In this series we’ll be featuring Lisa Brown International’s recent styled shoot, paying tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld, and showcasing her graduate students’ work. First up, we take a look at how incorporating bold hair accessories with sleek, old-Hollywood hair resulted in a timeless hair affair:
Big, chunky pearl sliders and a glitter barrette keep hair neatly tucked behind your ear.
A single barrette that matches your earrings looks clean and simple, while being functional. Earrings from Jade SA (www.jade-sa.co.za)
Bold hair clips on either side of your parting help keep hair sleek and neat. Use two of the same on either side, or mix and match!
A big headpiece might be daunting, but if the rest is kept simple, it can be quite striking. Earrings from LE RU (www.le-ru.co.za)
It’s sweet and delicate – a detailed hairpiece can be the ideal choice for fine hair while still providing stability.
All images by Pritti by Migneon Marais Photography
Make-up and hair by Lisa Brown International Dresses all by Cindy Bam Styling by Claudia Waschefort from CW Make-up & Styling Coordinated by Love Lienkie Events Furniture & Decor Styling by Country Daughters Shot on location at La Paris Estate, Franschhoek
Lavender truly is a versatile little bloom. Used to calm and soothe you before bedtime, fill up your garden with sweet scents and pastel colours, or, in your wedding florals. Although it’s not a common first choice when picking blooms for your bouquet, table or installations, it really should be. Here are a few clever ways on how to incorporate lavender into your special day:
Confetti
It’s hardy enough to dry without breaking, and won’t litter the environment like plastic and glitter will.
If you’re going for a more dainty, rustic type of aesthetic, lavender is the perfect pick for a long-lasting and budget-friendly addition, or to use alone.
It’s whimsical, a little wild and undeniably romantic. And because you need larger amounts of flowers to fill up the space, lavender offers a wallet-friendly alternative to more expensive flowers.
Instead of incorporating flowers that are bound to wilt and break off, pin small pieces of lavender sprigs and young blooms to your flower crown, in your updo or in your plait.
Take small vases or pots and place bunches of lavender everywhere your guests will be lounging or sitting, perfect for an al fresco setting with the added bonus of being a natural insect repellent. Alternatively, place bunches of fresh lavender along the centre of your tables instead of traditional runners.
A gift that keeps on giving is the ultimate gift. Give your guests seed pods or a small lavender plant to take home with them, plant and eventually harvest.
When it comes to ‘business in the front and party at the back’, wedding dresses with gorgeous back detail have got it down.
Whether you’re looking for something simple, modern or over the top, we’ve got all the (local!) inspiration you need for your dream wedding dress right here:
With so many beauty trends out there, constantly being reinvented, it’s difficult to choose exactly what you want your make-up to look like on your wedding day. Take these 4 looks, straight from the runway, as inspiration for a look that will be striking and timeless to boot.
Don’t be afraid of a bold lip – just keep the rest simple. Bold brows make for the perfect addition to tangerine-stained lips, along with fresh rosy cheeks.
Choosing a signature fragrance that represents who you are as a person is one thing, but finding a special one, separate from your everyday life, is another. If you’re planning to buy a special fragrance for your wedding day, take these thoughts into consideration:
What do you like?
Consider the type of fragrance you’re usually drawn to, and eliminate the ones you absolutely don’t like. If you want to try something new and different, make sure to get a sample of the fragrance so that you can wear it beforehand and figure out if it suits you. Remember, fragrances smell different on you than it does in a bottle. Furthermore, experiment and try out scents with different notes, but from the fragrance families you like. So if you usually wear a floral fragrance, try something with citrus notes – perfect for a summer ceremony al fresco. Or if you want something warmer for an evening reception, try jasmine, amber or musk notes.
Taking inspiration from your floral arrangements or bouquet is a clever way of tying your elements together, as well as creating a special scent memory. You’ll likely have beautifully fragrant flowers throughout your wedding space, so choose a fragrance that carries those same notes. If you’re having roses, choose a scent with geranium as one of the heart notes. If you’re having a forest of eucalyptus, choose a scent with fresh, herbaceous notes such as bergamot and pine. And if you’re using local fynbos and Proteas as your floral focus, go for a fragrance with woody or earthy notes such as vanilla, sandalwood and oud.
Although you and your partner probably don’t usually share the same fragrance, it’s a good idea to do that for your wedding. Your sense of smell is directly linked to the olfactory processing system in the memory part of your brain, which is why a certain fragrance can immediately take you back to a certain moment in your life. With this olfactory element, it also triggers emotions, which your wedding day will definitely be filled with. Choose a fragrance that will represent both your personalities, with an added element that represents you as a couple, too. If you like a floral fragrance, and your partner likes something spicy, combine the two, then add a note of something you both like, like the smoky scent of a campfire or the crisp scent of freshly cut grass.
After you’ve picked your wedding fragrance, whether you and your partner will share it or not, carry the fragrance through to the rest of the space as well. A lot of fragrance houses have candles and diffusers within the same fragrance range, so place these elements on the tables, in the bathrooms or in spaces where guests will be spending a lot of time to create a sillage that goes beyond just you.
You wake up on the day of your wedding and your skin is on fire. Although it’s not ideal, there are easy ways to soothe and calm skin down in a flash by following a few simple steps and being prepared.
In advance
It’s an absolute fact that stress and anxiety causes inflammation, which could potentially worsen conditions like eczema, psoriasis and general sensitivity. It also disrupts your sleep pattern, leading to less efficient time for your skin to recover and, thus, a duller appearance. However, saying you should reduce stress and actually doing it are two very different things. But it is crucial to your skin’s sanity. Helping your body and mind relax a little could be as simple as going for a walk, taking a well-deserved nap or starting your day with a few minutes of meditation. This will help reduce cortisol levels which will bring down inflammation. Along with that, make sure you drink enough water to keep your skin hydrated from the inside and up your energy levels.
The day before
Try to keep your skin as clean as possible the day before – that means no make-up, no harsh products, and no crazy masks or treatments. Also, stay out of the sun completely. Avoid salty food and alcohol as this can cause further puffiness. Before you go to bed, make sure your skin is properly cleansed and do a very light exfoliation with a formula that you trust. Lastly, seal in moisture with a good, hydrating moisturiser while your skin is still damp, then call it an early night.
The day of
If you’ve been taking proper care of your skin in the months and days leading up to the big day, you should be fine – but Murphy’s Law always has something else planned. Don’t fear, just reach for the ice. Should you wake up with red, itchy and inflamed skin on the morning of your wedding, wash your face with a gentle cream cleanser. It should contain ingredients such as chamomile, aloe vera, and lavender for an ultra calming effect. Then, take a few ice blocks and wrap them in a soft, damp face cloth or muslin cloth. Gently press the ice to irritated areas on your face for a good few minutes to help calm down inflammation and constrict blood vessels. Take this time to relax and lie down, or take a cool bath. Apply a soothing mask with a high aloe vera content afterward and keep it on until you need to start getting your make-up done.
Our favourite redness-reducing heroes:
Bioderma Cicabio Creme R236.95 Available at Clicks. Picture: SuppliedThe Body Shop Aloe Soothing Rescue Cream Mask R210 Available at The Body Shop Picture: SuppliedAloe Unique Aloe & Honey Gel Mask R119 Available online at aloeunique.co.za Picture: SuppliedDermalogica Calm Water Gel R949 Available online at dermalogica.co.za Picture: Supplied
The wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana was anything but happily ever after. To the avid royal follower, it was nothing short of a fairytale. From her dreamy ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, to her impressive 7.62m train and a 1.4m tulle veil – it was picture-perfect.
What most didn’t know is that there were a string of unfortunate incidents throughout the day – even a princess has mishaps on her special day. Here are a few rather interesting things that didn’t go according to plan.
Princess Diana Spilled perfume on the front of her dress. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images
1.Spilled perfume
After Diana put her gown on she tried to dab some perfume onto her pulse points and mistakenly dropped the bottle on her dress. According to her makeup artist, Barbara Daly, the signature scent created especially for her big day spilled down the front of the wedding gown. Daly tried frantically to wipe the dress but it left a large stain behind. The best advice Daly could give the princess was to hold the dress where the scent had spilled and pretend as though she is lifting it up to avoid tripping over it. Luckily, no one even noticed.
2. The tiny carriage wrinkled her dress
The ideal arrival is a horse-drawn carriage… unless you are wearing a massive ballgown with a 7.6m train and big puffy sleeves, of course. Lady Diana and her father John Spencer were transported to St Paul’s Cathedral in the Queen’s ceremonial glass coach. While very beautiful, the carriage is also rather small. When Diana hopped out of the carriage, her dress and train was noticeably creased. Alas, she had to walk down the aisle all a little wrinkled.
3. Getting married was a headache
Quite literally, according to Charles Spence, Diana’s brother, she had a massive headache the entire day because of the heavy tiara. While it is tradition to wear one of the Queen’s tiaras, Diana instead opted for a Spencer family heirloom, which weighed heavily on her head.
4. The wrong name
All of England loved her for it – when it came time to recite her vows at the alter, in front of the entire world watching, Diana mistakenly called the Prince, “Philip Charles” Arthur George, instead of “Charles Philip” Arthur George. A tongue twister of note, and with so many people watching, all was forgiven.
5. Charles returned the favour
Charles laughed off Diana’s faux pax, then returned the favour. While reciting his vows to her, he ‘accidentally’ changed the wording – instead of “my worldly goods,” he said “thy goods”.
The lesson from all of these missteps? Some things will always go wrong – even fairytales don’t have it all together.
Traditionally, wearing white to someone else’s wedding would be a definite no-no, but as weddings become more contemporary, modern brides will often not even always wear white themselves, and wearing white if you’re not the bride seems to be less of a taboo, too. With that said, it’s always a good idea to ask the bride for permission, but we know how stressful weddings can be and those daring enough to bother the bride days before her wedding are braver than the marines. So we’ve put together four ways to wear white to someone else’s wedding, tastefully.
If white is going to be your main colour for your ensemble, try and break it up with some colour-blocked layering. Opt for coloured jackets, coats or shoes so you have something that will draw attention away from the fact that you’re wearing white.
If a solid-white garment seems too inappropriate, why not opt for a white-based print instead. Bold prints with vivid colours help make the overall whiteness of your ensemble less apparent.
It’s slightly easier to get away with wearing white at someone else’s wedding if the silhouettes and fabric of your outfit steer clear of those of traditional dresses, or whatever the bride and bridesmaids might be wearing.
They’re elegant, classic and evoke a slightly more relaxed feel, as if you picked the flowers yourself just before the wedding. Stick to one type of flower, such as big white roses, or mix and match for a more bohemian vibe.
If you love a more rustic feel, this trend is right up your alley. Use it in addition to the rest of your floral arrangements, or make it the main attraction by using pampas grass, dried and pressed flowers, sheaves, and hops.
Forget floral arrangements resembling your overall colour scheme. Incorporating tons of vibrant colours and hues into your bouquets, table settings, aisle and backdrops will make a bold statement and add to the overall festive feeling.
Instead of shelling out on imported or out-of-season flowers, have a look at what’s immediately availabe, locally grown and sustainable. This won’t just save you a lot of money, but will add a special touch to your decor, as well as keep your carbon footprint low.
Wedding season is around the corner, and with that, lovely South African summer weddings. And although we love the warm evenings and longer days, a summer wedding does come with its fair share of drawbacks. We’ve gathered some solutions to help you keep your cool, and your guests comfortable.
We love a good DIY project, and this one is particularly practical. It will not only help keep your guests cool (and smelling lovely), but could serve as a nifty little favour as well. You’ll need:
Small bottles with fine-mister nozzles (you can buy them at most bulk plastic suppliers)
Distilled water
Glycerin (a few drops per bottle)
Essential Oils (a few drops per bottle)
Combine all the ingredients in the bottles, and shake well. Try peppermint, lemongrass or lavender essential oils for a fresh, invigorating scent that repels bugs at the same time.
No matter where you are, mosquitoes always somehow manage to join the party and bring an unwelcome annoyance. Place citronella candles or diffusers with citronella essential oil on tables inside and outside, close to food, or wherever your guests will spend the most of time, to keep the bugs away.
Yes, your guests will most likely be sipping champagne, cocktails and the like, but it’s important to also have plenty of water available too. Alcohol causes us to develop a slight flush, even if it’s not noticeable in some people, leading to higher body temperature and dehydration to some degree, and even more so in hot weather. Have jugs and bottles of ice-cold water ready at a dedicated hydration station so guests have no excuse not to stay hydrated.
If you’re having an outside ceremony, it’s essential to provide your guests with some sort of shelter against the blistering sun. If you don’t plan on having umbrellas, provide your guests with individual parasols that they can use during the ceremony. Fans are also ideal to offer your guests to give them the option of fanning themselves during the ceremony as well as the rest of the night during dance breaks.
