Bridal Beauty Tip from our Expert

BB Creme…. Unless you have been in a beauty-starved cave for the last couple months, you have probably heard of, seen and hopefully played with some BB Creme.  There are so many out there and most aren’t sure what it ACTUALLY is…..But I will tell you this– it’s AMAZING!

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BB Creme was originally developed for post plastic surgery and  burn victims to rapidly repair and regenerate the skin. The high intensity of anti-oxidents that are not found in any other products on the market and the incredibly rapid way that they absorb into the skin have made BB Cremes a huge success for years in Asia. For whatever reason, the American market only in the last 2 years has jumped on board with this phenomenon.

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While up until December, it was only skin care lines that had come out with BB Cremes  but now a couple makeup lines have come out with them. I wear the Smashbox one because it actually has a color range of shades (where most are one) and gives quite a bit of coverage without making me look shiny or opalescent, which I find some of the others do. As I have oily skin, I need the hydration it provides (water) to balance me out but want a more natural matte finish. Technically,  a primer is built in so this is an all in one product for that person who is on the go. And with an SPF ranging from 25-50, it also quite effectively takes care of sun protection needs while giving you that natural glow you often get from a tinted moisturizer. It gives light to medium coverage depending on the brand, protects with anti oxidants and SPF, hydrates your skin and most importantly controls oil.

So how do you wear BB Creme? 

• As an all in one product? YES
• As a PRIMER under foundation for complete coverage of redness or hyper pigmentation? YES
• As a FOUNDATION over primer if you need instant visual results on oil-absorption or fine lines ( This is me)? YES
• As a CONCEALER in any of the above situations? YES ( it will lift and firm the under eye area)

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Now all you need is a little tiny bit and have someone show you how to apply this… this is not your basic foundation. You do not need to move this in circles. Fan this out with your fingers from the center of your face outward. Always going in one direction. As an example, just go down on your nose and out on your cheeks and under eyes. Take the face in sections. This will help with the pigment placement to look amazing still at the end of the day. The BB sets quickly and you will have your face done in less than 30 seconds after the first time.

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So at the end of the day YES just wear it. Like your favorite pair of jeans that you can dress up or down, that go with everything and make you look your most amazing. Its the perfect summer foundation that will have your skin and wallet thanking you when Fall comes around.

by Kate Johnson, of Kate Johnson Artistry

OMG Fleur + Dot Makes Me Want to Have Babies!!

Yes, yes, it was only a matter of time before the bride-to-be starts thinking way ahead and obsessing over everything baby.  It's annoying, but it's happening... Right now!!

As your own personal source of ideas, inspirations and insights for all things fabulous, we would be remiss if we didn't point you in the direction of Fleur + Dot,  the absolute most adorable and fabulous line of handmade, vintage-inspired children's clothing I, personally, have ever encountered.

I first discovered designer Brianne Wallace's genius as I was trolling around on Etsy, looking for flower girl dresses and discovered Petal Petal, Brianne's line of handmade children's couture.  After much dotage, I made my way over to her other line of children's wear, where I found this unbearable specimen of cuteness:

...Which I proceeded to forward to my mom and fiancé as the absolute ideal of what our future daughter will look (and be dressed) like.  A full blown obsession officially formed as I perused Brianne's Etsy store and found my way to her website.  I was completely floored by the level of detailing in her designs, and the way she captured whimsy and child-like flair without ever crossing the line into saccharine, god-awful "kiddie" fashion.  Since I will officially be buying up her entire collection the second we have a little girl, I just knew I had to reach out to Brianne and find out what makes her tick:

What is the story behind your company and how you found yourself in design?

Brianne Wallace

My adventure into the children's fashion industry I think surprised me as much as it surprised my friends and family. I have a background in non-profit education and awareness as well as early childhood education and while I always knew I had a very entrepreneurial spirit, I couldn't have imagined even four years ago founding not one, but two lines of children's apparel. I did earn a certificate in interior decorating, which is were I began an obsession with fabrics and patterns, but I only began sewing a year before I officially started PetalPetal, my line of modern, mix and match flower girl outfits (which is something I have only recently been willing to admit). It probably wouldn't have turned into a business, but I was working at a small nonprofit at the time and the recession was beginning to hit the industry hard. I was laid off in 2010 and the next day woke up and just knew that the next step for me was to turn my new love of sewing and design into a new career. It was terrifying, but I found the ideas just flowing out of me. I also began dreaming of little girls in vintage dresses and bloomers and blouses with bows and so, in the spring of 2011, I started my second line of vintage-inspired apparel for the modern child, Fleur + Dot.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

My inspiration definitely comes from my personal visions of that "ideal childhood." A mix of time spent in fields of flowers and on grandpas farm sipping lemonade, as well as brunching in the city and catching a cab with mom. I try to design pieces that I can envision on that little girl growing up in New York city or out on a ranch in Colorado. I believe strongly that childhood should be full of beauty, art and a little bit of wildness, whatever that looks like for each unique family, and if I can be a tiny part of that by creating a dress or top that inspires a little joy, then I think I have done my job as a children's designer!

How would you describe your personal style?

I think I have a fairly classic style, although I love to throw in a twist here and there. I live in dresses, skirts and little blouses year round, similar to my Fleur + Dot line, but with a bit less color and pattern. Most days I can be found in something blue and/or striped. And I honestly don't think I could live without my navy tights, leather boots and ruffled raincoat, especially in the chilly and rainy Northwest. My home and studio is a bit more colorful though. I tend towards bright colors and patterns mixed with natural fibers and wood. I love mixing very modern pieces with rustic accents. Nothing too perfect or too carefully curated. 

What is your creative process like?

My creative process is very hands on. I usually wake up in the mornings with ideas running through my head, but of course, even in a creative industry, only about 5% of my time is actually spent creating new designs, with the other 95% going towards filling orders, marketing, photographing, answering emails and phone calls and otherwise plotting business strategies. I have little notecards scattered around the studio with (very badly done) drawings and fabric samples pinned on that I gather up as often as I can and think through up coming collections. Once it's time to buckle down and really pick designs and fabrics for a new collection, I try to clear my schedule of everything else, which is easier said than done for any small business owner. I don't plot out all the details before hand. I just start to work and play with fabrics and designs and a collection typically comes together fairly naturally. And a clean, well-organized studio is a must for me when I'm designing and creating, as well as my ever growing collection of records. While I adore my iPod, when I'm in a creative space, I will always choose the record player over digital. 

What are the biggest challenges in designing for children?

When designing for children, you are actually designing for children AND their mamas (or papas or grandparents, etc.), which is where the challenge comes in. With Fleur + Dot, my line of everyday wear, it is especially important to not only offer beautiful and inspiring clothing, but also comfortable, wearable, play-in-able, high quality clothing. Each piece that leaves my studio is handmade, meaning each piece is heirloom quality. I am huge believer in quality over quantity so try to design pieces that can be worn through various seasons, mixed and matched and will last through several childhoods, wether it be passing it down to little sister or cousin or saving it for the next generation. But most importantly when designing for children, there has to be little spark of playfulness in each piece! 

Who is the ideal Fleur + Dot kid and/or mom?

I don't know if there is an "ideal" Fleur + Dot little or mama. I think the wonderful thing about anything in the design industries is that there is room for interpretation and everyone who loves and buys my designs may see them so differently from each other. I realize this every time I work with a new photographer and get to see my designs through their creative lenses. But I do think my designs lend themselves towards mamas with creative, joyful kiddos who want to bring back a sort of simplicity and sophistication to their childhoods, wether they live in a small town, the big city or anything in between. I have sold to mamas all around the states, the UK, Greece, France, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico.... so many unique cultures. I love that my line has a found love from mamas all around the world who have so many different points of view! 

Bridal Trending-- The New Nose-Tube-800-Calories 'Diet'

So this morning as I was getting ready for the day, I heard something on the news that piqued my interest…. but certainly not in a good way.

Some doctor in Florida is offering brides-to-be who want to shed 20-30 pounds before their big day a quick-fix nasogastric tube (the sort of tube that goes through your nose and down your esophagus and into your stomach) for 10 days. A crash diet prescribed for brides that involve a feeding tube, basically.

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Let me tell you exactly how this works… Dr. Di Pietro at his modest clinic in near Miami, Florida prescribes the K-E diet. It is the answer for some very desperate women who are willing to do what ever it takes to loose weight quickly (just short of healthy and more acceptable weight loss methods like increasing exercise and implementing portion control). This extreme weight loss trend, which involves receiving a steady drip of a protein and fat mix throughout the day via a tube inserted into the nose allows women to loose weight rapidly by eliminating eating altogether and using this feeding tube instead. It is an extreme version of the Atkins diet (which people have mixed feelings about anyway) where carbohydrates are completely eliminated. Dr. Di Pietro has explained that ‘body weight is lost quickly through ketosis which is the state in which the body burns fat rather than sugar’ and that patients do not experience being hungry. Patients are monitored during their 10 days for things like constipation, bad breath and dizziness. Women on this diet have complained of having no energy and emotional difficulties during their days on the tube and are susceptible to other issues like kidney stones, dehydration, headaches. Sounds fun.

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The Florida doctor who inserts these feeding tubes to brides has justified to The New York Times, his reasons for having this as an option for brides. 'At first I decided not to do it for people who just want to lose a few pounds...But then I thought, why should I say 5 or 10 pounds are not enough? People want to be perfect.'

Ummmm….I hate to burst your bubble people, but there is no such thing is perfect. And when did it become medically acceptable to subscribe to people’s unrealistic, celebrity-inspired desires to look a way that is unachievable and unhealthy? When is it ever medically sound to advise an 800 calorie diet solely because people want to "be perfect"? He charges $1,500 for ‘perfection’ and claims that it is a ‘hunger-free, effective way of dieting.’

Many people (health specialists, dietitians and nutritionists) are skeptical. A doctor critical of the easy feeding-tube diet, Dr. Louis Aronne said, 'Any extreme low-calorie diet is associated with side effects, kidney stones, dehydration, headaches and if you lose muscle mass and water, what’s the point of that?' But the dress will fit perfectly and the photographs will look so amazing! Did I mention that Dr. Aronne is the director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center?

My suggestion, ladies, would be to plan to start a bit earlier in the game (you, know, like more than 10 days beforehand) and make a visit to a holistic health and nutrition practitioner (ahem, someone like Natasha Uspensky) who can coach you through healthy weight loss and management rather than starving yourself while looking stupid with that thing in your nose.

Vendor Spotlight! Meet Kate Johnson of Kate Johnson Artistry

I was in Chicago for a fashion show and I had the lovely pleasure of meeting Kate, a true artist and makeup genius. I was blown away by her ridiculous wealth of knowledge and the education I received in just minutes of talking with her. I couldn't keep this to myself! I am happy to introduce our very first C&L content contributor. Meet, Kate Johnson-- a fabulous woman in the industry who really knows her craft. She will be guest blogging with us to provide you all with fabulous makeup how-tos and styling tips. Seriously, I can't wait!

What is the story behind your company and how you found yourself in design?

When I was in college at Cal State Fullerton, I was in a program to get my BFA in MusicalTheatre. A required class was Theatre Makeup and Hair design and I fell in love. The second semester I was the assistant teacher and learned I think more that year helping others do it than even doing it myself. After shattering my foot in a dance performance I had to change majors, so naturally I chose Special Effects Makeup and Hair Design. After doing so part time I became an Artistry Trainer for Smashbox Cosmetics and started my own company Kate Johnson Artistry. Between the two businesses I am able to fulfill my love of artistry and education. It has also blessed me to have amazing experiences in avenues I wouldn’t normally be able to do like teach inner city children art and be published.

Where can we see your work? You can see my work at either my Facebook Page or my website. I am always available to be contacted for bookings via Facebook or email at: KJohnsonMakeup@yahoo.com

What was your own wedding planning process like? I am married to the most amazing person in the world. He asked me to marry him four days after we met! It was love at first sight… although, I didn’t believe in it at the time-- I was taken by surprise. I am from California and he from Texas and for us to live in Chicago, everything was planned long distance and was quite difficult but so much fun. I had co-owned an event planning company when living in California so I had been planning this in my head for a long time. But after meeting my husband it all went out the window. (City Girl, Country Boy) I wanted something that described both of us. We were married under lantern laden willow trees and it was classic and Southern.

How would you describe your personal style? Design aesthetic? I don’t know that I can. I love the 50’s era and am obsessed with Mad Men. But I as much as I love it I don’t own much that would let anyone know. My style is what Im comfortable wearing and makes me feel feminine.

What is your creative process like? It’s a system… I brainstorm, pull pictures off of Google Images to get the juices flowing… then when I'm totally at a block, I forget about it for a couple days and it just comes to me in any random second. I've tried to have a better way but this seems to be it.

What projects are you currently working on? I am a part of the Lakrem Producing team that did Battle of the Blush-- some things are coming with that. The Goca “ Elegance of Maturity” show, and I have just started teaching an amazing group of children how to express themselves through art instead of violence.

How would you describe your client? My clients are a wide range of women and men. I love to hear their inspiration and how I can help develop it visually.

How does your work fit in the wedding industry? Well working for Smashbox, and they being the largest fashion photography studio in the world, I know that what I do on an everyday basis is meant to be used when photographed. I know what doesn’t work and why and I can help insure that their pictures look as beautiful as they feel.

Best part of your job? Worst part of your job? The best and worst part of my job is that the creation walks away and I start something new every day.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists? Know your products-- not just what is advertised but WHY they do what they do.

Advice you have for planning brides? Enjoy the process and let others help you.

Common misconception in wedding planning budget? Give yourself a limit and then give your self room to break it. Because you will and you cant beat yourself up over it.

Best wedding memory? Loved planning it… so many colors to design from!

# Tip for being a GREAT bridal client? Truly listen to the professionals you’ve hired. This is what they do for a living. But make sure you stand up for yourself as well and your needs are met.