Bridal Beauty

Wedding season is upon us, which means that whether you are the bride-to-be or just a guest, it’s time to decide how to nail your wedding-day look. More and more brides are opting to do their own make-up. Even Kate Middleton applied her own for her big day.

So if you go the do-it-yourself-route, here are a few of my wedding day make-up tips.

(1) Go natural. Your groom should be able to recognize you without having to peer through war-paint. Your lips should be just a few shades darker than your natural shade, and keep your eye make up simple with light shades of browns and nudes.

(2) Use concealer on your eyelids before applying any eyeshadow. This will ensure that you can not see any lines or veins in your gorgeous photos.

(3) Use translucent powder to avoid shine. I love Estee Lauder. If you are really oily, you should also bring blotting powder in your purse- or have one of your bridesmaids carry it for you.

(4) Avoid runny mascara for those teary moments by opting for a set of my Hollywood Lashes. You’ll be able to completely forgo mascara, but your lashes will look long and luscious and you won't have to worry about mascara on your honeymoon either!

Long Lucious Natural Looking Eyelashes with Hollywood Lashes

(5) Eyebrow shaping is important to frame your face, so be sure to have a tidy up before your big event with either a brow shape, tint and wax or our 6 step celebrity brow treatment for a more dramatic look. All will naturally enhance your perfectly arched brows.

(6) Be tantastic on your big day without being orange. Fake Bake 60 minute tan is easy to apply and only needs to be on for 1 hour before washing off. Alternatively book in for a Fake Bake Original Tanning Treatment which includes a full body exfoliation to prepare your skin.  Brides should tan 48 hours before the wedding and not the night before.

(7) If there is one thing that everybody will be asking to look at on your big day, it is your wedding ring so make sure your nails and hands are not a case for embarrassment! Begin to prep your hands weeks before the big day by applying hand lotion frequently and pushing back your cuticles  on a regular basis. Always use a base and top coat when painting your nails at home. Pale bridal colours reek romanticism but many brides are opting for red or plum nails this season. If you don't feel confident doing your own nails, you can book in for a relaxing luxury manicure or pedicure which includes massage, a simple shape and paint which includes cuticle work or try out our Shellac gel nail polish system for chip resistant nails for up to 14 days.

If you opt for Salon beauty treatments, just contact us for tailor made packages with great discounts. Bridal make-up, nails, tans, waxing. lashes.

And above all… enjoy every special minute!

[shellac - blue glitter toes]

Blue Glitter Toes £15. These will look fab with your flip flops and a tan!

Don't forget due to popular demand, your regular Shellac colour will remain at the special offer price of just £10 for the foreseeable future.

[more high definition brows with the "celebrity brow" treatment]

Cost: £12. Time approx 30 mins. 

[shellac - new summer collections 2013 - pink bikini and grape gum]

I couldn't wait for these to arrive this morning and out of the four new season colours I opted for pink bikini and grape gum.

I haven't swatched the grape yet, but I have tried it quickly and it is much nicer than the bottle depicts which is often the case with shellac colours and although I wouldn't normally go for a colour like that, I have to confess it is really wearable and quite a soft grape rather than deep dark purple, which the bottle looks like.

I have taken a few pictures in different rooms with different light to try and get the correct shade but I still think it is nicer than the pictures but you get the idea!

Don't forget Shellac colour remains at the special offer price of just £10!

[shellac layering - wildfire and negligee and special offer extended]

One of the great things I love about Shellac, in addition to how long it lasts and it's high shine finish is the fact that you can use two colours together to create a different colour.  Shellac call this "layering" and it gives the colour range a completely new dimension with so many more shades to be created.  The first layering option I tried today on a client was using the classic pillar box red that is wildfire (2 coats) covered with a layer of negligee, so three colour coats in total.

The negligee is a pearlescent colour that I have been using with a french manicure, the kind of colour that changes slightly as you move your hands.  By adding a layer of this over the red turns it into a dark pearlescent pinky/red a great alternative for someone who likes a classic red but isn't brave enough to wear it.

And here it is on my clients nails done earlier today .........................

Due to the overwhelming demand for my Shellac £10 offer, I shall be continuing with it for the foreseeable future and have new colours ordered for later this week.

Shellac £10 colour only (layering £13, french and glitter from £15).

[celebrity brows - before and after]

Get more information on this increasingly popular high definition brow treatment including after care here.

[easter extravaganza at debenhams - 10% off beauty and fragrance]

Get 10% off all beauty and fragrance this weekend at Debenhams along with free standard delivery!

Shop here.

[restful sleep aids - room sprays and eye masks]

If you sleep terribly like I do, then a little something to relax and aid restful sleep might be right up your street.

Marks and Spencer have a new Lavender Range by Ragdale Hall the world famous Spa, which is all lavender based and includes a pillow mist.

Was £5 now £4 at Marks and Spencer. Buy here.

The one I'm currently using £6.15 from Boots. Buy here.

Looking for something slightly more indulgent, then this Elemis room mist is reported to aid restful sleep in 61% of users. £16 from timetospa. Buy here.

Nothing nicer than laying your head on a Lavender scented pillow zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Elemis lovers can get up to £90 worth of travel sized freebies! When buying two full size products, just enter code TREAT5 at checkout where you then get the option to choose 5 free travel sized products! A perfect way to indulge, test out new products and try out the room mist featured above! They are of course also the perfect size for your holiday!

Shop here.

Or how about a silk eye mask from Holistic Silk?  I first heard about these when my daughter came across them whilst interning at a fashion magazine and I was intrigued, so decided to do some research and although their price makes them a bit of a cult product and celebrity must have, reviews make them sound like a bedtime essential!


£46 from notonthehighstreet. Buy here.

Now you might gather from the price that this isn't your average eye mask. It has a strap that you tie yourself for the perfect fit, is filled with lavender and made from silk and velvet. In most reviews I have read, users say the only downfall is they now can't sleep without one! I think one of these will have to go on my birthday and Christmas list for 2013 as they say no other eye mask comes close and  would really like to try one for myself.
Eye Mask's always remind me of my favourite television character of all time - Carrie Bradshaw who you often saw pull hers off as she answered a late night call from a girlfriend in a dilemma or of course, Mr Big.


   

[red glitter shellac toenails]

If you don't like acrylic or false nails you can achieve this with Shellac on your natural nail.

Great for holidays!

Currently £15 with March offer, fingers or toes in a choice of red, pink, gold, silver, blue or green glitter. 

[beauty on a budget - boots botanics 100% organic toner]

Instructions are to spray on to a dry freshly cleansed face and remove with a cotton pad. I don't usually remove, I think it only says this as it is good at removing the last traces of make-up but after cleansing correctly, there shouldn't be any. 

This product is also great for setting your make-up and will be lovely to carry around in your handbag and freshen your face in summer or on holiday. 

Boots currently have up to 50% off their Botanics range and this toner which is usually £4.99 is now £3.49. Buy here.

[shellac preparation, after care and removal]

It seems that lots of clients who are currently taking advantage of the £10 shellac colour offer, even though they may have had shellac before are a little unsure of how to prepare or to look after it, so I thought I would just give you a few hints and tips to keep your shellac, cuticles and nail plate in tip top condition.

Shellac French Manicure £15 on March offer. Usually £18.

Before - Shellac will look better if your cuticles are in good condition and not dry and flaky.  Although you will receive a small amount of dry manicure work on your cuticles before your shellac application, if your cuticles are very dry or need a lot of work, then think about having either a luxury or maintenance manicure a few days before application or in addition to shellac on the day.  Add £10 to your chosen manicure price.

After Care - The use of cuticle oil is essential in keeping your nail plate hydrated beneath your shellac. Keep cuticle oil beside your bed so that you don't forget to apply on a nightly basis and bare in mind that any oil will do the trick, baby oil, olive oil or any cooking oil.  Also something like Elizabeth Ardens Eight Hour Cream if that is all you have to hand.

Butter London Melt Away Cuticle Remover and Cuticle Oil twin pack £17.07. Buy here.

You can apply a complete moisture pack to your nails by dotting a small amount of oil along with a dot of cuticle remover to your cuticles. The Butter London twin pack above will be perfect for this and remember although it may seem like a costly outlay, cuticle oil lasts for months!

Badger Balm Mini Cuticle Care £3.99. Buy here.

Removal - Most salons will charge you to remove your shellac and clients have mentioned how they feel this price is extortionate in some salons.  The reason for this is the cost of the shellac removal wraps (£2.25 for 10 before VAT although not all salons use these due to cost) and the acetone which is used in removal along with the therapists time.  It will take approx 10 minutes to soak and then the shellac has to be scraped from the nail.  This whole process can easily take up to 20/30 mins.

Removal at home - Easy to do, just buy a bottle of acetone from the chemist (behind the counter), soak 1/2 a cotton wool pad and place over your nail. Wrap in a small amount of tin foil to secure. Wait 11 minutes, then remove by pressing down with your opposite thumb and releasing the removal pack in a downwards motion to take some of the shellac with it.  You will be left with flaky shellac and at this point the excess should be removed gently with a wooden orange stick or rubber hoof stick if you have one as neither of these will damage your nail.  Removal at home saves you time, money and a visit to the Salon.

    

Removal is free if you are having a fresh application of shellac but if you just book an appointment with me for removal the cost is £5. Removal and a fresh application can easily take your appointment up to an hour, so remember to factor this in when making a booking.

Leighton Denny Intense Manicure Oil £22. Buy here. Boots Essentials Manicure Sticks £1.00 (currently on a 3 for 2). Buy here.

Nail polish that lasts up to two weeks with a high shine finish is well worth looking after but always remember lifestyle will denote how long it lasts just like with a normal manicure. A lady who lunches will have her manicure last longer than somebody who is typing or washing up all day but you can be sure that whatever you do, Shellac will last longer than normal nail polish.

[shellac colour swatches - tropix]

A gorgeous deep coral perfect for holidays, looks fab with a tan!

[SPRING NAIL TRENDS AT CHANEL - THE UPDATED FRENCH MANICURE]

At Octobers Chanel Spring and Summer 2013 show the models were sent down the runway with dare I say it, a French Manicure!

It's a look I've considered dated and old fashioned for many years now. It is a nail trend I was doing on my natural nails before I had my son some 13 years ago ( I used to paint them on the coach commuting to London) and I have since become of convert of a short, square dark or bright coloured nail depending on the seasons but if it was good enough for Chanel, then I thought it was high time I gave the French Manicure another chance.

I was surprised that I actually quite liked it and over the last two weeks I have actually grown rather fond of the look all over again. Sadly I have had to remove it today due to a badly ripped nail (ouch) but it is definitely a look I will be wearing again. The Chanel French Manicure has a thin and subtle white tip and the nails are not too long which can look tacky but long enough to paint the tip.

Shellac French Manicure £15.

Try the look at home....

Marvala French Manicure Set £12 from HQ Hair or £10 if used as part of their 3 for £30 promotion. Buy here.

Nails Inc French Manicure Set £25 buy here.

Christian Dior French Manicure Kit £37. Buy here.

Are you a lover of a French Manicure?