J.Crew Swim

This weekend I am braving the yearly search for a bathing suit. I've been scoping out a couple of my favorites online this week and I have landed at the same place I always do: The Crew. I am so predictable when it comes to suits. Colors: blue, grey and white. Pattern: stripes, polka dots or anything that resembles them. Fit: comfortable but still fresh and young. Style: classic. How many suits do I have that already have polka dots on them? It's not worth the embarrassment of sharing. But do I stop looking at them? Of course not. Each year they are just different enough to call my name again and again...Brides, I know you're on the hunt too and I would steer you toward my alma mater, J. Crew. They never disappoint. Look smokin' on your honeymoon and skip the trendy metallics and crazy sequins, or the disappearing seats of bikini bottoms. Go with fresh sophistication :)

My two favorites?  The Marina-striped ring bandeau suit and The Annik-stripe string bikini.  In LOVE.  I wish they carried more swim wear at their stores...

{Images: J.Crew}

BHLDN Hair Adornments

Have you spent some time looking through BHLDN's hair adornments?  Oh my, it's just as you would expect: stunning.  My favorites?  The Marzipan Halo Headband in ivory (above right), the Voluminous Silk Headband in pink (above left) and the Pompom Rose Headband in deep blue (below right).  But really, they are all amazing...

Loving: Side-swept hair

I've had short hair for about a year now and seeing so many beautifully side-swept hair styles makes me long for long locks again.  This is so romantic--love it!

{Image: Pintrest}

The view from here.

Some days I spend hours and hours looking at my hands and what they are doing, (mainly folding, gluing, and tying ribbon). The view today is nice! My nail polish (Plum Seduction #917, Revlon) looks great with the ink color (Pantone 583) on the folders I'm building for Krista and my Becky Kelso ring just looks great with everything.

BHLDN Shoes

BHLDN has captured the imaginations of wedding adorers all over.
Their shoe collection is sweet, sweet eye candy.  So in love...

Trendspotting: The hair double knot

Who isn't looking for a chic way to just throw your hair up and out of the way??  Check out the hair double knot.  Four simple steps and you are out the door and looking fab!  And isn't this just perfect for a line-up of pretty maids in long maxi dresses for a summer wedding?  Easy chic, ladies.
Go here for the simple instructions.

{Images:  #1-2 Refinery 29 & #3 Fashionising}

Mignonne Hairpieces

Good morning!  I love these boho chic hair pieces by Mignonne Handmade.  A perfectly whimsical embellishment for your wedding attire!!

The Aisle New York!

Good morning!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  I won't be doing much this week on Weddings Fresh, as my family and I are enjoying a nice extended stay-cation at the house.  It's just what we need after a busy holiday!  But I did want to share this bit of news with you:  The Aisle New York will be debuting Monday, January 3rd at 10:00 am EST!  I have mentioned this breakout online marketplace for designer wedding gowns, shoes, accessories, and lingerie a couple months ago, but the time has finally arrived!  If you haven't already become a member, visit their splashpage to be one of the first to gain access to their opening day.

On the 3rd, Monique Lhuillier, Angel Sanchez, Elizabeth Fillmore, Oscar de la Renta Jewelry, Suzanne Couture Millinery will be available for your purchasing pleasure.  The gown below is Monique Lhuillier, one of my favorites from her fall 2011 collection, and her designs will be ready for purchase from your computer at any moment of the day--I love technology.  Lela Rose, Mark Ingram Boutique, Pour la Victoire Shoes, and Stephanie Browne Accessories will be showing the following week on Monday, January 10th, with more still to arrive in the coming weeks.

I can't wait to dive into all of the eye candy that will be hitting our Internet!  I'm just glad I'm married already because there would have been a good chance of me maxing out all of my credit cards through this site... 

{Dress Image:  Marthastewartweddings.com}

What to wear...

What to wear this winter wedding season?  A beautiful capelet, bolero, or a shrug.  Vintage weddings are a hot trend for 2011, and accessories seem to be the main attraction.  Everything from headpieces to vintage engagement rings are on every bride's must have list.  So add to it these gorgeous embellished wedding cover-ups adorned in fabulous fur, bows, ruffles and crystals.  And go for the fur, ladies!  It's big right now and it has been a classic for decades.  Which is your favorite?

{Images: New York Wedding Magazine}

1. Maxmara Sposa
2. St. Pucchi by Rani
3 & 4. Adrienne Landau
5. Taikonku
6. Adrienne Landau
7. Lotus Bridal

Lisa Eldridge

You know how I love my beauty gurus and this one's a keeper! I've learned some really useful tips from watching some of makeup artist Lisa Eldridge's videos. She also has a wonderfully classic bridal tutorial you should check out if you're going to do your own makeup for your wedding day. Even if you know what you are doing these videos are inspiring.

feeling super girly today

Some cosmetic things I am really loving lately, all tested and approved!

Pixi's Nude Shade Wardrobe: Such a great combination of colors! They're all so very natural and soft. Everything you need for the "natural with definition" look is in this palette. I've used this every day since I got it. 'Nuff said!

Illamasqua Nail Varnish: This UK company really excels at gorgeous, unique colors. So glad this brand is finally available here. Check out "Alarm" and "Muse", my two favorites.

Korres Eyeliners: $32 gets you 10 eyeliners that retail separately for $16 each. They're creamy and go on very smooth. Easily the deal of the week!

fall haul

I have been feeling just a slight chill in the air in the evenings lately, and it's made me excited for the coming fall, my absolute favorite season of them all!
What better for fall than perfect skin, a defined brow, gorgeous lips and a fan of incredible lashes? Don't we all wish?!

Make Up For Ever's Smoky Lash Mascara - I have really skimpy lashes and I have been secretly (secrets out!) been dying to try Latisse, the new prescription balm for longer eyelashes, but am (not so secretly) too chicken for no particular reason. So instead I've been addicted to this mascara which seems to create the appearance of more lashes rather than thicker lashes. Not sure how it works, but my lashes seem to look very natural, just darker and more numberous. Nothing worse than clumpy lashes! I absolutely hate it when mine stick together. It's going to be a bit of a MUFE love fest this post - so hang in there.

Make Up For Ever's High Definition Invisible Foundation - This is so good! The finish is fairly matte, but not at all dry looking. It's really true to it's name in that it's imperceptable when you have it on, both in person and on camera (something I think we are all searching for). The coverage is good, I'd say medium to high. Overall, this is my new favorite foundation - highly recommend trying this one out.

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick - (the satin finish was my personal favorite). These are really not like any other lipstick I've tried. They're incredibly pigmented and they stay on like crazy, perfect if you'd rather not be reapplying your lipstick all the time. You need so little to create a really nice looking, lasting lip. I really love the intensity of color these offer - #33 was my favorite - but I was looking for a very 80's pink - so that one might not be for everyone.

POREfessional from Benefit - This reminds me a lot of a much more expensive primer, and it lives up to it's name. I have larger pores on my cheeks close to my nose, and this really helps the make up float over top rather than sink into my pores. Very nice. Love this.

Anastasia Brow Duo - This is a brand I've never tried before but their brow duo is a new part of my everyday makeup - it's so natural and soft looking.

Thanks for hanging in there, I'd love it if you'd share your favorites for fall, and I'm sure our fall bride's would appreciate it as well!

summer face

It is so hot here. So hot. I normally have fun with my makeup in the morning - eye liner and I have a history of good times together - but lately it's been all about making my skin look nice without using anything unecessary. Nothing worse than makeup sliding around on your face on a hot day!
I've found a couple great products recently (mainly from watching Pixiwoo) that work perfectly for hot weather and that I have been absolutely loving.
1) Makeup Forever HD Concealer. Looks so natural on, stays on.
2) Hoola bronzer. I try to get as little sun as possible on my face, but I really don't dig the vampire look. Bronzer is my friend. This stuff is awesome because it's got no shine to it and it's super sheer. It's the most natural looking bronzer I've ever tried.
3) Pixi Lip Blush. I really hate it when I'm driving with the windows down and my hair gets stuck in my lip gloss. This Lip "blush" is exactly like a magic marker for your lips. Not sticky, not drying, and stains your lips a delightfully natural shade for a few hours. Really great for summer. I have this in Purity, and would highly recommend it.
Anyone else have hot weather recommends? I'd love to hear them, and I'm sure the summer brides out there would be greatful! Stay cool everybody!

fashionface

I've been wanting to post about Fashionface for a while. Made up of Nicole and Samantha Chapman, (two sisters who happen to be professional make-up artists), Fashionface.tv is a collection of make-up tutorials ranging from simply beautiful to wildly creative. I have been addicted to watching their segments for a week and a half, but I just can't seem to get a good screen shot! Every time I try I get half closed eyes, mid-vowel face. I finally just decided to post without the screen shots, hoping that you'll take a look see for yourself! Could come in very handy if you're looking to get creative with your bridal makeup!

experimanicure, done.

Done! I got my fancy manicure! It was really very much like any other manicure, only in the end my nails were instantly dry. They have a shiny wet look to them, but are completely bulletproof. I was able to dig around in my purse right after with no damage whatsoever. The product I tried was called CND Shellac, which uses a thin base coat, polish and then a thin top coat that are all cured under UV light. The results are not thick and lumpy like a lot of acrylics or other gels, and they are said to last at least 14 days. At $30-35, it's more expensive than a regular manicure, but if it really does last, it seems sort of worth it. The only minor complaints I have is that you have to go back to the salon to have it soaked off. Normal nail polish remover will not do the trick. And they have only 12 colors, most of which are on the boring side. I chose a coral color called "Tropics" because I was feeling summery, but they do have some lighter shades that could be very bridal. I think the best thing about it would be that you could get your manicure several days before the wedding, rather than the morning of, and not worry about it looking dull or chipped, then off you go to your honeymoon with no touch-ups or anything. I will keep you posted at the 14 day mark to let you know if I am still without chips. I have high hopes, so far I am quite happy with it. It really does look nice.

experimanicure

Lately I've been addicted to painting my nails. Purple! Coral! Fun!
I previously wore them totally natural, moisturizing and buffing them shiny every week or so. Sadly, after several "newborn" months of scrubbing my hands 12 times a day and neglecting my nails in favor of sleep, they are now looking rather pitiful. The phrase "she's let herself go" pops to mind whenever I look at my hands. No so good. So I polish.
This is fun but I'd also forgotten how annoying it is. Let them dry, nick them, chip them... It's not a perfect system. So! You can imagine how intrigued I was when I heard of this "3 week manicure" thing. That's right, reportedly this manicure lasts, unchipped, for up to 3 weeks. I've read about it here, and here. I have appointment today (in the interest of science) to discover if indeed this mani can last from the wedding night straight thru the honeymoon. The things I do for you! Stay tuned for pics.

gifts for the girls

What a great idea for bridesmaid's gifts! These adorable little cosmetic bags by Juju Baju would be so fun to fill with little beauty treasures.
Had I about $100 to spend on each girl, I would include a Mac Shadestick in a different shade for each of my ladies, a Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, (because everyone needs one), a bottle of relatively environmentally friendly Sephora Nail Color by OPI (my favorites are Caliente Coral, On Stage, Bare To Be Different, and Metro Chic), a wand of L'oreal Beauty Tubes Mascara (as a girl with dainty lashes, I think the 'tubes are perhaps my most favorite mascara), and last but not least, a Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker in Dr. Pepper (because that was my favorite when I was 9).

Style Resolution

nothing like starting off the new year with some J Crew Style Resolutions...i adore these bridesmaid dresses shone above--the silk taffeta bow dress is my favorite!






planning a honeymoon anytime soon? they've got you covered:

Pre-Fall Oscar

good morning! oh my it's freezing outside--actually, it's below freezing, 14 degrees fahrenheit to be exact!!! it's so cold i dread loading my little boys into the car in fear of fierce winds attacking our exposed cheeks and noses! to warm me up i thought i would post my favorites from Oscar de la Renta's pre-fall collection--the canary yellows and shades of pink and ruby are just what i need on this cold day--Oscar was quoted as saying "you have to make a woman fall in love with your clothes". well Oscar, you have. especially the full-length black silk faille gown with the dramatic left shoulder. it was made for me!

tomorrow we will be welcoming our very own fashion expert Amy-Jo from Bride Chic to give us the up and coming bridal gown trends for 2010!!! so excited to see what she has to report!!