~* Ash *~
If you haven't figured it out by now, our goal for the wedding is to make things as fun and comfortable as possible without totally breaking tradition. As I get together my wedding beauty plan, I've realized that there are some things about beauty that are neither fun nor comfortable.
All of the following are "normal" for weddings and special occasions in general, but I really just can't decide which ones are worth doing:
1) Facials: Pretty mild and common, except for one part: extractions. An extraction is basically when a dermatologist, or aesthetician, pops your pimples with a sharp, metal tool. It's not "supposed" to be painful, but it's definitely not pleasant.
2) False Eyelashes: Again, pretty mild and common. However, applying fake eyelashes requires some skill because you actually glue the lashes as close to the edge of your eye as you can. After all, you want them to blend in with your real ones. Some people love false eyelashes and swear that they're the only way for your lashes to "show up" in pictures.
That may be true, but with my tendency to rub, pluck, and cry, wearing mascara alone will be tricky enough on my wedding day. I don't need to worry about some foreign substance glued to my eyelids.
Weaves can give you any look you want for your wedding. If you want to change the length, color, or texture of your style without damaging your real hair, a weave is the way to go. Buuuut let's break it down again: a weave involves sewing or gluing someone else's hair into your own. Awkward for a few hours at best, painful for a few days at worst.
Weaves also require commitment. They aren't just a "cute, one day" look. You need to dedicate time and money to maintaining a good weave. As far as bad weaves? Well, let's just move on....
4) Teeth Bleaching: I'm a coffee drinker. (Aahhh, just another side effect of graduate school.) While my teeth are fairly white, they're not as sparkly as they used to be a few years ago, and I'm tempted to go to the dentist and get my teeth bleached before the big day.
Nonetheless, the several hundred dollar price and horror stories of tooth sensitivity after the procedure have kept me away. Teeth are meant to chew food. If it hurts to chew, then something's not right! Also, note that I used the term "bleaching." You may be more familiar with "whitening," but professionals oftentimes use real bleach to make your teeth shine beyond humanly possible. I think I'll pass.
There are other alternatives, such as take-home kits from the dentist ($100-250) or even at-home kits from the drugstore (about $20). These don't use bleach to whiten, but instead remove stains from your teeth to restore their natural color. That sounds right up my alley.
And if all else fails, nothing "whitens" my teeth faster than putting on red lipstick.
5) Body Shapers: Corsets, girdles, and now "body shapers." Women are always looking for ways to alter what God (and McDonalds) gave them. Go into any lingerie store or bridal boutique and they have tons of options to push up the breasts, cinch the waist, flatten the tummy, and even lift the booty.
There are two problems with these: 1) When you take it off, you still have your real body underneath; and 2) They're notoriously uncomfortable. Even the people who like them, say that wearing them isn't natural. One of my friends even told me, "They make you look amazing! Any discomfort you feel is gone when you realize how great you look. Besides, you just get used to not fully breathing."
HUH?!... Oh, wait. I guess it's kinda like you get used to eating without chewing once your teeth are bleached.
My mind also flashes back to Mrs. R's wedding day when all she wanted to do at the end of the night was get her bustier off. (Side note: Am I the only one who thinks it's hilarious that "boo-stee-ay" is spelled the same as "busty-er"?)
Mrs. R is thin. There wasn't a whole lot being cinched in, but the first thing she did when it was off was take a deep breath and thank God. And not in a pagan sort of way, but in an eyes closed, hand raised, mini-prayer.
There are people who argue that the dress "looks better" with something on underneath, and I can see why brides want to believe this: when you put on a shaper, you feel like a whole lot's being sucked in. Sorry to say it, but the difference really isn't that noticeable.
Last month, I bought a shaper, tried it on with my dress, and took a picture. Yes, it was a little smoother than the picture without the shaping, but I wasn't totally convinced. After a month of working out, I tried on the dress without any extra shaping, took a picture, and wouldn't you know it?? I look better now with nothing on than with the shaper a month ago, and I can breathe.
My thoughts? Skip the shaper, not the gym.
6) Waxing: Let's end with a bang (or a yank)! Waxing literally involves pouring a hot, sticky substance on patches of your body and ripping the hair out of your skin from the root. You can wax anywhere on your body that has hair -- yes, anywhere. Owww!
Obviously, my opinions on most of these things are limited. I've never had a weave, gotten my teeth bleached, or worn false eyelashes. I've only had one facial, worn a body shaper for a total of about 5 minutes, and haven't had a gelled, bobby-pinned, hairstyle since 1997. (Gotta love the 90s.)
All of the following are "normal" for weddings and special occasions in general, but I really just can't decide which ones are worth doing:
1) Facials: Pretty mild and common, except for one part: extractions. An extraction is basically when a dermatologist, or aesthetician, pops your pimples with a sharp, metal tool. It's not "supposed" to be painful, but it's definitely not pleasant.
During the one facial I've had, the aesthetician cleansed my face, put on a mask, did some massaging, and popped a few pimples. The next two days, my skin was red and blotchy. Days three and four, I had soft, supple, beautiful skin. By the fifth day, my skin was back to normal.... Not a good use of $75.
Maybe just a good mask will work for the wedding, or there's always my secret skincare weapon.
2) False Eyelashes: Again, pretty mild and common. However, applying fake eyelashes requires some skill because you actually glue the lashes as close to the edge of your eye as you can. After all, you want them to blend in with your real ones. Some people love false eyelashes and swear that they're the only way for your lashes to "show up" in pictures.
That may be true, but with my tendency to rub, pluck, and cry, wearing mascara alone will be tricky enough on my wedding day. I don't need to worry about some foreign substance glued to my eyelids.
3) Elaborate Hairstyles: Now the price tag and pain level increase a bit. Between cutting, dying, and styling, brides typically a few hundred dollars on their wedding hair. It used to be bad enough in the past with the pulling, the teasing, the straightening, the curling, the gelling, and a small army of carefully-placed bobby pins. Now there's a new element added to the wedding day look: the weave.
Weaves also require commitment. They aren't just a "cute, one day" look. You need to dedicate time and money to maintaining a good weave. As far as bad weaves? Well, let's just move on....
4) Teeth Bleaching: I'm a coffee drinker. (Aahhh, just another side effect of graduate school.) While my teeth are fairly white, they're not as sparkly as they used to be a few years ago, and I'm tempted to go to the dentist and get my teeth bleached before the big day.
Nonetheless, the several hundred dollar price and horror stories of tooth sensitivity after the procedure have kept me away. Teeth are meant to chew food. If it hurts to chew, then something's not right! Also, note that I used the term "bleaching." You may be more familiar with "whitening," but professionals oftentimes use real bleach to make your teeth shine beyond humanly possible. I think I'll pass.
There are other alternatives, such as take-home kits from the dentist ($100-250) or even at-home kits from the drugstore (about $20). These don't use bleach to whiten, but instead remove stains from your teeth to restore their natural color. That sounds right up my alley.
And if all else fails, nothing "whitens" my teeth faster than putting on red lipstick.
5) Body Shapers: Corsets, girdles, and now "body shapers." Women are always looking for ways to alter what God (and McDonalds) gave them. Go into any lingerie store or bridal boutique and they have tons of options to push up the breasts, cinch the waist, flatten the tummy, and even lift the booty.
There are two problems with these: 1) When you take it off, you still have your real body underneath; and 2) They're notoriously uncomfortable. Even the people who like them, say that wearing them isn't natural. One of my friends even told me, "They make you look amazing! Any discomfort you feel is gone when you realize how great you look. Besides, you just get used to not fully breathing."
HUH?!... Oh, wait. I guess it's kinda like you get used to eating without chewing once your teeth are bleached.
My mind also flashes back to Mrs. R's wedding day when all she wanted to do at the end of the night was get her bustier off. (Side note: Am I the only one who thinks it's hilarious that "boo-stee-ay" is spelled the same as "busty-er"?)
Mrs. R is thin. There wasn't a whole lot being cinched in, but the first thing she did when it was off was take a deep breath and thank God. And not in a pagan sort of way, but in an eyes closed, hand raised, mini-prayer.
There are people who argue that the dress "looks better" with something on underneath, and I can see why brides want to believe this: when you put on a shaper, you feel like a whole lot's being sucked in. Sorry to say it, but the difference really isn't that noticeable.
Last month, I bought a shaper, tried it on with my dress, and took a picture. Yes, it was a little smoother than the picture without the shaping, but I wasn't totally convinced. After a month of working out, I tried on the dress without any extra shaping, took a picture, and wouldn't you know it?? I look better now with nothing on than with the shaper a month ago, and I can breathe.
My thoughts? Skip the shaper, not the gym.
6) Waxing: Let's end with a bang (or a yank)! Waxing literally involves pouring a hot, sticky substance on patches of your body and ripping the hair out of your skin from the root. You can wax anywhere on your body that has hair -- yes, anywhere. Owww!
Why would anyone willingly do this? Well, I have to admit that I am actually a fan of waxing. Your skin feels so smooth and soft, and the hair doesn't grow back for weeks. It's a bit pricey, but in my opinion, it's much better than shaving. I probably will wax my eyebrows, upper lip (no fuzz on those closeups), underarms, and my bikini area. Before you cringe, it's been my experience that having my upper lip waxed is more painful than getting a bikini wax. Weird, but true.
Obviously, my opinions on most of these things are limited. I've never had a weave, gotten my teeth bleached, or worn false eyelashes. I've only had one facial, worn a body shaper for a total of about 5 minutes, and haven't had a gelled, bobby-pinned, hairstyle since 1997. (Gotta love the 90s.)
Ironically, the painful beauty treatment that I've had the most experience with is the one that I'm doing for my wedding! Is this because it's really "worth" it, or just that I know what to expect?
Which of the above have you done (or if I've skipped something, please add that in)? Were you pleased with the results? Would you do it again?
You forgot mani/pedi!! Maybe it went without saying, and maybe for everyone else it's a 0 on the pain scale. I was so nervous for my first pedicure because the slightest touch feels like I'm being tickled. I was so afraid of kicking the lady! Thankfully that did not happen, and I was pleased with the results.
Threading (facial hair) as opposed to waxing is another idea. I prefer threading my eyebrows because waxing never produced the shape I wanted, while with threading it's more gradual and mistakes are less likely. Yes, it sounds like it is higher on the pain scale, but for me it's worth it - and I found a threader who "knew" my brows (just as you have that beautician who "knows" your hair).
There's also plucking, but I don't advocate that...
False eyelashes are not so bad! I felt the same way you did, but after wearing them for dance performances, they weren't too bad. They are inexpensive; however, it helps to practice because correct application is key. You can(and should!) trim them down before gluing; the amount of glue also makes a difference. Try them on for a day (or half a day). Then you can make a more thorough assessment, no?
Ugh! Mani/pedis are so awkward. I've never really found them painful, but just having someone poke, prod, and buff me is weird; but the results are worth it. :-)
Threading is great! I totally forgot about that one -- maybe because there's only 2 places in Ann Arbor where I can get it done, lol. I'm undecided if it's worth it because I don't really keep it up the way I should, but it's definitely an option for my wedding day.
Did you apply your false eyelashes yourself? I can barely put on eyeliner, so I'm more than a little nervous with glue!
Thanks for the comments, hon!
Very informative, Ash- keep em coming!