This was my favourite line from one of my all time favourite films – True Romance, a Tarantino classic.

Now this post isn’t an excuse to relinquish my teenage Christian Slater crush ( or indeed the secret desire I harbour to don a cow print skirt and bright blue cowboy boots a la Patricia Arquette)….it’s actually to pay homage to the mesmerising current beauty trend which is the juicy peachy lip.

At the weekend my sister Melissa “make-up artist supremo” very kindly paid a visit to the the O’Shea residence so that she could show me how to use my new peachy-hued products to their maximum potential. Armed with my trusty Nikon we also took the opportunity to give you lovelies a step-by-step demonstration so that if you fancied it, you could easily re-create the look at home.

You Like?

The idea was to focus on the peachy pout with a natural luminous skin, a delicate apricot blush and a soft neutral eye with extra-long luscious lashes.

The Essential Kit

1. A peach/pink lipstick – we used Chanel Coco Rouge in “Chintz”
2. A peachy hued gloss – we used Chanel Levres Schintillantes in “Petite Peche”
3. A warm apricot/pinky blush – we used MAC powder blush in “Pinch O Peach”

Other Cosmetics Used to Create This Look:

4. Lancome long-lasting softening concealer in “Beige Pastel”
5. YSL Top Secret Primer
6. Chanel Vitalumiere satin smoothing fluid foundation in ” 20 Clair”
7. L’Oreal Double Extension Mascara in “Blackest Black”
8. Burberry lipliner in “Nude Beige”
9. Nars eyeshadow duo in “All About Eve”

The Eyes

My sister and I always start with the eyes – that way any falling shadow can be swept away without disrupting your base.

Press concealer gently into dark shadows to disguise ( never ever rub), extend a small amount of the product to your eyelid as this will act as an adhesive base and prevent creasing.

Sweep a neutral gold/peach shadow onto the entire lid up to the socket line, if you would like a shinier/more pigmented look, carefully press the powder onto the lid with your fingertip.

The Longest Lashes

The trick to an extra long flutter is to use a fibre enriched base – these fibres cling to the end of your lash thus creating the wide-eyed bambi look.

Start by curling your lashes and then apply the base to your entire lash taking care to take the product right up to the tip. Afterwards apply a tiny amount of the base just to the tips again – remove any obvious white blobs with an eyelash comb.

Next apply the glossy black top coat, apply as many as you like – we just used one to keep the look “au naturel” and not take away emphasis from the lips.

The Luminous Base

Apply a primer to the entire face, we used YSL top secret which takes away redness and smooths the appearance of open pores. This was swept on using the applicator brush and then blended using a separate foundation brush.

Apply an illuminating foundation, 5 ten pence piece amounts is all you need, one on each cheek, the nose, the forehead and the chin, ensure the product is blended right up to the hairline and neck – the key is seamless!

Sweep a soft warm apricot blush onto the apples of the cheek and take upwards towards the hairline, add an extra application to the apples for a “pop” of colour if you really want to GLOW….

NB: We didn’t use a powder but if you suffer with the oilies a light application of loose translucent over the T-Zone should prevent excess shine.

The Sexiest Fruity Lips

Outline the lips with a barely-there pencil ( with a glossy look like this one a pencil will increase longevity)

Apply your lipstick straight from the tube – blend the lipliner into the colour with a lipbrush if there are any tell-tale signs of the outline.

Next the super shiny fruity finish, sweep the gloss across the entire lip then apply an extra amount into the centre of the bottom lip area to REALLY increase pout potential.

Et Voila!

Hope you like it

Any questions/ queries on application or products just drop us a comment.

Coming up later in the week – a sexy smoky bronze, gold and peachy eye teamed with a natural lip. ‘Tis gorgeous.

Big Tasting Peachy Love

Charlotte xxx

So a little while back I mentioned the luscious and luminous make-up that the model was sporting on our “Hats Of To You Pet” post and how if anyone was interested we would try and re-create it.

Now I don’t pretend to be a qualified make-up artist but I do have a genuine passion for the power of cosmetics, have been applying them to myself for over 15 years, been asked to do friends faces on hundreds of occassions and have a zillion “How To” books….. Oh and my sister is a professional make-up artist so I’ve picked up some handy tips and tricks off her along the way.

I can’t promise an exact replica – I have no way of knowing what products were used but we have had a bl*ody good go and my very kind friend and “model” Victoria looks particularly lovely, even if I do say so myself

Victoria before – looking pretty and “au naturel”

Victoria after – looking super pretty and still reasonably natural…

What we used:

1) Christian Dior Skin Flash Primer
2) Chanel Vitalumiere foundation
3) L’Oreal Touche Magique concealer
4) MAC eyeshadows in “Patina” and “Nylon”
5) Lancome Artliner ( liquid eyeliner) in brown
6) MAC blushers in “Well dressed” and “Pink Swoon”
7) Bobbi Brown lipliner in “Pale Pink”
8 ) Max Factor “False Lash” Mascara
9) MAC lipglass in “Wonderstruck”
10) The Body Shop clear brow gel
11) MAC strobe lotion

After priming all over with an illuminiser ( CD skin flash) dot the MAC strobe lotion on the cheekbones and across the bridge of the nose taking care to blend seamlessly into the skin.

Next dot foundation onto the cheeks, forehead, nose and chin – you can then use a foundation brush, sponge or fingers to apply, whatever you feel most comfortable with. I used fingers taking care to blend in downwards strokes.

For instant redness/shadow coverage I used L’Oreal touche Magique taking it right up to the lash line and on the eye lid as a base for eyeshadow.

Next apply a taupe/nude eyeshadow to the entire eyelid, I used MAC “patina” which is a creaseproof piece of neutral perfection that has a satisfying sheen. Instantly creates that “polished” look and takes half a second to swipe because of its divine silkiness ( um yes I have much love for this particular item… as you can probably tell)

After much outcry from the public Lancome have re-introduced the artliner – Hooray! I used the brown shade which is less obvious than black but still gives a subtle definition. If you struggle with liquid liner give this one a try – it is the easiest to control I have ever used.

To highlight and give eyes that whole “dewy” eye effect sweep a pale champagne/gold shadow under the lower lash line and in the inner corners of the eye, I used “Nylon” which is pretty universal in its greatness. I use it on just about everyone.

If you have really straight lashes use curlers to lift and really open up the eye, I didn’t on this occasion as I find this Max Factor mascara applied with an upward motion holds the lashes in place and seperates like nothing else.

Sweep a beige/pink blush from the apples of the cheeks up towards your temples and finish with a “pop” of a brighter hue just on the apples ( Pink Swoon works on virtually all skin tones)….this somehow gives an incredibly youthful boost and is apparently make-up artist Bobbi Browns favourite trick. And who can argue with Madam Brown?

Outline the lips with a pale pink almost “fleshy” coloured liner, I filled in the entire lip area for staying power and increased pout potential. I then topped with a brighter shiny melon/pink gloss for a sexy lustre.

Don’t forget to tidy brows – if you don’t have time for major pluckage a clear gel will make them appear groomed.

Et Voila!

You Like?

Would you like more of the same?

Let us know and I’ll see what “looks” we can create.

Big Glow Getting Love

Charlotte xxx

So, as you all know by now, Get Sexy week is all about making your fine self look even finer. And those ladies from the Fifties certainly knew a thing or two about getting themselves sexy. Fortunately for you, we have ourselves a lady who knows exactly how to gussy up and paint on that pout so how about giving Valentines Day a great big sassy red lip this year and trying this one out? Over to you Jenny!

Jenny gets Pin-up Sexy…

I thought it was about time I tried my hand at a make up tutorial for you all! The trend for 50’s weddings still runs strong and I regularly get asked for advice and tips on how to do Dita Von Teese/Marilyn Monroe type styles.

So, before we start, a few things to remember! This style of make up was based around war time, so women had very little money to buy luxuries like foundation and blusher. This look is all about the eye liner and the lips!

The Kit

1). Benefit eyeshadow ‘low profile’

2). Mac eyeshadow ‘rite of spring’

3). Fero eyeshadow ‘caramel’

4). Mac eyeshadow ‘folie’

5). Mac gel eyeliner in black

6). Clinique High Definition mascara in black

7). Girls aloud false lashes ‘Sarah’

8). Mac blusher ‘well dressed’

9). Loreal Touch Magique concealer

10). Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner ‘Red Diva’

11). Rimmel lasting finish lipstick ‘Bordeaux’

12). Mac Studio Fix powder in NC 25

The Eyes have it!

First, apply your base, and concealer. This only needs to be a very light dusting, as the focus is on the liner and lips

1. With a large brush apply the cream eyeshadow over your whole lid, right up to underneath the brow, then apply a shimmery/pearlescant colour to the lid, up to the socket line.

2. In the socket line with a small soft brush apply a caramel colour

3. Define the outer corners and outer socket of your eye with a darker brown shadow

4. Using a large blending brush, sweep the brush over your whole eye focusing on the socket and blending the colours evenly

5. Apply liquid/gel liner starting from the inner edge outwards. There’s a great tutorial on the Mac website for how to apply liquid/gel eyeliner

6. Apply mascara, making sure to get right into the root – maybe apply some black eyeliner to the inner upper lid to ensure there are no ‘bare’ sections

7. Eyebrows should be defined, and arched. Use an angled brush and some eyeshadow to fill in any gaps and give them the classic shape of the 50’s

8. To the apples of the cheeks, apply a light dusting of pink/peach coloured blusher. This only needs to be very lightly applied.

9. Apply your lashes – they should sit perfectly over the top of your liner and therefore blend nicely. If the seam shows up too much, use your angled brush and apply eyeliner over the top.

Get Lippy!

Different people have different tricks, I however use a bit of liquid foundation/concealer to apply to the lip as a primer.

Apply your red liner, it’s important to use a liner to prevent the lipstick from bleeding into the lines around your mouth. Remember to make quite a round looking pout line, the lips of the 50’s were extremely pouty and round – it wasn’t until the 80’s where it was fashionable for the cupids bow became more angular.

Apply your lipstick, using either a lipstick brush, or by applying it directly from the stick. Whichever works best for you – using a brush gives you better coverage and less room for errors! Remember to blot ladies….

Et Voila! My take on 50’s make up;
It’s a really easy and quick look to produce, and anyone can do it with practice.

Well, I know I won’t be the only one trying this at home! Let us know how you get on dear readers!

Contra and the one and only Jenny, of ‘What Jenny Did’ fame!
xoxo

Ding Dong! So it’s time for round 2.

I hope some of you reading this have tried out your new exercises and are ready to move below the belt. Although legs are seldom on show there are loads of benefits to getting the pins lithe and long – think honeymoon bikini shots! And most of these exercises will do double duty and tone that derriere for a fabulous rear view down the aisle – very important for the bride in a form fitting gown.

The Rules

We started with the rules last time and really nothing has changed but I wanted to highlight the importance of Cardio work.

Alongside these exercises you should be aiming to be doing 30-40 minutes cardio before you hit the weights or gym mat. Think 20 mins cross training or running plus some rowing, cycling or nautilus walking. Bottom line, whatever takes you fancy as long as you are hot, sweaty and out of breath!

I also want to remind you Brides to be muscle not only weighs more than fat but it also burns waaaaaay more calories, so if you are trying to loose a bit of weight, this is the metabolism boost you are looking for.

Embrace the Bosu Ball

Again, I’m going to try and make these exercises do-able at home for those of you without a gym membership, but if you do go to a gym or want to invest in some at home equipment, which is still far cheaper than a gym pass, the Bosu ball is one brilliant bit of kit.

The Bosu ball is basically half a swiss ball with a flat side. It can be used either way up in a variety of ways and once again squeezes every last bit of result out of your workout. If you don’t have access to one, all of these exercises can be done on level ground. So don’t let it stop you!

Exercise 1 – La Lunge!

1. Place the Bosu ball flat side down, (or just find a nice flat surface to work on,) and stand far enough behind the ball to take a large step forward and be able to place one foot in the middle of the ball.

2. Place your hands on your hips and take a step forward to place one foot squarely in the middle of the ball, as in the first picture.

*Images from Beginner Triathlete

3. Bending both knees, the back on at a right angle, lower yourself down as shown in the middle and right hand pictures. Keep your back straight and don’t let you knee touch the floor.

4. Slowly come up and take a step back again so both of your feet are back together and side by side.

5. Repeat. You should be aiming for about 15 reps of this for each leg, building up to 20 – more for the legs than the arms, as they are bigger muscles. These look easy, but the extra effort of keeping your self upright on a non flat surface makes all your supporting muscles kick in.

Exercise 2 – Sergeant Squat

It’s not pretty, but it works a treat and a few squats will shape up your bum like nothing you’ve ever done before!

1. Turn the Bosu ball upside down, so the flat side is facing uppermost, kind of like a space hopper.

2. Do this near a wall, to help you get on, as it’s bit tricky. (I won’t describe my own complete lack of co-ordination in attempting these as it verges on the utterly embarrassing, but I can say it gets much easier each time you do it!) You need to stand on the ball as shown below, feet an equal distance apart, and get your balance!

*Images from Beginner Triathlete

3. Next do your squat. It’s difficult to describe, and even more difficult to do, but as you bend the knee, you need to sit back, (whilst keeping your balance!) The natural tendency is to let the knees come forwards over your feet to retain your balance, but instead, place your arms out ahead of you to help balance, and sit back. Stick your bottom out – it’s the correct form and will really help you get results. (I find doing this one side on in front of the mirror helps you to watch that the knees don’t creep forwards.)

4. Again, come up to your starting position. You will find these very difficult at first due to the concentration required to keep your balance, but do them slowly and work up to 15 or 20 again. It does get easier .

I’m really not a fan of the leg work out, and I’m not going to talk about exercises here that I have no experience of, so that’s it for today. Don’t forget your cardio will help massively to trim up your legs too.

We’d love to hear about any exercises you love to do for your legs and bum though. Drop us a comment below and let us know if you’ve tried them or if you’ve got great results from something in particular – Charlotte and I will put them to the test!

Yours Truly,

Contra
xoxo

Yup, you guessed it, I’m talking about the part of the body most girls love to hate, Bingo wings.

Here at Rock My Wedding we know that getting into shape can be a massive weight (get it?!) on a Brides mind and whether you’re a svelte size 8 or at the far curvier end of the spectrum, who doesn’t want to look their best on Wedding day?

Now let me be clear, (ahem, *stern voice*). We are NOT here to tell you to lose weight. Oh no. The message here is far more along the lines of love the skin you’re in, but as we are all about making the best of what you’ve got and making you feel fabulous on your wedding day then read on for my tips on getting wedding day toned.

For those ladies looking for weight loss tips (and I will be controversial and brutally honest here… your newly toned muscles will only be able to shine if they aren’t too thickly covered in the post Christmas blubber,) then the only method of weight loss I can recommend is Weight Watchers. It isn’t something I did pre-wedding, but it is something I did post university – 6 years of a bl*ody good time takes it’s toll on a gal, and thank God I acted fast 3 years in!

Now that’s enough of that nasty subject .

Over the rest of the week you can expect to see a mini exercise program that I followed in the run up to my big day. Today we will cover arms then we have 2 more on legs/bums and finally, tums. I used mostly free weights in the gym, but where possible I will try and offer a gym free alternative for those of you saving the pennies for wedding day pieces of pretty.

And here’s the disclaimer. Rock My Wedding accepts no responsibility for any injuries sustained whilst trying to do these exercises. If you have any relevant health conditions please see your doctor before embarking upon an exercise regime and if it hurts when you attempt any of these exercises, stop and rest. (Thats a ‘bad’ hurt as opposed to the ‘good’ hurt I want you all to feel after doing these that says it’s working. And we accept full responsibility for any fabulous results you may achieve .)

The Rules

Ok, so I would be lying if I said this wasn’t going to take a bit of hard work. If you want to see results you need to be exercising 3 times a week and if you want to lose weight too then you will have to modify your diet one way or another.

Plan your week so you spend each one of the 3 sessions focusing on a muscle group, ie arms Monday, legs Wednesday and tums Friday. If you have a problem area, or one that positively strikes fear into your heart when you think about THE dress (this was arms for me – the only bit really on show) then try and do a bit of this every time you are there. So for example, you might do a full arms work out on Monday, legs on Wednesday with a set of tricep dips and bicep curls thrown in and tums on Friday with a set of lateral raises and Schwarzenegger specials on top. (Yes, as in Arnie, and no, you won’t end up looking like him!)

Exercise 1 – The lateral raise

I should start by saying, I am all about maximum result for minimum effort, and for that reason I recommend you do most exercises on the exercise ball, also known as a swiss ball. If you don’t have one, and they can be purchased for less than a fiver if you have the storage space, you can do it just as well standing on your own 2 feet, feet hips width apart. The swiss ball adds an extra dimension by ensuring your work your core when you are subconsciously trying not to fall off the ball.

1. Find a mirror so you can always check your form. Form (or ‘technique’ – the way you do the exercise,) is key to achieving results; There’s no point doing it badly. Find some free weights. Again these can be purchased for home use, or found in your gym. They need to feel heavy or they won’t do anything! As a rough guide if you have never used free weights before, maybe start with a 2kg weight in each hand. I use a 3kg weight and if you’re getting a bit panicky or the weights are starting to feel easier, move up a kg. Always push yourself!

*Images courtesy of iPosture.

2. Sitting on the swiss ball or standing with feet hips width apart, facing the mirror hold both arms down by your sides.

3. Raise both arms together slowly out sideways at 90 degrees to your body. Stop when your hands are level with your shoulders and then slowly move them back down to the starting position.

4. Repeat. How many times you repeat is up to you and your ability. Good amounts to aim for when starting are 8 or 12 repetitions and you can move on to 15 or 20 when you get stronger. Bear in mind that your form should not be compromised, even on the last one, but you should be struggling to get the last one out. And don’t over do it on the first set as you need to be doing 3 sets of each exercise.

Yep that’s 3 sets of 8 at least.

Exercise 2 – Biceps 7’s

There’s nothing new or cool about bicep curls, but please don’t avoid them because you think you will look silly or grow biceps like pop-eye! Women simply don’t have the ability to grow muscle mass like men, do not fear!

1. Again, either sat on the swiss ball or standing in front of the mirror hold a free weight in both hands. Place your arms by your sides and turn your grip so your palm is facing the mirror too.

2. Bend your arm up towards your shoulder in front of your body and release back down. Do it slowly and think about the muscle you are using – the bicep runs down the front of the arm between shoulder and elbow, in this position. Thinking about any muscle you are using will help you concentrate on doing the exercise properly. (Shown below left.)

3. Repeat 7 times.

*Images courtesy of Valerie Waters and Marie Claire.

4. For you next set of 7, only bend the arm to 90 degrees (shown above right,) then release. Repeat 7 times.

5. Repeat all 14 curls 3 times. If you can’t manage that, aim for 2 run throughs instead but make sure after a couple of weeks of building your strength you increase to 3.

Exercise 3 – Triceps Dips

Another one that is neither new nor fancy but works. Simple as. You can perform this exercise using a gym step (or step aerobics fame), the end of a gym bench, or at home of the edge of a chair.

1. Get into position. Sit on whatever item you will be doing the dips off and place the heels of your hands on the edge of the bench/chair. Get a good grip as they will be supporting your weight! stretch your legs out in front of you. You can keep them bent for an easier work out, or straight and crossed at the ankles for a more difficult dip.

2. Edge your bottom off the bench/chair until your weight is supported by your arms behind you.

*Images courtesy of FitSugar.

3. Bend your arms at the elbow and slowly lower your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees. (Keep the elbows parallel with each other.)

4. Push up using the triceps (NOT the legs,) which run along the back of the arm until you are back in your starting position. Do not put your bottom back on the bench between dips!

5. Repeat 8, or 12 times, for 3 sets again.

Exercise 4 – The Schwarzenegger Special!

This is a personal favourite of mine and I never miss an opportunity to get a set done. So named because apparently (says Mr Contra,) Arnie used to do them, they provide a wicked work out for the arms, shoulders and back – the perfect strapless dress exercise.

1. Get into position. Sit on the swiss ball with your weights. Lift your arms to the lateral raise position then flex the elbow to 90 degrees. (Yes, you should look like ‘He-man’!) Now turn your wrists so your palm faces the mirror. This is your starting position. (Below left)

*Images courtesy of iPosture.

2. Push the weights straight up, bringing them together in a slow controlled manner. There should be no banging of the weights bouncing off each other! (Above Right)

3. Bring the arms back down to your starting position.

4. Next, keeping the arms bent at 90 degrees, bring the forearms together in front of your face, keeping the forearm vertical). Squeeze the elbows together to really feel it along the triceps. (Sorry no picture for this – use your imagination!)

5. Return your arms to the starting position. This is one full repetition of the Schwarzenegger Special.

6. Repeat. This is a hard one so maybe aim for 8 first time, building up to 12 after a couple of weeks, and again you need to do 3 sets.

And thats all for this session ladies.

Get thyselves to the Gym or working out at home and kiss goodbye to Bingo Betty!
We’d love to know if you have any fail safe arm exercises or if getting toned is something you plan on doing for the big day. See you on Wednesday for leg and bum shapers…

Yours Truly,

Contra
xoxo