Ok, we’re T minus 2 weeks guys. Nervous? No. Excited? Very! I have to give the nightly lavender vanilla partial credit for that. The pre wedding regimen has been absolutely helpful.
My skin is still holding up well, I’m determined to keep away any last minute blemishes. I’ll still be keeping the same morning ritual, and will be adding the Oil of Olay Deep Cleansing clay mask to it 2 evenings a week over the next two weeks. This will replace the need to go get a facial at the spa. Exfoliate, replenish, renew, and clean the pores…under control at home.
I didn’t get my eyebrows waxed as intended and my makeup artist silently gave me a piece of her mind about the two bushes I have growing up there right now (which is why I didn’t do a video blog for this post as I originally intended to; I can’t let ya’ll see me like this!) She very politely informed me that in the future it’s not necessary to let your eyebrows grow completely out to correct what some happy go lucky “brow artist” messed up. There’s your beauty tip for the day ladies.
My hair is soft and growing and forcing me to rework my bedtime ritual with it. We had a detangling battle this morning due to my lack of combing it for a week, instead of my normal every 2 – 3 days. We’ve come to a mutual agreement and I don’t expect we’ll have any more problems. I’ll comb it as promised, put a few loose braids in it at night and cover it with a bonnet and I expect we’ll both be happy from here on out. I’ll be doing a trial run on the planned wedding hairstyle this evening, just to be sure, what I have envisioned will work in real life. This gives me plenty of time to rework as needed. I’ll deep condition it this weekend, and next weekend in preparation for my color touch up.
Lastly I went to the nail salon to get a manicure and pedicure today to do a trial run of the colors I’ll wear on the big day. Sadly, I can’t get a manicure without the nail tech cutting my cuticles too deep resulting in an ugly scab. Not very attractive for pictures. This way I won’t have any color mishaps, or nicks and cuts on my cuticles the day of. My nights from here until the night before will include thick, cotton socks and a healthy dose of body butter on my feet to keep them soft.
That’s my latest update on Operation: Get Me Down the Aisle. I’ll let you know how things are going the week before the big day. I’ll be checking out everyone’s entries to the Spa at Home Ritual contest in the meantime and if you have any at home spa/beauty suggestions you think I should try out between now and then, leave a comment and let me know.
We’re always excited about sharing the latest info, news and tips on natural spa products and techniques to our readers. We’re even more excited about the wonderful feedback from our readers…so excited that we’re sponsoring a contest for our blog readers to post their favorite “at home” spa ritual and experience, to win a mainelement: love spa basket worth over $100.
The contest will run from January 20th to February 12th, 2010, with the winner being announced on February 19th.
Here’s all you need to know and enter:
Subscribe to our blog via RSS or email (see the right side bar)
Email your favorite “at home” spa ritual including the products and/or ingredients you use and the steps to make them, and the cost to create this contest to tyrika@mainelementlove.com using “Spa at home ritual” in your subject header
Include the natural health benefits of your spa experience and how it relaxes and calms you
At the end of the contest period, the staff of mainelement: love will read and select the post with the best “at home” spa experience and ritual using natural products and/or ingredients that are most cost effective
The winner of the contest will receive a mainelement:love spa basket(filled with the entire le’amour body line in Rise and Shine or Lavender Vanilla, a journal, box of chamomile tea, ceramic mug, and spa socks), and their ritual will be featured on the Love: Blog
The fine print:
Blog followers may only post one spa experience story during the contest period
All spa experiences must be authentic and solely created from contestant and not a copyright of any magazine, book, published author or day and salon establishment
Products and/or ingredients must be natural
Contestants must include their first and last name and valid email with blog entry to tyrika@mainelementlove.com this info will not be used for any third party marketing, but winner contact purposes only
Blueberries are one powerful little fruit. Their pigment provides some of the highest concentration of anti-oxidants of all the other fruits and vegetables. From cancer and heart disease, to vision and memory, blueberries pack a punch that fights many of your body’s battles.
From a skin outlook, those little blueberries power shouldn’t be underestimated either. Their high concentration of anti-oxidants makes them anti-aging fighting machines. Additionally, the ultra high anti-oxidant properties of blueberries help minimize flushing and redness. For those who suffer from severe acne and rosacea, this is an extreme helpful fruit to keep handy. Blueberries serve this purpose from the inside out. Meaning you can tastily snack on them as a treat and you can crush them and apply them directly to your skin to reap the benefits.
Blueberry and oatmeal paste recipe – safe for use morning or night, once or twice a week to help combat redness
You’ll need:
Half cup of plain oatmeal
¼ ounce olive (or jojoba, or sweet almond) oil
10 – 15 blueberries
Instructions:
Grind oatmeal finely
Mash blueberries into a paste
Combine oatmeal, blueberry paste, and oil into a bowl
Apply to face and allow it to sit 10 – 15 minutes
Rinse face and apply normal moisturizer
As you can see, from the inside out, blueberries should have a permanent spot on your grocery list and a regular home in your bathroom cabinet. What’s your favorite blueberry recipe? Leave a comment and share it with us.
I am exactly 30 short days until my big day and I would be in denial if I said I’m not a bit nervous. I’m heading into my second marriage full of excitement and joy to be marrying my best friend of 12 years. I’m heading in to it with a lot of insight, thankfully, as it’s my second trip down the aisle and I’ve learned a lot in the ten year gap between my first and second marriages.
In preparation, I’ve set a plan in motion to relax and indulge my body, mind and spirit so that I go into my day as stress free and relaxed as possible. Since I don’t have the luxury of time, I’m doing it all myself, at home. There’s the challenge in itself, since I am quite the busy bee. Nevertheless, today at the 30 minus mark, I’ve started the following rituals:
Nightly bath before bed with a lavender vanilla bath bomb and body wash. I prefer the warmth of the vanilla in this scent (not that I don’t love serenity LOL) and as restless as I am, the combination of warm bath and aromatherapy guarantee I fall asleep pretty much as soon as I hit the pillow.
Morning sugar scrub using only sugar, jojoba, and aloe gel. I don’t want any blemishes to jump up and show themselves in my wedding pictures so I’m determined to keep my face fresh and free of any blemishes
Added coconut oil to my hair routine to beef up the shine factor so that when the big day comes my fresh face matches my luxurious hair
I’ll also be heading over to get my eyebrows threaded this weekend. I stopped waxing because it’s just too harsh on your skin. The irritation after waxing just became more of an annoyance and I find threading lasts longer.
I’ll be keeping this up from now until the big day and I have a bit more preparation to do at the two week mark so I’ll keep you posted as to how Operation: Get Me Down the Aisle is going. Do you have any tips you’d like to share with me on how to keep my sanity and remain beautiful at the same time? Let me hear them, I’m all ears!
Happy Friday everyone! I know Jamie and I have both been MIA this week. For that I do apologize. We’ve both been around, just scattered amoung a few other projects. Lot sto hget done between now and Thanksgiving. So since we haven’t given you any great reads from our own mouth, I decided to share with you all some of the best blog posts that everyone else has been working on this week. I present to you the top five posts that I’ve Loved this week (you know I had to work Love in there somewhere LOL)
You’ll notice the Essential U Blog makes more than one appearance – I can’t live without Kayla and her insight. She’s an industry “mother” as I like to think of her and I would not be able to bring you the quality gifts and favors that I do without her and a few other “mothers”.
Enjoy the posts and Jamie and I will be back next week.
