Awesometastic Stuff: Yumé Blush

Apple raspberry, orange vanilla, lavender honey, coconut lime...sounds tasty right? Although you can actually eat this stuff (great for honeymoons) Yumé Blush body chiffon makes your skin silky soft too!

This would make for a cute bridesmaid gift or favor at a bridal shower, but best part is that all the Yumé Blush products are 100% botanical and vegan, can be used for your lips, face and body and can be found at your local Whole Foods. Or you can order it online at Yumé.

They sent us some samples to try, and honestly, I really love this stuff, it's soft, and succulent, smells amazing, you only need a tiny bit, and I can use it on my face, lips, elbows, well, all over.

We tried the Chocolate Coconut, Vanilla Orange, Apple Raspberry and Lavender Honey, all were so fantastic, that I had to share it with my friends.

I think this would make a great gift for your bridesmaids, or a fantastic thank you for someone hosting a shower for you.

Have you tried it?

Beauty Week: Loose Braided Bun

Loose Braided Bun

The messy bun is a great look, plus it's pretty difficult to mess up a messy bun. Or is it supposed to look messed up? Either way, you can't lose.

But some occasions call for a more polished look, that where this awesometastic style comes in. It looks a lot harder than it actually is but it gives the illusion of more time spent.

Prettified hair in minimal time?

We love it!

This style would be great for an outdoor wedding or for a bride during the rehearsal.

Beauty Week: Shellac Manicure

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Acrylic nails can do a world of damage to your digits. I had them in the 90s and I swear my nails are still recovering.

 Rather than ruin them for your wedding, make your nails healthy by using a strengthening polish a month or two before the wedding and when you book your nail appointment ask for a shellac manicure.

Shellac looks natural, doesn't chip for weeks and it isn't bad for your nails!

Plus you can get classic French manicure colors or go for a crazy color combo with an accent nail.

This bride got shellac done that coordinated with her wedding color scheme!

What do you think, Shellac?

Beauty Week: Facials

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Having glowing skin on your big day is one of the number one things a bride wants, including a million great pictures where you can look at your glowing skin for years to come!

Consider getting a facial more than a week before your wedding, because you don't want to be left with red and splotchy skin.  Some sources suggest you should leave two weeks between your facial and wedding, but if you're a regular spa-goer you'll have a better idea of how your skin reacts. (Oh, and we're jealous if you're a regular spa-goer, just sayin'.)

Another great thing about facials? You can alter the ingredients that work best for you whether you have dry skin or sensitive, and those cucumbers are great too!

Beauty Week: Waxing

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According to The Knot's Wedding Channel, reserve any kind of waxing to at least a week, preferably more before your wedding date. 

Never, and we mean never, wax anything, and we mean anything, the day of your wedding. You could get redness, bumps or irritations you don't want to see, or feel! 

Do a test run with an esthetician about three months before your wedding so you can see how long it takes for any redness to go any, then you can have an idea on when to book your appointment before the big day! 

Beauty Week: Tightlining

Sometimes we get so busy we don't take the time to make little touches that can make a world of difference, but we all need a touch of glamour even if it's not for a party or wedding.

This week I want to focus on things that can make a world of difference not only for your wedding day, or a special occasion, but for your everyday as well.
Check out this tightlining technique that makes your lashes looks mega-full and defined. It may take a little more time at first, but you'll be doing this everyday once you get the hang of it!

Makeup by Kara Winslow

It's hard to find a makeup artist you mesh well with when coordinating for the big day. You don't want to look like a clown, you still want to look like you, and you'd also like to see makeup still on your face in photos taken during the reception.

We love Kara Winslow she will make sure you 1) don't look like a circus freak and 2) give you a natural look that will last all day. Seriously, the girl's got talent.

Check out Kara's website to see all her amazing work, I mean she's good enough for Ryan Lochte and he jumps around in the water all day! (Ok, swims reallllly fast in the water all day.)

Go USA!

Pinterest Beauty

If you are looking for great ideas for your hair make up and the magazines aren't cutting the mustard for you, check out Pinterest for hair and make up ideas.

I mean really, who doesn't love some great tips!

And don't forget to hire professionals to make this happen for you on your big day... but the idea's are free!

Dove Hair Care

I felt pretty luck when a representative from Dove emailed me and asked if she could send me their new line of Hair Care Products for me to test out.

First I have to let you know, I've used those Purple Bottles of Hair Care products for, as long as I can remember. I love the smell and my hair consistently looks decent. I don't like to spend a lot of time on my hair.

But trying something new, I was up for that.

So, when the box came, the first thing I did was smell it. I was nervous, I wanted something that smelled yummy... and frankly it did. Not fruity or florally, but clean.

I do have to say with a name like Nourishing Oil Care, it made me a bit nervous it was going to leave my hair feeling like a grease-ball. But, honestly it didn't! It allowed my hair to not frizz, behave under the intense Florida Humidity, and still look good.

I love the idea of having an intense conditioner that wasn't a 3-minute treatment, if I had more time, I'd let it stay in longer, and if I didn't, it would still work.

The Dove Nourishing Oil Care Leave In Conditioner was amazing, it was thick and luscious, and really made my hair super soft and touchable, I was impressed.

I think what I liked the most about the products was that you could really feel the difference, the conditioner was thick, and didn't drip down my hand (sort of the sour cream test of thickness) and felt like Salon Quality Products, that I can buy at my local store.

Honestly, I was impressed.

I'd buy the products again.

{Dove sent me these products to review on my blog, I was not compensated for this post, I was trusted to give my full and honest opinion on the product. And I did.}

If you have a product you'd like featured on our Bridal Nesting Labs, please email me directly.

Get in Shape: Hair

An extremely important part of your bridal beauty is your hair. Brides know this and they stress over it a lot. We did a post on different hair styles about a month and a half ago that you guys can check out here.

This post is about prepping your hair to get done on the actual day.

Here's what to do and what not to do:

1. DO NOT wash your hair the night before! Your hair will stay better being one day dirty and your hairdresser will thank you, it's much easier to work with.
2. It is also helpful for you to straighten your hair the night before as well, unless you are wearing your hair wavy or in tight curls.
3. If you are getting your hair colored, do it at least a couple days before, maybe even a week. You don't want to have left over dye all around your face.
4. As far as length, I would say grow it out until you have your trial done, then you can play with it and see if you like long hair or short hair better. Just remember, you can always cut it, but you only have so much time to grow it back. Temporary extenstions are always an option.

Some inspiration for you

Photography by Bobbi and Mike; Hair by Graceful Strands

Powers Photography

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Wedding Hair

We all know that hair is extremely important, especially on your wedding day. Deciding on a wedding day do can be mega stressful for the bride. There are a lot of factors to consider. Do I want it up? down? half up? Will it be too hot? Or in my face? Curly? Straight? Will it work with my veil?

A girl can go crazy thinking about it all! I think it is best to go simple. You don't want to be messing with it all night or worrying about it falling out.

For long hair, I like the half up style and to the side. I saw this at a wedding this past weekend and I absolutely love it! It looks gorgeous on everyone. It's so elegant!



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 With short hair, I would go with a low, curled, loose up do (high up dos remind me of prom, no?) or even just out and loosely curled. You could also add in some sparkly hair clips or braids to jazz it up.

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I'm a fan of the more natural look. It is your wedding day so plain straight hair is a little blah but the beauty pageant look might be overdoing it. Plus, you're husband loves your natural beauty, right?

What are you doing for your wedding hair?

Brazilian Blowout

Okay, so here is my hair on a day with no product, no nothing. This is what my hair would look like if I rolled out of bed and went some where... which by the way, wouldn't EVER happen... I mean, ewwww. Gross.

Never. People would run screaming... run in the other direction. Screaming. I mean really, how not fair is my hair. Lots of Running. Lots of Screaming.

But if I did. This is what it would look like:

Pretty incredibly NOT awesome.

What's the opposite of sexy hair??? Unsexy... yeah, that's my hair. Ghetto? Yes. Definately Ghetto-Gross!

Why would any one this earth think that it would look good to go out into public with this head of hair. They wouldn't. I wouldn't, ever, never. Never. And all that grey! Where in the world did that come from!!!!

So, I decided to get the Brazilian Blowout (which by the way, everytime I say it, it sounds a little dirty) and honestly if you are considering one, go to Glenda at Creations. She will rock your hair world!

Check out what she with my mop! My mop of a head...

And, I've already washed it and styled it and I love it!! I think that anyone who lives in Florida, and has any kind of frizz to their hair should do this! Get a Brazillian Blowout!

I feel like I have sexy hair!

I love it! Thank you Glenda at Creations!!

Brazilian Blowout

Normally, on a regular day, you've probably seen me looking like this, my hair is naturally curly, so I just toss some product in it, and throw it back. It's easy, really easy, and looks like this (not too bad, right... I mean, it doesn't look ghetto, right?):

 

When I have some time, I can blow dry dry it straight, it takes 40 minutes, can still be frizzy, needs lots of products, and looks like this:

Sometimes I actually wear my hair curly and down. The problem is that it's crunchy and untouchable. Kind of kinky, sometimes it looks good, sometimes it curls whack and just looks funky. Like this:

(by the way, this was Halloween, we don't normally dress G up as a Giraffe)

So, why all this talk about my crazy hair?

Well, my friend Glenda at Creations asked me if she could do a Brazilian Blowout on me, I am not one to have anything done to my hair without really thinking about it. I mean, sheesh, I didn't even have my hair colored until about a year ago, so this would be a huge decision for me.

Here were my thoughts:

"You have very frizzy hair Melissa, you should get it done, I mean, think about the research side of it, if you have a Brazilian Blowout done, in Gainesville, you can be a tremendous assett to your clients if they have questions about having a Brazilian Blowout done...."

"Why not, what will it hurt, you can still wear your hair curly if you want to, you'll be able to step out of the shower, and not have a big frizz ball on your head.... but what if you look like you have no volume... but no frizz... but what if... okay shut up and trust Glenda!"

Soooo... tomorrow, the decision and the results.

What would you do?