Image: The Brides Tree

The classic bridal look might be natural and glowing but as every girl knows, it takes a lot of hard work to get this particular look and it’s never too soon to start…

Body Beautiful

Never too soon…

An upcoming wedding is the biggest motivation ever for getting into shape. Start by looking at your diet and how you can improve on this. If you want to lose weight, remember that sustainable weight loss is one to two pounds a week, and this should be achieved through healthy eating. With so long to go to your wedding, there’s no need to resort to last-minute fad diets, so seize the opportunity to lose weight the healthy way. Next, take a look at your fitness regime, and join a gym or a class if you need to. Alternatively, incorporate 30 minutes of brisk exercise into your daily routine, be it walking, taking the stairs instead of the lift etc.

Six months to go…

Start exfoliating your body regularly, either by using a body brush or with a salt polish-style product. Remember to use a good body lotion after EVERY shower of bath, particularly in the winter

Three months to go…

If you are planning on using a fake tan for your wedding, start researching now and try out ones that seem most suitable for your skin tone and type. An alternative is the daily tanners, such as Johnson’s Holiday Skin, which can be easier to apply and is obviously a cheaper option.

One month to go…

Begin looking at your nails and commit to a weekly manicure coming up to the day, either done by yourself or by a professional.

One week to go…

Make your appointments for waxing, tanning and your final manicure. Your wax should be done at least about three-four days before your wedding day, and your tan about two days before. Keep your manicure to the night before so it’s nice and fresh for the day. Remember to stick to natural colours on your nails; a French polish is ideal. If possible, book in for a massage to help you relax, and try to have a bath the night before the big day!

On the day…

Try to relax and enjoy yourself. Remember to eat a good breakfast and some lunch if it’s an afternoon wedding – it can be a long day until dinner is served. Leave yourself plenty of time to get ready, so panic is kept to a minimum. And, above all, smile!

Image: Ewa Figaszewska Photography

Image: Elstile

The classic bridal look might be natural and glowing but as every girl knows, it takes a lot of hard work to get this particular look and it’s never too soon to start…

Hair Matters

Never too soon…

Start implementing a good hair-care regime. Invest in a good-quality shampoo and conditioner that’s suitable for your hair type; if you have dry hair or chemically treated hair, start using a deep conditioner once a week. Get your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks (even if you are trying to grow it) and use heated appliances such as hair straighteners as little as possible.

Six months to go…

Start looking at how you want your hair to look on the day, and if possible have a chat with your regular hairdresser about your aims for your hair. Six months gives plenty of time to grow out layers, a fringe or a perm. If you’re planning a big change, do it now, as if it doesn’t work out, there’s still plenty of time to rectify any problems.

Three months to go…

You will now know what you’ll be wearing on the big day, so get together with your hairdresser to discuss how you want to wear your hair on the day. If you decide to change your hair colour, go for a semi-permanent so it has time to grow out if it doesn’t suit you. Start thinking about veils and hair accessories and how these might change your hair look.

Four/six weeks to go…

Have a practise session with your hairdresser, incorporating any hair accessories you want, including your veil. If you’re planning to remove your veil after the ceremony/during the reception, make sure your style will look as good without the veil and that your veil is easy to remove without having to re-do your hair. Think about incorporating a different accessory such as a flower or comb when the veil is removed.

Two weeks to go…

If you get colour or chemical perming/straightening done, get your last treatment done now so it has a chance to settle in your hair. Have a final trim.

Image: Save The Date Events

The night before…

Wash your hair the night before your wedding as freshly washed hair is harder to work with, especially if you’re planning an up style.

On the day…

Make sure to use some sort of holding product, such as hairspray, especially if it’s a windy day. Get a small canister and give it to your bridesmaid to carry around on the day.

Sassy Chicago Bride

The classic bridal look might be natural and glowing but as every girl knows, it takes a lot of hard work to get this particular look and it’s never too soon to start…

 Face to Face

Never too soon…

Start getting into good skin habits by eating lots of fruit and veg and making sure you drink enough water – one and a half to two litres a day. This will help clear your complexion and flush any toxins through your body. Now is also the time to begin a good skincare regime. Cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day with products that suit your skin. Use a facial exfoliator and a mask once a week to give your face that special glow. If this is all new to you, talk to a facial therapist or skincare expert before choosing your products to make sure that your regime is the right one for you.

Six months to go…

Begin a series of monthly facials leading up to the wedding. If you have any skin problems, such as acne, a therapist will be able to prescribe you a course of treatments that should result in your best skin yet on your wedding day. If you have a serious skin complaint, talk to your doctor and referring you on to a dermatologist.

Three months to go…

The wedding arrangements are well underway and it’s time to start thinking seriously about your make-up look for the day. Start your research by looking through magazines and clipping out any pictures you like. Remember that bridal make-up should look neutral – as one bride once told us, “me but better!” If you’re planning on doing your own make-up, look into having a make-up lesson around this time, and treat yourself to some new make-up for the day. Start practicing so you’ll be perfect on the day. If you want to hire a professional make-up artist, begin talking to him/her about your look.

One month to go…

If you haven’t already, arrange a final run-through of your make-up. If you can, arrange your hair trial for now too, as you can then work out the logistics of your preparation on the morning of your wedding. You can also make sure that you’re make-up is strong enough for your hairstyle. If you are doing your make-up yourself, try a trial run to see how long it will take you on the day – if it’s taking too long, now’s the time to simplify your look.

Makeup&Beauty blog

Two weeks to go…

If you are having a series of facials, now is the time for your last one before the wedding. Don’t be tempted to have one just before the big day, as facials can bring any toxins or problems to the surface.

Two days to go…

Make sure to tidy your eyebrows (go to a professional if in doubt) now so any redness has a chance to go down before the big day. Double-check to ensure you have everything you need for your make-up and any touch-ups during the day.

On the day…

Now is not the time to experiment! Stick to what you know and to your planned timeframe. Give your bridesmaid your essential touch-up make-up (compact powder, lipstick/gloss, maybe some blush)

The beauty priority of many brides is to warm up the classic Irish pale complexion with a tan, fake or otherwise. MyDreamWedding.ie presents the ultimate guide to getting that golden glow

Beauty regimes can take on a life of their own in the run-up to the wedding, with facials, nails, waxing, tanning, make-up and hair trials becoming a fixture in most bride’s diary. For pale Irish brides, finding the ultimate golden glow is one of the most important parts of the beauty preparation, but it can also be the most tricky. When a sunless tan works, it can look fantastic, but if it doesn’t work, it can be nothing less than a disaster.

So how do you avoid a disaster? First up, if you’re going for a sunless, or fake, tan, do your research. There are lots of different brands on the market, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages, so take your time and look into each and every one.

Have at least one trial. This is essential, as different brands produce different results on different skin tones.

Go to a reputable salon. The success of your tan relies largely on the therapist (if it’s a spray tan). If you’re going for a tanning booth, make sure the salon has the most up to date booths on the market. Also, make sure the room is well ventilated and clean.

Exfoliate your body before tanning. Ideally, you should be exfoliating and moisturising your body for a week before the tan.

If you have a very sensitive sin, it’s a good idea to ask the salon for a patch test 24-48 hours before your appointment.

On the day of the tan, do not use any deoderant, body lotion or other cosmetics on your skin, as these can act as barriers to the colour.

Remember that less is more. If you are very pale, go for a light coverage to begin with – you can always go back for a top-off, but removing too much tan can be a lot more tricky!

If you are using a tanning booth, make sure to use vaseline or a barrier cream around your finger and toe nails to prevent the tan from setting into the cuticles (this can be a huge fake tan giveaway! The problem is less of an issue with a therapist-applied spray tan, but if you are worried, it’s a good idea to protect the nails anyway.

Most sunless tans last for 5-7 days. To make sure your tan lasts for as long as possible and fades away naturally (as opposed to fading in patches), use a good body moisturiser daily, and exfoliate gently after a few days.

Whatever the occasion, The Favour Shop is offering you a beautiful collection of DIY supplies, accessories and décor that will help you to create those finishing touches that will make your day unique and personal to you. Hope you’re gonna love it, because we do!

3 tier card cake stand with a wonderfully intricate birdcage design (€15), a pack of 12 reusable chalk effect sticker labels (€5), miniature bunting cake topper, with tiny cotton triangle flags printed with letters spelling out “Just Married” (€8.50) and a white frayed ribbon with the words Mr & Mrs printed, ideal for wrapping favours or gifts (€6 for a 4 metres).

Ivory chalkboard sign it is the nature of the shabby chic look (€24- 5 pack), rustic hessian vintage bunting with the words “Mr” and “Mrs” printed in white on triangular flags (€7.20), 6 signs with 2 directions, 2 food & 2 blank. Signs read Sweet Things, This Way, Toilets and Drink (€5.99) and chick boutique ivory &gold straw flags (€1.80- 30 pack).

Pop over to The Favour Shop to see the cool stuff they offer.
Have a good day everyone!

I had a very busy blogging weekend, which you’ll know if you’ve liked my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/eatsleepchicblog

My friend Susan or SueSue as I like to call her, is a huge fan of vintage pieces. Last week I tagged her in a photograph posted by Vintage Chic. The next day SueSue text me to say she had an appointment with Vintage Chic for the following Saturday and asked would I like to join her? As a fan of their page for quite some time, I was really interested in tagging along and seeing what it was all about. I didn’t know you had to have an appointment? I didn’t even know where Vintage Chic was based, I just knew I loved all the photo’s of their vintage pieces that they post to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vintagechicdublin

SueSue and I made our way to 3 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 on Saturday morning and we managed to get lost on the way (damn sat nav)! We eventually made it to Vintage Chic where we were greeted by the lovely owner Elaine Howe. Elaine and I got to chatting, while SueSue made her best attempt to try on as much vintage clothing as possible in the amount of time we had allocated to us. We even gate crashed on the next cutomers appointment too, oops, sorry 🙁

I asked Elaine a few question so I could get an idea of how Vintage Chic came to be. Here’s all the info!

How did Elaine get into the buying and selling of vintage pieces?

Elaine has always been a fan of vintage clothes, buying from vintage markets, boutiques & charity shops. She found that shopping around kept the price down somewhat and also added some really unique pieces to her wardrobe. Elaine combines vintage with high street to create an extra special look.

Elaine first starting selling her own pre loved items, from her home to her family and friends. She quickly realised that there was a demand for vintage pieces. In 2011 she decided to start a facebook page where she could sell her items to a wider range of people.

Where does Elaine buy her vintage stock?
Elaine sources most of her vintage stock from New York, Paris and London.She explains its hard work and dedication, but she absolutely loves it! She’s up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowd, trawling through rail upon rail, digging into trunks to find beaded beauties & little sparkly gems. I’d love to join her on one of her vintage shopping trips, it sounds magical!

What size does Elaine cater for?
Elaine caters from size 6 to size 20. As the garments are vintage they may vary in size according to the label, meaning a size small could be a medium or vice versa.

When did Elaine take the next big step and open shop in Dublin 2?
Elaine originally worked with children so this was a huge transition for her. In May 2013 she finally made that decision to put her all into Vintage Chic. She moved from selling online on her facebook page to signing a lease for a premises in Dublin 2. At the same time she also had a website created  http://www.vintagechic.ie/

She is now making a name for herself in an industry that she’s very passionate about and she continues to put her all into her company.

Does Elaine stock vintage wedding pieces?
YES!!

Elaine started collecting the vintage bridal collection 3 years ago. She speaks very passionately about the collection, explaining that every single piece from the bridal collection is very unique and each hold their own piece of history & love. Some of the bridal pieces date back as far as the 1930′s and were sourced in Paris and  New York.

Elaine also offers a special service, where If a customer is looking for something in particular and she doesn’t have it in stock, she will do her best to try find it!

How do I shop in Vintage Chic?
You can shop online at http://www.vintagechic.ie/

Or
Book an appointment.

Elaine opens by appointment only. Appointments are from Monday to Sunday and times are flexible to suit the customer. Elaine will also make appointments for late nights if needed.

I absolutely love Elaine’s story on how she got to where she is today, hard work and a real passion and love for vintage clothing. Elaine is so down to earth and friendly, I could have stayed and chatted for hours but it wouldn’t have been fair on the other customers. If you have an upcoming event and you really want to stand out from the crowd with a unique vintage piece, book an appointment with Vintage Chic today.

Thank you for reading and make sure to let me know how you get on ladies XX

For more photographs connect with me on Instagram @EATSLEEPCHICBLOG

Connect with me on twitter https://twitter.com/eatsleepchic_ie

Originally published on Eat Sleep Chic