Bridal Beauty Tip #9 How To Choose The Perfect Lipstick For Your Wedding

Choosing the perfect lipstick for your wedding day can seem tricky.
You have the dress, the flowers, the hairdo, hopefully all telling the same story, and now you have to bring the whole look together with your makeup. 
Your lipstick choice can really make or break your entire look. Should you go bold or should you go nude? Should you opt for a matte lip or should you try glossy lips? 

How To Choose The Perfect Lipstick For Your Wedding Day

image of my makeup student Therese, photographed by Jessica Savidge

1. Be True To Yourself
Your wedding day is probably not the best day to get all the way out of your lipstick comfort zone.
If you don't normally wear much color, this is not the day to try out a new red.
If you are a big lipstick girl chances are you will feel washed out with a naked lip.
Choose a color that is in keeping with your wedding makeup, that enhances your skin tone, that doesn't make your teeth look yellow, and that makes you feel lovely.

image of my makeup student Therese, photographed by Jessica Savidge

2. Marry With Moisture
Your lips will be a big focus on your wedding day. You will be talking more than usual, kissing and air kissing, posing for pictures, smiling - you name it! You will also probably get a very dry mouth.
A matte lip will look dried out and cracky as the event progresses, and unless you are a matte-lip-pro it can flatten your entire look.
An over glossy lip can look tacky, and he's probably going to be wondering if he'll get covered in slimey stuff if/when he kisses you.
Instead look for a lipstick with a subtle sheen or satin finish, that looks moist and makes the lip look alive and inviting.

3. Layer Your Lip
If you are prone to eating off your lipstick, think about staining the lip with a longwear color and complimenting it with a subtle gloss. If you are wearing a deeper or bolder color, staining the lip underneath will help you to maintain the color and will require less time infront of a mirror repairing your lipstick.
Most longwear lipsticks are super drying, so make sure you have either a gloss or a satin finish lip to put on top.
Plenty of my brides don't wear lipstick in their day to day life, so a longwear lip works perfectly. They just keep their chapstick/lip balm with them and top up when ever their lip feels dry.

a nude lip shouldn't look like concealer (image via foxerbox.com)

4.Nude no's
Nude lips can be fabulous, especially when paired with a stronger eye, but there are a few things to consider.
* if you normally wear color on your lips you will feel naked in a nude.
* use a nude that compliments your skin tone
* never choose a nude that is paler than your natural lip color
* nudes that look like concealer are never flattering

5. Buy it
You will need to touch up your lips after your makeup artist leaves, and throughout the evening. After you do your makeup trial, buy the lipstick your makeup artist used and bring it with you on your wedding day.

6. Trial
Make sure you have a trial makeup session prior to your wedding day. Wear the lipstick or lip gloss that your makeup artists tries on you, and see how it looks as the day progresses. Does it pill up? Does it dry and crack? Does it look tacky and sticky? Or does it look fabulous on you?

Beauty Tip Of The Week # 8 How To Wear Eyeliner After Lash Extensions ~ eHow.com

How To Wear Eyeliner After Eyelash Extensions
 From the series of video segments I shot for eHow.com

Eyelash extensions are single, individual, generally synthetic lashes that are glued one by one onto your existing lashes 

with formaldehyde free adhesive.

They generally last about 3 weeks before they need replacing.

They have a similar effect to strip lashes,

except that they are semi permanent.

Most women find they don't really need to use eyeliner

with lash extensions as the lashline is so enhanced by them.

However if you do choose to wear a liner, you have to be careful that you don't destroy your new lashes. 

image via rachelsskincare.com

Here's what I recommend: 

Check the label on your eyeliner.

Avoid cream or oil based liners as they can disrupt the adhesive and make your expensive lash extensions fall out.  

Liquid liners typically don't contain oils but can be more stubborn to remove.

A good trick is to use a dark eyeshadow and an eyeliner brush

Take the dark shadow along the lash line and build depth and color.

Next take your gel or cream liner along the lashline but not up against the lashes themselves. The shadow you applied in the first step will give you the depth of color you need at the lashes, enabling you to trick the appearance of  your gel liner and making it look like it goes all the way to the lashes themselves.

Be very gentle when removing any eyeliner. 

Don't use oil based eye-makeup removers.

Either purchase products from your eyelash technician, or use a very gentle cleansing milk and a QTip. 

How to Wear Eyeliner After Eyelash Extensions -- powered by ehow

11 Credit Card Tips For Traveling Internationally

Are you traveling internationally this year? 

Chances are that if your year does involve trips abroad you are going to be running your money through debit cards and credit cards. After more than 25 years of traveling around the world I have come up with 11 tips for using credit cards and debit cards while traveling internationally.

image via ClarkHoward.com

1. Choose Your Cards Wisely

Before going on a trip you need to research the company that holds your card, and find out their international policies. Many cards have as high as a 4% foreign transaction fee, which means you lose an additional 4 cents on every dollar you spend.

For a list of the best credit cards to travel with, check out this post on NerdWallet.com

2. Take More Than One Card

Travel with more than one card, and keep your cards in separate places. If one card gets lost or stolen you can cancel it and move over to your second card, which means you are never without access to money.

You should also keep your cards' international telephone numbers in a safe place, so that you can make the call as quickly as possible

pickpockets in Paris

3. Use A Debit Card To Pull Cash

The best way to access cash when you travel overseas is via your debit card. Using a debit card will stop you from overspending, but you should only use it to pull out cash. Debit cards are very easy to clone, and if your card is fraudulently used it can take time to get money credited back to your account. Don't use your debit card to make purchases - either purchase with cash or with a credit card.

4. Only Use Bank ATMs And Only Use Them During Bank Hours

Preferably use an ATM that requires you to go inside the bank, as it is much less likely to have a skimmer attached, allowing thieves to clone your card and steal your money.

If the ATM eats your card and you are inside the bank, or using a bank ATM during bank hours it is much easier to have the situation remedied. A few years back a friend of mine had her ATM card eaten by a machine in Paris the night before her tour left for Spain. She had to leave with no money and no card.

5. Find Out Your Bank's Fee Schedule Before You Leave 

Banks' fee schedules vary widely, so you need to find out ahead of time what your bank charges. My bank has a ridiculous list of fees for international transactions, so I use my credit union ATM cards instead. You may find it worthwhile opening an account at another financil instituition just for foreign travel.

6. Withdraw The Maximum

There are fees charged each time you make an ATM withdrawal. One for out of network transactions, one for using your card overseas, and one from the bank whose ATM you are using. You can lessen the hit you are taking by withdrawing the maximum - take out $500 once every 5 days instead of withdrawing $100 every day.

7. Don't Use A Debit Card That Is Linked To Your Main Accounts.

Most of us have payments that withdraw via ACH from our bank accounts. Accidentally withdrawing too much money, or even worse having your debit card cloned or stolen can leave you with a series of bank fines for mortgage payment not going through, car payments not processing etc. Instead have debit cards that don't link to your main accounts but are solely linked to travel accounts.

8. Don't Keep All Your Cash In One Account

Again, if your debit card gets cloned or stolen you want to have your money split across two accounts. This way you minimize the damage and also make sure that you have access to money

9. Tell Your Bank Where You Are Going (and bring back up cards)

Your bank needs to be notified that you are traveling overseas, and they will generally want to know exactly which countries you are traveling to, and within which days. Most of the time this works well, but sometimes they get it wrong. Again, I have had friends who's cards have been suspended by their bank at home, even though they notified the bank that they were traveling. Have a backup card in case this happens, and make sure you have an international number to call your bank on if thre is a problem.

10. Spend Like A Local

Some merchants will give you the option of charging items in your home currency rather than in theirs, which is also known as "dynamic currency conversion". This is always a more expensive choice.

You will invariably get a better exchange rate through your bank or credit card company than you will through local merchants. You will still pay the same transaction fees at home regardless of whether the purchase was made in local currency or your home currency

11. Be Vigilant.

Just because you are on vacation, don't let your guard down when it comes to fraud. In fact you should be more alert.

Don't access online banking from public wifi - you'd be amazed at how many people do! If you need to check balances in your accounts use your bank's telephone banking instead.

Don't leave the ATM without your receipt and your card. Some ATMs hold your card until the transaction is complete.

Don't keep all of your cards together - split them up amongst different bags.

Don't bring everything that is in your wallet at home - take a separate travel wallet that only has the cards and information that you need. If you do lose your wallet you want to limit the information that thieves can access about you.

Kate B for Allure Russia

It's exciting to see so much red for spring!

Pastels are so predictable at this time of year, so a bold, in your face red wakes everything up and makes it new.

Other makeup trends include bold eyes and huge lashes.

Check out this fabulous makeup story in this month's issue of Allure Russia.

Model  Kate Bogucharskaia explores some of the new trends, courtesy of makeup artist Kaoru Okubo.

Photographed by Jason Kim

Midweek Wisdom #8

Do you ever wake up and have no idea where you are, or even what time zone you are in??
I just got back from a few days traveling.
And when I woke up this morning I thought I was in Europe. 
But unfortunately I wasn't.

When you're not sure which way is up, there's nothing like a little midweek wisdom to get you back on track. 
When I look at Paul McCartney I wonder if he ever had self doubt? or did he just trust the path he was on??
Scroll down for today's quote.

Paul McCartney in Stockholm airport 1963

What you think,

you become.

What you feel,

you attract.

What you imagine,

you create.

~ Buddha

Destination Honeymoon ~ Which Beauty Products You Should Pack

Last September I shot a story for 

Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine 

about which beauty items you should pack 

to take on your honeymoon. 

If you are getting married this year, or if you are traveling, this is a great guide for you.

Here is the Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine article, reposted.

Bon Voyage!

Corinna Cooke on an Easy Honeymoon Beauty Routine

“I’m always getting on a plane to somewhere! Whether it’s a shoot across the country or across the world, I always follow these four beauty travel tips. They work perfectly for your honeymoon too!” 
Corinna Cooke

1

Travel Bags. I like my beauty products to go in my cabin baggage, so they arrive at the same destination as I do, when I do! I use see-through cosmetic travel bags from Stephanie Johnson. They are beautiful and chic, are easy to take through airport security and are sturdy enough to protect all my beauty products. I also take them to the beach – one with sunscreens and a separate one for any post-beach hair and makeup goodies. I don’t want sandy bottles of tanning products mixed in with my hair and lip products, and I like being able to see what’s in each bag. Remember all your liquid products have to be 3 fluid ounces or less to go in your carry on baggage.

2

The Skin Care Equation. Think about the climate you are traveling to before you pack. If you live somewhere dry, like Phoenix, and are going somewhere humid, such as a beach honeymoon, you will need to change to lighter skin care products. I travel with Verso skin care products (thoughtfully sized at 3 fluid ounces or less). I add a broad spectrum sunblock with the highest SPF I can find (a sunburned face isn’t exactly honeymoon glam), an eye-makeup remover to dissolve waterproof mascara, and a soothing face mask like luxurious Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask to keep skin looking lovely.

3

The Makeup Story. 

The key to travel makeup is to keep it simple. You don’t want to spend your honeymoon in front of a makeup mirror and you don’t want to weigh your bags down with more cosmetics than necessary. Opt for a fresh-faced look with a BB Cream instead of a heavy foundation, pack a little something for your brows, a bronzer to keep you looking beachy, and a soft blush to add a little color. Take one color story for your eyes. I like a soft goldy/bronzy look as it goes with everything, always looks gorgeous and you can dress it up or down. Waterproof mascara and a great eyeliner in espresso brown or a deep plummy-grape complete the perfect travel eye makeup story. Lastly pack two lip options: a soft, kissable glossy lip in a gentle tone and one bold color for a va-va-voom lip to knock ‘em dead on a dressy night out.

4

The Hair Story. A climate change can make for a really bad hair day, so you want to have some rescue options with you. A little hair decadence feels divine, so I travel with Oribe products. I pack the Oribe single-use travel shampoo and conditioner packs because they are fabulous, smell divine and take up absolutely no space at all. Oribe’s travel-sized Anti Humidity Spray tames any flyaways or crazy humidity hair, Dry Texturizing Spray is fantastic if you need a little post-hat-hair lift, and Apres Beach Spray gives you great beachy-looking waves when you don’t actually have any. I also love the Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Oil both to make hair glossy and shiny, and also to protect color and keep the ends from getting destroyed by sun, surf and wind.

Travel sized Oribe Hair Products

All photography by Jessica Savidge www.SavidgePhotography.com

Here I am behind the scenes laying out the items for the shoot

Beauty Tip Of The Week #7 Go Easy On Powder

We use powder to set foundation. 
Most foundations will slip and slide away if they are not set with a powder. 
But if you over powder a face the complexion will look dusty, dried out, heavy and sometimes even opaque.

This week's beauty tip is to only use powder where you need it.
I like to set the eye area, and if I am using a powder blush, the cheek area. Otherwise I let the skin be until I am finished makeup, then just lightly powder they shiny areas.
That way skin can still glow and look radiant.