Holistic Bridal Beauty Prep : Beauty Boosting Nutrition

Everyone that knows me how much I love healthy food and nutrition, I might sometimes annoy my friends with my words of wisdom and also always healthy food choices. So why would I take supplements?

Why Supplements? I believe that if you work in a demanding job or go through periods of stress or high workloads, sometimes your food intake just can't offer enough nutrients. There are so many different situations in life, where your body can do with a little help including for us women pregnancy, conceiving and menopause. Just to maintain a healthy regular cycle and balanced hormones it's important to look after your nutrition. Our skin, hair and nails also shows us pretty quickly if we are lacking something. Pay attention and listen to your body. Even though I am overall healthy and free of any serious illness, I take little warning signs of my body very seriously. If my digestion is not as usual, if I get breakouts and pimples, dry skin, mood swings or simply feel tired, I know it's time to change something. It's a great idea to give the body a little boost and help it out with some supplements and I have always seen great results. Sleep, good nutrition, enough fresh water and regular exercise are all important and supplements can only work as part of a healthy lifestyle. There is no shortcut to good health! I recommend seeing a Nutritionist or seeking advice in your local health food store, they can often be very knowledgeable.

My Beauty Boosters: Right now I am doing a detox with HUM Daily Cleanse & HUM Runway Ready. It is a four week course and I will make sure to continue until I run out. HUM actually offers an online consultation and a professional Nutritionist will contact you to recommend products. I thought the consultation was pretty fun and the Daily Cleanse sounded like something that could do me good. All their products are sustainably sourced, premium quality, non GMO, pure and also clinically proven to work!

Aisle Ready The Runway Ready is a fun beauty supplement for everyone, it will help with healthy nails, shiny hair and glowing skin and is also vegetarian and vegan. Which is great as many supplements contain animal products, and are not suitable for everyone. It comes in a pretty dispenser box with daily packs which contain 3 capsules. Super easy peasy! The whole box is a one month course. I just throw one sachet into my handbag in the morning and then take them with my lunch. Each sachet contains 2 "Red Carpet" Pills and 1 "Killer Nails" Pill. They contain Black Currant Seed Oil: Perfect Source of ALA & GLA Sunflower Seed Oil: Great Source of Vitamin E and Vegan Biotin which Strengthens the nails. I thought this could be an excellent idea to get ready for the wedding.

Skin Cleanse Within a week of the Daily Cleanse I saw my skin being more clear and I also felt I had great energy throughout the day. I take 2 capsules per day without food, it's super quick and easy even if my schedule is packed. These are meant to cleanse your skin, liver, bowel, kidneys and lungs with Organic Algae, Cleansing Minerals and a unique blend of 15 Detox Herbs. I will complete the course and possibly do a second one closer to the wedding.

Glow I have also been trying The Beauty Chef Inner Glow Powder, which is from a different brand. Inner Glow has really helped my skin and digestion. It's a delicious natural berry flavoured powder to be taken with water and it's basically made from fermented super foods. They help making your gut happy by providing pre- and probiotics, but it's also naturally packed with vitamins, minerals and vegetable proteins. Did I mention, it tastes delicious? I first thought it's a little pricey but it seems to last a while, as you only need to take a teaspoon per day. I am planning on keep on going with this one until the big day.

Before I started the Hum Daily Cleanse I just started taking a Magnesium Supplement for better sleep and less stress as well as a Super Green Powder, which is very powerful and was recommended to my by a independent Nutritionist. I loved both and will probably use it again if needed. As always do your research and ask a professional before buying supplements. It's important to make sure your supplements are free from cheap fillers or nasty ingredients, there are big differences in quality, many of the cheap vitamins from the supermarket won't cut it!

Have you tried supplements? What are your experiences? Feel free to share.

The Lane Makeup Artist Natural Wedding Makeup

All wedding photos by : A Bear A Dear And A Fox Beauty Photo by Stephanie Alcaino for White Magazine

Yesterday I received an email letting me know that one of the wonderful weddings I created the natural bridal hair & makeup for has been featured over at The Lane. The bride Jenna was one of the most fun ones I have ever worked with and check out all her beyond talented friends creating beautiful details for her wedding. She is also founder of the boutique natural soap business Maple Soaps, which are the most gorgeous handcrafted vegan soaps, which smell delicous and are free of any synthetic fragrance.

I was also interviewed and asked about my tips on how to create my signature natural makeup look, as seen above. I thought I share it here with you, along with with best products to achieve this look:

One of our enduringly favourite looks for bridal beauty is this supernatural face you created…how did you do it? The right prep and base is key for this minimally beautiful look. Spritz you face with a hydrating mist, I currently love Gressa Purifying Mist. Then apply a high quality skin serum oil, for example Gressa Purifying Oil for radiant, well prepped skin. A cream highlighter applied to cheekbones enhances the bone structure. A sheer foundation like Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation or tinted moisturizer buffed into the skin with a soft foundation brush evens out skin without masking it. For extra radiance & colour corrections try using Stratus another great product by luxury organic brand Vapour. Use a high coverage concealer like Au Naturale Creme Concealer only to cover redness or blemishes for an invisible flawless finish. Use a completely translucent powder only through the t-zone to keep excess shine at bay.

And the eyes, they're 'enhanced' but not heavily made up…whats the secret to achieving that? Start with hydrating the eye area. Tata Harper Restorative Eye Crème is a real winner. Evening out the eyelid with a hint of a tinted eye-primer or foundation. Apply a dab of clear gloss as highlight in the inner corners or alternatively a shimmery light eyeshadow like Au Naturale Creme Eye Shadow. A nude eyeliner on the inner rim creates an open eyed fresh look. Enhance your eyelashes by curling them and coating them with a natural effect Mascara like 100% Pure Black Tea Mascara. It's important to make sure you apply the mascara right on the roots of the lashes to give that framing effect and a luscious thick lash line.

What about colour, what should brides keep in mind for a natural look but drawing on hints of colour like this? The only colour I used on this look focusses on the lips and cheeks. This is very soft matte peach tone, which will enhance the skin tone. To create the soft focus hint of colour, I recommend using the same product for lips & cheeks. RMS lip2cheek in demure is a great sublte colour. Dabbing it on with fingers will create that subtle effortless chic. It's best to carry the colour with you for touch-up's of the lips on your wedding day.

And any final, expert tips? Create a beauty ritual that you and your skin love as far out from the wedding as possible. I recommend keeping a routine that works for you and to avoid skincare changes closer to the day. Always choose quality products over quantity. I also believe that the actual beauty ritual is important: Take time to massage your skin daily or fit in the occasional professional spa facial massage, both will increase circulation and nutrition for the skin, delivering that glow from within and relax your facial muscles as well. Get used to keeping an hydrating spray on your desk and a multi tasking skin balm in your handbag to hydrate lips, cuticles and any dry areas in your face. This way your skin will be at it's best in time for your wedding or any occasion you might have coming up.

5 Tips For Healthy Shiny HAIR The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep

Photo by Luisa Brimble of Liv Lundelius

Do you want shiny locks and healthy hair for your wedding day (or just in general?) ? Here are my top tips on how to keep your scalp and hair naturally beautiful, enhance hair growth and prevent damage.

1. Deep Condition Once a week apply a deep hair conditioning treatment. You can use pure Coconut Oil if you are a purist or on a budget or you can use a luxurious store bought hair treatment. Always go for a toxin free hair product range! If you use coconut oil do this on a day off and sit in the sun, which will activate and heat up the oil. Protect your gorgeous skin in the sun though (with a natural zinc sunscreen) and be careful not to get burned before your wedding day. The trick with washing out oil treatments is to apply shampoo before wetting your hair then rinsing with water and then using a 2nd shampoo. Lather and rinse well. The use your regular conditioner.

2. Nourish from the inside Hair is protein discharge, and adding good quality protein to your diet will help encourage growth. Consuming enough healthy fat can aid in improving overall shine and texture. Eating more kale (vitamin C and Silica) berries (more C), onions, leeks, garlic or scallions (sulfur), mushrooms (zinc), almonds, brown rice (vitamin E), sunflower seeds (pantothenic acid – B5), and shitake mushrooms (copper) and a wide variety of antioxidant herbs like ginger, rosemary, and turmeric root, could benefit hair growth and make hair even more gorgeous! Eat WHOLE eggs (ALWAYS ORGANIC & FREE RANGE) . They contain biotin, folate, silica, and B-5, which are all universally known for helping promote lustrous hair.

3. Keep it natural Certain products can clog the hair shaft, and that will impede new growth. Many products contain alcohol, which will strip your hair. Choose natural, green products instead. I am a big fan of the John Masters Organics line because he uses a lot of essential oils and plant-based ingredients. I also love the Yarok Styling Products. If you are after a real super luxurious treat you can't go past Rahua products.

4. Be Gentle Many people break their hair when it is wet and most delicate by brushing to hard. Buy a high-quality professional hair dryer and use it at the medium setting, or don’t blow dry your hair at all. Use a wide comb or detangling brush and slowly work your way up, start at the ends. When using heating tools like a dryer, flat iron, curling iron, or hot rollers, be sure to use natural products for heat protection. Stay away from damaging heat tools if you can.

5. Protect! Braid your hair loosely or tie with soft ties to avoid any breakage, especially if you have dry or chemically treated hair. If you color your hair it's a good idea to wear a hat in the sun. It will protect your hair colour from fading or changing colour.

How to get the Look - Luminous Beauty for White Magazine

Photo by Scarlet & Sage, Hair&Makeup by Liv Lundelius

I just received the latest issue of White Magazine and as usual it's packed with beautiful inspiration, and honest articles on love, relationships and marriage. For this issue I was asked to create a series of bridal beauty looks and hair trends for brides. Here on the blog I share with you a little How-to on how I actually achieved these looks, together with the products used and recommended products.

Luminous Blushing Bride This look focuses on soft, radiant blush balanced with a subtle eye and lip.The only colour I used here is a radiant soft pink on the lips and cheeks. Skin: Apply Inika Truly Organic Liquid Foundation with a soft kabuki brush. It's a great product but a very limited colour range. It won't mask the skin or lovely freckles while still evening out the skin. Use a high coverage concealer only to cover redness or blemishes for an invisible flawless finish. I applied Inika Light Reflect on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. Use ILIA translucent powder only through the t-zone to keep excess shine at bay at the very end. Eyes: Start with evening out the eyelid with a hint of a tinted eye-primer or foundation. Apply a dab of Inika Creme Eyeshadow in Pink Cloud to highlight in the inner corners and apply a Jane Iredale Peach Sherbet Eyeshadow. Draw a thin line with Jane Iredale Jelly Gel Eyeliner in Brown along the upper lash line. Enhance your eyelashes by curling them and coating them with Longest Lash Mascara. Apply the mascara right on the roots of the lashes to give that framing effect and a luscious thick lash line. Brows: Fill in eyebrows softly with Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit and hold in place with Pure Brow Fix gel. Cheeks: ILIA Multistick in "All Of Me" to the apple of the cheek and warm into the skin using fingers Lips: Ilia Karma Chameleon Lip Crayon adds the perfect pop of colour leaving the lips looking moisturized.

Wild Braids Prep the hair with a heat protecting texturizing product and blow dry your hair to get a great shine and voloume. I used Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse and my H2D Hair dryer. Part your hair in the center and just behind the ear. Start braiding one large section from the front and secure the ends with an elastic. Wrap the section across your forehead where you wish to place it and secure with Bobbi Bins. Repeat on the other side and place just above your first braid. Braid the last 2 sections and pin in place so the head is evenly covered. Now start messing the braids up! Gently pull sections in the braids to create more texture and an uneven modern look. Spray with hair spray to enhance shine and hold style in place. A great natural spray is Yarok Feed Your Hold Spray

All looks are created with 100% luxurious, toxin free and/or organic beauty products that create professional results, while being good for you. I feel these looks are so versatile that they easily go beyond bridal and could of course be worn by anyone. I hope you enjoyed and I stay tuned for the next looks!

The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep: Get your Beauty Sleep

Photo by Simon Everiss, Makeup & Hair by Liv Lundelius Model: Annalise Mclachlan Styling: Rosemarie Pantling Interior: The Society Inc

I am thrilled to have beauty sleep expert and designer Natalija over at the blog today! She is the creative mind behind the stunning sleepwear label NATALIJA the label. The latest collection is awesome and I was lucky to see the designs prior to the launch, when I was working closely with founder Natalija to create the hair & makeup looks for the latest campaign. She is sharing some tips and info about Beauty Sleep with us and we also had a little chat about her collection.

Why is sleep so important for our skin and overall wellbeing?

Sleeping Beauty was onto something! I recently read a study that showed for the first time that poor quality sleep can accelerate signs of skin ageing

like wrinkles, age spots and inflammation. Lack of sleep can also weaken the skin’s ability to

repair itself at night from a variety of environmental stresses such as sun exposure. And it

may prevent adequate secretion of melatonin levels, which is a natural antioxidant that is

important in helping regulate the internal body clock’s cycle of sleep.

What can women do to improve their sleep? Are any rituals that you would like to share?

It is important to continue a well-balanced routine into the night to ensure you have a great

sleep and wake up feeling revitalised for the day ahead. Here are 3 simple solutions that

take minimal effort but will help prepare your body and mind for a restful night’s sleep (and

stay asleep!).

1. Stick to routine – set a reasonable bedtime for yourself and make sleep a priority.

Try to be in bed at the same time every night, this will reinforce your body’s sleep-

wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better.

2. Wind down before bed – spend about an hour unwinding with some relaxing

activities at the end of your day. This could include reading a book, listening to

soothing music, soaking in a warm bath or taking a shower.

3. Sip a cup of Sleep Tea - Chamomile is a small white petal flower, reminiscent of a

daisy. Commonly known as the sleep tea, it is usually dried and steeped into tea to

help soothe and relax the body, and help to promote a healthy sleep cycle and

overall wellbeing.

Your sleepwear labels designs are truly inspiring, I saw they are all made from natural fibre

like pure silk or cotton, can you tell us more about this? Choosing what to wear to bed can directly affect the quality of your sleep. My focus when

designing is on luxury and comfort, so I carefully selected fabrics that make women feel

beautiful, ensuring they have a great sleep and wake up feeling revitalised for the day

ahead!

Silk is considered to be one of best fabrics to sleep in. It is comfortable, soft to touch,

naturally hypoallergenic, breathable, and makes you feel AMAZING. Silk is also capable of

keeping you warm during winter, and cool in the hot summer months.

What inspired you to create a sleepwear line?

I first found inspiration in 2012. Newly engaged, I went in search for feminine and affordable

nightwear options to purchase for my bridesmaids and myself, to wear while getting ready

on the wedding morning. I felt my choices were limited as the options were either femme

fatale, dowdy or slightly immature. It was during this time I noticed a gap in the sleep and

loungewear market for elegant and affordable options; so it was out of frustration and my

love of health and wellness, that my entrepreneurial spirit launched NATALIJA.

The brand celebrates and embraces women's femininity. It is an invitation for women to be

inspired, choose colours and prints that speak to them, and combine pieces to form their

own unique individual style.

Do you have a personal favourite that you wear to bed?

My favourite piece from my new collection ‘Azulejos’ is the Thira silk pant for its fantastic

paisley print and beautiful blues (but again, it changes every week!).

Tell us about the idea and trend of Pj's All Day.

I have detached all furry animals, hearts and grey marl to recreate the traditional sleep and

loungewear; carefully creating garments so beautiful and comfortable that women will feel

inspired to wear them all the time.

Channeling the ‘pyjamas all day’ look, the silky garments have the power to transcend from

the home to the outdoors, fusing together comfort and style. The luxe designs would look as

at home relaxed on a Sunday afternoon with a book and tea, as they would at night paired

with heels ordering your favourite drink. My most recent campaign Sleep to Street brings

to life this idea, inspiring women to have fun, be playful and feel beautiful!

As entrepreneur and business women, how do you make sure you get enough sleep?

The evening time is my time and I have a ritual to ensure I am relaxed, rested and ready to

have the best sleep so that I can wake up lively. My favourite is to use an oil burner and fill

my home with a soothing fragrance like lavender. I find it’s a great way to balance my inner

self before bed! I also get so excited when its bedtime as I get to slide into one my garments.

They feel amazing, and I feel beautiful wearing them. That’s the only way women should be

feeling when they go to sleep at night.

What is your biggest dream for the future?

To inspire women to have fun with fashion, be confident to express themselves and feel

beautiful. Create loungewear pieces that empower women to take their garments from

sleep to street, day to night. Evolving NATALIJA into a lifestyle brand, introducing more

versatile pieces, and then also linen, cushions and candles, all with the same sophisticated

and fashion forward approach.