Physical attraction does make a difference in a marriage.

Physical appearance plays a crucial role in shaping new relationships, but does it continue to affect established relationships, such as marriage? In the current study, the authors examined how observer ratings of each spouse's facial attractiveness and the difference between those ratings were associated with (a) observations of social support behavior and (b) reports of marital satisfaction.

In contrast to the robust and almost universally positive effects of levels of attractiveness on new relationships, the only association between levels of attractiveness and the outcomes of these marriages was that attractive husbands were less satisfied.

Further, in contrast to the importance of matched attractiveness to new relationships, similarity in attractiveness was unrelated to spouses' satisfaction and behavior. Instead, the relative difference between partners' levels of attractiveness appeared to be most important in predicting marital behavior, such that both spouses behaved more positively in relationships in which wives were more attractive than their husbands, but they behaved more negatively in relationships in which husbands were more attractive than their wives. These results highlight the importance of dyadic examinations of the effects of spouses' qualities on their marriages.

Source: Beyond initial attraction: Physical attractiveness in newlywed marriage. By McNulty, James K.; Neff, Lisa A.; Karney, Benjamin R. Journal of Family

There are ways to find that perfect partner.

Marriage isn't all fun and games.

So if you're gonna do it, do it right. But how do you know who to marry? Should you just trust your feelings or pick the person who "looks good on paper"? Luckily, science has answers for us:

1) Find someone who you idealize and who idealizes you. (I've posted about the benefits delusion has on love before.) If you're already cynical about the person by the time you hit the altar, you're in trouble:

This study examined the long-term consequences of idealization in marriage, using both daily diary and questionnaire data collected from a sample of 168 newlywed couples who participated in a 4-wave, 13-year longitudinal study of marriage. Idealization was operationalized as the tendency for people to perceive their partner as more agreeable than would be expected based on their reports of their partner's agreeable and disagreeable behaviors. Spouses who idealized one another were more in love with each other as newlyweds. Longitudinal analyses suggested that spouses were less likely to suffer declines in love when they idealized one another as newlyweds. Newlywed levels of idealization did not predict divorce.
Source: "Positive Illusions in Marital Relationships: A 13-Year Longitudinal Study" from Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

2) Marry somebody with high self-esteem. Ladies, you're probably already attracted to this. Guys, watch out for women who don't feel good about themselves:

A model of the commitment-insurance system is proposed to examine how low and high self-esteem people cope with the costs interdependence imposes on autonomous goal pursuits. In this system, autonomy costs automatically activate compensatory cognitive processes that attach greater value to the partner. Greater partner valuing compels greater responsiveness to the partner’s needs. Two experiments and a daily diary study of newlyweds supported the model. Autonomy costs automatically activate more positive implicit evaluations of the partner. On explicit measures of positive illusions, high self-esteem people continue to compensate for costs. However, cost-primed low self-esteem people correct and override their positive implicit sentiments when they have the opportunity to do so. Such corrections put the marriages of low self-esteem people at risk: Failing to compensate for costs predicted declines in satisfaction over a 1-year period. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)

Source: "Commitment insurance: Compensating for the autonomy costs of interdependence in close relationships." from Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

3) Ladies, want a husband who is actively involved with his kids' lives? Find a guy with higher socioeconomic status. Plus it'll make your kids smarter. (Money never hurts, does it?):

Previous studies in developed-world populations have found that fathers become more involved with their sons than with their daughters and become more involved with their children if they are of high socioeconomic status (SES) than if they are of low SES. This paper addresses the idea proposed by Kaplan et al. that this pattern arises because high-SES fathers and fathers of sons can make more difference to offspring outcomes. Using a large longitudinal British dataset, I show that paternal involvement in childhood has positive associations with offspring IQ at age 11, and offspring social mobility by age 42, though not with numbers of grandchildren. For IQ, there is an interaction between father's SES and his level of involvement, with high-SES fathers making more difference to the child's IQ by their investment than low-SES fathers do. The effects of paternal investment on the IQ and social mobility of sons and daughters were the same. Results are discussed with regard to the evolved psychology and social patterning of paternal behavior in humans.

Source: "Why do some dads get more involved than others? Evidence from a large British cohort" from Evolution & Human Behavior"

3) Guys, you want to avoid that whole "involuntarily celibate" situation that men fear after years of marriage? Don't marry a woman who is sexually submissive:

Women are bombarded with images of women's sexual submission and subservience to male partners. The authors argue that women internalize this submissive role, namely, they associate sex implicitly with submission. The authors propose that this association leads to submissive sexual behavior, thereby reducing sexual autonomy and arousal. Study 1 found that women implicitly associated sex with submission. Study 2 showed that women's implicit association of sex with submission predicted greater personal adoption of a submissive sexual role. Study 3 found that men did not implicitly associate sex with submission. Study 4 demonstrated that women's adoption of a submissive sexual role predicted lower reported arousal and greater reported difficulty becoming sexually aroused; sexual autonomy mediated these effects.

Source: "Sexual Submissiveness in Women: Costs for Sexual Autonomy and Arousal" from Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

4) Find someone who is conscientious and even a bit neurotic if you want a long and healthy life together:

The present study tested the effect of conscientiousness and neuroticism on health and physical limitations in a representative sample of older couples (N= 2,203) drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. As in past research, conscientiousness predicted better health and physical functioning, whereas neuroticism predicted worse health and physical functioning. Unique to this study was the finding that conscientiousness demonstrated a compensatory effect, such that husbands' conscientiousness predicted wives' health outcomes above and beyond wives' own personality. The same pattern held true for wives' conscientiousness as a predictor of husbands' health outcomes. Furthermore, conscientiousness and neuroticism acted synergistically, such that people who scored high for both traits were healthier than others. Finally, we found that the combination of high conscientiousness and high neuroticism was also compensatory, such that the wives of men with this combination of personality traits reported better health than other women.

Source: "Compensatory Conscientiousness and Health in Older Couples" from Psychological Science

Successful Real Life Star Couples Of Bollywood

Most of Bollywood films ends with happy ending story however, the real life couple rarely end with happy. Successful marriage is a trend that Bollywood actors are yet to follow. Be it the yesteryear actors or the younger breed, a successful romance has not yet proven to be the guarantee to a successful marriage. However, few successful married couples are exception to this Bollywood story.

Starting with Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, can be count as the most successful married couple of Bollywood.

they are considered as the first Bollywood star couple. While Dilip Kumar was the intractable Tragedy King, Saira Banu was the beauty queen of Bollywood. They fall for each other and got married in 1966. The age difference between the couple was of no consequence, as they stated that they didn’t care about it. Saira Banu was twenty-two and Dilip Kumar was forty-five at the time of their wedding together. Cynics predicted that the marriage would not last for long due to the huge age gap, but they were proved wrong as the couple started going strong even after forty odd years of marriage.

Sunil Dutt and Nargis are often looked at as an example and are known as one of Bollywood’s golden couples who made it despite a number of tribulations. 

They got married on 11th of March, 1958. Sunil Dutt and Nargis kept their relationship under wraps for a long time. Once they were married, they lead a life of togetherness and had three children together. Sanjay Dutt is their eldest son who is a well known actor and superstar in the Hindi film industry. Their daughters Namrata and Priya have also done well for themselves.

When we talk about mid era of Bollywood, one of most ideal couple is comes into mind is Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan’s love story is one that set standards in the film industry due to the absolute commitment that they had for each other. The wedding ceremony was took place on 3rd June 1973. Amitabh apparently had a short affair with Rekha and later refurbished with Jaya Bachchan and live happily. Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh is another example of ideal couple of Bollywood. They are considered as the most romantic and made for each other couple of Bollywood. They are perfectly complimented as on and off screen couple. Likewise in recence era, Kajol- Ajay, Akshay- Twnkle, Arbaaz- Malaika, Abhishek- Aishwarya are considered as the most successful married couple of Bollywood.

Source: http://www.delhiweddingvendors.com

10 Qualities of Great Marriages

Here are 10 qualities of great marriages: 

1. Friendship: Spouses who have a strong friendship have staying power in that they not only love each other, but genuinely like each other. They enjoy spending time together and there is mutual respect.

2. Humor: Spouses who can make each other laugh tend to be good at de-escalating conflicts when they do arise. Couples who have the ability to lighten up a tense moment have a big advantage in that they are able to lighten the mood quickly and possibly derail conflict. The use of funny nicknames can be an indicator of great fondness for one another. The names often stem from a "you had to be there" moment from the beginning of their relationship. 

3. Communication: As obvious as this may seem, many couples are not very good at it. Those who are able to openly express their feelings in an emotionally safe environment typically deal with situations as they come up and avoid burying frustrations which always have a way of coming out at some point. 

4. Chore Sharing: Those who divvy up the household or parenting responsibilities in a way that is mutually agreed upon are less likely to hold resentments about what they perceive as "unfair." Each participates and contributes to the marriage in this way. 

5. Sexual Intimacy: Couples who have their sexual needs met or at least have negotiated a reasonable compromise, if their levels of need aren’t compatible, feel taken care of by the other. Some are highly active, engaging in lovemaking multiple times a week and others are content with far less. There is no "right" or "wrong" here, but if one person is feeling their needs aren’t being met it’s important to talk about it. 

6. Affection: Spouses who stay in physical contact in some way throughout the day feel connected to each other, even if it's a simple stroke of the hair, kiss on the cheek or playful tap on the rear. These moments don’t necessarily lead to sexual intimacy but are rather easy ways to say, "I love you and we’re connected" without the words. Some households are so chaotic between jobs, kids and life that these brief shows of affection can be grounding when everything else is swirling around you. 

7. No "Horsemen of the Apocalypse:" This is a term coined by couple’s researcher, John Gottman, who is able to predict divorce with incredible accuracy. His "four horsemen of the apocalypse" are criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. He has shown that couples who demonstrate a high level of "the horsemen" in their relationships are more likely to divorce. 

8. Mutual and Separate Friends: Partners who socialize with other couples and also maintain separate friendships have greater balance in regards to honoring themselves as individuals within the marriage. This leads to more self-satisfaction, which translates to relationship satisfaction. 

9. Reliability: It’s human nature to feel good when those we care about follow through behaviorally and we know they will be there. If couples do what they say and say what they do, they create an atmosphere of comfort in knowing their words mean something to the other, which increases emotional safety in the marriage. 

10. Relationship Vision: Couples who have created a relationship vision for themselves know where they’re going as they’ve planned it together. They get joy out of reaching for their goals as a team and are less likely to be derailed by surprises down the line. Where do they see themselves in 10 years? What are their marriage and family goals? 

Perhaps many of the above ideas resonate with you, and perhaps some do and some don’t. It’s also possible that you have many additional ideas about aspects of successful marriages. At the end of the day great marriages are created by the two people involved and are defined as such by what works for each of them together. I encourage you to sit down with your spouse and talk about your ideas of what makes a great marriage and make it so for yourselves! 

Source: http://www.hitchedmag.com/

Shahrukh And Gauri's Love Story: 22 Years Of Marital Bliss

Shahrukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the undisputed king and queen of bollywood, celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary today. The couple got married in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Delhi on the 25th October, 1991. Their love story is one of the most dramatic one and seems too perfect to be true. There were some obstacles, difficulties and hardships but they came through and now are one of the most envied couple in Bollywood. 

Shahrukh said that he first saw Gauri when he was 19 years old and she was just 14 and it was love at first sight. SRK charmed her ladylove and soon they were a couple. But Gauri couldn't reveal her relationship with Shahrukh, who is a Muslim, to her father as he was a Hindu Brahmin and a strict vegetarian. They used to meet up but were always worried that her brother might see them. To impress her parent's King Khan went to a party at Gauri's place and introduced himself as a Hindu. 

Even though they were seeing each other for five years but Shahrukh was tremendously possessive about her and used to get angry on her even if she let her hair down..literally. This made his ladylove very uncomfortable and she realised that she needed a break from him, so she left for Mumbai with some friends. After SRK came to know about this, he told his mother about it and she gave him ten thousand bucks to go and get his love back. The badshah of bollywood knew that Gauri loved beaches so he went to every beach to search for her and finally found her on Aksa beach. When they saw each other, they embraced and started crying, and at that moment Gauri realised that how much Shahrukh meant to her. That was the defining moment in their relationship as they both knew that they wanted to spend the rest of their life together. Today they are blessed with three children, Aryan, Suhana and the latest addition to their family, AbRam. Despite all the rumours of his affair with Priyanka Chopra, the couple are going strong and are the perfect example of love, fidelity and mutual trust.

Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/

6 signs your relationship is in trouble

Here are six signs your relationship may be in trouble. 

1. The relationship isn't a priority
Between work, kids and life, it can be easy for a relationship to become lost among other responsibilities. "There's an ebb and flow in relationships," says Shizgal. "There are seasons, there's change – it's a work in progress."

However, if your relationship is chronically not a priority then that’s a problem. If your relationship is not a priority, then you've "lost the mutual responsibility for the health of the relationship and the maintenance of the relationship," explains Shizgal.

2. You expect your partner to meet all of your needs 
We often come into a relationship with an unrealistic expectation that our partner will fulfil all of our needs. Your partner isn't your parent, though, so it's not his or her job to meet all of your needs, explains Shizgal.

"It's hard to separate out that my unmet needs are for me to figure out and for my partner to support me in," she says. If you blame your partner – or vice versa – for not assisting you financially or for not helping you cope with stress and anxiety, then you need to step back and consider whose job it really is to fulfil those needs.

3. Checking out
If one or both of you is checking out of your relationship, then that's a problem. According to Shizgal, a relationship is a "conscious partnership" that involves "both people taking responsibility for the relationship, because two people have to be reliably, sustainably engaged," she says.

You need to be aware of how your actions – or lack thereof – are impacting the relationship. Ask yourself what you're bringing to the relationship. Are you present? If you're checking out of the relatinonship, then you're not engaged in a conscious partnership and that's not healthy 

4. Lack of eye contact
"When couples are in distress, even in small arguments, they tend to stop looking at each other and avoid eye contact," says Shizgal.

You could be avoiding eye contact for many reasons: maybe you're not telling the truth or perhaps you're afraid of facing your problems. Either way, not making eye contact is a physical sign of a problem in your relationship. Ask yourself why you avoid eye contact, says Shizgal. Then, actually make an effort to make eye contact with your partner.  

5. You've stopped fighting
Fighting is a sign we often associate with a troubled relationship, and while fighting too much is not healthy, not fighting at all isn't healthy either, says Shizgal. "I think it's important to be able to fight and disagree and survive," she says. "Often, when we can work through conflicts or disappointments, we end up moving closer together."

If you don't fight it usually means that you're scared of upsetting your partner by saying that you're mad. However, if you don't express how you feel then you'll never work through your issues as a couple.

6. A pattern of pursuit and avoidance
"Sometimes people get so scared of jeopardizing their relationship or pushing their partner further away, that one person ends up chasing the other person, while the second person avoids them," says Shizgal. She calls this a "pattern of pursuit and avoidance" or "avoidance/avoidance."

This is usually a symptom of a relationship where the couple doesn't communicate or isn't sure how to communicate well. A couple that is stuck in this pattern has to learn how to communicate effectively and to actually address issues, instead of avoiding them. 

Ultimately, relationships are a work in progress and you need to ask yourself if you can work through the issues you and your partner may have. Can you talk out your differences? Can you renegotiate your responsibilities so that everyone is happier? If not, then your relationship has a serious hurdle that it may not be able to overcome.

source-http://www.canadianliving.com/

The best pre-wedding diet plan

10-point wedding diet plan for brides

If you want to lose weight for your wedding, our pre-wedding diet ideas lift the lid on the best meal plans, weight loss tips, and slimming strategies to help brides shed the pounds.

By following our 10-point plan and a healthy menu, you’ll be sliding rather than squeezing into your gown on your wedding day. After all, nothing beats that feeling of feeling lighter and knowing you are looking your best. The good news is it’s not just a case of scrimping and skipping meals. If you stick to the tips and follow the menu you’ll definitely feel the benefit even if your wedding date is just days away.

Diet tip 1: Always eat breakfast

Kick-start your body’s engine with a low fat, slow energy release, unrefined meal. Aim for a 300-350 calorie meal to fit in with the body’s natural metabolism which is primed in the morning and tails off during the day.

Diet tip 2: Hydrate

Drink plenty of fluids (water, herbal teas and sugar-free cordial); aim for two liters spread throughout the whole day and you’ll feel more energized and alert. Plus, toxins will be flushed away and your complexion will definitely improve.

Diet tip 3: Don’t skip meals

Running on empty is a bad choice as your blood sugar levels will dip causing headaches, fatigue and aggravation, which may even lead to a binge when you eat again. Your body needs a balanced intake of food to function properly, so starving yourself is not the answer.

Diet  tip 4: Cut the booze

If you drink your maximum recommended units (21 per week for women) then you are taking in more than 1,000 extra calories. Strengthen that willpower and try to cut alcohol as much possible in the lead up to the big day.

Diet tip 5: Don’t skimp on protein

Eat a portion of protein at lunchtime to help avoid an energy slump in the afternoon, which could have you heading for the vending machine. Try a chicken salad or prawn stir fry to keep you full into the afternoon.

Diet tip 6: Eat mindfully

You can’t afford to ‘waste’ calories by eating mindlessly at the fridge, straight from the saucepan or while you’re on the go. Make sure that you sit down to savour all your meals and snacks.

Diet tip 7: Use a smaller plate

Swap your normal plate for a slightly smaller one, making your meals seem larger and you'll find your 'full' switch will flip a little faster.

Diet tip 8: Say no to processed food

If it comes in a packet, leave it on the supermarket shelf. You’ll automatically eliminate food manufacturers’ high fat and high sugar products, not forgetting artificial ingredients. Natural and fresh is always best.

Diet tip 9: Move more

Remember, as well as cutting calories you should burn them too – make sure you compliment the 10-point plan with physical activity. Try a brisk walk to work, an invigorating swim after dinner or join a class at your gym.

Diet tip 10: Mix it up

Make sure you don’t eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner day-in day-out. Keep things interesting by finding new recipes so that you don’t get bored and end up reaching for the chocolate. A good way to avoid the routine rut is to plan your meals ahead and buy ingredients accordingly.

Weight loss menu ideas

Here’s our mix and match menu to give your diet variety – choose one breakfast, lunch and dinner option and two snack options per day and remember space your meals evenly. Please note this is only a short-term weight-loss plan aimed to cut calories in the run up to you wedding. The best way to lose weight in the long term is to gradually increase your levels of physical activity and follow a balanced, healthy diet.

Weight loss breakfast idea (approx 300-350 calories)

• 50g oats mixed with 100g low-fat natural yoghurt and 100g strawberries

• 45g cereal with 200ml semi-skimmed milk and 200g blueberries

• Two boiled eggs, one slice of wholemeal toast and 10 cherry tomatoes

Weight loss lunch ideas (approx 200-250 calories)

• Brown pitta bread stuffed with 50g lean ham and 100g salad • Two rye crackers topped with 100g cottage cheese and 50g of ham • One slice of wholemeal toast, smeared with half an avocado and a sprinkle of Tabasco sauce

Weight loss dinner ideas (approx 250-300 calories)

• 150g grilled cod, 150g broccoli and 10 roasted cherry tomatoes

• Omelette made with two eggs, two egg whites, 50g mushrooms served with150g salad

• 150g grilled turkey, 150g roasted vegetables (yellow peppers, courgettes, red onions)

Weight loss snack ideas (approx 150 calories each)

• One 120g pot of yoghurt plus one tablespoon of honey

• 50g reduced fat hummus with one medium carrot cut into sticks

• Three rough oatcakes smeared with marmite

Source:  http://www.getwed.com 

The Dangers of Arguing in Front of Your Kids

You know that sick feeling that comes over you when you and your husband are shouting angrily at each other -- and then you look up and see your child standing wide-eyed in the doorway?

If you're like me, you can remember just how upset you felt when you heard your own parents argue. By the time we were preteens, my sister and I had suggested to my parents that they get divorced if they couldn't get along any better. They never did anything of the kind, so I have to conclude it bothered us more than it bothered them.

Is Arguing in Front of the Kids Always Harmful?

An occasional disagreement -- call it a "heated negotiation" -- during which you treat each other with respect and move into problem-solving, say therapists, is actually a good thing for kids. It's considered a form of role modeling. But arguments in which you repeat the same points over and over, or call each other names -- where you are venting resentments rather than solving problems -- have no up side for the children. "If you bully one another, your kids learn to bully others. "And they will turn that treatment right back on you once they are teenagers."

Do Parental Fights Have a Negative Influence on Kids?

"Children start by being frightened by their parents arguing," says Jacobs. "Later, they become disgusted. 'How can they live like this?' they wonder. Eventually, they develop a fear of being similarly trapped, and as adults may have the tendency to bail out of relationships early."

What Can Parents Do to Minimize Any Trauma?

If kids witness a bad argument, don't sweep it under the rug, says Lindquist, go ahead and apologize to them. Reassure them that you love each other. Mention specifically, in age-appropriate terms, how you would have liked to talk about the conflict. For example: "I'm sorry Daddy and I were arguing last night. We both feel bad when we say bad words. We can work things out better when we don't interrupt each other and use soft voices."

How to Keep Arguments Under Control

1. Argue as though the neighbors are able to hear you No name calling, no foul language, no raised voices.
2. Actively use your listening skills.
3. Give direct eye contact and do nothing else while your spouse is
talking. Look riveted. Nod your head, no matter what they are
saying.
4. Repeat what the person has said. Use as many of the same
words as possible.
5. Sympathize. Let the other person know you understand that they
are feeling bad, even if they are blaming you for the problem.
6. Ask, "Is there anything more you want to tell me?" Give your
partner a chance to discover deeper feelings, and to shift to a
calmer, more neutral place.

If you find yourself getting carried away, call a time-out. Stop right there and agree to talk later. Then make a time to sit down and have a real discussion about what is bothering you -- the bigger issues of your life and your marriage.

And do it when your children do not have to be an audience.

Indian Bridal Makeup Tips

Tip 50: Get glowing skin

The most important of all Indian bridal makeup tips is to make your skin look healthy and glowing on the wedding day. But just taking care of it a week before the D day will not help. Skin needs time to take in the nourishment and treatments. Over doing the treatments may lead to further damage. Make time for yourself and indulge in the treatments from two months or at least six weeks before the wedding day. Take regular pedicures and manicures. Also go in for facials and skin treatments from at least six weeks prior to give your skin time to work. Here is a detailed post on how to get glowing skin.

Tip 49: Exfoliate your skin

Exfoliate your skin to do away with dead skin but remember to exfoliate only twice or thrice a week. Over exfoliation may make your skin dry.

Tip 48: Protect your skin from sun

Do not go out without a sunscreen and reapply after 2 or 3 hours to keep the skin damage free.

For Eyes: 

For best Indian Bridal Eye Makeup keep in mind the following tips:

Tip 47: Take care of puffy eyes

Have puffy eyes? Use chamomile tea bags over the eyes to make them appear less puffy. Using normal tea bags may stain you skin.

Tip 46: Get enough sleep

A good sleep is very important part of our life. The more you sleep, the more time your body gets to repair itself. Sleep for atleast 7 hours each day to keep those under eye circles out.

For Hair:

Tip 45: Deep condition your hair

Your hair is also an important part of the whole wedding look and to ensure your hair looks best throughout the wedding, go for a deep conditioning hair mask twice/ thrice the month before the wedding. If you have dry hair, apply some homemade hair packs to make it glossy and healthy.

Tip 44: Use good hair spray

Use good hair sprays so that your hair stays in place.

For Acne:

Tip 43: Hide your blemishes

Do invest in a good concealed for the d day as it will do a lot of things. It will hide blemishes and spots, will cover those under eye circles and more.

Tip 42: Avoid fried food

Avoid fried foods and too many spices for a month before the wedding to avoid getting pimples at the last moment.

Tip 41: Blot oily areas

Keep some oil blotting paper handy on the day. Blot any oily areas to get rid of shine. You don’t want to have a shiny forehead in the wedding pictures.

Tip 40:  Take care of acne

If you have oily skin which tends to be attacked by acne and pimples look for a face cleanser with salicylic acid. It removes oil and keeps skin oil free for more hours.

Tip 39: Take care of last minute pimples

Spotted a pimple suddenly?? Tensed how to hide it? Take a bit of tea tree oil and apply it over the pimple as soon as possible. It will make it dry up faster and less prominent on the Wedding day.

Tip 38: Minimize chances of pimples during periods

Have a tendency of getting pimples and zit during periods; apply anti acne creams 10 days before it is scheduled to start. This will minimize the chances of getting one.

For Lips:

Tip 37: Make lips appear fuller

Are your lips thin? Here’s a way to make them appear fuller. Take a skin colored lip liner and extend the natural lip line. But remember less is more so do not over do it.
To make your lips look fuller pat a little bit of shimmer at the centre of the lower lip. This creates the illusion of a fuller lip.

Tip 36: Take care of dry lips

Use a lip balm each times you feel your lips are dry. Do not lick or bite your lips. This will dry the lips and cause them to become chapped and flaky.

For Bridal Makeup Looks:

 

Tip 35: Apply your makeup the usual way

Apply the makeup using the right brushes or applicators. If you are comfortable with brushes, then use brushes, if you are comfortable with sponges, use them. Also if you are comfortable with fingers, use them to apply makeup. It is not a time to experiment, so stick to the usual technique.

Tip 34: Match the makeup with your attire

Take a look at your clothes and jewellery.  Consult with your makeup artist beforehand about the looks which will go with the dress. Select the one which you want to do on the day. Do not go in for any last minute changes.

Tip 33: Choose the right foundation

Choosing the right foundation is very important as you don’t want to look ghostly or darker than usual. Go shopping with a friend or a relative and try different shades on yourself. The goal will be to choose a shade which matches your skin tone. Choosing a tone lighter than yours for your bridal makeup Indian style will create a wheatish effect on your face.

Tip 32: Use a highlighter

Use a highlighter instead of shimmer or glitter. The main attempt should be to make the skin appear glowing and not shimmery.  Highlight the bridge of the nose, the chin, the forehead and around the perimeter of the face.

Tip 31: Practice 2 to 3 times before the wedding

Considering doing your own makeup? Practice doing it before hand. This way you will avoid creating a mess on the d day. It is better to practice 2 to 3 times with the looks and try out variations than doing them for the first time on the wedding day itself which can be stressful.

Tip 30: How to apply a blush?

Using a blush? Keep at least two fingers distance from the nose and apply blush.

Tip 29: Take care of excess makeup

Got too much eye makeup/ eye liner? Take a blotting paper and remove any excess oil, excess makeup or liner.

Tip 28: Mascara application

Use a good water proof mascara and make sure it is new/ less than three months old. Old mascara’s which have been exposed to air, clot and become very flaky.

Tip 27: Buying makeup

Going to buy makeup for the wedding day? Take a friend with you and make a list before hand of what products you want to try and which items you need. Aimlessly buying products will result in nothing. So plan beforehand and keep the attire and wedding in mind

Tip 26: Check the weather

Have a wedding at summer/ spring? Choose sheer and light makeup as these will be most appropriate when the weather is hot and humid.

Tip 25: Day time wedding or night time wedding

This is a very important factor to keep in mind when it comes to Indian bridal makeup. If you have the ceremonies in the day time, then keep makeup minimal and opt for a more natural look. If you are going for night time wedding, keep the makeup heavy and add more colors.
If you have a morning wedding go for pastel shades for the eye makeup.

Tip 24: Choose the right lip liner

Choosing a good lip liner is important. You will be best off with a lip liner matching with the lipstick.

Tip 23: Is the makeup complete?

Take a look at the makeup after it is complete and assess whether it is suitable. Ask for honest opinions from friends and ask if it looks good.

Tip 22: Choose the right lipstick

Choose a long wearing lipstick for the d day. You don’t want to be applying it every hour.

Tip 21: Applying foundation

Apply foundation on other exposed parts of the skin like hands, neck, back as well as ears. This way your Indian wedding makeup will look a lot more natural.

Tip 20: Use clean brushes

Whether you are doing the makeup yourself or a makeup artist is doing it, always use clean brushes and other applicators. You don’t not want to get infected by bacteria.

Tip 19: Heavy makeup

Keep the makeup heavier than your usual parties but do keep in mind not to look like a made up doll

Tip 18: Plucking the eyebrows

Pluck your brows at least a day before the wedding. Prevent bumps caused due to plucking using a cotton ball dipped in astringent and wipe the area.

Tip 17: Choosing the right blush

Having trouble choosing the right blush shade? See your face in the mirror right after you exercise. This is the natural color of your cheeks. Look for the color resembling it.

Tip 16: Fake eye lashes

Want some fake lashes? Use only if you are comfortable using them. Also use dark colored lash glue so that it matches the skin tone.

Tip 15: Filling up the brows

Do not use black to fill in the brows. Use brown shade or taupe shade to fill up the brows. The best way to get a natural looking brow is to use powder instead of pencils.

Tip 14: Take care of your hands

Use a moisturizer with shimmers to make your hands and feet look naturally glowing.

Tip 13: Use gel liners

If you are not an ardent follower of liquid liners, use gel liners instead of liquid ones. You will get better precision and better staying power.

Tip 12: When to apply cream

Use a moisturizer on your face and body just after the bath as it is the best time to apply lotions and creams.

Tip 11: Touch up your makeup

Keep a compact and blotting paper handy as you can touch up your makeup.

Tip 10: Keep eye makeup in place

To keep your eye makeup in place, sweep a bit of translucent powder over it and under the eyes. This prevents the meltdown and raccoon eyes.

Tip 9: Don’t let your lipstick stain

To keep your lipstick/ lip color from staining your lips, put a finger in your mouth and close your lips. Pull out the finger; this will take out all excess lip color.

Tip 8: Make lashes appear fuller

Need to make your lashes appear fuller? Apply a bit of powder on the lashes with your eyes closed and then apply mascara.

Tip 7: Applying eye liner

Apply the eye liner while looking down into the mirror. It will give you a better grip and you will be able to draw neat straight lines.

Tip 6: Use cream blushes

Use cream blushes if you want rosy natural cheeks and apply it straight on the cheeks.

Tip 5: Using dark makeup?

Keep your eye makeup in check. If you are going for a dark eye makeup then keep the lips light.

Tip 4: Limit the shimmer

Shimmer looks great but keep it limited to only one part of the face. Either do a shimmery eye or a shimmery lips.

Tip 3: Foundation for photograph

Choose a good foundation, a yellow toned foundation looks better in photographs while a pink based one may make you look washed out.

Tip 2: Make lipstick stay longer

Apply a lip liner and then a lipstick or apply layers of lipstick to make it stay longer.

Tip 1: Use green concealer

Use a green based concealer to cover up those red spots or pimples. It works better than the usual cover up products.

Ref. - http://www.stylecraze.com