Purple and Pearls

It’s well and truly wedding central here at the moment, with 44 days until W-Day suppliers have been emailing to confirm details, we’re having to part with our cash and final decisions are having to be made.

Last week was very busy I had my first fitting, which wasn’t as great as I thought it would be.  We had a meeting with our venue to discuss all the finer details  and timings for the day, it was a wonderful evening and they basically told us anything we wanted we could have.and Friday I had my first hen party which was a scream!

It was a tiring week and to be honest I don’t think it’s going to get any calmer either, I need chill out time!  A few months ago Mom and I booked a course of facials at the Clarins Spa and  Saturday was our first appointment.

Heaven!

I enjoyed every-single-lotion-potion-massaging-moment!  It was incredibly enjoyable and relaxing.  I lay under a comfy thick cover whilst my therapist massaged my head, neck, shoulders and face.  She spent about 20 minutes applying cleansers, scrubs, masks and eye creams it was divine!

My skin felt amazingly smooth afterwards, and I was completely relaxed.  If you can make the budget stretch I would definitely recommend a course of massages and facials to any bride to be.  I suffer with an oily t-zone, so she suggested I try Clarins Lotus Oil as a way to trick the skin into thinking it has already produced enough oil.  I’ve been using it since Saturday night and already I’ve noticed a huge difference!

We each have another 2 appointments before the wedding and also by booking this course Clarins offer a reward scheme.  You accumulate minutes to use on another treatment.  I’ve been considering having a back exfoliation and massage treatment so my back looks as radiant as my face on the day!

It was great to just have 40 minutes being totally pampered.  The room was warm, dark and had gentle music playing in the background, I closed my eyes and just let my mind relax.  When I first booked them all I was thinking about was my skin and how I wanted it to look fresh and vibrant for the wedding – now it’s more than that.  It’s about that moment of escaping everything – even my own thoughts!  Definitely money well spent!

Ever since the new Bohemia Collection from Flo and Percy was released I have had my eye on the beautiful Wilderness Comb.

I was unsure as to whether our funds would stretch to indulge my obsession with this comb, seriously I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at this online!

Well, when Suzie emailed me a link to Rock My Wedding who have teamed up with Flo and Percy to offer their readers unbelievably amazing discounts (70% off for the first person to order, 50% off to the second and 25% off to the third) I knew I had to try!

I sent my email to Kirstie at Flo and Percy, my heart was pounding the entire time and I was shaking!  Ha, I know it sounds a bit extreme but I was nervous to know!  I noticed Kirstie had left a comment on the orginial blog post saying the 70% dicsount had gone.  Oh… never mind maybe I’d get the 50% off?

Then Kirstie tweeted me!  I’ve got the 70% off!!

I honestly can’t believe it!  I’m so excited and can’t wait to see what it looks like in real life!  If you remember Suzie had the Flo and Percy Clarice Headband for her wedding and that was stunning!

Thank you Kirstie and thank you to the lovely RMW ladies for this amazing competition! x

After a very, very good night out on Friday, which resulted in 4 hours sleep and a very, very hungover Laura I attempted to pull myself together for my hair trial appointment on Saturday morning.

I told my hair dresser Jo my ideas and she went to work creating me a bridal look.  She curled all my hair using the GHD straighteners.  In my opinion this is the best way to create the perfect curls.  The curls stayed in until I washed them out this morning.

After curling all of my hair she pulled sections back and created two french plaits that sat on the side of my head and trailed behind a layer of curls.  The good thing about having the trial was we were able to see that to create a more polished look she’ll do the french plaits before curling as the curls only got damaged during the plaiting.

I have photos, but they’re not very good for a few reasons.  They were taken on my phone and I look awful!

I honestly wish I had felt better, it wasn’t a wise decision to get so terribly drunk that I felt ill during the entire trial, but if I’m being honest as soon as she’d finished and I could see the finally result I actually started to feel a bit better.

On the day I think there will be more curls and it’ll look tidier.   I’m also looking into having a sparkly hair vine that trails through the plaits, although I’m not sure how it’ll work!

I have my hair trial next week, which I’m really looking forward to.

I’ve been a little bit stuck describing how I want my hair on the day, I know I want it long, curly and loose.  I don’t wear my hair up on a day to day basis so I don’t see why I should change that for my wedding day, but I also wanted it to look slightly different, elegant and hopefully include a few pretties!

I came across this wedding today and fell in love with the bride’s hair.

So simple, yet beautiful. I’ll definitely be taking a print out of this to my trial!  I think I would probably have slightly tighter curls and I would keep my side fringe out, but I love the little twists on either side.

I’d also love to have a few sparkly pearl pins just to add the extra wow.

I’m loving these from Chez Bec

I also wonder how this would look, in just one side.  From Tantrums and Tiaras

I’m going to have a look around some local bridal shops this weekend to get an idea on what will suit me best.  Hopefully I’ll come away with a better idea of what I want!

Yesterday me, my Mom, my personal make up artist and long time good friend Harriet and her Mom (my god mother) Dawn descended on the Bull Ring in Birmingham to shop for make up!

I had such a fun day mooching around the cosmetic counters of Channel, Dior, Nars, Estee Lauder and Mac.  A very lovely lady at the Estee Lauder counter applied the fabulous-can-not-recommend-enough Double Wear Light Foundation.  After a rather late night out the miracle liquid made me look human again and it wasn’t until she applied the Double Wear Concealer that I realised just how dark my eyes were!

Harriet already has a large make up kit so the only other thing we needed was my eyeshadow.  We chose 5 Couleurs Designer by Dior in Amber Design.

We then nipped quickly into boots to grab a pack of individual fake eye lashes to apply at the end of my own lashes for the extra flutter-factor.

Armed with our stash (of obscenely expensive make up!) it was off home again for tea and trials!

Harriet dusted my eyelids, brushed over my cheek bones and finally applied the lashes for a result that I love!

I love that it’s natural and dramatic at the same time.  I don’t look overly made over but my eyes still make a statement.  (I’m sorry the photos are dark, I tried to lighten them up a little)

Actually didn’t want to take the make up off last night and if I could have I would have slept in it!

Thank you Harriet, so much!! ♥

Following on from my earlier post today, this article popped up in my Google Reader and I knew I had to share.

Enjoy

Without going in to too much detail I haven’t really been feeling myself lately.  I have a reoccurring problem which is really getting me down.  It’s nothing serious, but the doctors can’t tell me what it is.  I have sore blisters on my toe which stop me from wearing shoes and walking properly. Ouch

• Don’t skip meals - It’s important to keep your body nourished, if you want to lose a few extra pounds before your wedding day do so sensibly, your body needs food to maintain it’s energy and skipping on meals will leave you feeling lethargic . Try eating a diet rich in lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, beans, peas and lentils.  They will help you feel fuller for longer, so you can slim down in a healthier way.
• Catch plenty of Zzz’s - However tempting it is to stay up and just finish off the last few favours or table plan, remember research shows that sleep helps boost your immune system, plus you’ll feel extra refreshed after a good nights sleep to face the day.

source

• Scrub-a-dub-dub! - Many infections spread from person to person, germs are picked up easily through keyboards, hand rails and door handles to name but a few. (Eeeww!)  It’s a good idea to carry around antibacterial gel and getting into the habit of wash your hand regularly for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
• Take your vitamins - Even if you do have a healthy diet you can give your body extra help by adding vitamins to your daily routine.  Vitamins A and C have been proven to prevent colds whilst research suggests people who took a garlic supplement were less likely to have a cold. 
• Relax! - Stress can make you ill.  Planning a wedding can be very stressful so you need to allow yourself time to relax and do something unrelated.  It is said exercise is very good at beating stress, failing that treat yourself to a massage or an hour in the bath with a good book.

Source

I treated myself today with cute hair accessories from ASOS.  I bought mine to pretty up my head for the festivals I’ll be going to in a few weeks, but they could also be used by brides or bridesmaids on a budget.

One of the things I love most about Twitter is all the new friends you make.  Due to the powers of Twitter I found Pearl and Willow and the very lovely Beth.  A gorgeous collection of hair accessories, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and brooches by fabulous designers such as Chez Bec, Filippa Scott, Polly Edwards and Jo Barnes.

I’ve been searching for something to wear in my hair for a while, and Pearl and Willow’s selection didn’t let me down.  Problem is I have too many favourites!

When I was very young I had an accident which left me with scarring on both arms, hands, chest and neck.  I’ve never been ashamed of my scars and have never tried to hide them.  Growing up my Mom would always dress me in short sleeved tops and taught me to be confident.

I’ve never known any different and my scars are part of me.  They have faded dramatically over the years and are now very faint.

Having said that trying on dresses and planning a wedding does something to you.  Since being engaged I’ve thought about losing weight, having laser eye surgery and getting a brace fixed.  It’s like every flaw I’ve noticed about myself is magnified by 100%.  When I was trying on dresses I couldn’t help but notice my scars.  When I shared my concerns with my family and friends, it was suggested I give camouflage make up a go.  I’ve mentioned this before, but my friend Harriet is going to be doing my make up for the day.  She kindly offered to research the different types and brands of cover up make up and ordered me a few tester samples to have a play with.

Last night me and my Mom had a go at covering the top of arm.  It’s an area which is quite bumpy as it’s where I had my skin graph.  The make up could ever make the skin look smooth but it does help cover up the skin tone.

Making sure the skin is free of oils you apply the make up using a clean sponge.  It goes on like normal foundation, you have to make sure it’s blended in well.  It’s better to apply a few thin layers to get an even coverage.  Once you are happy you apply the fixing powder liberally to set the make up.

This was the finished result.