Make-Up Misgivings

Before my make-up trial on Wednesday I had a nightmare. I dreamt they made me wear my wedding dress. I was all crammed into the salon chair and kind of upset to be out in it. Then she made me walk around the salon to test out each look, but I really wanted to sit and look in the mirror. After that she took me to a bathroom and told me to get in the shower, in my wedding dress! That was how we'd wash the make-up off to start again.

I was a nervous wreck that morning. I showed her head shots where I'd had my make-up professionally done, a picture of me after the hair trial with my wedding dress on and the two things I'd pinned on Pinterest. I told her light, natural, ethereal with drama around the eye. I wanted sparkle, but she said glitter doesn't read well in pictures. Shimmer was the next choice, but apparently Aveda doesn't make a shimmery shadow.

The first look involved black liner and purple shadow and was a No. Next, she did brown liner and shadow which was much better. Somewhere in all the tweaking my mom says she added purple back into the final look. The pictures look so much different than I remember looking in person.

At first no one said anything. Not a peep. I got really self conscious. Mike had already said it was too much/too dark blush and my eyes were too dark. I thought it was just a side effect of two hours of trying, changing, removing and adding make up. Once I admitted I wasn't 100% on the final look everyone is agreed that my eyes were too dark. It was like the post break-up silence and admissions that no one really liked him.

Bridesmaids have offered to show me what they have in mind for me so I have a reference. My sister insisted I NEVER go back to that make-up artist. I'm glad I'm getting feedback now when I have 25ish days to fix it. I just wish people had showed me their ideas before the trial. I don't want to pay for anymore trials. I thought this would be fun, but it's stressful.

I have no idea if I'll keep my appointment with the girl I had my trial with (who happens to be marrying a man named Mike next month). I'd just give her very specific instructions for changes or I could just go somewhere else. I have no idea where I would go. I wanted this to be settled, but it may have to wait until the week before the wedding when my sister's here. Who knows.....

Make-Up Trial

Before Picture, That's the Make-up Artist Behind Me

Planning Huddle

Underway

Checking it out. The black liner was too dark for me.

Another try in the sunlight. The liner and shadow were too dark.

The final look. It'll be less dark looking because there won't be 2hrs worth of starting over on my face. Also, there will be water proof mascara. Apparently, Aveda doesn't make waterproof. Why is any mascara NOT waterproof? We went with a softer brown liner rather than the black. She ditched the darker purple shadow for brown. She's also gonna do the liner thinner (she needed a different brush) and a little shimmer on the eye shadow.

Bridal Beauty

So, I finally booked a make-up trial. Unlike my hair I have no confidence in my ability to make make-up decisions. I've had my makeup done professionally for photo shoots, films and stage productions, but never for a personal event of this magnitude. I have no idea what I want.

I know that I need it to last through the whole day. I know that I want to still look like me. I know that I do not want it to look heavy and caked on. I do not want a indoor, formal, red carpet kind of look. As far as what I do what...advice I guess.

I uploaded a cropped image of me after my hair trial with no make up and played with the ivillage make over tool.

Before:

Look One:

I like this, but the eyes aren't right. I tried some dark greens and grays, but it looked too bruise-y. I like the mascara, foundation and blush though. I want some drama and maybe shimmer for my eyes.

Slight variation...I just don't know. My comfort zone is pretty small. I played with green shadow, gray, lavender and no shadow with liner variations. I think drama and sparkle sound easier to achieve than they are...

Nail-ed It?

Conventional wisdom is to get your nails done the day of your wedding so your hands look their best for all those shots of the wedding bands. I agree. In everyday life I usually go for pedicures over manicures. I love that super clean feeling right after you've been soaked scrubbed and polished. It also lasts a heck of alot longer and with my mobility issues it's much harder for me to paint my own toes.

However, I do enjoy the look of my hands freshly manicured. It only ever lasts a day or two. I'm super rough on my hands. On top of that, I went and got a full set for the first time in my life the Christmas Mike proposed. It was fun, it looked like this: My hand's on the left with the green (and no rings). The other hand is Lara. It was pretty and Christmasy. Unfortunately, one fell off right before Christmas. I pulled them all off just in time to be proposed to, darn it. Anyway, the fakeness creeped Mike out and the after effects of the adhesive on my nails creeped me out.

I'm anxious about growing my own nails long enough, but fake nails are a no go so I'm considering alternatives to the french manicure. Maybe I'll just paint them. Certainly not green, but maybe a nudish color or clear with sparkles. I'm not really sure, it seems silly to go for a french manicure with short/uneven nails. Besides would a classic french manicure look silly the next day? Lounging pool side on the honeymoon (fingers crossed)? I think maybe.

I'm thinking something like this:

Or Maybe

Like I said, I wouldn't want green because well ick. This ivy detail is kind of neat though and her nails look real.

Not to be fickle or anything but aren't these amazing? Maybe in pink or nudes it be less in your face. I have to admit though the green is pretty kick ass.

Well, what do you guys think? Help me out. Nail opinions, please.

Matrimonial Motivation

Running of the Brides

Some (a lot) of brides pick a date and a goal weight. They create online tickers counting down the days and the pounds. I, however, have a much longer list of things I needed motivation to get going on. Leave it to a post-surgical, toddler mommy to let herself fall into disrepair I tell ya.

First, (and most important to me) me time. The wedding comes with a whole slew of projects to undertake, details to decide on and people to coordinate. Not one of them has to do with the kids or the house. They are my projects, with input from Groomie-pants of course. I carve out time to meet vendors, shop, craft and email by myself now because I have to. It's great. I'm even taking an e-course in wedding planning which means twice a week Mike puts the kids to bed so I can attend video chats in the quiet living room. It's been really restorative to be in charge of my own stuff again.

As an added bonus of that, it’s done a lot to remind me where Mike and I started and how far we've come. I've always had to share Mike with a kid or two. I'm so grateful for our family and that infancy is behind us, but it's nice to just be a couple instead of parents sometimes. It's romantic to build a day around us as a couple.

Second, there is lots of physical stuff. Making sure I'm eating healthy and gaining back the weight I lost after the back surgery is a big one. I'm happy to report most of my clothes are fitting again. I don't like scales, so I have no idea how much I lost or how much I gained back. I'm not "there yet." I'm sleeping more too (as much more as a toddler allows).

Physical health related stuff is one thing, but there's also the vanity related issues. I have been to the hair dresser a grand total of 5 times in the 3yrs since I got pregnant, pretty darn sad. Since wedding planning I have been every 6-8wks for a trim if needed (keeping the length until the wedding) and highlights. It's nice to look like me again. This also means I'm keeping my eyebrows groomed which makes a huge difference for my prettiness factor. Aside from hair there's the other biggie, teeth. I have been better about dental hygiene in the aftermath of the gaggy pregnancy days. Even more so since Riley's gotten older, but now I'm really on the ball. Brushing, flossing and sleeping with the retainer. On top of all this, I of course plan to see a dentist in the coming months. I also, think I'm going to do some at home bleaching so my smile's shiny for my professional pictures.

Maybe, being selfish is usually frowned on, but I needed a good dose of selfish. I'd been living for Mike and the kids too long. It's nice to find room for the things I want to do too. Also, I'm too young to be frumpy. It's good to get back to feeling pretty.