Break Out From the Box, Find Your Inner Chic!

We're all different, too different, perhaps. But the common practice is that people always put us into "boxes". Popularity box, look box, racial box, financial box, among many other cardboard boxes out there. There are too many boxes and we're used to being placed inside them. It doesn't have to be that way, though. No, it SHOULD NOT be that way. Once we're being categorized to a certain level, we don't know how to break out anymore, and we lost it. BAM! We just lost ourselves, we plunged into the box and stayed there.

Open the box and get out!

When I was in middle school, I remember having fellow female friends who literally didn't care about what they wore. They have this "as long as I'm not wearing holey pants to the mall it's fine" principal. I was a lot like them back then. So I know how that felt, it felt like that was the box intended for me, so I didn't bother looking for something else. I thought that was my fate to be like that. But needless to say, it's nobody's fate to be anything. You can always do something to get away from prejudice.

So if you used to be scared to wear neon shoes with pink top, do it! Seriously! It's not intended to be chic of course, it's to help you feel different, to give you the feel that it's actually okay to be different. All you get is the useless glaring look from people while they were thinking "how could she be so brave?".


You might think this advice is useless, well, IT'S NOT. Breaking out little by little will gives you the incentive of always making room for something new, for creativity, for new ideas, for being brave to try something different, all of which are crucial characteristics for facing life. Interested? Try it! 

I'm going to repeat my title: BREAK OUT FROM THE BOX AND FIND YOUR INNER CHIC! Seriously, that inner chic needs some serious help. Do it a favor, ask how she's doing and do what she wants.

Cheers!

-The Dilly Chic-

Maximizing Your Wardrobe's Potential

It's tough, but needs to be done, soon. Too many people buy too many things, then toss old stuff away because they think it's outdated, they got bored of wearing them, or those stuff don't suit their style anymore. If you saw my previous post, you would understand why our closets are stuffed with random trivial things we didn't even remember buying.

For those with serious wardrobe problems and need some serious organizing, do the following:

1. Take everything out from your wardrobe, yes, everything, you want to make a new start by organizing your wardrobe, right?

2. While you're doing that, it will occur to you what to do with all those awkward shirts and age old jeans, so separate them into 2 categories: home and away. Remember that it's all about your style, so if you can imagine yourself wearing them, put them in home.

3. Clean up your wardrobe, you can dust it and put closet freshener in it

4. When you put things back, if the space in your wardrobe allows you, you can separate things by their use. Winter and summer outerwear should be put in different space. Tank tops and shirts should go together. It's really up to how you want it. You can categorize it based on frequency, season, or anything you want.

5. Remember how you categorize it in the first place, and next time you buy new stuff, take an extra 5 seconds to think where it should be put. 5 sec isn't a long time, but it can help you A LOT in the future.

Extra tips for everyone also:

- If you have a particular part in your wardrobe that is barely touched, I recommend you open them every once in a while (twice a week should be fine) so your clothes wouldn't get damp and dusty, as you give them air circulation

- Jeans are tough hardware, you shouldn't be washing them too much. I read and heard somewhere that the optimal washing frequency for jeans is once every six months. I personally wouldn't follow through with this advice though, because I use my denims very frequently, and I sit in a LOT of public, less than sanitary places. I usually go about once every 3 months, and no less than that. 

- As for any other type of clothing (except underwear of course), keep this in mind, thinner fabrics (tanks, blouse, shirts) need more washing, around 2-3 wears before washing, while thicker fabrics (jackets, blazer, cardigans) can be washed less often, around 4-6 times before washing.

The Dilly Chic's advice: be smart on picking what to buy, because you now they have to stay a long time in your closet!




Cheers!
-The Dilly Chic-

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenosaur/6042894810/

Too Many Stuff In Your Room? Stop Hoarding!

As one randomly browsed through her makeup case, bathroom, and toiletries, she started to realize she had too many belongings in her barely touched collection of skin care and hair products. She began to wonder, "What was in my head when I bought them?", "This? I bought this? When? What for?". Sounds familiar?

As a human being, we are specifically designed to react to certain impulses and stimulus. When we see a piercing shining object, such as the sun, we tend to narrow our eyes and cover them with our hands. When we hear noises too loud, we cover our ears to protect our eardrums. But it just so happens that these useful basic reactions came along with a few, let's say, rather expendable sets. For example, when we take a glance our crush (JUST a glance) we tend to get excited for no reason. Another example, well, just look at us, getting attracted to sparkling object and mindlessly purchasing them.

Buying or trading has long been a basic, most crucial tradition of all. Back then we traded something out of need. We would trade our potatoes with meat to complete our meal. Wait, what? To complete our meal, I said. So basically I'm also saying that without meat, our meal would be incomplete, tasteless, monotone. But can we survive without the meat in the first place? Yes, we can. The expanding practice of trading made it hard to distinguish need and want.

When we see something we love, our heads start to make calculations. We start to distinguish the item either as a want or a need. When our brains classify an item as a want, it makes easier calculations afterwards, is it worth the money or not? If the answer is a firm no, we would just skip it. The intricate calculation comes when our brains classify the item as either worthy, or a need. Big businesses and industries began to figure out the way human mind works, and being keen on opportunities, found a roundabout for this particular problem. 

Discounts, Sales, you name them. Those big 50% off signs aren't pure information, you know. When we see that the item's price is lower for the same value and experience, it helps relax our calculation, it gives an impulse saying that it's a rare situation, and not wanting to miss the opportunity, we quickly make up our minds and purchase it. 

So it's probably not entirely our fault that we have a bit too many of what we don't really need. Or is it? Good news is, these impulses can be fought off with the right set of mind. Instead of seeing the big, shiny discount signs, why don't we see the actual price or the item, as if the price hasn't been cut down. 

Following this tip, next time you come across a shiny object, think about it this way, is it really a shiny object, or just another shiny like object.




Cheers!
-The Dilly Chic-

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anythingbutstill/6554173607/

Personal Insight of Online Shopping

Online stores have been around for a long time now. It first began in the 90's. Back then, people were too skeptical about buying something that they couldn't touch. Well, how could they not? After all, we have to touch a wet paint to make sure it's wet.

Or do we? I remember in the early 2000's when my friends and I were in a middle of a conversation, and one mentioned about buying a music CD online and overseas (in her defense, it was a limited edition CD not released in my country). The other chatters were doubtful of her actions, including myself back then. We were concerned over mostly the same stuff, like the condition of the item, the shipping price, the tax, the delivery time, and so on. It turned out that my friend had calculated and confirmed all of that, and that her package came just fine.

Lately, I have been having some ventures with online shopping as well. I've bought a pair of shoes from another country, another pair which was locally handmade, a pair of earphones, and a shirt. Am I satisfied?

Above average, to be honest. The shoes I bought overseas had unexpected tax upon arriving in my country, and had some problems with the soles. So those are the extra costs for not being too careful with my order. The other shoes, which were locally handmade are amazing, but they have super stiff soles that make them very rigid and hard to walk in. The earphones I bought had amazing quality at first, but busted a month later.

Thankfully the shirt is fine and it brought a great amount of satisfaction when it came to my door.

Will I be online shopping again? Yes, absolutely. Why? Even though I have to admit that there's a certain amount of relaxation that comes from window shopping, I can say that online-window shopping provides me with similar experience, sometimes even better. I don't have to spend money on gas, I don't have to dress up, I can just slouch on my desk and buy whichever suits my interest. I also can make better decisions, because I don't have to feel terrible for the salesperson waiting for me to decide which color I want for my shoes.

The drawback? It's just exactly as you think. Item doesn't look the same in real life, sizing problems, defect item, functionality, and delivery time, among many concerns.

But should our unproven (even though sometimes its proven) paranoia get in the way of the benefits we also reap? It is more comfortable to browse for items in our room after all, rather than walking or driving to the store ourselves. So, in my opinion, people who used to be concern should tear down that wall and try it. If you're disappointed, don't do it again, and if you're satisfied, do it again. Simple.

The Dilly Chic's advice: Go for it! Just remember to be smart and a little picky!








Cheers!

-The Dilly Chic-

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syvanen/7007375511/

Eye Make-Up For Elegant Eyes

If there is anything that can get you an instant facelift and enhance your appearance in just one minute, it has to be eye make up. Making up your eyes can pep up your face even if you are bereft of any make up otherwise.

This is perhaps the best kept secret in the beauty world or maybe it's the beloved trick of all women folk. Eyeliner can define your eyes and makes them more pronounced, while mascara gets you lush eyelashes that look dramatic against the face. A handy eye liner and mascara is found in almost every woman's pocket no matter how bereft they are from make up kits.

Most mascara come in a tube that has a brush within its tube. But nowadays, there are many variants coming up. Some have lengthened brush bristles while others have bristles made of finer materials. The Jan Marini Intervention Mascara is on of the hot picks of the season. It has conditioning agents that gets you natural looking eyelashes that are not only dark and long but are also conditioned to prevent any dryness or breakage. Moreover, it is smudge-proof so that you can afford to be a little careless with it on. Just sweep the brush from base to the tip of your eyelashes and get an evenly coated spread.

In addition to eyeliners and mascara, there are plenty of other things that you need to take care of for fresh looking eyes. You should use eyelash conditioners to soften the eyelashes and make them appear longer, thicker and fuller. RevitaLash eye conditioner is the best. Also, to keep the eye area healthy and wrinkle free, you can try using NeoCutis Lumiere Bio-restorative Eye Cream with PSP that soothes the aged and stressed skin around your eyes.

Here are some make up tips that will enhance your eyes:

For Deep Set Eyes

Shape your eyebrows in an arc shape and color them accordingly. Dab your eyelids with light shades and add a touch of highlighter above the crease line. Use black eyeliner to define the line of eyelids and apply loads of mascara to top it.

For Wide Set Eyes

Shape your eyebrows but keep them thick and long. Color them so that they look closer. Blend your eyeshades such that it appears dark towards the inner corner of the eye lid and fades towards the outer corner. Apply mascara such that eyelashes are darker inside and lighter towards the outside.

For Close Set Eyes

Shape your eyebrows such that they stand apart. The use of eyeshades should be just the opposite of that of wide set eyes. That is to say, a lighter shade be used in the inner corer and darkened towards the outsides. Use dark eyeliner and apply two coats of mascara both inside and outside.

For Glasses-Wearers

Glass wearers should be all the more concerned about how their eyes look because that's the even more prominent than otherwise. Select a glass shape that goes well with the shape of your face and shade your eyes with dark colors. Apply diligent coats of mascara.

Create The Perfect Smokey Eye

Getting a smokey eye make up tip that doesn't make you look like a raccoon can be difficult. There are many factors you have to consider. And you will have to practice a lot to get just the right smokey eyes.

You will have to experiment with holding your brush at just the right angle for the application you like best, which amount of pressure to use when applying the colors, what colors you prefer and make your eyes stand out, and how to blend the lighter colors into the darker.

Practice, practice, practice.

Basic Equipment

I'll give you the basic smokey eye make up tip equipment and color choices, and you can experiment and pick and choose what you like and what works for you.

Eyeshadow Colors: Using a black or gray eyeshadow without proper application and blending can cause you to look a little "goth", besides, it's out this season. If you don't think you want to look this way, I recommend using less intense colors.

Try violet, chocolate, coffee, dark pink, copper, dark green or purple, etc.

Eyeliner Colors: A dark grey, charcoal or black.

Basic Technique

Here is the basic smokey eye make up tip technique. Like mentioned above, practice and play around until you get the feel and the look you like.

Step 1: Apply a crystalline or other highlighter shade just on your browbone. Applying it to the whole lid can cause your darker colors to look muddy when applied over it. Apply a little under your eye and right at the tear duct to keep eyes looking wide and "open".

Step 2: Using a taupe, nude or sand color, apply just to your eyelid.

Step 3: Use a flat edge brush for this part. Rub the side of the bristles in your darker color. Then hold the brush almost vertically, with the flat edge touching your eyelashes. Sweep the color straight up to just above the crease. It's all about technique here. You need to be able to see this color a little above your crease when your eyes are open.

Step 4: Finally, use your darkest color for this step. It can be a dark brown, metallic colors, darker purples and greens, whatever. Use the same technique and sweep the color from your eyelashes up to just below the crease. Too high and you'll look like a raccoon.

Step 5: Using a soft pencil eyeliner in black or charcoal, line all the way around your top and bottom lids. Using your finger or a sponge tip, smudge the eyeliner, so it doesn't have a distinct line. If you prefer, you might want to apply your mascara first, so you can blend any mistakes into the eyeliner. You can also use eyeshadow and an eyeshadow brush to line your eyes.

Step 6: Now use a very dark eyeshadow (black, dark grey, very dark purples or maroons, etc.) and smudge it into the pencil line and out and around your whole eye. (Don't smudge over your tearduct!)

Step 7: Now apply (a lot of) mascara and curl your lashes. This will finish your smokey eyes look.

Using this smokey eye make up tip and a little practice, you'll have gorgeous eyes in no time.

Smokey Eye Make Up and Eye Make Up Ideas

Are you longing to have a fabulous fun date wearing a glamorous exciting eye shadow make up and sitting over an elegant dinner at a very sassy restaurant?

The answer is yeeessssss!!!

Make the concealer your under eye shadow make up base by starting at the inner part down to the outer edge of the eyes. When applying eye make up, please do not rub the make up, just pat until the discoloration evens out or disappears.

The secret to keeping your eye make up from fading within minutes from application is to apply a make up base first without properly priming your eyelid so it will not form a greasy line and crease.

Start your make up color works using a three-toned eye shadow. Apply with your brush or applicator from your lids to brow and create a smokey eye make up effect. Blend the colors like a rainbow. You will look gorgeous with this color set blending technique. Begin by selecting a light color that matches the color of your lid and then spread it across up to your brow's bone when applying eye make up. Follow your eye shadow make up with a medium tone across your lid and then put a darker attractive color in your crease part. Brush to blend the colors well.

Eyeliners can do wonders enhancing the shape of your eyes especially for a smokey eye makeup. You may use your best eyeliner pencil or dark eye shadows for greater smoother blend.

How to apply eyeliner: Choose a slanted brush, wet the tip, and then dip in the dark eye shadow. You create a line as close to your upper lashes as possible starting from the inner to the outer core. Put on best eyeliner at the bottom of your eyes. Make sure it is only the line from the middle part of your eyes to outer part. Smudge the bottom line with your little finger so it will not look prominent.

Create a smokey eye make up effect by patting the dark eye shadow with the brush along your upper lid as well as below your lid. Smudge to blend. Use a highlighter to brighten your eyes. Gold or pink highlighter blends well with any eye shadow color. This is great for the inside part of the eye application only. Here's one of the best make up tips I found in the internet. Draw a V-shape line following top to bottom inner core of your eyes to make your eyes pop. Blend with your fingers.

Highlight your eyebrow using the same eye shadow make up highlighter color and dab it from your mid brow to your outward brow bone. Blend again using your finger. Curl your eyelashes and put on mascara. Now you are ready for a fun date. Enjoy!

Bridal Wedding Makeup

Bridal wedding makeup can be the difference between a disaster bridal look and the perfect blushing bride.

The key to any bridal makeup is starting with a good base. Wedding makeup needs to breathe, to last, and to look flawless. One of the best ways of achieving this for bridal foundation is by using an airbrush-while it may seem like a new 'fandangle' technology, airbrushing has been used for years in the film and television industry to make celebrities and personalities look great-so why not you on your wedding day?

Bridal foundation is a little different that normal foundation in that it needs a few extra contour lines done to make sure the bride's face is not dimensionless in the photographs-this contouring is also best done with an airbrush, as it gives the most naturally looking contour lines, much more blended and seamless than manually applying contouring.

Bridal Wedding makeup also needs to draw attention equally on the face-this means a balance between eyes, lips and brows. This does not mean that if you want heavy eye makeup you also have to have fire engine red lips-but it means that a lip color should be chosen that has some relationship to the eye colors, and will not be subsumed by the intensity.

Highlighting is another key for bridal wedding makeup. There are six parts of the face that need highlighting. Cheek bones are the obvious ones, but the center of the nose is another - although a pearly or reflective highlight should be avoided for the nose. One the eyes, the arch of the brow bone, the center of the lid and the inner corner of the eye should all have the same highlight color (usually a pearl) applied - this not only brightens the eye, but give dimension in photographs. Lastly is the lips. The same highlight used on the eyes can be taken on a finger and pressed onto the center of the lips-this will not be visible to the eye, but it will attract light, and make the lips appear fuller.

Bridal wedding makeup really wouldn't be complete without some false lashes - some women are turned off by the thought of a full set because they think it looks too overdone, but a couple of well-placed single lashes along the outer corner of the upper lid do wonders for opening up the eye and really giving eyes and added oomph.

The most important thing to remember is to enhance the brides natural features - Bridal wedding makeup shouldn't make the bride unrecognizable, after all, her husband to be wants to be able to recognize her at the altar!

Check out additional tips and tricks by going to one of my favorite sites Bride Makeup. You can also find out why Airbrush Wedding Makeup is quickly becoming the number one choice of wedding makeup artist experts.

Simple Wedding Makeup Guidelines

Some brides-to-be who are sort of adept in make-up application may choose to do their own wedding makeup instead of hiring a professional hair and makeup artist. This can be a good way to save money but may turn out disastrous if the proper blend and combination of makeup colors is not achieved. Or if the cosmetics are not properly applied. So if you are one of those brides who plan on a DIY makeup, make sure to do enough practice before your wedding day and keep in mind these few guidelines.

    The base is the most essential part of the makeup. This is held liable for most makeup gaffes. When selecting your foundation, pick a shade that is closest or best possible match to your skin tone. In addition, use good concealer and bronzer. You need to start the process by applying a creamy foundation to your face then seal it with a powdery one. Get your concealer and dab some on spots you want to hide. After two to three strokes, thy concealer shade should have already blended with the foundation. Afterwards wipe some more of the powder foundation on your ears, chest and neck to create a uniform color. With a foundation brush, work the foundation properly around your jaw line towards the neck. To accomplish an effect of glowing skin, use a tiny amount of the bronzer of the facial T-zone.

    The next step in the makeup application is one that involves the cheek makeup. Remember that the blush should appear natural and so a proper shade (like pinky peach or rose) must be applied starting from the cheek's apple and towards the temple. Remove excess blush with a clean makeup sponge. For oily skin, powder blush is recommended while if the skin tends to be dry, then a cream blush would be good in providing a moist natural glow to the cheeks.
    Next is the makeup for the eye. Hide your dark circles by lightly applying peachy pink eye shadow then daub a concealer over it. If you would like to use fake eyelashes, first apply a mascara on your eyelashes before placing it on your lashes. Once the fake lashes is in place, apply another mascara stroke. Soft shimmering shades must be used on the brow bones or nude shades for makeup. A bit darker shade is to be applied on the eye crease and must be blended well with the previously applied shade. Brown mascara can make the eye look tired so instead choose black or a navy blue. To enhance the eyes, apply a highlighter just below the brow bone (or on the eyelashes' center mixed with a shade of brown. Make sure too to use water proof makeup so it would not run off in case you can't help the tears from rolling. Shape the brows perfectly to achieve the most gorgeous eye makeup.

    As for the lips, keep it moisturized days before the wedding. Select a shade that is complimentary to the rest of your makeup, outline your lips and fill your entire lips with your lip makeup. Don't forget to blot and even it out with a tissue, then apply some balm or primer before reapplying the lipstick. Apply some lip gloss afterwards.

For more Wedding Makeup Tips or to find a wedding make-up artist in Australia near you, please visit Wedding.com.au, an Australian Wedding Directory for everything you need to know about weddings.

Is Airbrush Wedding Makeup Really Your Best Choice?

The secret is out regarding celebrity's flawless red carpet Makeovers - airbrushing has hit the mainstream and the fantastic benefits of airbrush technology are now available to everyone.

One of the strongest areas of demand for the technology is in airbrush wedding makeup, because it is the day where every woman wants to look her absolute best. Airbrush wedding makeup can certainly provide the same flawless look that celebrities have at gala events but the benefits go far beyond just looking great.

Long Lasting

Airbrush makeup is extremely long-lasting. This is because the foundation is formulated with micro-pigments which adhere to the skin without clogging pores or even looking like makeup, but which really provide longer lasting coverage that won't budge, slide or need touch-ups during the event.

Natural Look and Feel

Any wedding makeup needs to take into consideration the wedding night, and no bride wants their new husband to get up close and be able to see an inch-thick layer of foundation. Airbrush foundations go on the skin in a super fine mist, so in most cases it will hardly look like makeup at all, and it is also totally touchable so your hubby will just think his new bride has flawless skin!

Easy to Take Off

Because there is only a thin (but powerful) layer of makeup on the skin, it is far easier to remove than thick foundation, and that means you won't look all red and blotchy from rubbing off makeup on the wedding night. Airbrush wedding makeup is so light and breathable that many brides just decide to keep the foundation on throughout the night.

Easy on, Easy off Eyes

Airbrush wedding makeup is not limited to foundation, but can also be used for the eyes, cheeks, contouring and décolletage as well. Eye-shades are pretty extensive with most brands, and custom shades can easily be mixed. Airbrush eye-shadow provides the same long-lasting benefits of the foundation and can be blended perfectly. Contrary to what many may think, airbrushing is actually very precise, so getting perfect smoky eyes is no hassle at all with an airbrush stylus.

Getting your wedding makeup right is one of the most important aspects of your wedding day, so thinking ahead is essential. A good idea is to find a local salon or makeup artist that offers airbrushing and book a trial - this way you get to test your "wedding look" as well as see the benefits of airbrush wedding makeup for yourself. If you want to do your own makeup, then practice is really important, especially if you don't already know how to use an airbrush - it's not hard at all to master, but its best if you feel really confident for the big day.

Practical Wedding Makeup Tips

Wedding makeup is not as easy as it looks like. This is actually one of the most difficult, not to mention demanding makeup, a makeup artist will ever encounter. Learn how to create a perfect and beautiful bridal makeup with these helpful makeup tips.

Photogenic Wedding Makeup

A wedding will not be complete without pictures. Expect tons of pictures to be taken so make sure that the bride's and groom's makeup is not only flawless but photogenic as well. To make the bride's lips more obvious in pictures, top her lipstick with a gloss. Sparkly makeup looks beautiful in person but avoid using too much glittery powders as they will show up as ugly white specks in photographs. Remember, sparkly makeup is also a no-no makeup for mature women. It will just end up emphasizing their wrinkles. Don't forget to apply the blush --- a hint of color on the cheeks always looks good in pictures.

Long-Lasting Wedding Makeup

Wedding celebrations may last all day long so make sure that the makeup will not disappear or fade before the wedding celebration ends. Applying a makeup primer is a must if you want to achieve a long-lasting makeup. Makeup primers are known to absorb oil --- allowing the makeup to look fresh all day long. Setting the foundation with a finishing powder helps the makeup stay on all day. Loose powders with oil-absorbing minerals work best in setting the makeup. To make the lipstick last longer, apply a thin layer of powder on the lips first before applying the lipstick. Blot gently the first layer of lipstick then apply the second layer of lipstick. Do this until the desired shade of lipstick is achieved.

Waterproof Wedding Makeup

Sweat and tears are always anticipated on weddings. A tearful bride is not an unusual sight during wedding ceremonies so make sure that the makeup you'll be using on the bride is waterproof like waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Make sure that your eyeliner is smudge proof too. We don't want the bride to have some hideous raccoon eyes on her very special day.

As long as you arm yourself with the right wedding makeup tips, achieving that perfect wedding makeup will be as easy as pie.

Planning Your Wedding Makeup Look

When the day you've been waiting for is coming up, you've surely got plenty on your plate to deal with. Many future brides worry so much about the dress, the invitations and the reception that they overlook one of the most important elements of their wedding day. Don't wait until the very last minute to make decisions about your wedding makeup.

It's best to experiment ahead of time to find out what works the best for you. Your wedding makeupshould be complimentary of your gown and accessories. Some brides worry about wedding pictures not being flattering and end up with way too much makeup on. Don't fall into that trap. If you're concerned with how you'll look in photos, ask a friend to grab the digital camera and take some shots of you.

You'll want to not only start thinking about your wedding makeup weeks in advance; you'll need to prepare your skin for looking its very best on your special day. There are several things that you can do to prepare your skin ahead of time. The very first thing to do may be the hardest as you run around all day trying to get last minute details attended to. You need to get plenty of rest. You really do need your beauty sleep to look your best.

Since there's a good chance you haven't been getting adequate rest, there's an even better chance you haven't been following a very good diet, either. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and try to stay away from fatty foods and processed foods, as well. You'll have plenty of time to pig out on your junk food favorites on your honeymoon. Drink plenty of water. The human body operates best when you drink about a gallon of water a day, sometimes more.

Drinking large amounts of water and cutting out heavy, sugary beverages will not only help maintain your weight, it will keep your body hydrated and help keep your skin clear. If the wedding day is rolling around and the stress has gotten the best of you, you may be experiencing break outs. Talk to your physician about medications you may be able to take to help eliminate break outs.

When and where your wedding is makes a great difference in what kind of wedding makeup you should wear. If you are planning a traditional wedding, you'll want to look the part. Match your wedding makeup to your wedding gown and wedding theme. If you are wearing a dress that belonged to another member of your family, chances are you may want to wear light, soft shades. Everything from your foundation to your eye liner should suit the mood of the wedding, itself.

Evening wedding or black tie ceremonies call for more dramatic makeup that sits your attire. Smoky eye makeup is very popular for this kind of wedding. Dark eye shadow, black mascara and a dark eye liner are used to create a very mysterious look. You'll need a smudging tool and a very thin liquid or pencil eye liner to create the look. If you're getting married in a tropical, outdoor wedding, chances are you'll want to keep things pretty simple. You should look like you are enjoying a day in the beauty of nature, not getting ready to go to the mall.

Taking good care of your skin is important before your wedding. Wedding makeup can be ruined if you've neglected your skin. Get plenty of sleep, drink a lot of water and don't get sunburned right before your big day.

Find professional wedding makeup recommendations and beauty tips for creating the perfect bridal look. We provide wedding beauty product recommendations and makeup application tutorials too. Learn how to create a look that will last through an entire day's worth of events, photos, and kisses. Your wedding day is likely to be one of the most important days of your life, so you'll want it to be perfect... and you'll want your bridal makeup to be just as perfect to match!

You can also read reviews on makeup and beauty products by the industry's top cosmetics brands. Hundreds of customers have reviewed and rated your favorite blushes, foundations, eyeshadows, lipsticks, lip glosses, and other makeup products. Find out which tried and tested products have proven to be the best, and rate your own favorites as well.

And, if you're newly learning how to apply makeup, we have tutorials for you as well! Find step by step guides for natural makeup looks, easy looks for everything from the gym and outdoor activities to special night outs and holiday occasions. With a little patience and a little practice, you'll be a makeup pro in no time!