For the Beautiful Bride to Be!

TIPs for Brides-To -Be

Young women today have almost forgotten the concept of pampering themselves before their big day. There is a reason behind all beauty related rituals for brides to be. Solah shringar or the beautifying rituals, one for every part of her body, has been customary with brides since time immemorial. Plan out your skin and hair care routine at least two months in advance.
Happy feetMost Indian weddings have a lot of importance associated with the feet and therefore the feet are adorned with intricate designs of henna and beautiful ankles.

Go in for regular pedicures well in advance so that you have a spring to your step and at home massage the feet with sesame seed oil every night to keep them soft and protected from cracks, if you have a hectic lifestyle soak your feet in the following recipe:

You need ½ a tub of warm water, ¼ cup sesame oil, 2 tsp sandalwood oil, 2 tsp milk powder, 2 tsp oatmeal, 1 tsp powdered camphor. After soaking your feet in this for about 10 minutes scrub feet with pumice stone on which you have taken the oatmeal.

Handy stories :

Avoid nail polish on both hands and feet for at least four weeks before the wedding so that you can let your nails breathe as well as prevent them from becoming yellow. Apply almond oil onto the hands every night before sleeping and twice a week apply the following: One melted candle, 4 tsp sesame oil, 4 tsp sandal oil, 2 tsp milk. When this has mixed well in a saucepan, paint it on the hands with a broad dye brush and leave on until it solidifies, be careful that you do not apply the wax on too hot otherwise you could end up burning yourself. Once it has solidified peel off the wax…
Inner secrets:You if don’t follow the once a week massage routine than start to add ¼ cup of olive oil in your bucket of water and use as a last rinse after you have used soap. Most people do not realize the importance of the ‘hidden parts’ or rather neglected parts —breasts, buttocks, back and neck but I think that these are vital parts.Exfoliate these areas with a scrub made from powdered almond, walnuts and china clay, mixed together with milk and sandalwood oil. Use a back brush and also scrub the buttocks, inner thighs, elbows and knees. This will smoothen out the skin and also prevent it from building up any dead surface skin.
Face first Clean, tone and moisturize your skin regularly and above all know your skin type and before starting any treatment. Scrubbing must always be done in rotating movements but very gently. If you have dark under eye circles and late nights are a constant with you, massage your eyes with pure almond oil (mixed with an equal quantity of coconut oil and a few drops of lemon juice). Leave this on for about an hour and wipe off with a moist cotton wool pad dipped in milk. Follow this for two weeks. Add a lot of greens to your diet and drink at least 10 glasses of water everyday.

Mane gain:

Oil your hair regularly with almond oil or a bhringraj oil that works wonders for the scalp and hair. Always steam your hair afterwards and use henna for that extra bounce and shine.

If you don’t like tint that comes with henna then use the following a hair pack: —2 eggs, 2 tsp shikakai powder, 2 tsp amla powder, 2 tsp reetha powder, 2 tsp powdered fenugreek. Mix it all up and apply from the roots to the hair ends. Leave it on for half an hour and wash off with a mild shampoo, once a week. If you have dry hair after shampooing, rinse out the hair with a litre of water to which you have added one tsp of honey. If you have oily hair, use beer after shampoo and rinse.

The biggest tip to give for any bride is drink loads and loads of water and keep your stress level minimum. No beauty treatment will work if you don’t drink enough water or you are highly stressed.Remember to choose your wedding makeup/hair style so that it looks good in photos too. Please, please have a trial makeup/hairstyle session before your wedding. Learn to pose for the camera and smile confidently.

Skin care tips

• Drink 10 glasses of water everyday

• Eat 3-4 oranges every day. This will give you your daily doze of vitamin C essential for healthy skin

• Cleanse, Tone and moisturize once in the morning and once at night

• Apply sunscreen of spf 15 or higher everyday 20 minutes before getting out in the sun

• Carry an umbrella and use it as a sunshade

• Exfoliate twice a week followed by face mask suited to your skin tone

• If you can afford going to the beauty parlor, get a facial done once a month

• Apply ubtan twice a week

• Do some kind of exercise 20 minutes everyday

• Keep stress level at minimum, You stress and your skin will have acne and blackheads

• Get your last facial done 4-5 days before your wedding day

Oats & Aloe Exfoliant

▪ 1 tbsp. finely ground oats

▪ 1 tbsp. finely ground almonds

▪ 1 tsp. honey

▪ 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Apply to face and neck skin after cleansing and before toner is applied, using gentle circular motions. Rinse well with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face. Follow with facial mask.

Tone Up Tea

▪ 1 cup distilled water

▪ 1 heaping tbsp. dried green tea leaves

▪ 1 heaping tbsp. dried chamomile flowers

▪ 1 tbsp. rose hydrosol

▪ 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel

▪ 3 tsp. apple cider vinegar

▪ 3 tsp. lemon juice (for oily skin)

Heat distilled water until boiling.

Remove from heat and add green tea and chamomile. Steep for 15 minutes and strain out plant material. Add rose hydrosol, aloe vera and vinegar (and lemon juice, if using) and stir well. Pour into a clean bottle and label. Shake well to ensure the mix. Store in a refrigerator for best results and use within 3 weeks.

Aromatic Facial Oil

▪ 3 tbsp. jojoba oil

▪ 3 tbsp. rose hips seed oil (or 3 tbsp. hazelnut oil for oily skin)

▪ 2 drops rose essential oil

▪ 3 drops lavender essential oil

▪ 2 drops geranium essential oil

▪ 2 drops palmarosa essential oil.

In a glass bowl or dish, combine oils with essential oils. Stir with a clean popsicle stick or plastic utensil to combine. Pour into a clean bottle, preferably one with a medicine dropper so you can apply the oil using the dropper. After cleansing and toning, and while your skin remains a bit damp, apply a bit of the moisturizer using gentle patting motions. Do not rub the oil into the skin. Rather, just gently pat it onto the skin and it will absorb readily within a few minutes.

Rose Cream Cleanser

▪ 1 tbsp. sour cream

▪ 1 tsp. rose hydrosol

▪ 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in the order shown, stirring well after each one. Apply cleanser to face and neck, using gentle, upward sweeping motions. Rinse well. This recipe should be used within 2 days and makes enough for two cleanings.

Creamy Facial Mask

▪ 2 tbsp. white clay (I recommend and use kaolin)

▪ 3 tbsp. whipping cream

▪ 1 tbsp. rose hydrosol

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and stir until a paste-like consistency is achieved. If mixture is too runny, add a bit more clay and stir. If mixture is not smooth enough, add a bit more hydrosol. Spread over clean face as the step immediately preceding application of facial toner, avoiding eye area and lips. Rest for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm, water and pat excess water from face.

Homemade Beauty Products:

You could spend hundreds of dollars on beauty products each year but did you know that you can also make some of the best facials scrubs and rinses in your very own kitchen? Here to show us how to turn everyday groceries into luxurious beauty products.

Temporary Face Lift!

A mixture of finely chopped cucumber (1 TBL Spoon),

egg white of 1 egg,

a couple drops of lemon juice

and a drop of olive makes an erases your wrinkles and gives you a temporary face lift that lasts for up to 4 hours. Apply on your face and wash off after 10 minutes. Use at least twice a week.

Banana Facial
You'll need:1. One Ripe Banana

2. 1 Tbsp Honey

3. 2 Tsp. Sugar
Banana's are full of vitamins and minerals and are just as good for you on the outside as they are on the inside. If you've never tried a banana facial - it's a must, it leaves your skin feeling fresh, hydrated and super soft!

Finely mash one ripe banana in a bowl with 1-tablespoon honey and 2 tsp of sugar.
How to use:Apply on the face and neck in a circular motion. Leave on for 5 minutes.
Rinse off with cool water.

Moisturizing Hand Soak
Our hands are often very neglected and go through a lot of abuse throughout the day! Many woman spend lot's of time on their face and neglect hands but signs of aging hit hard on the hands, so pay attention to them. Here is a great way to start!

You'll need:1. An Empty Bowl

2. Warm Water

3. 2 Freshly Squeezed Lemons

4. 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
To make your hands feel soft and smooth try soaking them in a bowl with warm water, 2 freshly squeezed lemons and 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
*Olive Oil is very well known for it's nourishing properties - it's not just great in salads. It has long been used as a way to moisturize and hydrate our skin and hair. But it's also really great at relieving dry chapped lips and to soften cuticles and smooth out your nails!
How to use:Let your hands soak for a couple of minutes - then wash off and lather on some lotion and voila softer hands in minutes!

Strawberry Foot Exfoliator
You can put on all the polish you want but without the right prep, your feet will still look unkept. Here is a great remedy for dry, scaly feet!
You'll need:

1. Approx. 8-10 Strawberries Mashed

2. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3. 1/2 cup Sugar
Mash Strawberries in a bowl (Do not over mash - as Strawberries have
a lot of water and will make this paste too watery). Add in 2 Tbsp Olive
Oil and 1/2 cup of Sugar.
*Not only are strawberries delicious to eat, but they also help to
moisturize and exfoliate the skin. They have natural acids and
antioxidants that help to remove dead skin cells.
How to use:Massage onto your feet for 5 minutes or more! Rinse off and dry.