Our 4 week segment called BRIDALICIOUS kicks off this SUNDAY (tonight)! I chose Sunday, because its a great day to get back on beauty track. Most of us prepare for the week on Sunday evening and its a great time to rethink and plan. For years, I would start my beauty care routine back on Sunday evening, in preparation for a photo shoot in the upcoming week, or for a beauty pageant that was on the horizon, Sunday evening for me was the holly grail of days to kick everything back into high gear!
Growing up my mother and I were DIY girls when it came to our beauty routines.
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| this is the new version! |
So this Sunday evening.... lets get DIY salon-ing!
So lets say this is a 4 week countdown to your Wedding!! I have asked some experts to weigh in as well. The first thing I would start with tonight would be hair, skin care and fitness.
I think that it is very important to start these things right away since it takes a little time to get them in tip top shape. You are not too late to have glowing beautiful skin on your wedding day with luscious hair to boot!
TONIGHT: SKIN CARE: I have asked my friend Dana Reason, Owner Dana L Skincare and Cosmetics to weigh in on her thoughts at the 4 week point!
Week 4
By now you have decided on a florist, a baker, a photographer, invitations, and have probably taken care of everyone else…but have you taken the time to pay special attention to your skin? With all the things a Bride has on her mind, she often forgets to take care of herself. In order to have that “glow” on your wedding day, you have to spend time on YOU!
You may be saying-well I’ve been thinking of treating myself to a spa visit. If you are not on a first name basis with an esthetician, now is the time to go! Facials and other treatments can pull out imperfections that will need time to subside. If that’s not in your budget (and what is in the budget at this point, right?) there are treatments you can do at home for a fraction of the price. One of the main components of any facial is exfoliation. The last thing you want on your wedding day is for your skin to be covered in dead skin cells that prevent your makeup from looking its best. Dana L Microdermabrasion Cleanser and Exfoliator will instantly improve the tone and texture of your skin and it is gentle enough to use a couple times a week.
I’m often asked-I’m so tired at night, do I really have to wash my face before I go to bed? My answer is simple-yes, you do. It only takes 5 minutes to clean your face with a moisturizing cleanser, a toner (that doesn’t contain alcohol) apply a great eye cream and a rich night cream. This is also a good time to decompress and begin to relax so you can get a good night’s sleep!
We all know we need to drink more water and eat better for our health, but what about for our skin? Beautiful skin truly starts on the inside. The more nutrients you feed your body, the better your skin will look. So, as difficult as it may be, get some rest and eat well!
Week 4 fitness with Kristie Tobias- Miss North Carolina International (4th Runner Up to Miss International)
What to do four weeks from your wedding?
The big day is 1 month away, and you are in a mad dash to fit into that perfect wedding gown. At this point, in your mind, every seemingly minute calorie counts. However, before you grab the quickest weight loss pill and promise to starve yourself until you are as skinny as an Olsen twin, it is important to step back and put things in perspective. The number one thing to remember is that your body is not the same body you had when you were 15 or 16, so you MUST listen to your body. When your fiancé seems to constantly avoid you because your crankiness is so off-putting that even Richard Simmons cannot seem to stay perky, it may be time to take a step back and be realistic about your goals. With all of that said, now we move onto to the healthy eating and exercise tips.
Healthy Eating
The important things to remember at this point in the game are portion control, water intake and cutting down or even completely eliminating alcohol and dessert intake. With alcohol, because you will probably indulge in alcohol on the night of your wedding, I would not recommend cutting it out completely. However, I would cut it down to 1 glass per week. Stay away from heavy cocktails and beers. The lighter in color and the lower in alcohol content the drink contains the less calories it will also contain. Also, while we are on drinks, it is even more important to drink lots of water. Water fills you up much quicker, and keeps you from over-eating. One thing that I learned from Standout Productions (a pageant consulting firm) was to drink 4 ounces of water every 30 minutes or 8 ounces of water every hours. If you stay strict on one thing, this is it!! It is AMAZING the difference you will immediately notice by substituting constant snacking with constant water drinking. Now, when it comes to dessert, one of my life-saving low calorie desserts while preparing to compete at Miss International was Jello Mousse. I LOVE sweets! It is a huge weakness, and these 60 calorie pudding snacks satiated my dessert desires.
Now we move onto the hard part, portion control. The four main things that I ate four weeks prior to nationals were fruit, clean protein (fish, chicken and turkey without sauces), whole wheat carbohydrates and vegetables. Staying heavy on water-rich fruit is incredibly important. As was mentioned before, drinking lots of water fills you up quicker and keeps you from over-eating, so when you eat water-rich foods you add more water to your system and again keep yourself from over-filling on heavy foods. Also, keeping food clean, low in sauces, breading (no FRIED foods!!) and other additives, is very important. Adding spices is great, but stay light on the salt because excess salt will bloat your stomach. One of the smartest things I did when making a meal was when setting my plate, I loaded it with fruit and vegetables, adding on my protein (about the size of my fist) and adding on half that size of carbohydrates. While eating, start with the fruits and vegetables, move to the protein and leave the carbohydrates last. This will keep you from filling up on the heavy food first, and instead filling your bodies with the foods that will help you lose weight but still keep you feeling full.
Exercise
Cardio exercise is incredibly important, but as women we tend to forget that adding weight-training not only helps you burn calories faster, but it also tones your body down making you slimmer at a quicker rate. During those last four weeks, if you are really trying to cut down on weight, I would suggest working out 5 days per week, and making sure you do 30 minutes of cardio twice per day each day. If you are trying to slim down your legs, instead of doing intensive running, I would change it out for alternating speeds of speed walking (again great tips from Standout Production). The transformation you will see in your legs is amazing. I would weight train every other day, so that you do not over exhaust your muscles. Stay with light weights and high reps. Pilates is also an excellent exercise, especially Xtend Barre or Cardio Barre classes. The main focus of these classes is to lengthen and tone, and from personal experience, you will notice very quick results.
So, in a nutshell those are my suggestions when you are four weeks out from a wedding. Remember, exercise is excellent, but if you increase the exercise but you do not follow the healthy eating regimen, you will not see your desired results. A combination of both healthy eating and efficient exercise will produce a wonderful transformation and bring out an even better you on your wedding day.
WEEK 4 HAIR CARE: begin to Strengthening and Condition hair. I would highly recommend investing in a really nice shampoo and conditioner at this time! You would not believe the difference a shampoo and conditioner can REALLY make in your hair! I have tested this theory and it never fails to amaze me! We will spend over one hundreds of dollars on color and cuts, but neglect to get a great shampoo and conditioner to follow up! I promise it will make a huge difference. Now, I am using at this time: Nexxus Color Asssure shampoo and conditioner. I spend extra time with the conditioner on my hair as well. I comb it through and let it sit in at least 5 minutes. Spend time with these products in the shower and you will reap the benefit!
SECONDLY:
HAIR MASQUE:
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| my favorite deep conditioning tx! |
- Hair is left shiny, strong and in a healthy, manageable state
- Results in an immediately noticeable difference in strength, texture and appearance
I would do this K-Pak each and every Sunday night for the next 4 weeks!
I hope you enjoyed week 4 of grooming to be BRIDALICIOUS!!
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