The Beauty Editor | Amway

By: Emily Taphouse

It’s official.  I am a married woman. 

I learned so many things on my big day that I am just itching to pass on to future brides.  All of that prep, primping, spraying, blotting and stressing… was it all really necessary?  Some of it, yes!  Some of it… no way.

Here are the 5 key learnings from my wedding day beauty adventure.

1) When it comes to your hair, do some serious research.  I was all about budgeting, cutting costs here and there and going for a more “minimalist” approach.  However, I went to a stylist that had a stellar reputation, did an incredible job while testing out different looks, and worked wonders on the day of.  In fact, when I woke up the next day for our 6 a.m. flight, my hair STILL looked good!

2) Don’t use any heavy skin care treatments right beforehand.  You never know how your skin will react! I used Artistry’s intensive skincare renewing peel about 4 days prior.  I knew ahead of time that this product has not irritated my skin whatsoever, but I still wasn’t taking any chances since my skin is a bit on the unpredictable side.  My face was glowing and smooth for makeup application!

3) Makeup.  Korey isn’t a fan of a face full of makeup.  I’m not either.  I wanted him to see me walking down the aisle, and not some overly made up stranger!  My makeup look was minimal with a soft smokey eye and a pink lip.  Definitely take your time on your skin prep and foundation as that’s what you’ll really notice in pictures!

4) Upkeep.  It was a HOT DAY.  As soon as we all walked outside for pictures, we melted into a bridal party puddle.  To touch up my makeup afterwards, I brought along concealer (to cover up any runaway eyeliner), some translucent powder (for that 90 degree “glow”), a soft pink blush to freshen up my complexion, and my lip color of choice for the day (Spring Trend Collection Bloom In Colour Lip Colour in Plum Blossom - LOVE IT!).  If you are a big emotional baby like me, don’t forget to wear waterproof or water resistant mascara!  This all fit easily into my small clutch.  Anything extra I brought ended up unused.  Less is best!

5) Lastly, with all of the months of stress and planning, don’t forget to steal a moment with your new hubby, take a deep breath, and take it all in.  If you don’t,  there’s a good chance that it will all be a blur and you won’t get to enjoy what all that preparation results in.  This is the most beautiful part of the day.

Good luck to all of you up and coming brides – I hope your day will be as magical as mine was!  Now… to figure out what to do with my time now that it’s over…

My best friend/maid of honor and I! (Can you tell it’s 90+ degrees??)

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but looking at the amount of makeup that teen girls are wearing sometimes just really throws me off. Now that it's back to school time, I am seeing it now more than ever.

Growing up, I was allowed to wear 2 things: very sheer lip gloss and a little blush.  When I was fourteen, I LOOKED fourteen.  I remember feeling like it was such torture that I couldn't wear all of the makeup that I wanted.  Though I didn't see it then, now I look back and realize what a beautiful, fresh face that I really had.

On the other hand I also feel like it would really unfair to completely keep a teenage girl from the joys of makeup.  Honestly, looking at a counter or aisle full of cosmetics at the age of 27 still makes me want to clap my hands and squeal. There are definitely ways to let your daughter or granddaughter wear a variety of cosmetics without overdoing it.  Here are a couple hints that may be helpful in your adventure!

One of the triggers for teenage girls going overboard in the foundation category is definitely blossoming skin issues.  It seems so much easier to just cover it up rather than clear it up.  Keeping the teen educated on skin care that is targeted at their particular skin issue will help them to understand how all of that makeup is actually affecting their face. A trip to the dermatologist may even be a good idea.  I know I tend to listen more to the experts myself! If foundation is an option, help them find one that matches their skin tone and blends evenly and naturally.

Telling the teen that they are not allowed to wear the makeup may backfire on you.  Maybe you didn't know, but sometimes teens tend to rebel Talk to the teen about why they want to wear the makeup.  Is it because their friends are doing it? Is it because it makes them feel pretty? 

Keep the teen equipped with an array of age appropriate cosmetics.  Sheer lip gloss, barely there blush and a subtle mascara are great tools to help her learn how to apply makeup correctly and how to emphasize, not hide, her features. 

It's tough to convince some teens that they look better without all of the makeup.  Make sure that you are being open and honest with them and encouraging discussion!  Though we may not understand, there is usually a reason behind the heavy cover up.

Do you have a girl in your life that wears too much makeup or expressed the want to wear too much for her age?  How have you handled it?