Allow yourself to enjoy the holidays and leave the wedding planning for a time when things slow down to the normal pace.  For now, buy yourself a wedding magazine (or two or five) and just enjoy the romance of day-dreaming for a bit.

3. I don't mean to be frivolous…but tend to your nails! ;)
You are about to have everyone and their monkey ask you to display your new bling – this means photos, social media posts and people you barely know paying an unusual amount of attention to your hand – so be proud to show it off and put your best finger forward. 

Once the dust from the whirl-wind holidays settles down a bit you can relax and start your planning process (Think about getting in touch... I'd be happy to help you with this!!!) 

Do you expect to get engaged this season?  Are you planning to pop the question? 
Let us know your tips or tricks on how YOU plan to survive the holidays and getting engaged. 


Already engaged and need some tips to get the planning ball rolling.  Check back next week to see my early planning guide with some great do’s and don'ts for getting started.

(Thanks to Britton Images for the above photo) 

   

Beat the Heat - Part 2: Summer Wedding Beauty Tips


Photo by:Regis Andrade

One thing we know for sure is that you want to look HOT on your wedding day – as in sexy, beautiful, gorgeous etc… but a lot of you summer brides fear that the steamy weather could have you looking like a hot-mess instead.  For Part-2 of my ‘Beat the Heat – Summer Wedding Survival' series, I have written a few beauty tips to keep you looking (and feeling) your best even in the steamiest weather.
(Click HERE to read Part 1: Planning Tips for Summer Weddings)

Shine control.
Although first instinct may be to load on the pressed powder to eliminate that t-zone shine, it may actually work against you giving you a caked-on look!  Instead, keep your makeup looking light by turning to some blotting papers for shine control - they are quick, convenient and easy to carry with you! 

Staying power.
Invest in a solid makeup primer – it sets a foundation for your makeup and keeps it in place longer... especially in the heat!  Apply your primer after you moisturize your face (don’t forget to use a moisturizer that has a decent SPF) – than apply your makeup as usual. 

Avoid Raccoon Eyes
Cut down the appearance of “raccoon eyes” by staying away from cream based eye shadow – it tends to settle, smear and smudge more in the heat than a powder based shadow.  If you find creams easier to work with, find a powder shadow in the same tone and apply a light dusting overtop of your cream shadow… this will help seal everything in place.  
Don’t forget to finish the look with a good quality waterproof mascara.

Avoid a Sticky Situation
Ok… so, no one likes to talk about it but lets face it ladies: Under a hot dress, in the heat, a little thigh rubbing can cause serious chaffing and uncomfortable red marks! Ouch!  If you tend to have this problem (and don’t worry lots of people do), here is a nifty little trick to make sure that you can still dance the night away.  Just rub a little deodorant on your inner thighs before getting dressed.  This stops the potential sticking and rubbing that causes chaffed legs!  In a pinch, a little bit of baby powder can also do the trick, but won’t hold up all day.

Just a final note before I close, remember if you are purchasing new products for your wedding day, pick them up at least a few weeks in advance and try them all out to avoid any potential allergic reactions on the big day!

If you guys have any great summer beauty tips please leave them in the comments below!