Wedding Day Makeup: Should I DIY? Or Go The Professional Route?

I read an interesting tidbit on the royal wedding yesterday: rumor has it that Kate Middleton is doing her own wedding day makeup!

I don't know if I'm as brave as Kate. I may go the professional route, if only because it would be less expensive than stocking up on the makeup I'd need be photo-ready on the big day.

The only reason I'm considering the DIY route is because I'm SUPER picky about my makeup. I want it to be natural but still dramatic, polished but not thick and "cakey." The look I'm going for is something like this:

The stunning Ms. Wilde, via Glamour.com.

I love everything about this look: the contouring of her cheeks (even though she doesn't need it), the matte but fresh-looking skin, the nude lips, the smoky shading around the eyes, even the false lashes. It's dramatic enough to have that "wow" factor, but it doesn't look overwhelming or completely unnatural.

If I do my own makeup, there's a few products I'll just have to have. These are the ones I swear by when I want to look my best:

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, $32, via smashbox.com

I don't use primer on a daily basis, but I try to keep it on hand for special occasions. Seriously, this stuff is worth its weight in gold! It's a light serum that makes your skin feel like silk. Your makeup (not only your foundation, but also blush, bronzer, and powder) will glide on evenly and will last all day long, promise!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $19, via makeupandbeautyblog.com

A dab of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer will keep your eye makeup in place until you remove it. Your shadow won't crease, your liner won't slide off, and your mascara won't smudge. Plus, it makes the color of your eyeshadow look more rich and vibrant.

Mac Eye Shadow in Knight Divine, $14.50, via  maccosmetics.com

In my opinion, MAC makes the best eye shadow, hands down. I use the "Carbon" shade to line my eyes everyday, so I'd combine "Carbon" with "Knight Divine" for a not-too-vampish smoky eye.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Facial Moisturizer, $3.99, via Buy.com

This moisturizer helps even out my complexion and gives a little bit of summer color. I recommend using it once or twice daily for two weeks leading up to your wedding. A word of warning: if you over use it, the color will come off on your wash cloth, towel, pillow case, etc.

Also, DON'T use sunscreen or lotion with SPF (like the one above) on your wedding day! I can't stress this enough! The flash from a camera will reflect off the SPF and you'll look positively ghostly in your photographs.

Are you doing your wedding day makeup? What are your must-have products for your big day (or even a night out)?

If I Were Planning The Royal Wedding...

...this would totally how it would go down.



Oh T-Mobile, this fab video almost makes me want to switch cell service providers. Also, I'd be absolutely okay with my wedding party breaking out their best moves during the processional.

Are you excited for the royal wedding? I'll admit, I am! I can't wait to see how Will and Kate's wedding influences wedding trends in the coming seasons.

Confessions Of A Wedding Shoe Addict

Ladies, I have big news... I think I finally found The One. No, I don't mean my handsome cello-playing/gadget-obsessed/humor-loving fiance or the perfect sigh-inducing wedding dress (don't you dare peek, Mr. Nosy Husband-To-Be!!!).

I think found The Shoes.

After buying five--yes, you read that right, FIVE--pairs of high heels, I finally found a pair that (a) I love and (b) look great with my dress. If it seems like I'm slightly obsessed with this one wedding detail, that's because I do, in fact, obsessed with with all sorts of gorgeous footwear.

While I considered several different pairs, one shoe in particular stood out:

Swoon! The Badgley Mischka "Randee" T-Strap, $169.99, via Amazon.

I just couldn't get these shoes out of my head, but I was sure that rich shade of "bordo" would look harsh next to my dress. So instead, I ordered them in nude.

But when I took them to the bridal salon and tried them on with my dress, they didn't coordinate! The nude was too warm next to the silvery beading in my dress. 

After much angst and several more pairs, my brilliant mother suggested I try ordering them in white. But, I said, won't my ivory dress look dirty next to bright white heels? Give it a try, she said, because they may not be a pure white.

Lo and behold, she was right...

Here they are in ivory, also via Amazon.

Imagine my surprise when they turned out to be the perfect shade of ivory! They are the exact same shade of ivory as the fabric swatch of my dress. If you look at the above photo, the actual color is quit close to the tip of the toe, not the brighter rosettes on the t-strap.

So tell me, have you picked your wedding day footwear yet? Do you love your fab shoes as much as I do? Post links in the comments or send me pics!

Gifts for Your Groom...

My own wedding is over a year away, but I've been brainstorming about one very important aspect--the sweet gift I'm gonna get for my groom!

You see, my beloved fiancé is not easy to buy for. If I don't plan ahead, I'll have no idea what to get him when the wedding rolls around.

So here's what I've been thinking...

Dearest Fiancé, I love you but GO AWAY NOW!!

Or you'll lose all back rub privileges for AT LEAST a year! 

Wedding Inspiration: A Fiesta At Carnivale!

Dear readers, it can be tough to choose a venue. Once you have your venue locked in, the style of your wedding  is also limited. We booked a historic mansion for our wedding because we wanted a wedding that is formal and elegant with a bit of vintage flair. I'm really happy about our decision but I can easily imagine us getting married other places too.

One such place is Carnivale in the West Loop.  I l-o-v-e the bright colors and creative lighting. And their private dining menu seriously makes my mouth water! Ropa vieja with crispy plantains? Yes please!

The Samba Room, one of several rooms you can rent for your reception or rehearsal dinner. Photo via carnivalechicago.com

Of course we would have to have a salsa band. Because the venue is so colorful and lively, I would wear sassy little number to match:

Jules by Monique Lhuillier, via brides.com

As you already know, I'm a serious shoe addict. And a short dress calls for a show-stopping pair of shoes. I'd wear heels in Valentino red:

At $695, these Valentino babies are a little out of my price range. But a girl can dream, right?
Photo via http://store.valentino.com.

My lovely bridesmaids would wear short dresses in a variety of brilliant colors that coordinate with the venue. I'm imagining bright blue, red, pink, green, yellow...

Priscilla of Boston, style no. PB401. If ever there was a "wear again"
bridesmaids dress, this is definitely it.

Our champagne toast would be a mojito toast and we would have pictures of sangria on each table for dinner. For dessert, I'd have either classic flan or Caribbean fruit cake soaked in rum.

As for my groom, he would wear a black, slim-fitting one-button suit. I like this one by Armani:

He'd wear a skinny tie and would skip the boutonniere in favor of a square-folded pocket handkerchief.
I say "he," but let's be real--he usually just wears what I want him to wear. Photo via emporioarmani.com.
  

Since I'm half Aruban, our favors would be cigars made from Aruban tobacco for the gentlemen and cocadas (coconut candies) to the ladies.

Yum! Cocadas, cocadas with cloves and brown sugar, and cocadas with condensed milk. Photo via maria-brazil.org.

Sounds like a pretty great party to me! If you could have a wedding re-do, what kind of venue would you choose? Would you go for a totally different style of wedding?