JAC Beauty » Tip of the Day

10 Bridal tips from THEKNOT!

Jina — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:48 +0000

When I first got engaged, I googled just about everything WEDDING related. THEKNOT.COM seemed to be everywhere. I never got it =.=;; LOVE the magazine but just couldn’t handle their website. But yesterday, I came across their 10 BRIDAL BEAUTY TIPS and WOW! how useful!!

So here it is!

THEKNOT tells you how you can look your bridal best!

TIP 1: Do not over accessorize.

In other words, do not MR. T.

TIP 2: PLAY UP YOUR BEST FEATURES. Always keep in mind that you want to over emphasize without going overboard on your features! (you can do so with false lashes, a little bit of blush)

TIP 3: Find a veil that works with the shape of your face.

I personally think you should match your veil to your dress or hairstyle you choose to sport the day of~~~

TIP 4: Find a neckline you are most comfortable with. It doesn’t have to be a strapless because the majority are.

TIP 5: Wear metals that match. I’ve seen some brides who choose to wear yellow gold jewelry even though their engagement rings are platinum. But if you choose to use one, stick with it. Yellow gold earrings, yellow gold necklace & yellow gold bracelet.

TIP 6: Don’t hold your bouquet like a trophy. One of my bridesmaids stained the front of her dress green from the bottom of her bouquet. Remember to dry the bottom of the bouquet completely before getting it near your dress. And have one of your bridesmaids carry a stain remover pen!

TIP 7: POSTURE! Work on your posture! When your posture is straight, you look a lot slimmer and taller!

TIP 8: DANCE your arse off~ CONFIDENTLY! There’s nothing sexier!

(Photo by: BETH KEISER)

TIP 9: DO NOT CRASH DIET! I must admit that I am a victim to this.

TIP 10: ROCK YOUR SMILE!

(Photo by: WAYNE YUAN)

Nail Art Fail

Carol — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:00:51 +0000

I popped into the drugstore and decided to give this a try:

It seemed almost as easy as applying white out on your nail tips! Also, it’d be great for someone who has a steady hand to draw designs on your nails.

I first applied a clear gloss, then applied the nail art to the tips to make a french tip.

HOWEVER, the nail art is really, really flimsy and comes off super easy. I noticed that it started to streak almost immediately, even when it looked perfect while it was drying. The nail art pen doesn’t really hold well at all….

So in the end, I would NOT recommend this pen for the future! Even being really careful, for some reason the white liquid doesn’t stay put!! Perhaps there’s another type of pen out there that would work better???

Ice cube facial

Jina — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:00:30 +0000

… totally makes sense! My facialist always tells me to wash my face with warm water to open up my pores and then splash, rinse with ice cold water to close up my pores.

So the ice cube facial TOTALLY makes sense!

Here is one of my favorite Chinese beauty guru Queenie. It’s kinda hard to watch with sound because I don’t understand her. But the video & subtitle explains it all.

Keep reading to learn how to do it yourself at home!

Another fav guru: MICHELLE PHAN!

What you need:
- Warm water
- Green Tea
- Soft gel Vitamin E

Instructions:

Step 1: Warm up water

Step 2: Steep your green tea

Step 3: Stir in your soft gel vitamin E

Step 4: Freeze (for about an hour) in ice cube tray till it starts crystallizing

Step 5: Insert tooth pick and let harden over night

Your green tea popsicles are ready to beautify you~

What a brilliant way to get salon results with a fraction of the price!!!

Perming Eyelashes part I

Carol — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:00:10 +0000

Even though J had already experienced Eyelash Perming, I still wanted to get it done myself. After all, everyone is different and I wanted to be able to experience it on my own to tell people firsthand what it’s like!! Plus, it’s gotten to be SO HOT and humid and my super sonic straight lashes refuse to curl!! (OR it curls and it comes right out after I put on mascara)

Lavilash in NYC

Here's the bed where you lay... it's about a 45 minute process

At first I thought, hey… it doesn’t look so bad….

BUT I realized as the days went by that it was starting to look fried, super curly and withered.

More recent pictures to be continued….

Wedding Etiquette

Carol — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:00:34 +0000

A friend of mine asked me recently if she could wear a black & white printed dress as a guest for a wedding. Now, a lot of my friends ask me about wedding etiquette. While I’m glad to fill them in as much as I know, I think the majority of the people in their 20’s don’t actually know wedding etiquette anyways. I think the best rule of thumb is to make your judgment based on the bride — after all, it’s kind of her Attention Day and if she doesn’t care, then neither should you. Or if you think she’s the sensitive type, then be overly sensitive to whatever the case is.

Here are some of my tips on wedding ettiquette:

Q: How much should I spend on their wedding gift?

A: Most people would say depending on what type of venue/budget their wedding is, at least cover the cost of your meal. I, however, would also think about how good of a friend that person/couple is. If they are my best, dearest friends, I would pick something pretty nice off their registry (like a really nice pan/dish set) and also add something sentimental on top of that. I usually do hair/makeup as a wedding gift (which is really helpful both ways), give a registered gift AND I give them a housewarming gift in a few weeks. I know that’s over the top for some of you, but these are for my absolute dear friends that have walked with me through everything. (I noticed that married folks tend to give better wedding presents because they totally know what it’s like to go through that whole fiasco!)

Q: If I know both the groom & bride equally, which side should I sit on at the ceremony?
A: Honestly, this is just my personal opinion, but I’d say sit on the bride’s. I feel like the bride would be the one to care about something like that, and the groom probably has no idea that the room is even split like that. =) The whole day should cater to the bride. Make her look popular!

Q: Do I tip my vendors?

A: Honestly, if you can afford it—-yes. And I’m not just saying this because I’m a wedding vendor But also as someone who was working in the food & service industry… you have no idea what a tip does to their day. Even if it’s not that big of a tip, it really adds a sense of “class” to that person and makes them feel like they’re walking on clouds. Most people DO tip, so it kind of stands out if you don’t. Who should you tip? Anyone who is doing an act of service and who you’re satisfied with. If you’re not satisfied, I don’t think you need to tip. ALSO, I think if you’re on a super tight budget, another great “tip” would be to write them a fantastic review. A great review goes a long way!

Q: Do I wear my engagement ring on my wedding day?

A: A lot of people do this differently. I think traditionally people give their e-ring to their Maid of Honors and then wear it after they receive their wedding band (after the ceremony.) Some people choose to wear it and then have the wedding band on top, even though it’s supposed to be on the bottom. I personally had my MOH wear it during the ceremony and give it to me afterwards. I felt that there were two symbolic gestures; one was my MOH given the responsibility to wear my e-ring for me, and the other was to have nothing on my 4th ring finger while your Husband-in-the-Making was putting the wedding band on you. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with any of these ways— just whatever you personally want!

If anyone has any other Wedding Etiquette questions, please let me know and I’m happy to give my two cents!