fashion for faith in four colors: Beauty Busters lash extensions

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Selecting Your Wedding Colors

fashion style 7:41 PM

The selection of your wedding colors or wedding palette will be one of the most important planning decisions that you will make. Your colors will help shape and determine many choices including your aisle decorations and flowers, your table pattern and centerpieces, and your bridesmaid dresses and bridesmaid jewelry.

Depending on how formal you want your wedding to look, you will need to select two, three, and possibly more colors for your theme. There are three types of wedding colors:

* Your dominant color is the principal color, the one most frequently used throughout your wedding scheme. Think bridesmaid dresses.

* Secondary or complimentary colors are also a part of your official scheme. By matching these with your dominant color you set the tone of your wedding and reception.

* Supplementary colors, while not a part of your formal wedding scheme, add liveliness and spontaneity to the look and feel of your wedding. These are the additional colors that will work their way into the mix in many little ways.

Together these colors make-up your wedding palette. When you select your color scheme you will want your secondary colors to compliment your dominant color. Likewise, you want your supplementary colors to compliment both your dominant and secondary colors. Each time you add a color into your official scheme you limit the number of supplementary colors that will work within your palette.

Structure is created by the number of colors and shades that you use. The fewer colors you use the more formal your wedding will appear. For example, if you limit yourself to using only blue and ivory, your wedding will look very formal. As you add more colors your wedding will look more spontaneous and lively. By adding an official secondary color or two to your wedding scheme you can achieve a balance that is both formal and festive because the different supplementary colors that will work within you palette will become limited.

Instead of setting your heart on one dominant color from the outset, pick four or five different potential colors that you can test. Visit your ceremony and reception sites and find out what colors will work in these locations. Your wedding coordinator, reception site staff, or rental company will be able to assist you. Try your potential colors on your bridesmaids to find out which ones will make them look pretty and flattering. A fun way to do this is a group visit to your bridal shop or local fabric store. Will your wedding take place in the spring, summer, fall, or winter and what are the colors of that season?

Be sure to consider the different emotions or moods that colors evoke. Vibrant colors will add a sense of drama; softer colors romance:

*Red: strength, power, passion, desire, love, drama

*Green: nature, fertility, growth, harmony, freshness, safety, money

*Blue: cheerfulness, wellbeing, creativity, persistence, depth, stability, trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, faith

*Purple: royalty, mystery, spirituality, luxury, wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, magic

*Peach: energy, enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, success, stimulation

*Yellow: energy, intelligence, friendship, joy, gladness, new beginnings

*Pink: love, friendship appreciation, admiration, gentleness, grace, gladness, joy, sweetness

*White: purity, innocence, perfection, fairness, tranquility, security

*Black: elegance, power, formalness, mystery

There are several places where you can draw inspiration when choosing your wedding colors. A good place to start is by visiting the Pantone company. Pantone publishes free copies of their Fashion Color Reports in the Fashion + Home section of their website. This is the best place to find out, in advance, which colors will be in style during the upcoming fashion season. Other popular sources of inspiration include the bride's birthstone color or Swarovski crystal birth colors, the color of a favorite flower, family crest or a meaningful symbol.

Most of all give yourself plenty of time so you will not feel pressured to rush your decision. Include family and friends and of course your fiancé. Selecting your wedding palette should be a fun and joyful part of your wedding planning experience.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Beauty Busters: Eyelash Extensions

fashion style 6:24 AM

Around three weeks ago, I have eyelash extensions applied by the delightful Ashley Dunsmore. Ashley is currently studying at university, but a few years ago trained as an eyelash technician and now runs a home service part-time, during her studies.

Ashey is a lovely girl and a bit of a perfectionist - which makes her extremely good at applying the 50 individual lashes to each eye! She uses only silk eyelashes, of which she lays one individual lash on top of one natural lash with a professional glue. The false lash will last as long as the growth of the natural lash - e.g. once the natural lash grows and falls out, the false lash will fall out too. (One point to note is that you lose lashes more quickly from which ever side you sleep on because of the pillow against your face). The lash extensions should last between 4 and 6 weeks. I'm almost four weeks in and the lashes still look good, however, I've lost a few more from my left eye than my right, and I think that in another week or so I really need to get infills done to avoid the spidery effect.

The application took around 2 hours - this is a long time, however, Ashley applies around 20 extra lashes to each eye in comparison to salons, and as I said before, she's a perfectionist and wants your lashes to be just right.

First, Ashley tapes your lower lashes down so that the glue doesn't stick both lash lines together. She then removes any excess eye make up (you should not be wearing mascara, but she'll take off any foundation/cover up) and then asks you to close your eyes while she applies the lashes. This is a lengthy process, but worthwhile. Once she had finished the application, I was really impressed with end result: the lashes are really long and thick, and although they do look a bit obvious, the adhesive and overall effect is very natural - no black strip like you find on the temporary false lashes.

My favourite thing about the lash extensions is that there is no need to apply mascara (but you can do if you want to) so the amount of time I save in the morning is incredible - no curling, no mascara, no poking myself in the eye with the mascara wand because, hello, it's only 7 a.m. I also wake up looking bright eyed and this is always a good thing, and for evenings out things are so much easier and quicker and I feel much lower maintenance!

Here are some before and after pictures below, along with Ashley's email address if you would like to get in touch with her to make an enquiry or appointment. Initial lash extensions are £45 and take around two hours, while infills are £20 and take around an hour.