Be Nice and Treat Yourself, Guilt-Free

For the stressed and budget conscious bride, wind down every month with a DIY (Do It Yourself) home facial, your skin will thank you for it!

1. Always start a facial with clean skin. Start by washing your face with your usual cleanser. Apply in circular motions from your neck moving upwards and then wash off.

2. Next, fill a bowl with hot water (not boiling) and add lavender or eucalyptus oil to the water to induce greater relaxation. If essential oils are not available on hand, feel free to throw in a bag of green tea or chamomile (or even loose tea leaves) to have the same effect. Place your head above the bowl of hot water and drape a towel over your head to contain the steam so that it can help open up your pores. Relax and breathe deeply for a few minutes.

3. After your DIY steam treatment, gently massage your exfoliater onto your face and jaw line in circular movements. Then wash off and pat dry to prepare your face for the facial mask.

Make sure your skin is dry to allow for your mask to dry. Using a face mask that is suited for your particular skin needs, apply the face mask and leave it on for five to ten minutes. Then pop a couple slices of cucumber over your eyes or opt of some cold tea bags to soothe any puffiness around the eyes.

4. Once the five to ten minutes are up, rinse off the face mask with cool water to tighten up your pores.

5. Then tone your skin with a hydrating or clarifying toner, whichever is best for your skin type.

6. In sweeping motions, apply your moisturizer onto your skin from the neck up and then massage it in with small circular movements. By massaging the skin with your moisturizer, it will encourage new cell growth and proper circulation.

7. Finally apply your eye cream gently around your eyes and make sure to not apply much pressure or drag the skin around your eyes.

8. If you are planning on being outside later on, make sure to use a moisturizer with SPF of at least 15 to your skin to protect it. Or remember to apply some to your face before you head out.

Your wedding gown is one of the largest purchases you’ll make for your wedding day. So how do get the wedding dress of your dreams with paying a huge sum of money? Check out our tips on how to save on the dress without losing the style.

Choosing a classic gown without a lot of embellishment can dramatically lower the price - sometimes up to 25%! You can also look at only having some of the trimmings i.e.: all the gorgeous beading and lace on the bodice but not on the train or the sleeves.

Watch your alterations. Making special changes such as altering the neckline or putting in ties versus the zipper or buttons can cost more than $300 per adjustment.

While there are a lot of wedding purchases you can and will want to make online, your wedding gown shouldn’t be one of them. The Internet is a great resource to find ideas for your perfect dress, but you’re much better off to print off those pictures and take them to a bridal shop where you can try your options on. How many times have you looked at something on the hanger and thought it was gorgeous, only to put it on and realize it is not flattering to you at all, or vice versa? Your wedding gown is not something you want to take a chance with.

By choosing a simple silhouette you can keep the budget for your dress down. The more fabric your dress contains, the more it costs. A ball gown with huge amounts of organza can cost up to twice as much as a sheath made of the same fabric.

Look for seasonal and sample sales. Winter and summer are two of the best times of year for wedding gown shopping. Shops and buyers are attempting to get rid of inventory, giving you savings of up to 80%! Keep a few things in mind however: these gowns are usually sold ‘as-is’, so factor in dry-cleaning and alterations as the samples are usually used as try-on stock. PS: If you are a size 8 in a wedding gown - this is the perfect opportunity for you as most samples and try-on stock are ordered in a size 8.