So your big day is coming, and you’ve selected a hundred and one dresses, and still haven’t decided which one to wear. You want to look good; you want to look perfect like Cinderella, and your wedding dress is essential.
The best tip to selecting your wedding dress is knowing what looks good on your body type and flatters your figure.

 
Choose a silhouette that will highlight your best-loved assets and conceal your less favourable traits.
Best Wedding Dress for Your Body Type
Just like every other outfit, it is important that your wedding dress suits your body type.
Hourglass Body Type
A Mermaid Wedding dress is just perfect for your figure.
This shape is defined by a slim, tapered, curve-hugging skirt that follows the line of the hips and thighs and flares out below the knee.
Avoid this if you know you don’t want something tight; this style is constricting.
 
Petite Body
If you have a petite shape, find a style with a waistline above your natural waist, to make the lower half of the dress (and therefore you) appear longer. The detailing should be small (no huge bows) and limited to the bodice, to draw the eye upward.
Avoid dresses with a dropped waist, which will make your legs seem nonexistent, and ball gowns, it’s easy to get lost in that voluminous skirt. Also, avoid anything calf-length, which will make your legs look short.
 
Tall Women
The key here is to emphasise your natural shape, so every aspect of your dress―the lower waistline, a floor-sweeping hem―needs to reflect your longer proportions.
 If you opt for long sleeves, they should go past the wrist. So you won’t look as if you’ve borrowed a gown from someone shorter than you.
 
Plus Size Women
For women on the big size, anything A-line, especially if it has an empire waist, can be very flattering, especially if you want more coverage.
If you are a plus-size bride who wants to accentuate her shape, a dropped waist corseted gown can be very sexy because it helps to create curves.
 
 

Have you ever received a beautifully wrapped gift and wondered how it was done? We are here to help. Even though festive periods may still be a while away, it is not too early to start practising your gift wrapping skills, remember, practice makes perfect. Today, we are doing a tutorial on making a classic bow. You might have seen this bow on gift packages as it’s probably one of the easiest gift toppers to do, if you want to learn this, keep reading.

Materials needed
Ribbon
Scissors
Steps

Pull out a strip of ribbon and carefully create two loops on each side of the ribbon. A simple way to make it is to cut the length of ribbon needed, place the ribbon on a flat surface and fold each end of the ribbon towards the centre, hold it up and voila! Another way is to imagine you are tying your shoe laces, and make the loops in the same way. If you did this correctly, you would notice a loop in the bottom centre and two loops; one on the left (hold with your left hand) and one on the right (hold with your right hand).

 

Cross the right loop over the left loop; then pass the loop (it is now on the left side, so it is the left loop now) under the right loop (former left loop) and through the bottom loop to create a knot

 

Pull the loops tightly to create a smooth knot. Adjust the loops, by pulling on the left over strands (tail) to reduce the size of the loop (if it is bigger than you would like), hold on to the knot while adjusting.

 

Open up the loops and smoothen the bow with your fingers.
Cut notches in the tail; hold both tails together, fold in two and cut a diagonal line with your scissors, release both tails and you will see an inverted V shape.

 

 

 

Running around, playing outside, going out on fun trips seem to be those very things that keep kids going; they sure love it. But sometimes, probably for the reason of weather or any other, you can’t give them that luxury of outdoor fun. Trust me, staying indoors can make kids really restless; being around them in this state can be quite a nightmare.

Did you just think TV? Watching TV can become monotonous too you know. And toys? Playing with same toys can become just as annoying. Unless you plan to buy new toys, thinking of fun, creative ways to get your little ones busy and of course, happy is the way to go. But not to worry, here are some fun games to get them actively engaged indoors without fear of breaking anything.
Treasure Hunt is one interesting interactive game. How to play? The chosen object is hidden and a map of the house drawn. The concealer locates the hidden “treasure” spot on the map and marks it “x”. Another side to it is leaving clues in different places around the house for other players to stumble on in their quest for the hidden treasure. The winner is rewarded and given the opportunity to hide the treasure for others to find.
A simple craft of turning empty 1.5/2Litre plastic bottles into bowling pins and a soft ball to knock them out, will give the kids a perfect fun experience of Bowl-a-rama. Put a bit of water (for some weight) into about 10 bottles, line them in rows begining with just 1 bottle in the first row, 2 in the second, 3 in the third and 4 in the last row. With that in place, let the bowling begin!
Who says learning can’t be a part of play time too? Improve your child’s memory with this game of Family-Photo Bingo. It’s a photo game that can help her learn your family tree while having fun. Arrange pictures of family members into rows of 3s or 4s, then give her bottle caps to serve as bingo chips. As names of family members (Grandpa, Daddy, Mummy etc) whose pictures are lined out are being called, let your toddler cover each with the bingo chips. Try see if she can get three straight wins.
Kids love to run and are always excited about balloons. So give them something thrilling to run after with this Balloon Tennis. With paper plates for rackets and blown balloons as tennis balls, let your kids have fun hit the balloons back and forth amongst themselves. You could also try out a Balloon race by running across the room while trying to balance their balloons on their plates. And still with balloons, try see how many times your kids can hit their balloons back up into the air with their makeshift rackets before touching the ground.
Picture painting, jigsaw puzzles, karaoke; there’s so much more fun your little ones can have while indoors. Interestingly, adults and the entire family can be a part of it too!
 
 

We ladies are probably at a wedding every other weekend as our friends, family, friends family, friends of friends are all getting married. Sometimes with the expenses of buying the Aso Ebi, sewing it, getting our hair done and trying to be looking right, we forget to get a gift for the happy couple; or we just think we have spent enough and decide a gift is not needed. Buying a gift is a splendid idea no matter the amount already paid, and the couple will probably appreciate whatever you get no matter what it is, but it is best to get something that will be useful to both of them.

Establish a budget

The first step is to decide how much you are willing to spend; you do not want to be in debt to please the couple. You could choose to give money in place of a gift. It is your prerogative.

Consider the couple’s taste, style and circumstances

When buying any gift, you have to consider the interest of the recipient. For instance, before you go buying kitchen utensils or equipment; consider the fact that the couple may have already set up their apartment and might not be in need of new kitchen necessities or if they are just starting a new home, in which case, kitchen essentials would be a great gift idea.  What does the couple like to do?

If you are not close friends with the couple

If you are not sure of the couple’s tastes; you can talk to their family and friends, or you can just buy generic gifts such as monogrammed bath robes, kitchen or home essentials, picture frames, etc.

Make the gift unique and memorable

Think outside the box when getting a wedding gift, it doesn’t have to be the traditional household items. It could also be a gift box or hamper containing several items or a handmade item or anything you can think of that the couple would like and find useful.

Buy the gift as soon as possible

Now you have decided on the gift of choice; it is best to get it early to avoid the rush when it is close to the wedding.
I hope you will find this guide useful when preparing for your next wedding event, have fun at the party.

A lot of people usually are not fortunate enough to have naturally pink and soft lips in lieu of having lips that are pale as well as dark which is not attractive.
Moreover, dark lips can be caused by various reasons including humid temperatures, contact to direct rays of the sun, low blood circulation, stress, failing to eliminate lipstick, using inferior low standard, smoking habits, applying enough chemotherapy, fluoride, chewing tobacco, illness, ignoring weather, for you health, an excited lifestyle as well as others.
If you desire your lips to have pink and soft lips, you have to provide them with the appropriate care. It is happy news that this does not involve paying money for buying costly products.
 How To Get Beautiful Soft Pink Lips Naturally

You can have soft and beautiful lips within a short period of time naturally. These methods are cheap and easy to do at home, plus they have no side effects.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating the lips regularly removes dead skin cells from the lips, thus making it softer and reduces darkening. Exfoliate with a dry toothbrush in a circular motion, rub Vaseline or glycerine on it afterwards. This should be done twice or thrice a week.
Moisturise your lips daily. Rub olive oil or coconut oil on your lips to keep it moisturised. You can also moisturise your lips with glycerine, cocoa butter or shea butter.
Massages
Massages help to increase the circulation of blood to lips. Increased blood flow creates an illusion and makes lips appear more reddish.
 Ice cubes can be used to massage your lips. Take one ice cube and gently rub it to your lips. Following this procedure daily will help you to relax your lip muscles and keep it beautiful.
Beetroot lip balm. This helps lighten dark lips and softens the lips. You can buy a lip balm that contains beetroot extract or makes your lip balm at home.
You Will Need

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon beeswax pellets
1 tablespoon shea/cocoa butter
½ teaspoon beetroot powder

What You Have To Do

Place the beeswax, shea/cocoa butter and the olive oil in a glass jar.
Heat water in a saucepan, and place the jar in it. Keep stirring the contents till they melt.
Add the beetroot powder to the jar, and stir so that the mixture is even.
Transfer the lip balm into containers and let it cool down and set.
Use with the help of a lip brush.

 
Lemon
Since lemon is a natural cleanser, it cleans the dirt on lips, making it look rosy. The Citric acid in lemon acts as a bleaching agent for skin. Get fresh lemon juice and rub it on your lips. This will help to clean your lips and vitamin C present in lemon lightens the lips making it pink.
Cucumbers are rich in skin lightening properties and lots of water that help to make lips moist and pink. Take a cucumber slice and keep it on lips daily for 15 minutes.

As the name suggests, a monotone outfit has just one colour.
A popular trend that has been featured in various guises – from all-white ensembles to all blacks or a colourful twist ideal for summer.
The monotone trend has evolved from the age-old matronly style in plain colours to today’s bold mode that features brighter hues as well.
As stylish as the monotone outfit can be, a lot if women still find it hard to sport it without looking boring.
How To Look Stylish In Monotone Outfit

Start With the Basics
If you’ve stepped out in a monotone clothing before for fear of sporting a dull appearance, then start with basic neutral colours. Black and earthy colours compliment all skin tones. Just make sure you wear something that compliments your figure as well or the entire getup will be ruined.
Avoid a monotone catastrophe
Wearing monotone outfits doesn’t mean exact colour co-ordination from head-to-toe. Dressed in a one coloured outfit with matching shoes and bags and even earrings is a huge fashion error. The golden rule for sporting a monotone outfit is to accessorise in a contrasting colour for added interest.
Wear Colours That Suit Your Skin Tone
Monotones can absolutely make you look terrific if you select the colours which suit you the most.
Play With Different Shades Of One Color.
Different shades of the same colour go perfectly together. For example pair dark blue with lighter blue. This helps mesh but distinguish.
Keep Your Makeup Simple
Wear a light to moderate makeup when sporting a monotone outfit. Monotone outfits are prone to get attention as compared to other patterns. So, while dressed in a monotone dress, your makeup should be light to moderate.
 
 
 

Most women have dreamed of having a fairytale wedding since they were young; the wedding day should be a culmination of all their thoughts and aspirations. In addition to having fairytale weddings, we want the day to run perfectly well and smoothly, without any hitches. However, to have a glitch-free wedding isn’t as easy as it sounds, there are a lot of things that go into planning a wedding and here are some tips to making your wedding day one of the best days of your life.

Have a budget and stick to it

The first thing to do is to have a realistic budget. I use the word ‘realistic’ because sometimes we have plans to incorporate a lot of stuff into our wedding and at the same time still want to spend a little amount of money. A budget is a guideline to how much you have to spend and how you want to spend it.

Hire a wedding planner

I know someone is reading this and thinking ‘why should I hire a planner? I can plan my wedding, thank you.’ I am not here to advertise wedding planners but let me highlight a few reasons why you should think about hiring one.

A wedding planner’s job is to ease your stress by taking care of everything from planning your budget to liaising with vendors to last minute ‘run-arounds’, so all you will have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your wedding.
A wedding planner knows the best vendors in the industry and knows how to negotiate the right price and service for you, thereby helping to keep you within budget.

If you still feel you don’t need or want a wedding planner, please get help from your friends and family, and don’t try to be a superwoman!

Have your wedding checklist and budget spreadsheet

The wedding checklist or calendar is a list which includes a checklist of what you have to do starting from about 12 months to the big day. You could peruse the internet for a downloadable copy or just create one on your own. Here is a sample

 
Image via vertex42.com
The budget spreadsheet helps you keep track of how much you are spending in comparison to the amount estimated. It has two columns; one for the estimated cost and another for the actual cost. Here is a sample

 
While filling this, also ensure you have a vendor list which will include the contact and payment information for all your vendors.

Get the big picture

 Make decisions concerning what type of wedding you want; is it a big wedding or a small wedding? Is it a day, a week or even a month event? Decide on your wedding theme and colours as well. Luckily there is a whole lot of information you can tap into on the internet, so go searching for latest trends and ideas.

Delegate duties and tasks to friends and family

As I mentioned earlier, even if you are planning your wedding yourself, ensure to delegate as much responsibility as possible. You don’t want people to bother you for every little thing on your day, so hand over vendor contacts and necessary information to a trusted friend or sibling.

Contact and verify your vendors

You need to keep on checking up on your vendors from time to time to ensure they have all the necessary information required to give you the best service. Make all your hair and beauty appointments and confirm their availability and times.

Don’t cut corners

We all have that family member(s) who provides some of the services we need but don’t necessarily go for them because they are cheap.  Ensure they can render the best of services before you decide to use them as you might not be able to complain if they don’t provide the proper services.

Low cut is really a daring move to try for women. Women cut their hair for various reasons such as wanting to re-grow their hair or just because they are tired of maintaining a long hair. Some people still think low cut for women is unfeminine and unsexy. I believe that it takes a bold woman to decide to cut her hair. Whatever your reason for cutting your hair is, you still have the right to look good and feminine.
  Makeup Tips for Women on Low Cut

Image via popsugar.com
Low cut makes all your features very visible so you should opt for makeup choices that highlight and frame the face.
Apply a foundation colour that suits your face and neck. Always remember to blend your foundation properly.
It’s very cool to enhance a particular feature. If you want to enhance your eyes, have fun with it. You can choose to go with neutral shades during the day and brighter shades at night.
Make sure your eyebrows are groomed perfectly.  Keep in mind that eyebrows define your face. Accentuate your haircut with a smoky eye and bold brows. In case you went all bold with your eye makeup, you can decide to keep it simple with your lips and vice versa.
Define your eyes by using eyeliner or a kohl pencil/ kajal on your upper and lower eyelid.
Contour your face. This will give your face the edge it needs to stand out.