A Scent-itive Bride

 Photo by Pearled / Image via Flickr

I'm a collector (read: "borderline hoarder") of beauty products, and this certainly includes fragrance.  The top of my bookshelf is littered with sweet little bottles of all shapes and sizes.  Ironically, my stomach is pretty sensitive to different smells and the wrong one will make me really sick for hours on end.

One day, on an innocent shopping trip with BM Snazzy-Fresh, I came across this: 

Image via Saks.com

Love, Chloé was a new-ish fragrance at the time, carried exclusively by Saks, (it's available at most department stores now, yes!). 

I cautiously sniffed the sample, and I liked it.  Almost instantly I was approached by an eager (and very nice) saleswoman.  Panicked, I sprayed my wrist and ran away to let this perfume settle in. This could have been a really stupid thing for me to do--I had no idea how I would react to the scent.  Typically, the stronger the smell, the more horrible my reaction.  So I braced myself for the nausea and headaches that aome with heavy, lingering perfumes...but nothing happened.  

The initially strong scent dried quickly and left behind this über-feminine, ultra classic, soft fragrance.  It lasted for hours and wasn't too strong.  It had a powder-like smell (think make up powder, not baby powder), a mix of florals, and a hint of something fresh right at the end(I found out later that it was rice).  It could have been perfect to wear on our wedding day. 

I was going to have to try it on my skin again as we got closer, to be sure it wouldn't make me sick on our wedding day.  As if being "scent-sitive" wasn't hard enough, apparently my body was fickle,too; sometimes I develop a sensitivity to a fragrance long after I've added it to my lineup.  

But the good news was, I had at least one option for a wedding day perfume that DIDN'T make me ill.  

Are you going to wear a special fragrance on your wedding day?

Bridal Beauty: The Future's Looking Bright (and White)

Image via FitCommerce

I've had a love affair with coffee for as far back as I can remember.  As I child, I would sit and eat my breakfast and beg my parents for a sip, knowing that when my mom turned her back my dad would let me add a drop to my mug of warm milk--he didn't think it was such a big deal. 

Fast forward twenty some-odd years, and I needed to start my day with an enormous mug (or two, or three) of coffee.  It didn't help that there was a new single-serve coffee machine just steps from my desk at work.  Ah well...

But when the wedding countdown hit the seven month mark, I had to rethink my caffeine habit.  So I made some small changes to my daily routine, without totally giving up my "cup o' Joe."  

Here's what I did to get my smile wedding-day ready:

1. Cut back on the java.  A quick conversation with my doctor convinced me to limit my coffee intake, it wasn't easy but I got down to just one cup (most days).  

2. Brushing after meals at work, WITHOUT FAIL.

(source)

According to the ADA, we should brush our teeth twice a day.  After a conversation with my dentist, he said I could brush after lunch as well to help keep my smile bright. So I kept a little makeup bag in my desk at work, it contained a tooth brush, toothpaste, and dental floss.  I made sure to rinse after my morning coffee and brush after lunch.  This little kit helped this habit stick for me.

3. Switching up my daily routine by using a whitening rinse.  

Image via Listerine.com

I used this Listerine rinse; there is a bit of a funky teeth-whitening aftertaste, but I like that it contains Flouride to strengthen the enamel of your teeth.  

4.  Eating an apple day (or at least trying). 

Image via LongIslandPress.org

I stumbled upon this tip while searching the internet for ways whiten teeth naturally.  What I found was that apples clean the surface of your teeth, they contain malic acid which helps to dissolve stains.  Just remember to rinse with water after snacking, to get rid of any residual sugar. 

It took a few weeks to notice a change and I was happy with the results.  The best part is the habits I created before the wedding have stuck with me.

Do you have any tried and true tips?  Are you ramping up your routine to prep for your wedding?  Any professional bees out there with tips to add?