How To Have A Happy And Productive Day

Have you ever noticed that if you wake up late, race to get out the door on time, start your day frazzled and frantic, the whole day seems to go downhill at the speed of light?

I'm borderline phobic about being late for anything, so to avoid starting my day out with an I'm-running-late stress-bomb I started working out ways to make my morning flow nicely. The more steps I added in, the better my entire day became. I found myself happier, more productive and more relaxed all day.

10 Steps To Make Sure You Have A Happy And Productive Day.

1. Go To Bed Early.
Well, I would love to get to bed early, but that pretty much never happens, so I focus on getting to bed a half hour earlier than usual. Sometimes its only 15 minutes earlier, but every little bit counts.

2. Plan Tomorrow's Outfit Tonight.
Lay out tomorrow's clothes before you go to bed, or at least think them out. Mornings move more smoothly when your wardrobe is at least mentally sorted ahead of time.

3. Wake With Gratitude.
Get into the habit of starting your day by acknowledging 10 things you are grateful for. Think them out before you get out of bed.
If you start your day with gratitude you will automatically be happy. There's magic in this madness too - the more you tell the Universe you are grateful for, the more things it will give you to be grateful for. 

4. Stretch.
Whether you do sun salutations or just simple stretches, your body, your mind and your soul will love you for it.

5. No Screens For 30 Minutes.
There was a time when I would automatically click on CNN and start scrolling through emails as soon as I woke up. Now I have a no screens policy.
When you don't have news hysteria hijacking your brain, and you wait 30 minutes before even considering opening email, your mind can ease into your day.
I used to think that I needed to be informed and know what was happening in the world, but then I realized that CNN doesn't give you world news anyway, and they just regurgitate the same stories over and over for the first few hours of the morning, so you won't be missing anything if you wait 30 minutes.

6. Play Music.
With news television out of the way, start your day with beautiful music. Or invigorating music. Something happy and inspiring to lift you up.

7. Drink Water Before Coffee.
Start your day with a large glass of cold water infused with lemons.
Lemon water is good for your skin, good for your immune system, detoxes your liver, relieves stress and much more.

start your day with lemon water

8. Exercise. (if you can)
Anytime that I can exercise in the early morning I feel fantastic all day. As a makeup artist I have so many super early starts to the day that I hardly ever get to work out as early as I would like. Even doing just 10 minutes of yoga will lift your spirits, but if you can get outside and run or bike or power walk, mother nature will lift you even more.

9. Live With Intention.
While you are getting ready visualize the day ahead, seeing everything going the way you want it to. Over time you will find that instead of worrying about deadlines and meetings, reviews and potential problems, your brain will automatically plug into the most positive potential outcome. Not only will you walk taller and with more confidence, but instead of worrying about what might go wrong your mind will move to problem solving mode, priming you for success.

10. Make Today Count.
I love this quote from Steve Jobs' famous commencement speech at Stanford in 2005. 
If it was my last day in the world I would spend it traveling somewhere fabulous with those I love most...

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Have yourself a happy and productive day my friends.
xo

8 Bridal Beauty Blunders

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life.
It is also one of the most photographed days of your life. Make sure that you can enjoy those pictures forever by avoiding the following 8 Bridal Beauty Blunders.

1. Getting Caught Up In Trends.
Trends and fads come and go. The biggest look of the moment will be out of fashion in 3 months. Your wedding look should be timeless and beautiful, and not look dated next year, or in 10 years time.

2. Contouring And Highlighting Like A You Tuber.
Following on from avoiding trends, understand that the excessive highlight and contour you see on you tube is perfect for drag queens, but can be an absolute nightmare for brides.
Most wedding photography happens outdoors in natural light, which is the absolute worst light possible for an over-contoured face. Rather than making you look beautiful, heavy contour and highlight can make you look like a caricature of yourself.
Save your big contour for nightclubs, where it's perpetually dark, and everyone is drunk anyway!

3. Trying Something New.
Your wedding day isn't the day to try something new. Don't break out a big red lip for the first time ever, or suddenly convert to an intense smokey eye or giant strip lash.
Your groom needs to recognize you as you walk down the aisle. You need to look like your very best version of you, not like a stranger to him. 

4. Skipping The Makeup Trial.
The trial is not only important for setting up the look for the day, but it gives you a chance to observe the makeup artist, their skills, products, hygiene. It also gives you a chance to see if their energy matches yours. Some artists are technically brilliant but their energy is just toxic. You need to make sure the vendors who will be around you on your big day bring good energy and a pleasant vibe.

Bring pictures to your trial, both of makeup you love and makeup you hate. It's the best way to make sure you are both on the same page.

5. Shimmer And Shine In The Wrong Places.
I always advise scaling way back on the shimmer, or even skipping it altogether. Shimmer can translate to sparkle in sunlight, and look terribly wrong, especially high on the cheeks and under the brows.
Glowing, dewy skin is lovely, but can make you look oily/sweaty in the wrong light, so don't go overboard on the shine. Adding shine to the center forehead and along the bridge of the nose can be fabulous on a fashion shoot, where everything is controlled, but on a bride can often look like greasy skin.
Avoid glitter completely.

6. Too Much Dark Drama On The Eyes.
Black liner and black shadow are a no-no for brides. Black liner grabs the light and makes you look like you are squinting in all your pictures. If it doesn't shut your eye down in the outdoor light it becomes the main focus on your face, and you see the liner before you see the girl. Opt for dark expresso browns and deep moody purples instead. They will give you the accent you are looking for without closing your eye down.
Even if you can make black shadow look fabulous in the makeup chair, wedding makeup has to last 10 to 12 hours at least, and black shadow as it wears in can make you look heavy and tired under the eye, and can make your eyes look like they have sucked in to the back of your skull.

7. Lashes That Are Too Big.
Back to the outdoor light - lashes can act like awnings hanging over your under eye, creating big shadows that make you look tired and haunted. They can also be too dense at the lash line, making you look squinty in your pictures. Be careful with strip lashes if you are not used to wearing them. Tears can weaken the glue in the inner corners of the lash, making them lift away and look crazy.

8. Foundation Mis-match.
Your foundation needs to match your skin, not only in depth of color, but also in undertone. Your makeup artist needs to know if you are a cool tone or a warm tone, and needs to have a solid grasp on color theory, so that they can build you a perfect color. Once your perfect shade is created it needs to be applied in a sheer and even veil. Thick, chunky foundation looks awful, especially in the daylight. It should look like perfect flawless skin, not thick, opaque makeup.
I just read on a Facebook pro makeup artist community page a post from someone bragging that they do 10 faces in 4 hours for weddings. That is only 24 minutes per person, which tells me some major steps are being missed, and my guess is the first missed step is going to be the creation of the perfect complexion.

7 Celebrities Rocking Wavy Bobs For Short Hair

It has been the season of the LOB (long bob), but if you are getting ready to trim off the inches that have been thrashed by summer's sun, surf and chlorine, or you just want to change it up a little, here are seven fabulous celebrity wavy bob's for short hair to inspire you.

7 Celebrities Rocking Wavy Bobs For Short Hair

Lily Collins' center part opens and then her face so that her sensational eyebrows and lips can take center stage.
I love these big, fat waves on shorter bobs. 

Kate Mara ombre, wavy bob

Kate Mara's slightly off-center part draws attention to her fabulous ombre waves. The cut looks a little asymmetrical too. The two features combined make for a perfect look when you need a significant cut, and also want to grow out a shorter look.

Need to go even shorter? The color play on this short, wavy bob makes it much more interesting.
Creating an off center part and hooking the shorter side behind your ear opens up your face and helps you draw attention to your eyes.

If you have a square shaped face or a rectangular face, side swept bangs completely soften your full forehead.
The trick to making this bob work is to keep it choppy at the ends, and not blunt, and to drop the length below the jawline to stop your face looking more squared.
If you don't have a squared face shape this cut will still look gorgeous.

I don't think I have ever seen a bad haircut on Jessica Alba?
I love this for it's simplicity. It looks fresh and modern.

Charlize Theron Short Wavy Bob

Charlize Theron looks amazing no matter what - did you see her bald in Mad Max?? Stunning.
These soft, full, curly waves on her short bob are ultra feminine and pretty.

Brooklyn Decker wavy bob

Brooklyn Decker's long layers and choppy ends give the illusion that her hair is longer.

The Coveted List August ~

I'm getting ready for a month of international travel that includes a couple of 36 hour + travel days involving multiple flights and trains.
The tricky thing about super long travel days, especially the ones that involve more than one international flight, is finding a way to be comfortable and still look good, even when you are stepping off a 10 hour flight 24 hours after leaving home.
So I am shopping the wardrobe that makes it all work.
Or at least coveting it...

I love traveling with a chic backpack instead of a handbag. Backpacks are much easier to maneuver around with. You can fit whatever you need in there, and get perfect weight balance across both shoulders rather than dragging weight on one shoulder.
And they look stylish! 

Check out this Tory Burch Amanda Backpack  at Nordstrom.

The Nic And Zoe Feel Good Pant travels well and is super comfortable - even when you are trapped in an uncomfortable airplane seat. 

The great thing about this pair of pants is that they don't look trashed when you get off the plane, instead the fabric moves as you do, and looks fresh when you change into sandals and a clean T.

The Splendid V Neck High/Low Sweater from Nordstrom is a fine knit cashmere blend that wards off airplane chill while looking good.

Wrap up in the Alexander McQueen Reversible Hibiscus and Skull Scarf  to keep your neck and chest warm in flight, or pair it with a white tank or T when you land.

Prada's Leather Espadrille combines comfort and ease with a little panache. You can run through airport terminals in them, and you can walk all over Rome in them, as comfortable as can be, and they never look anything but chic. The leather uppers breathe well and hold their shape.

Tory Burch Miller Sandals are a great alternative to slip on when you land. They look perfect with the Nic and Zoe pants.

Cartier Love Bracelet in pink gold and Cartier Love rings in pink gold. Because I love Cartier. And I love love.

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is fabulous for everyday use, but is also a life saving revitalizing facial mist to keep your skin hydrated and glowing during your flight. When you are away from home and your skin starts freaking out, this dewy skin mist is the ultimate travel hack skin saver - it's soothing and calming and relaxes your skin back into happy mode.

Tatcha Brightening Serum is the holy grail of serums. 

It heals and soothes, hydrates and deep treats any skin type. You can use it alone as a light but super effective moisturizer on extra hot or humid days, or on long flights, or layer it with your moisturizer on normal days. It makes your skin glow as if lit from within. Wear it just one time and you will never want to go without it again.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg. The satiny finish on these lip pencils make your lips look lush and hydrated after a long flight. Most people look washed out and drained when they deplane. A little pop of color on your lip makes you look rejuvenated and refreshed.

How To Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis When You Fly

I fly internationally multiple times per year, generally on relatively long flights. I am always aware of potential DVT (deep vein thrombosis) which is more prevalent in air travelers. Or perhaps a better way of looking at it is that air travel increases your risk of DVT.

So what is DVT?

Deep Vein Thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs. These blood clots can break loose and travel through the bloodstream and into the lungs, blocking the bloodflow and causing a pulmonary embolism.

Once it was discovered that there was an increase in DVT in air travelers compared to non-travelers, it became known as "Economy Class Syndrome", due to the cramped seating in the coach cabin. 

airline seats are getting narrower and closer together 

Extended periods of inactivity caused by confined spaces, bent knees compressing the popliteal vein (the deep vein behind the knee) create a potential site for a clot to form. The space limitations and lack of ability to move your legs causes slowing of the circulation and edema (leg swelling). Add to that low oxygen, low humidity, low cabin pressure at high elevations, all of which have a dehydrating effect that concentrates the blood, making it sluggish. This is made worse when passengers drink alcohol, and do not replenish fluids lost by dehydration during the flight. Obesity, smoking and oral contraceptives all add to the mix.
Clots can occur during the flight or after.

For the most part the body's natural clot busters counter the tendency for this to happen, but it has been reported that as many as 3% to 5% of air travelers will develop clots. (www.airhealth.org)

How To Help Prevent DVT

There are steps you can take to help prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis when you fly.

• Avoid salty or high sodium foods in the days leading up to your departure date.
• Get extra exercise before you fly. 
• During layovers walk around the terminal. 
• During the flight get up and walk around the cabin, stretch your legs as much as you can, and do ankle and calf exercises in your seat.

image via Eva Air

• Wear compression hose during the flight, to help the circulation. Good compression hose or socks provide medically graduated compression that works it's way from your toes up your calves. Try Magellans Travel Compression Socks.
• Don't put bags under the seat in front of you - leave that space for your legs to stretch out.
• Elevate your legs during the flight, even if only a couple of inches. Premium economy seats have a bar to rest your feet on under the seat in front of you. This small lift to the legs provides incredible relief.
• If you do get leg swelling, continue to wear compression socks for the next couple of days and nights until the swelling subsides.
• When you land, get moving. The more you can walk the day you land, the better. Get your circulation moving and drink as much water as you can. Aim for an 8 oz glass of water for each hour you were in flight.

Some international airports have massage chairs with calf massagers in the terminal or near the gate area. These are fantastic, especially during trans-world flights.

If you have a long layover and there is a massage spa or day spa in the terminal, treat yourself to a calf massage or reflexology. Your legs will thank you for it!

How To Get The Perfect Eyebrow Shape for Your Face

I am eyebrow obsessed.
Not with those crazy, square, shiny brows that are all over Instagram, but with perfect, eye framing, face balancing brows.
A well executed brow is a work of art.

Check out this brow story written by Juliana Chow for Career Girl Daily. 
There is a tutorial from Michelle Phan inside the story. I'm not sure I agree with her brow color theory, but I love her brow shape theory.

How To Get The Perfect Eyebrow Shape

Eyebrows are everywhere and anywhere these days, from runaway models to Instagram #browperfection, eyebrows are the most talked about beauty obsession of our time. Nowadays there are hundreds of make-up products on the market that will help you achieve your desired eyebrow look. You can even get thick Cara eyebrows with eyebrow extensions, that is apparently getting increasingly popular. Not that the fuzz is at all overrated because it is after all the brows that frame our eyes and face, which makes it important for us to know how to get the eyebrow shape perfectly right. Whether you want Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner eyebrows, or simply eyebrows that fit your personality, here is how you get them absolutely perfect-looking.

ANALYZE YOUR FACIAL FEATURES AND ENVISION

Spend time in front of the mirror, take a couple or selfies and analyze your face. By figuring which face shape you have, you can get a general guideline on which eyebrow shape would fit your face shape the best. Now, try finding celebrities that you admire, or that has a similar face shape as you, and try to envision how you really want your eyebrows to frame your face.

“TRIM THAT BEAST”

When you have a general idea of how you want your eyebrows to look, whether it is thick, thin or arched eyebrows, take a concealer and try concealing the areas that you want to trim, before tweezing away. When you are satisfied with the look, use a tweezer to pluck any unwanted hair between and below the area of your eyebrows. If the plucking hurts, use an ice cube to soothe the pain.

GRAB YOUR PENCIL, AND FILL ‘EM IN

Find a really good eyebrow pencil that fits your need, shape, and color. The rule of thumb is, that the color of your eyebrows should be 2-3 shades lighter if your have dark hair, and 2-3 shades darker if you have blonde hair. If you do not want to spend too much time filling in your eyebrows every day, the fastest and easiest method is using an eyebrow pencil. Though if you wish to upgrade your eyebrow game and spend a bit more time on perfecting them, try using a powder kit and brush. Note, that filling in your brows with powder will often make your brows appear softer, than they would with a pencil! When filling in your brows, try measuring your starting point, the natural arch and ending point of your brows. Lastly, set your eyebrows with a brow gel, so they will stay in place all day.

by Juliana Chow

Juliana Chow, 19 and founder of julianachow.com, has a multinational background and currently lives in Copenhagen where she finished her study of International Business. She has a passion for traveling, blogging, social media and dreaming big.

Five Best Beach Lips ~ Your Five Best Lip Shades For August On The Beach

Are you stealing a getaway to the ocean this August?

On hot beachy days the last thing you want is a face full of makeup, but if you're not in the mood for an entirely naked face, these lip colors when paired with a soft brow and a little waterproof mascara will give you a fun and fresh pop of color, and keep you looking casually gorgeous!

I absolutely love fuchsia lips!This pencil format is ideal for the beach. Easy to apply and it won't melt in your beach bag. 
Nars Satin Lip Pencil in YU $26 at Nordstrom

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince $25 is an emerald green lipstick that magically transforms itself to your own perfect shade of rosebud pink, as soon as it hits your lips. With Vitamin E and Shea Butter it keeps your lips soft, hydrated and endlessly kissable. You can find Frog Prince at Space NK

The best red this summer just has to be Charlotte Tilbury's limited edition Matte Revolution 1975 Red $32. This is a perfect sunset red, in Charlotte's special formulation that not only makes lips look fuller, but also makes them look lit from within. Available at CharlotteTilbury.com

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey $17 has been around for decades. A slippery sheer hint of color, this one pairs with your tan beautifully, leaves your lips looking bitten and your teeth looking pearly white. You can find it at Nordstrom.

Nars Orgasm Lip Gloss $26 is universally flattering to all skin tones. It's fresh, pretty and goes with everything. 
Love it.