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9 Tips For A Flawless Look That Lasts All Day

EXPERT TIP BY BLUSH (www.blushhmua.com) London, ON

PHOTO: woodgatephotography.com

"Over the last 18 years we’ve been asked a lot of questions about wedding hair and makeup. But the one question we get asked most often is “How do I get a flawless face that lasts all day for my wedding?” While there’s no one size fits all answer to this question, here are a few tips that will help you achieve your flawless goal."

SKIN CARE is important every day, not just on your wedding day. If you don’t take care of your skin before your wedding, there is very little your makeup artist can do that will substitute for that. Makeup can camouflage many imperfections but starting with the best possible base is the best way to get you to the flawless face you’re hoping for. Don’t start the week before. Start months ahead of time. Start now! The sooner the better! At the very least you need 6 weeks of skincare routine including cleansing, regular exfoliation, moisturizing and daily use of sunscreen.

SLEEP! HYDRATE! REPEAT!: We know, we know! Easier said than done. But there’s nothing better for your skin than a good night’s sleep – regularly! Next to sleep, drinking 4-8 glasses of water each day takes care of your skin from the inside out.

HIRE A PRO: Find a professional, makeup artist that you feel comfortable with who has a style that you adore. Communication is key! Do you love their work? What are you looking for? Do you understand what they’re suggesting? Talk to them: connect, converse, be comfortable. Is this the energy you want at 6 am on your wedding day? Do they have proper tools? Cleanliness? Pro Tip: Every face gets fresh brushes. You wouldn’t share toothbrushes, why would you share makeup brushes?

MAKEUP TRIAL: Typically 8 weeks before your wedding, you’ll have a makeup trial. Trials are important to make sure that what you had envisioned for your makeup is what you were hoping for. You’ll want time to make changes if needed. Pro Tip: Try to time your makeup trial with a dress fitting so you can see the whole look together. If not a dress fitting, perhaps your shower or engagement photos, or at least a date night. Don’t waste the look!

HONESTY!: Did you NOT love the look? This is especially important for moms! Even if you don’t know what’s wrong or what isn’t right, talk it through. You should be thrilled with your look and your artist will want to work with you to make sure it’s exactly what you wanted.

TIMELINESS: Be on time the day of your wedding, don’t be late! It’s a domino effect. If one person is late EVERYONE is late which leads to rushing and anxiety. Breath! And be on time! You, your wedding party, your mom, and your makeup artist will enjoy getting ready more if you’re calm.

SPRAY TANS: Be careful! Not all spray tans are created equal. Don’t get your first spray tan a few days before your wedding. Make sure that you’ve had a tan before, know your shade and how your skin reacts. If you’re getting a spray tan, you’ll ideally have one before you trial so both you and your artist will know what to expect on the day of.

AIRBRUSHING: Depending on your skin texture, air brushing can give you that flawless photo finish that lasts all day. Airbrush makeup can feel very light so is ideal for people who don’t love the feel of heavy makeup. It also stands up well to heat and humidity as well as oily skin. Pro Tip: Airbrush makeup can be used to blend out tan lines, but you need to be careful of dresses.

RELAX!: Don’t take it all so seriously! We can change anything you don’t like. Don’t panic. Be honest. And BREATH!

ABOUT BLUSH: Blush specializes in onlocation Bridal Hair and Makeup artistry. Serving wedding parties in the London and surrounding area as well as their London studio. At Blush their goal is to always make you look and feel beautiful.

How To Choose Your Cake Designer

PHOTO: jonathansuckling.com PHOTO: aniyaemtage.com

PHOTO: silviusjames.com

PHOTO: mangostudios.com PHOTO: lenjobakes.com

EXPERT TIP BY LENJO BAKES (www.lenjobakes.com) Kitchener, ON Sometimes having too many options can be overwhelming! Competition in the cake world (wedding, birthday, anniversary, any celebration) is fierce. So how do you choose the right cake designer for your wedding? Use the 5 tips below as a guide to making the best decision for you.

1. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH: "Before you initiate a conversation with a potential cake designer, you need to find them first! Although social media (primarily Instagram and Facebook) is a very popular medium to find designers, you can still find many vendors at wedding shows. But if you wanted to find a designer without time or location restraints then Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and business websites are perfect resources. The benefit of using social media is that you can save photos of cakes and ideas you like for future reference. Having one place (like a Pinterest board) helps keep everything streamlined."

2. CONSIDER YOUR ESTHETIC: "Make a prioritized list of the adjectives you want to describe your bespoke cake. These can include words like: simple, modern, extravagant, delicious, understated. What do you value more? Flavour or appearance? Fondant or buttercream? Answering these questions will lead you to your ideal criteria. Next, you’ll need to ensure that your potential designer has related experience. A picture is worth a thousand words, but verified customer reviews (think Google or Facebook) is a great place to start too!"

3. SEEK ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONALS AND PEERS:

"You’ve heard this before: Network! Network! Network! If you’re using an event planner to help organize your special event, they likely have a list of cake designers they’ve worked with before. If you have other vendors (think florists, venues, caterers, photographers – heck, even the DJ!), they may also have made industry contacts. And guess what? If someone is willing to give a personal recommendation, it likely means they trust that particular person/ service enough not to embarrass them by stuffing it up! Ask friends and family to tap into their networks too! It’s all about who you know.

4. CONSIDER THE COST: "At the end of the day not every designer will be within your budget. Most cake designers have pricing guidelines on their website based on the quality of ingredients they use, the previous experience they have, and (sometimes) their current availability. Look for these guidelines to have a general idea of how much the cake you’re looking for might cost. As beautiful and delicious as a bespoke cake may be, don’t forget it’s only one aspect of your event. Set a budget and stick to it unless you’re willing to compromise somewhere else."

5. TRUST YOUR GUT: "Sometimes choosing a cake designer is not solely limited to cake-related abilities, but also what the experience will be like working with them. After making initial contact were they reasonably attentive? Did they catch your vision? Maybe they helped you create the vision you didn’t know you had? What’s your gut feeling? The event planning process can be overwhelming. Having someone who you can trust and feel like they’re on your team can alleviate a lot of stress.

So there you go! Some tips on how to choose your cake designer.

ABOUT LENJO BAKES:LenJo Bakes is a bespoke cake studio specializing in crafting and designing buttercream cakes for all occasions. With an affinity toward subtle elegance and a steadfast commitment to using premium ingredients well, LenJo Bakes is the place where beauty and flavour meet. A small storefront located in Midtown Kitchener is stocked with an ever-changing offering of sweet treats throughout the week.•

Destination Weddings

The following nine pages are filled with love stories, planning tips and tricks, and venue spotlights written and contributed by local brides & grooms and the wedding professionals who know best how to create the ultimate destination wedding event. Curated by The Ring.

PHOTO: Hakan Erenler Photography (@hakanerenler_ photography) BRIDE & GROOM: Ola & Andrew Honeysett WEDDING: October 6th, 2021 Full story: p66

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