Happy Friday. Today I'm happy to welcome Brittany Spyksma, a Blushington Makeup Artist and Beauty expert, who is stopping by to share her tips for wedding day makeup.

1. Keep it simple. It's your day and you want to look like YOU. Go for a glam smokey eye but keep the rest natural and pretty. Or if you want a red lip, go for soft shadows and a subtle smudged liner. When you look back at photos from your wedding day, you want to recognize yourself!

2. Stash a little powder and lip gloss in your MOH’s clutch or groom’s pocket. Those are the two things that always need to be touched up. You're going to be running around talking to everyone but your Groom or MOH will be by your side for the entire evening. You'll want to look fresh in all your photos, not to mention all the iPhone pics your friends are snapping. 

We like Jouer Translucent powder to keep your skin looking beautiful all night.

3. WATERPROOF! Mascara and eyeliner are a must have in waterproof for your big day. If the ceremony doesn't have you tearing up, your friends and family's speeches certainly will. 

We like Stila Stay All Day Waterproof mascara and Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Smudgestick which comes in every color you could possibly want. 

4. Try a lip stain under your gloss. With all of the eating, drinking and celebrating, you don't want to risk being bare-lipped. Once you find your perfect hue, use a stain to make sure that color lasts all night then just touch-up with a gloss for a nice full pout. 

About Blushington: Blushington makeup and beauty lounge provides affordable, professional makeup applications through signature looks, as well as specialized brow, lash, tinting and waxing services. With locations in Newport Beach and West Hollywood, Blushington also sends artists directly to customers who prefer to get glam in the comfort of their own home, via their "At Home" services for the bride and bridal party.

About Brittany Spyksma: Brittany’s work has been featured in Flaunt, C Magazine, Miabella and others. She has created red carpet looks for the Golden Globes, SAG awards, Academy Awards, Grammy's and many other events. Celebrities that she’s had the pleasure of working with include: Jesse Metcalfe, Terri Seymour, Cara Santana, Pia Toscano, Dani Moz, Ashley Gearing to name a few.

I'm happy to welcome Jessica Hair Extensions {a salon based in Toronto} to the blog today. Jessica is a certified specialist in hair extension applications and has more than eight years of experience. Today, she is here to share with you all the details about Wedding Day Hair Extensions . . .

A girl dreams about her wedding from a very young age; how she will look, what she will wear. Nothing less than perfect is acceptable. Her gown, the veil, the aisle, the location, her make-up, her hair, everything has to be perfect. After all, you get married just once after you have found your soul mate. You want to bring your most exquisite self to the person waiting at the end of the aisle.

Many women today are turning to hair extensions, which not only add more volume to the hair, but also enhance the entire look. Hair extensions can last up to 6 months without causing any damage to your natural hair. An advantage of getting hair extensions is that it’s completely chemical free.

Many Hollywood celebrities get hair extensions and this makes them look younger, sexier and elegant. From Rihanna to Beyoncé, from Victoria Beckham to Eva Langoria, each of these ladies have experimented with their looks.

Experimenting with hair can give you some time alone and an opportunity to pamper yourself. And the best time to do this is before getting married when you can get a new look.

You can experiment with different hairstyles with the new added length, be it tying up or letting them loose across your shoulders. They will make you look elegant and instill a lot of confidence that will be clearly visible to others and yourself. Since confidence is directly related to how we look, clearly between all this excitement and stress, having a perfect hairdo is a priority.

Hair extensions also add to the texture of your hair. So how is it done? You can visit your parlour 2 weeks before your wedding; they will attach your hair with the hair extension that is first exposed to keratin protein, which is an essential part of hair. The entire process will take a few hours and is done in almost all salons.

You will be required to take extra care of your hair post hair extensions; making a plait while sleeping in order to stop tangling of hair, avoiding hair wash for 48 hours after getting hair extensions, regularly brushing your hair with special combs that are designed for hair extensions; avoiding unusual hairdos. You should be very clear about the length you desire which will match your wedding gown and also enhance your diet by including more proteins which will provide necessary vitamins and nourishment to your natural hair.

Having the perfect hair is an essential feature of being the picture perfect bride and hair extensions are a good way to accomplish that.

I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Koroush Maddahi to my blog today with his "all natural" teeth whitening tips. Getting your teeth whitened or fixed before the wedding might be the last thing on a bride or groom’s to-do list, but it might be the first thing they regret not doing. If you don't have the time or budget to visit a cosmetic dentist, you might want to try Dr. Koroush Maddahi's "Wedding White in a Week" tips:

1. Let nature be your toothbrush: Consistently eating crunchy fruits and veggies like apples, carrots, or  broccoli is  great for removing plaque and even lifting stains from teeth.

2. Go bananas: Rub the inside of a banana peel against your teeth for a couple of minutes a day. Over time your teeth will  soak up the minerals, keeping them strong, white and looking their best.

3. Oil Pulling: Plaque tends to build up at the base of the teeth where toothbrushes have a hard time reaching. Olive oil,  due to its viscosity, is good at getting plaque in these hard to reach areas. Try swishing with it for 20 minutes every morning for optimal oral health. {and, yes, 20 minutes is correct - I asked.} Here's Dr. Maddahi's response: "It's actually a relatively new trend called "oil pulling" that stems from an ancient ayurvedic method. The plaque on our teeth isn't water soluble, it's fat soluble, so swishing with olive oil helps to effectively remove plaque even from underneath the gums because of its viscosity. Unfortunately, that thickness also makes it much slower than other tooth cleaning and whitening methods." So experts like Dr. Maddahi suggest that it be done for about 20 minutes a morning.

4. Strawberries and Baking Soda: Grind up a strawberry and mix it with some baking soda. The malic acid in strawberries is great for removing stains, while the baking soda penetrates enamel to effectively whiten your teeth. Gently rub it  on your teeth and leave it for about five minutes, then brush it off for a brighter smile.

With these simple tips, any bride and groom can effectively whiten their teeth at-home so they look their very best on their special day.

A special thank you Dr. Maddahi for joining my blog today and sharing your all-natural teeth whitening tips.

Are you looking for a unique and fun idea for a bachelorette party or bridal shower? How about putting together a fun spa themed party? Here are 5 fun and easy ideas to help you get your party planning underway.

1. Welcome your party guests with their own robes and slippers {plain or super cute animals}.
2. Use unique and pretty favor boxes to hold the nail polish and mini nail files.
3. Create your own foods {keep it simple and mini} . . . consider cucumber sandwiches and chocolate covered fruits with the use of a double boiler.
4. Save money by flavoring water yourself - simply add in the cucumber scraps {from the sandwiches} or cut up fresh fruit into water pitchers overnight. You can even add a splash of soda water to give it an extra fun kick.
5. Consider sending guests home with little tubes of bath salts for them to enjoy some relaxation again at their leisure.

Featured Items: Personalized Flower Topped Favor Box, French Bath Salts {in bulk} with Glass Favor Tubes, Personalized Pyramid Favor Box, Sheep Animal Slippers

I'm going to start this post off by saying I've been "gifted" quite a few items from PR companies that claim they do this or do that. But, not many live up to the claims so I never write about them. But, today I have an absolutely AMAZING item to share with you. And, it's something any lady can use - brides, mother of the bride, wedding attendants and even us "just had a baby mom". That last one would be me {my 2nd baby girl will be 11 months ago tomorrow -- insert sad face here -- time is going by too fast}. The Almighty Cincher by AMIA is helping me re-gain my pre-pregnancy figure {and helping heal my diastasis recti... if you're interested in knowing what this is, wikipedia explains it well. I'll spare you the details here}.

Here is my before and after photo {yup, that's me}. I have to say that even after 2 days of wearing the "corset", it was actually already too late to take the before photo as my stomach had actually decreased from what it was {had started to look like I was 4-5 months pregnant}. The after photo shows you what I look like wearing The Almighty Cincher. 

Imagine what wearing this corset could do for you? You could actually wear that mermaid sheath wedding gown you've been dreaming of!

What can I tell you about The Almighty Cincher?
 - instantly provided me with a slimmer shape {which means I naturally feel better}
 - has improved my posture {I sit very straight at my desk now when typing}
 - my back doesn't hurt {I can now wear my daughter in the Baby Bjorn and not feel the weight of her, 18lbs}
 - my pants are actually a bit looser in the waist with the Cincher on
 - my mom is now wearing the small {she now has less back pain and finds it easier to get up from sitting}

I will say that I asked for the size small as I fit into the specs for that size, but there was no way I could close it. It comes with 2 vertical rows of hook-and-eye closures so you can cinch it closed over to the other row as your stomach size slims down. Luckily I was sent the medium and after some squeezing and "sucking it in" I got it on. OMG!!!!! I loved how my clothes looked!!!! And, already after just a week of wearing it every day for about 10-12 hours I can get it on without much squeezing at all.

PS: This particular corset features a PowerLatex Core which is a popular feature for post-baby bodies as they say overtime it reduces inches through increased perspiration. Not sure if it reduces inches, although I definitely get warm when exercising with it on. But, it's definitely making my stomach a bit smaller each day. And, of course I'm walking a mile each night {weather permitting} and starting a mini workout program as well.

PSS: Jessica Alba says she wore a corset post-baby to get her figure back in shape