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Summer Beauty Picks To Keep You Fresh-Faced And Flawless On Your Wedding Day

Summer weddings are beautiful, with the blue skies, lush greens and thriving flowers. The outdoors are alive-- what a perfect setting to dedicate yourself to your life-long love! Embrace the season and play up summer's zest with a beauty regimen that will put you in steep competition with the ravishing landscape. There are, however, some things to caution with such a fruitful time of year, like the heat that can turn a bride from stunning to sweltering. Oil-free foundations are a must, as are formulas that are light and airy to let your pores breathe. However, sometimes light and airy is synonymous with flaky, non-lasting makeup, so you'll need some of these dependable picks to last you on your ceremony of a lifetime. In the heat of the moment, you'll need a moisturizer first to start off fresh (oil-free of course), followed by a primer to make everything stay all day. A summer wedding is code for flawless skin, so you'll want to play up your skin tone with the some sunshine accents. More importantly, you'll want to brighten up without upstaging your skin with too much color splashing other areas of your face. While you'll want shimmer and bronzer to brighten your base, you won't want to get too bold with autumnal plums or merry reds sprinkled on your eyes and lips. For your eyes, soft summer colors will certainly be staple items in your makeup bag: you'll use those to match your wedding theme's color composition. Don't let the lips overdo the statement your skin is making either by choosing a natural, more matte look that will make your lips a kissably-soft surprise for the leading man. Any color like Stila's Long Wear Lip Color in Darling (Golden Champagne) would be a perfect fit. If you must be bold with color, choose a nail color with some botanical bite. When it's all said and done, the beauty picks in this slideshow will make you an amazing summer queen!

10 Outdoor Entertaining Tools You Need For The 4th Of July And Beyond!

The 4th of July is rapidly approaching and I've been busy figuring out how I'm going to go to all the barbecue parties and picnics I said I'd go to! (I mean, how could I say no to juicy burgers, grilled veggies and cold drinks with all my friends and family?) Anyway, I know I have plenty of capable people who can work the grill as well as Bobby Flay so I can definitely count on a delicious meal. They've got the grill and the charcoal ready, but the last time I went to an outdoor grilling party, I noticed that all their tools have seen better days. I'm looking to replace their ratty and singed oven mitts with a suede bbq grilling mitt instead. There are some things that they didn't know they need too like the magic seasoning sheets that lay on the perfect flavor. For more outdoor entertaining tools that will make your 4th of July (and beyond!) tastier, check out my slideshow!

Go Red, White And Chic For The Fourth Of July!

Every year, the fourth of July rolls around and I'm left rummaging through my closet that consist of mostly neutrals and end up showing up to a fourth of July party looking dressed for a funeral and not a BBQ. Quite often the thought of parading around in extraordinary bright colors and mixed patterns and still looking fashionable is extremely daunting. After reviewing some of the spring runway shows I see that red white and blue, when not taken too literally with stars and stripes, can be amazingly chic. Taking cues from Michael Kors' retro Pleasantville-with-a-twist look, I'll be able to put together a fantastic 4th of July ensemble. I'll make the "Plaza Estie" striped skirt the cornerstone of my outfit-- it covers all the necessary colors for the holiday and its flared puffy skirt will leave lots of room for hot dogs and potato salad. A ballet flat with a loud print like Betsey Johnson's circle flat can funk up the primness of the skirt and is great for outdoor events because the last thing you want is your stilettos getting stuck in the grass. Top the look off with a plain white tee, grab a red, white, and blue bikini for a dip in the pool, and you're looking as festive as the fireworks. Check out the slideshow for how to get the look, and other chic red white and blue picks!

Wedding Gowns That Don't Cost An Arm And A Leg

If we could have it our way, money would be of no object in the budgeting of our wedding day. And while the recession may limit our spending, it doesn't have to limit our fun in planning the perfect nuptials. Sure, Heidi Pratt may have looked great in $20,000, but perhaps it says a little something more if you can look great in $500 or less. These days, that extra $19,500 or so might look a bit better in house, car or food form than it does on your already beautiful self -- you'd probably be surprised just how good a $500 or less dress looks, anyway! While I'll always be here to give you slideshows of dream gowns made for Cinderella herself, don't skip over the ones we're actually more likely to catwalk down our own aisle!

Shop DIYthing's Favorite Handmade Wedding Favors On Etsy!

Wedding planning can be super stressful, with all the lists you have to make and the shopping trips that will pile up, but that shouldn't stop you from finding special gifts and wedding favors for your wedding party and other guests. We've rounded up some of the best handmade gifts that your friends and family are sure to remember for years to come. We have luxurious edible sweets from Fat Daddy Sweets and personalized wine cork place card holders by CorkeyCreations. Toybreaker, our favorite indie tie design shop, has a special set of ties for your groomsmen. Handmade gifts are great for offering personalized, custom pieces like the handmade engraved stones by SJ Engraving. And, you will be sure to notice that wedding planning will be less stressful, as you can order these, and other handmade wedding favors, online at Etsy. Check out our slideshow to see them all.

Make Sure Your Occasion Jewelry Is Conflict-Free With Diamond Nexus Labs

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Not all diamonds are a girl's best friend. No one wants to look down at their jewelry and know that their stone caused conflict in far away countries and harm to their planet (thoughts we can't escape after seeing "Blood Diamond" and reading eco-friendly websites). So what do we do? Give up diamonds? The answer lies in Diamond Nexus Labs. This company was eco-friendly long before the "green" craze, and all of their diamonds are both environmentally friendly and conflict-free. However, with all the benefits to these stones, you won't be sacrificing quality-- something you'd never dream of giving up when it comes to engagement rings or special occasion jewelry.


To see the rest of the story, plus more fashion and style news, click over to our friends at Whatswear!

Last-Minute Gifts To Save Your Behind This Father's Day

When it comes to gift shopping, I can dish out plenty of advice on picking out the right presents for every kind of recipient, but I'm definitely guilty of not following my own words of wisdom regarding planning ahead! If you're like me and often find yourself smacking your forehead in frustration upon realizing that you are yet again empty-handed just days before Father's Day, you will be relieved to know that not all hope is lost. While scoring that just-released gadget your dad has been eyeing or shipping in a thoughtful personalized present may be out of the question if you're looking to be prompt with your gift-giving, you might just be able to save yourself from being deemed your dad's least favorite or "the heartless forgetful one" by making a quick trip to your local Target or Walmart. From Father's Day themed candy gift boxes to men's accessory essentials like wallets and watches, these gifts may be impromptu and kind of corny, but at least you didn't put in zero effort. Check the slideshow for more last-minute Father's Day gifts, perfect for a guy who doesn't shop enough to know the difference!

Extravagant Bridal Gowns By Ilana L and Romy Collection Take The Cake!

A one-of-a-kind girl, her one-of-a-kind day, and certainly, a one-of-a-kind gown to dress her in -- the gowns by Ilana L Designs and sister-designer Romy Collection fit the bill! On your wedding day, perfection isn't too much to ask, and it's easy to see why these gowns make for the perfect compliment to any bride's body. The dresses are so meticulously intricate, it's almost as if they belong in a gallery rather than a boutique. Both branches offer dresses from four collections: Elegant, Sexy, Romantic, and Royalty... but really, you could use any of those words to adequately describe any dress they carry! As if the very femininely-shaped cuts weren't flattering enough, the trademarked cut-outs and sheer fabrics make the happy bride who chooses these ensembles a sure sight for sore eyes. Feasting your eyes upon their collection will definitely satisfy your hunger for artistic and stylistic beauty, as the tremendous beauty of Ilana L and Romy Collection's works are as addictive as rich, red-velvet wedding cake!

Father's Day Presents For The Pampered Papa!

Father's Day is pretty much here and if you haven't gotten your dad a gift yet, you better get on it quick! Men in general are notoriously hard to shop for, and fathers are the hardest of the bunch to find a great gift to give. In an effort to solve this dilemma for ourselves, we've researched and written about numerous gift ideas and suggestions. Here is one more attempt to help find you that perfect Father's Day gift that is not a tie and that dad will love! If your father already seems to have everything, then get him something useful but completely superfluous! He probably has a couple of drugstore razors in his medicine cabinet. Why not get him a beautiful silver or wood finish shave set? I'm sure he already has a wallet, or maybe a money-clip, but perhaps a new soft Italian leather wallet will look even nicer! Women feel entitled to numerous pampering procedures, but men deserve the prince(ss) treatment from time to time too! Maybe a spa and massage session will help lift the stress off his shoulders... or perhaps he's a fashionable father and a great piece of statement jewelry is all he needs to add a little pep in his step! And what makes these luxe gifts even better is that they're from you, so check out the slideshow for some more great gift ideas to spoil your dad!

Father's Day Gifts For The Dad Who Has Everything

If buying my mom a good Mother's Day gift was challenging, buying a Father's Day gift is nearly impossible! Already, there is a sharp decrease in the amount of beauty products, jewelry, apparel and fragrances that are marketed for men. My dad already has everything that he wants and if he doesn't have it, it probably means he can't afford it and if he can't afford it, I definitely can't! So year after year, right about now, I start racking my brains for something that is cool, unique and re-usable. After extensive research and many tiring hours of online shopping, I have come up with a list for myself as well as anyone else who has a hard father to shop for. From the quirky but practical, like a front-pocket wallet to help relieve dad's back stress and deter pick-pockets or a sweet and sentimental personalized photo night-light, you'll be able to find something for you dad who has everything! Your dad would probably buy you the moon if he could. Well, you can beat him to it and buy him an acre of celestial land, complete with a deed and documents! Workaholics, wine aficionados, gourmet gardeners and all those in between, check out this slideshow for some original Father's Day gifts that your doting dad is sure to love!


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