I’m working on the basis of a two-week trip to warmer climes, but this list can be adjusted for any holiday. With current baggage restrictions this quantity of clothing will also suffice for a longer period than two weeks, as long as some washing and ironing can be accommodated during the holiday.

I always indulge in an all-over body tan before holidays. Rather than arrive on the beach in my glowing white winter state. (Professional tan always looks better than when I do it myself! But that might be me!!)

Tips for lightening the luggage load

Packing tips

All garments, accessories, shoes etc should be laid out on a bed or flat surface, until everything needed is gathered together. (Use a spare bedroom if one is available, or an area of floor that is seldom used.)

When packing, if garments are rolled instead of folded, they will emerge from the case relatively crease-free and afford more space in the case.

Shoes should be packed first, at the bottom of the case. Use the interior of the shoe to hold small articles, such as knickers, socks, jewelry, sun creams etc. for guys it is handy to put underwear and matching socks in the correct shoe i.e. black socks with black shoe.

The last items to be packed should be the items that will be required immediately, on arrival, such as swimsuit, sunscreen, nightwear and toiletries. Think about the time of day you arrive and what you are likely to need. Keep these pieces until everything else is packed, they will be ready for you to use immediately on arrival. Allowing you to unpack the next day, at your leisure.

You will need a tote bag that will carry your handbag, toiletries, book or magazine, odds and ends for the flight. This bag should be handy as a beach bag/shopping bag once you get to your destination. I usually carry a travel toothbrush, pair of knickers, and spare t shirt (to change into in case of staining or to sleep in,) just in case there is some kind of unforeseen overnight delay!

Don’t forget to put your toiletries (no bigger than 100ml in size if you’re flying!) into a plastic zip lock bag.

The important thing is to have a comfortable lightweight suit to travel in. The jacket is handy for cool evenings, and the skirt or trouser great to mix and match during the holiday. (Linen is a comfortable travel fabric, allowing the body to breath and maintains a consistant body temperature, so you never over heat or get too cold). For long flights its cozy to include a pair of socks for the flight.

Clothing to wear travelling

Trouser/skirt suit, in neutral colour, this could be a lightweight coat/casual or formal jacket with co-coordinating trouser and skirt. It should double up for evenings in a warm climate.

1 x Comfortable shoes, preferably not sneakers, but I usually wear the bulkiest shoe to pack.

1 x matching top

Pashmina. Cashmere shawl to use on the flight (this doubles up for over the arms on cool evenings).

Clothing to pack

Clothing for day trips/tours

2 x tops to match travel trouser

1 x Sandals/sneakers to match that are comfortable to walk round in.

1 x travel tote/shopping bag.

Clothing  for the pool/beach

2 x pair of shorts

1 x printed summer skirt or beach wrap/long tunic top, to wear, with your bikini, going to and from the beach, or if you go to a beach restaurant.

1 x pair of shorts (neutral colour i.e. white, black, navy, denimn etc)

3 x casual tops to match shorts and summer skirt

1 x flip flops or flat sandal

1 x small face towel (handy to wipe your hands of sand and oils)

3 x swim wear

1 x beach towel (not too thick or bulky, for easier drying on the beach, and lighter packing.)

Clothing for night

2 x pretty tops to match travel skirt

2 x dressy summer dress (they might look good with the travel pashmina)

1 x pair of light-weight denims (can be a colour or blue jean) buy the best you can afford, Fit and cut are important when it comes to jeans.

2 x sexy night time tops

2 x extra tops or dresses for night time wear.

1 x elegant sandal with kitten, wedge or high heel.

Underwear

5 x knicker (rinse out each evening)

1 x universal bra

1 x moulded t/shirt bra

It’s a regular job that we love at Marians, many of our customers get us to put together this wardrobe for them, in particular our Brides. You don’t need to make an appointment, call in – we love to do this. Taking your shape, colouring and type of holiday into account, we will work within your budget. Tell us how much you want to spend and we will develop a fab holiday (or work) wardrobe for you to enjoy. It’s great fun and very successful, it takes major pressure off in the lead-up to your wedding/holiday. Often customers will bring in a couple of favourite pieces from previous hols that we will incorporate and add to for additional ‘looks’ with the same piece.

MARIANS A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1954

Select the right nail polish for you

Nail polish colors should flatter, or at least compliment the wearer’s skin tone.  Nail Polish color trends change each season. Just because a shade is ‘on trend’ – doesn’t mean it suites everyone. Different nail polish colors flatter different skin tones, varying from light to black. Identifying your skin type will help you choose make up that best suits your natural beauty.

Now let’s have a look; which colours are best for your skin tone?

Fair Skin Tone: (often burns easily, has freckles and a blue undertone to their skin tone)

Women with light or fair skin tone appear to be the luckiest since they can apply most colors to their nails. They can wear, usually, whatever is ‘in’. It’s worth noting that those with fair skin are advised to stick to nail colors that have a blue base; because they complement a light complexion without overpowering or making it appear pasty However some specific nail polish colors are more preferable for fairer skin tone  i.e. red, light/medium pink, pastels, plums.

Yellow-based, bright reds or orange-reds nail polishes overpower a fair complexion and make it look overly pale.

Medium Skin Tone: (tans with effort)

Medium skin tones should look for nail polishes that are inclined towards the metallic.

If you have a medium skin tone; some of the shades that you may want to opt for include bright shades of pink, blue and orange. Also look for metallic nail polish shades of light blue and silver.

If possible, avoid red, navy blue and darker purple nail polish, these colours will have the effect of washing out the medium skin tone.

Sallow Skin Tone: (tans easily and has a yellow undertone)

Sallow skins are further restricted. Bright shades of pink, blue and purple are recommended for a sallow skin tone. Also include in your preferences light brown and chocolate. Tanned skin is complimented by shades with a yellow undertone; if you follow this principle, you won’t go wrong.

Avoid golden nail polish, if you have sallow skin.

Darker Skin Tone:

People with darker skin tone, might choose maroons, dark greens and reds, These shades tend to look the best. Choose a chocolate brown shade that isn’t too dark as this is one of your best colours.

Avoid too bright shades. Also avoid silver, white and orange nail polishes. These colours will dull the darker skin tone, and make it look aged.

Katherine McGee, Marians

Wedding rings

When you want to find the most flattering ring for your hand, take a look at the shape of your fingers as well as the size of your hand. Differed hand shapes look best with different shapes and sizes of stones. The guidelines below can help you pick the most flattering ring for you. Keep in mind that you don’t have to give up ring shapes you really love; these are just guidelines. Consider a different size or choose a cluster style that has flattering stones shapes around your favorite shape of gem.

Remember that a person with large hands and short fingers is likely to look best in different ring styles that a short-fingered person with small hands. Also, the width of the fingers can affect how a ring looks on the hand. Nail length and shape can make a difference too. When choosing rings, think of the proportion of the fit as well as the ring style you love. Try on different shapes and sizes of rings next time you go shopping to discover the most flattering rings for your hand.

Long fingers — Marquise shapes often just make long fingers look even longer. The marquise is a stretched out oblong shape with pointed ends. Pear or oval stones may also not be very flattering on long fingers. Round rings are often the most flattering ring for this finger type.

Short fingers — Round stones can seem to shorten short fingers even further. The marquise shape can help add the illusion of length to short fingers. Pear or teardrop shapes are also usually flattering on short fingers. Big rectangular rings are probably the least flattering as they can overwhelm short fingers.

Narrow fingers — Heart-shaped or round stones may not be the most flattering ring for a hand with narrow fingers. Thicker band styles of rings may help add horizontal lines to narrow fingers to help them look wider. Wearing rings with small stones may also help thinner fingers look wider.

Wide fingers — Wider types of marquise styles may flatter short, wide fingers. The idea with wide fingers is not to have two much skin showing on each side of the ring or fingers may look even wider. Round stones in larger settings may look best on this finger type. Cluster-styles may be the most flattering ring on hands with wide fingers.

Large hands — Rings with small stones may just look lost on large hands. Try larger rings that suit your personality. You may even be able to wear really bulky or chunky ring styles well.

Small hands — Small heart-shaped, oval, round or square stones may all be flattering on small hands. The main thing to remember is to keep the proportion of the ring small. Small ovals may also make flattering rings for those with small hands, but the marquise style may not be that flattering unless the fingers are long.

Katherine McGee, Marians

Non-surgical facelift

NonSurgical Face-Lift!

Imagine restoring your facial contours or removing Deep Lines and Wrinkles – Without Surgery!!

Fast, luxurious, and painless, Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation offers the perfect solution for those looking for a new beginning without the risk, costs, complications and stigma of surgery. After the course of treatment, you’ll have a new brighter-looking face and renewed self-confidence, but you’ll retain the most important thing . . . you!

You won’t believe your eyes!

Reduce wrinkles, eye bags, dark circles, puffiness, age spots, and “crow’s feet.” Increase collagen, muscle tone, and moisture in your skin. Eliminate fine lines, discoloration, stress and anxiety. Brighten eyes, lift eyelids, firm jowls, and tighten pores. Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation lets you lose the stuff you don’t want, and keep the stuff you do. In short, you won’t believe your eyes!

Course of Treatment.

The Acupuncture Facial Rejuenation course of treatment includes a one and a half hour initial visit with an intake and treatment, and approximately ten follow-up treatments for one hour each. The required number of follow-up treatments can be less or more depending on the individual. A person’s daily exposure to toxins and other elements also contributes to the ultimate duration of the course. You should start to see truly significant differences after about the seventh visit.

Introducing the Acu-facial

Your doctor can’t do this treatment, and neither can your aesthetician. That’s because Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation is a bona-fide Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment that is tailor-made to your unique constitution. The needling points and techniques are not one-size-fits all. Only a Chinese Medicine practitioner specially-trained in the principles of Chinese Medicine and facial acupuncture can properly diagnose which needle-points will get the results you need.

Advantages over cosmetic surgery?

For one thing, it’s not surgery! Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation is a safe, cost-effective, non-invasive, and chemical-free way to reduce wrinkles, firm skin, and erase the signs of age. There is no “recovery time.” Week after week, you will come to your pampering treatments and soon see the results develop. It won’t be long before friends start telling you that you “look good” and ask you what your secret is. You retain the real “you.” Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation does not alter your bone sctructure or move your skin to a place it was never meant to be. Essentially, the treatment repairs your skin similar to the way in which regular acupuncture repairs the tendons in someone suffering from tennis elbow. The result is the epitome of a natural-looking therapy.

Advantages over Botox?

Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation does NOT inject any chemical into your body. Better than that, the treatments last up to three years, or longer.

Call Toireasa at The Elmtree Clinic today to make your appointment:
091-483803 / 086-3539399.

If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror, thought you were less than perfect and perhaps said any of the following:

• “If only my lips were thinner/plumper”
• “My hips/bum is too big/small”
• I’m too thin/fat
• My boobs are too small/big
• I’ve no waist
• My nose/ears is too big/small
• I wish I had better hair
• My teeth are too crooked
• I’ve horrible legs

Why did God give me such an ugly body part?

Indian Folklore tells the following story, of the Peacock; this story is for you if you ticked any of the above.

The story of the Peacock

Why has The Peacock – The most beautiful creature ever created, got the ugliest feet in the world!

When God created the Peacock He was delighted, he said, “this creature is completely perfect in every way, he has beautiful jewel-like colours, exquisite proportions, elegant, graceful. God was so proud, and so was the peacock! He held his head high and strutted in superiority.

However, with the passage of time, God became aware that He was the only one admiring the beauty and perfection of the Peacock.

God was amazed to discover that the Peacock went unnoticed and very quickly realized the bird’s perfection was lacking a foil to showcase his beauty, the creature was too perfect and therefore invisible!!! A flaw was needed in the beautiful creature; only a flaw would highlight the Peacocks exquisite beauty.

And so God went back to the drawing board;

After some deliberation, God concluded that the bird’s great beauty would need to be reflected by a flaw of equal measure: He gave the Peacock the ugliest feet in the world.  The Peacock was not happy (it’s said that his screech is his appalled response every time he sees his feet!).

The beautiful peacock

As the recreated Peacock walked away from God on his graceless, clumsy, colourless feet – heads turned, gasps of awe were heard and the other animals said, “What an exquisitely beautiful creature”.  It was agreed, unanimously, the Peacock was, and remains today, the most beautiful creature of the animal Kingdom.

Those who gaze on the Peacock see that he is perfect in every way. “How incredible, said God: “nobody but the peacock notices his feet! And he has discovered a newfound humility and compassion in his imperfection”.

God smiled and was well pleased. He learned his lesson well; when he turned his attention to creating mankind; he remembered the Peacock, and gave all his children unique individual flaws; to highlight our great proportions, elegance, grace and beauty which, in turn, serves to remind us that no one is perfect.

This is the story, as I heard it, many years ago. I love it as much today as I did then. It seems to me, it’s vital to celebrate and embrace our imperfections, for without them we would very likely at best, appear bland and at worst, be invisible!!

If you know more about the origin of the story, or any detail that I have forgotten, I’d love you to connect with me on our Facebook page Marians Bridal. Maybe we might start a discussion that others would like to add to?

Tips for beautiful lips

There are many types of lip plumper in the market like translucent lip plumper; opaque lip plumper; and tinted lip plumper. They can either be worn alone just as lip gloss is applied or as a complementary cosmetic to other lip products like lipsticks (sheerer versions of lip plumper are sometimes applied under lipstick.) This lip makeup cosmetic is useful for those women who have thinner lips but want to have fuller lips. A lip plumper, when applied on lips, irritates the thin, delicate skin of the lips due to its ingredients like menthol or camphor. This, in turn, makes the lips swell a little. However, once applied, the effect of a lip plumper remains for some time only. It needs to be applied frequently to keep the lips looking plumper!

Lip Liners

Lip liner or lip pencil not only provides a special effect to the lipstick cosmetic filled into the lips but also give definition to your lips. In fact, it is that lip makeup cosmetic product that can hide many of your lips’ flaws. Carefully drawing an outline with the lip liners can give a perfect shape to your lips. If used in the right manner, lip liners can give you fuller or thinner lips- whatever you want. Lip liners generally come in a retractable tube or in pencil form. These lip liners or lip pencils are usually available in the same range of shades as those of lipsticks such as reds, pinks, browns, plums, etc.

Lip Balms

There is no point in using all these lip makeup cosmetics if your lips feel and look dry and chapped. Lip products manufacturers are aware of this fact too and thus they make lip balms too. These lip balms provide moisture to lips as well as act as sunscreen to protect them from UV rays too. There are various types of lip balms in the market like beeswax lip balm, petrolatum with wax, petrolatum, waxes with dimethicone, etc.

Basic Steps for Applying Lip Makeup Cosmetics

Applying Lip Makeup

Although women have an instinctual ability to apply lip makeup, these steps for applying lip cosmetics can help refine their art of lip beautification!

With the help of the lip primer, make the base right before applying any lip makeup cosmetic. Match it with your skin tone. If you see that your lips are of an even color, you can use a face powder to act as the best base.

Take the lip liner and define the shape of your lips by drawing a lip line on the outer line of your lips. You can manipulate this line by giving shape of a perfect lip. Use a sharp lip liner whose shade is close to your lipstick color- better if its one shade darker than the lipstick. While drawing the lip line on your upper lips, start at the center and then move toward both the edges. When lining the lower lip, draw the line from both the sides.

Now get your lipstick and using a lip brush, fill in the lip color on both your lips. For upper lip, start off applying lipstick at the center and move towards both the sides. For lower lip, apply the lipstick from both the sides. Don’t overdo.

If you have, anyhow, applied excessive lip color, take a clean tissue paper and hold it between both your lips. Press your lips slowly together to remove the excess color.

Organised wardrobe

As we come into the new season, this is a good time to re-access our wardrobe needs. For younger friends, who are building a wardrobe, we will do a ‘must have’ story with a list of all the suggestions for items that make up a core closet (as the yanks say!). For mature fashionistas, the core suggestions list, can be used to check off the basics.

With maturity, comes a blasé approach to core classics. Here are the golden do’s and don’ts:

DO…

Check all garments for stains, holes, fallen hems, loose buttons etc and arrange disposal, repairs, dry cleaning or washing.

Investigate footwear – clean (with a damp cloth), polish, check for damage, repair or replace accordingly.

DON’T…

Do not keep trousers, skirts or jackets that have become shiny, mis-shapen (at the bum/knees), or if they are totally out of date. We can become complacent in our basic dressing, and think “I have a black/navy/grey/brown suit/skirt/trouser” but rarely think to check it for wear and tear.

Yes I can hear you, I love that skirt, even tho’ there’s tape holding the hem up, and the safety pin works to pull the zip down!!! GET RID OF IT. Mature years must be conscious of trends and not allow our clothes to ADD years, dated basics are the biggest culprits and guarantee to make us look older than we actually are.

It’s vital to replace basics as soon as they starts to look ‘tired’. Also, as time passes, so does the ‘look’, lapel sizes increase or decrease, skirt lengths rise and fall, etc…. DO NOT keep styles that are way past their sell by date. They just clutter up your head, and damage your styling.

The wardrobe

Believe me, an organized wardrobe might seem to have less items, but I promise, you will wear what’s in that wardrobe a lot more, with added style and way more fun and enjoyment. Go for it!! Declutter – you’ll feel and look so much better – immediately.

Redo the wardrobe.

Before getting started, keep the following in mind:

1. When you arrange a closet, you should consider its relationship to other storage areas in your home. What kinds of things need to be in this space, and what should logically go in another place?
2. Complete one closet at a time…starting with the one you use the most.
3. Pace yourself—it takes three to six hours per closet. Never undertake more than two per weekend.

Now, here’s your plan of attack:

Sort.
Pull everything out of the wardrobe and divide it into categories—such as sweaters, dresses, blouses, pants and jackets. You may be surprised by how many of the same item you own. A client of mine was shocked when we unearthed 16 nearly identical black cardigans. Every time she went shopping and nothing caught her eye, she figured, “I could always use a basic black cardigan,” and bought one.

Purge.
Keep only what you use and love. Throw out clothes that are irredeemably stained, torn, pilled or out of shape. Get rid of fashion mistakes you bought but never wore. Keep only your current size in your closet and give away or store what doesn’t fit anymore. Passing things along to a charity or friend can make it much easier to part with them.

Assign.
Create a specific home, whether a shelf, section of the rail, or drawer, for each category of garment (pants and other long-hanging clothes on one end of the rail, blouses on the other, hats on the top shelf, belts on the closet door, etc.). With the exception of items intended for long-term storage (e.g., old tax records), things stuffed into the dark recesses of your closet are as good as forgotten.

Containers.
Now the fun part! Selecting containers you like looking at makes it delightful (or at least less boring) to put things away. Shelf dividers can keep sweater stacks from toppling over, and a shoe rack under short-hanging clothes makes great use of that otherwise unused space. You can store extra wooden hangers in a basket on the floor to save room on the rail.

Equalize.
Maintain your system with the one-in, one-out rule—for every new garment you buy, toss something old to make room for it. Keep a giveaway box on the floor.

You might be the only person who sees the inside of your closet, and frankly, no one else will care if you cram things in and shut the door. But organizing is for you—it’s about identifying what’s important to you and giving yourself access to it. An organized closet will save you much more than time—it will keep you grounded, allowing you to begin and end each day on a note of calm.

Use these techniques to get the most out of your closet space:

• Use shelf dividers to keep stacks of sweaters and jeans from toppling.
• Hang hooks on the inside of your closet door for pajamas, belts, scarves and ties.
• Replace wire hooks with high quality wooden or acrylic ones to prevent tangling, preserve the shape of your garments and add elegance to the interior of your closet.

Find a use even for “hidden spaces” in your closet:

• Group long-hanging clothes together to open up space under shorter garments.
• Use pre-made shelves for shoes and bags.
• Use containers on the top shelf for bags, belts and dress shoes.

The essential staples:

• One pair of  “I’ve arrived”, statement shoes for when you want to be noticed.
• Black medium-heel court shoes, that are versatile, elegant and sophisticated.
• Comfy ballet flats in a variety of colours.
• Hiking/walking boots, tan is usually the best shade for a casual trendy look.
• A really great handbag, that makes you feel good and adds elegance and style to the overall look.

Carrying a bag that is in proportion to your figure can literally take pounds off you. Be it designer or High Street, learn to choose the perfect bag for your body shape.

There are two fundamental fashion rules:

1. Wearing the correct style of handbag is just as important as the cut of your clothes. The wrong handbag can make or break an outfit.
2. A handbag can take pounds of your figure or add to it, depending on the bag’s size, shape and where it falls on the body.

Handbags at Marians

Nothing is more ageing or unflattering than the wrong bag for your body. Just as you’d consider the style and cut of your clothes, equally you should think about the size and shape of your handbag.

Bags can be used to draw the eyes away from the bits of your body you prefer to hide, and also to draw attention on those parts that you consider your best assets.

The right handbag can lift an outfit, updating it, changing its look and giving it a new sense of style. We don’t all realize that a handbag today is not so much a “fashion” accessory as a “necessary” part of a great outfit.

There’s a huge selection to choose from, oversized, small, slouchy, pouchy, round, rectangular, squidgy and cubed. The type and length of the handles are also a consideration. With so many shapes and sizes to choose from, which style should you choose?

Choose the Right Bag for Your Body Type

Big Busts and Big Shoulders

Women with broad shoulders or heavy bust should avoid carrying short-handled bags that finish around the bust area, as this only serves to accentuate your breasts and shoulders more. Go for a longer length finishing around your middle, or a clutch purse that is carried in your hand.

Wide Waist, Big Hips or Large Stomachs

Choose a bag that finishes at the upper torso, just under the arm, rather than around your middle. You want to draw eyes away from heavy waist and hip, but deflect attention elsewhere! Stylist Jacqui Ripley says “Any bag that falls at your widest part will make you appear dumpy,”

Large Frame

Try to avoid carrying a tiny bag, as this only serves to make you look bigger. Choose a more tailored bag, which will give definition and go for a medium to large size. Clutch purses are fine provided they are oversized. If you’re statuesque, a tiny bag can make you look like a giant.

Bony or Tall Frame

Avoid long skinny-style bags. Counterbalance your figure with something broad, slouchy or unstructured like a Hobo type.

Short Frame

Go for something long and lanky to provide height such as a small saddle-bag (cowboy style!). Avoid wide, oversized tote bags they will make you look shorter.

As a general rule, select a bag shape that is in contrast to your body type. Voluptuous or curvy women would do well to choose a rectangular, longer shape, whereas a tall, willowy, slim figure would be better off going for a slouchy, rounded one. If size-zero celebrities like Victoria Beckham can get away with wearing the latest in big bags, if you are slight and petite, so can you!

If you want to flatter your waist then choose a bag that finishes around this part of your torso. If you want to draw attention to your bust, shoulders or neck then go for a bag with short handles or an underarm clutch.

Lastly don’t be afraid to try bags on before buying. It’s important to see how well it flatters your figure.

Visit our facebook page Marians Bridal – Boyle and Galway to see the current collection of affordable, cool bags.

Platinum Ruby Heart ring

SILVER is the blessing of meeting a new day.

GOLD is the friendship shared.

PEARLS are the tears I’ve shed…for sorrow and bliss….

RUBIES are the passion in my heartbeat.

AMETHYST is my awakening spirit.

EMERALD is the faith that keeps me going…and

DIAMONDS are the love that makes it all worthwhile…… ♥