Italian American Wedding: Gavi, Italy

February 2, 2015 Leave a Comment

If you watched the Super Bowl, you may still be talking about the crazy ending of the game, (I know I am!). The talk of the week will be about that game for all of us football or sports fans. But in the meantime, I am currently distracted by something even more amazing and worth talking about. What can I say? I will always be a lover of Italian weddings. Maybe it is because my family lives in Lucca, Italy and it holds a special place in my heart. Or perhaps it is due to the stunning and breathtaking Italian surroundings that makes my heart go pitter patter. Whatever the reason, I love Italian weddings, and thats that. Today’s wedding has me falling in love with Italy all over again. I can not even begin to describe this gorgeous wedding as there are so many pretty details. I think its best if you view the stunning images from Andrea Weddings, and see why I am so obsessed.  Enjoy and Happy Monday!

 

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From Andrea Weddings...

I was lucky enough to photograph the beautiful wedding of Julie and Deneb,  the sweet Italian American union as I called it. It took place in Gavi, Italy, located in the Piemonte region not far from the fashion hub of Milan. The wedding wedding was called L’ Ostelliere, which operates a hotel, restaurant, and winery alongside its rolling vineyards in which it makes its own wine.

Besides the gorgeous views in every direction, there were so many lovely details I wanted to share. Specifically lots of DIY (though still glamorous) touches: from the dress handmade by the brides mother; the ceremony the bride’s father officiated; to the music during the ceremony, apertivo hour, and party, with musician friends of both the bride and groom performing. However, quite possibly the best part included a candle-lit walk through an 18th century wine cellar; simply stunning. The evening ended with a rock band in which the groom was the drummer, rockin’ tunes into the wee hours of the night outside the rolling hills.
Vendors:
Photographer: Andrea Weddings
Filed Under: General, Real Weddings Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Top Five Tips for Brides Throwing a Super Bowl Party

January 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

Go Team Wedding! Whether you’re rooting for the Patriots or the Seahawks or you don’t even care who’s playing, there’s no escaping the Super Bowl this Sunday. That’s right- say goodbye to your mimosa brunch and say hello to light beer and hot wings (it’s okay- this can count as a cheat day). If you’re throwing a Super Bowl party we’ve got five awesome tips to keep it fun and score you some serious cool-future-wife points.

Fresh Cut Flowers

You may associate a football field with fresh cut grass, but we like to accent everything we can with flowers. Pick up some hydrangeas or lilies dyed your team’s colors and put them out by your door, table (aka, where the hot wings go), and windows. Flowers always light up the room, make everything a little more feminine and classy and are a great way to show off your team pride!

Dress Code

Your friends are of course going to wear your team’s colors, so make a game of it! Have everyone dress as hardcore as possible and have a prize for whoever dresses the craziest. Once everyone has arrived, have a ‘fashion show’ during the halftime show. The best outfit that hits the runway can get a prize like a gift card or an extra pie to take home after the party. This is a great way to break ice with people who may not know everyone and get the crowd in an upbeat mood before kick off.

Keep it Light

The Super Bowl is such a great food occasion- you can seriously pig out all day and it’s just part of the festivities. If you do want some guilt-free options though, there are a ton of fun foods to lay out. You can start by slipping in some organic veggies with guilt-free hummus and spinach kale dip. If you want to take it another step further, skip the cookies and brownies and get some fruit for dessert. Be sure you always have an organic option for each stage of the meal to combat all the oils, salt, and calories.

Por Favors

Wanna be the hostess with the mostess? Get some party favors for all your friends! Do something small and cute like candy wrapped in your team’s colors bagged up. Something small and sweet is always a great takeaway from a party. Doing a cute DIY is great practice for your wedding too, so get crafty!

Make it a Party!

Want to make your party feel like a well produced event? Use one of our favorite go-to’s and set up a selfie station. Grab fun things like footballs, helmets, and ref whistles as props on top of your favorite standard props. Open up a closet or door and hang streamers over the side that people will take pictures in front of and BAM- you have a selfie station! It’s super fun and easy to play around with and it gives everyone something to do during the commercials that aren’t very funny. You can use the official hashtags for the superbowl, or you can make up your own to find your friends that much faster.

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Top Five Bridal Shower Games

January 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

Party time! If you’ve got a bridal shower coming up, you know you’ve got an awesome day ahead of you with your girlfriends. Bridal showers are really fun, and can range from family friendly to crazy girl’s night out material. Either way your bridal shower ends up going, one awesome way to bond and laugh with your friends is to play some fun bridal shower games. We’ve got five games that will match any crowd and create some fantastic memories! Party on, pretty ladies!

Bridal Pictionary

Get a few white boards or sketchpads and throw some fun wedding-related phrases or words in a bowl. You can split the room up so that people can mingle and play with people they may not normally interact with. Throw words in like “toast”, “honeymoon”, and “groom” but also throw in some specific words to the bride. If she’s a teacher, throw in the word “classroom” or “teacher’s pet”. Keep it light and cute but also centered around the guest of honor.

The Newlywed Game

A total classic and perfect game for bridal showers. Have some questions ready to go and split the group up again. Grab those handy dandy white boards and have the teams guess on the answers to the questions you have- and make sure they always have to do with the bride. Have questions like where they met, where their first kiss was, how many days they’ve been together, etc. You can throw in a few silly ones too, like would they rather go skiing or spelunking, things like that. Keep it light, keep it fun, and keep it moving fast enough that it doesn’t drag out.

Count the Kisses

This one is a super easy game that everyone will be able to play, even if you’re shy. Have a vase or bowl of kisses out with a lid so no one eats any. Have everyone guess how many kisses are in the bowl, and whoever guesses closest wins the vase and the kisses! If you want to do hugs and kisses, you can label the vase ‘XOXO’ to make it super cute. It’s an easy game plus someone leaves with a whole lot of chocolate!

Make Memories

Have all the guests write down a cute story about themselves and the bride without using their name. Once everyone has been able to write down their stories, have the maid of honor or some of the bridal party read the stories out loud. The bride has to guess who wrote what story, and everyone gets an awesome walk down memory lane! You can’t have the bride read the questions off though- the handwriting could be a giveaway!

Mouth-watering Mystery

Whatever your bride’s favorite snack is- get a ton of different brands. If she’s a chocolate fiend, pick up some hersheys, godiva, sees, all sorts of fun stuff. If she loves gummy bears, grab some trolli, black forest, haribo, anything you can find. Unwrap everything and pour them into different bowls. After dinner or anything savory, everyone gets to go pick a piece from each bowl and guess what brand each piece of candy is. Whoever is closest gets a pack of their choice! This is a fun game that gives everyone an excuse to munch on something sweet.

 

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Yellow & Grey Garden Wedding

January 23, 2015 Leave a Comment

Wrapping up another fabulous week and ready to kick off the weekend. But before we do, we are currently swooning over this pretty wedding. This wedding is all about the yellow and grey theme with fabulous details which will knock your pretty little socks right off!  We can not stop smiling as this wedding is bright with whimsical delights, gorgeous florals, a darling tea-length wedding dress, dapper groomsmen wearing bow-ties, and a wedding party who knows how to get their dance on.  Oh, and this couple? Their love is just beaming, as each and every image pops with love.  They are so darn cute! We have to admit that we kind of want to put on our favorite little dress, get our hair and makeup all done, and head over to this wedding.  We can not help that we love garden weddings, and when there is one as sweet as this one, then we are head over heels.  We love each and every lovely detail. The  bride, the groom, the wedding party, the venue, the decor; we love it all. You do not want to miss all the amazing details this wedding has to offer! Thanks to Blair Gable Photography for capturing all the pretty details.  Before you head out the door, take a moment to browse the beautiful images of this romantic garden wedding. It will make for a very happy Friday. Trust us, it is a good one!

 

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From Blair Gable Photography…

It’s easy to see why Chantal and Simon chose Strathmere to hold their gray and yellow wedding, with its lovely meadows filled with sunflowers and pastel accents. The couple had their first look in the garden, Chantal’s wore a vintage styled dress, and Simon rocked the yellow bow tie with suspenders.

Vendors:

Photographer: Blair Gable Photography

Venue: Strathmere Inn

 

Filed Under: General, Real Weddings Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Top Five Maid of Honor Life Skills

January 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

Are you a Jill of all trades? If you’ve got the honor of being a maid of honor, you better be! Being the maid of honor is a seriously huge deal and it can be a lot to live up to. If you have the time to prepare, it can be a good idea to pick up a few new hobbies that could seriously come in handy. If you want to be the best maid of honor ever, get started on learning these life skills!

Sew Skilled

If there’s one life skill you’ll need as a lady in life, let alone as a maid of honor, it’s to be able to sew. You don’t need to learn to do anything crazy, but if you can string a thread through a needle and efficiently sew something up you’re good. From here on out, keep some clear thread and a needle on hand in a small container for anything that may come up. If the bride finds a small tear, you’re the go-to girl to save the day (which will result in some serious love!). If you’re nervous about sewing on the spot, try out some small projects at home- that button’s not going to sew itself back on and practice makes perfect!

Lash Out

This life skill can be a little intimidating, but if you CAN’T do it you can get in some serious trouble. Many brides wear falsies for their big day, as do bridesmaids, family, basically everyone. False lashes are so fun, but if they start peaking out or if the glue becomes unstuck it’s such a nightmare. If you can master putting on lashes and fixing any lashes that start to fly off, you’ll be such a hero! One of our favorite tips is to dab glue on a flat surface and use the pointed end of a pen to re-apply glue. You can also get lash glue with a built in wand for easy re-applying. All you’ll have to do is start wearing lashes more and then you’ll be ready to fix any lash drama that may arise in the bridal party.

Re-Powder to Re-Power!

This is a super easy life skill, but if you go too heavy it can ruin a look. Learn to re-powder your face like a pro and you’ll be able to get everyone camera ready in no time flat! The trick is to keep it light, use the right brushes for your powder, and know the skin type that you’re working with. An easy way to re-powder yourself or your friends is to lightly dust an HD powder over the T-Zone. We like duo fibre brushes and retractable kabuki brushes for on-the-go applications.

Heel the Heels

It’s the big day, you’re all running around, and then it happens- someone’s high heel breaks. UGH! That’s such a nightmare and if it’s fixed improperly, it can ruin the shoes and the night. It’s a bummer, but be sure that you fix the heel with serious super glue (not to be mistaken for the lash glue you’ll also have on your person) and let it sit until it doesn’t wiggle at all. If you’re able, give it about ten to fifteen minutes to fully dry with super glue and try to keep your full weight off of the shoe until it’s been dry for about an hour. The big mistake people tend to make is that they try to wiggle the heel to see if it’s fixed- that sets back the entire process and makes the shoe unstable. Learn how to properly fix a heel for life and you’ll save your girls from a fashion emergency!

Short End of the Stick

This life skill will save you ways that extend past weddings, girls’ nights, and girly things in general- it’s just a great life skill. Do yourself a favor and learn to drive a stick! You never know when you’ll need to pick up the keys and do a last minute run for the bride. If it happens, you don’t want to get stuck screaming at the clutch and contemplating ubering the groomsmens’ vests over from across town. Learning to drive a stick is such a useful life skill and isn’t too complicated once you get it. It’s just like riding a bike, except you have a little more freedom to dance while blasting Beyonce while you do it.

 

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Top Five Tips for Multitasking Brides

January 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Weddings get CRAZY! While you’re getting deeper and deeper into into the craziness that is planning your wedding, you’re going to feel like you’re juggling a whole lot. It’s totally normal to start feeling overwhelmed while you’re planning the best party of your life. If you want to take some steps to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed, follow our tips to be the most marvelous multitasking bride ever!

Organize your Tasks

Write down literally EVERYTHING you need to do. Yes, this will take a while but it’s totally worth it! Get everything you can think of written down and from there, organize it. Use color coding to highlight everything into different categories, such as things that are dress/suit related, things that are venue related, dates that you need to pay vendors, etc. From there you’ll be able to group tasks together and even prioritize them. Once you prioritize your tasks, you’ll be able to knock out our next tip in no trouble!

Calendar your Completion Dates

Got an idea of what you need to get done? Get it on paper and and plan that out! One of our favorite ways to calendar our completion dates is to open a google calendar just for your wedding and input all of your tasks into it. You can even share that action items with friends by forwarding the invite to their calendar. You can even share the whole calendar with people who need to know, like your maid of honor or fiance. Sync the calendar to your phone so you get accessibility to the calendar no matter where you are. Be sure to set reminders for yourself so you’re sure to get everything done!

Keep a List of To Dos on Hand

After your calendar is uploaded, be sure you also have a list of things you can just pick up and work on. If you know you have to go to the doctor, DMV, or anything with a waiting room, be sure you have a list of things you can work on. If you have a few minutes, facebook message friends for their addresses. If you have a few more minutes, call and make appointments for teeth cleanings, mani/pedis, and anything else you need. Maximize your time by always working on running tasks!

Pass it Along

While you’re looking at your list of things to get done, see what you can trust your friends to do for you. You can ask them to do simple things like picking up samples, dropping off invites at the post office, or verifying addresses. If you have some awesome Type A friends who seriously have your back, you can even trust them with bigger tasks like delivering vendor checks, picking up your dress, or picking out wines. It’s okay to delegate- they’re your bridesmaids for a reason!

Budget in a Book

One awesome way to keep all your expenses straight is to create an excel book for all your expenses. You can create solutions within the book to automatically show how much you’re spending, how much you’ve spent, how much of the budget is spent and what it was spent on, basically anything! If you don’t excel at using excel, watch a few video tutorials and follow along. If anything, it’s also a good life skill to be able to use excel.

 

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , ,

1920s Wedding Inspired New York Styled Shoot

January 16, 2015 Leave a Comment

I will always be a fan of the 1920’s era. In reality, I have to admit that I am actually OBSESSED with this fabulous time period where fashion and style were all about the  glitz and glamour.  When this bygone era is intertwined with weddings, my heart just can not handle it.  So you can imagine how I felt the moment I viewed the first image of this stunning NYC wedding styled shoot.   No joke, but I did not even have to look at the rest of the images to know that I wanted to feature it.  This jaw-dropping gorgeous and beautiful 1920s inspired wedding shoot has caused me to fall in love with this era all over again.  It is the kind of styled shoot that has me gasping at every single detail.   It’s elegant, luxurious, and charming details makes my heart go pitter patter.  Oh, and then you have a talented photographer like emma cleary photography, who has produced the most incredible images, and this styled shoot just got better. Just wow. So, clear your schedule because you will need some time to browse and admire the amazing details from this exquisite styled shoot. I promise you will not be disappointed.

 

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From emma cleary photography…

The shoot took place in the India House which is located in the “stone street historic district” of NYC. We wanted to create a wedding that might have actually happened in the 1920s as this venue has retained its historic beauty. We had a variety of gorgeous gowns and headpieces that reflected the style of that era. Our wide eyed bride looked perfect in this style as did our handsome groom. Our style was carried throughout the shoot from the casting of the models to the invitations, flowers and everything in between. “My eye is always drawn to the details, whether it be the brides beautiful eyes or the flowers she holds.  I love to stay creative, this shoot was a joy to put together.”

 

Vendors:

Photographer: emma cleary photography

Location: India House

Bridal Shoes: Botticelli Shoes

Jewelry: Cassandra Lynne

Hair: ChristiRizos.Com

Flowers: City Blossoms

Bridal Gown Shop: Designer Loft & L’Fay Bridal

Groom Apparel: Dibi Ties

Cake: Financier Patisserie

Groom Tuxedo: Ian Rios

Caterer: Masterpiece Caterers

Makeup: Red Carpet Brides

Invitations: Suite paper

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Montana Winter Wedding

January 14, 2015 Leave a Comment

Here at BHL headquarters located in Southern California, we do not see much snow around here, so when we have a dreamy winter wedding to feature, we are totally head over heels in love.  Rich sumptuous colors, roaring log fires, a gorgeous handcrafted bouquet made by the mother of the bride,  beautiful snowy day as the backdrop, and this wedding is romantic and magical. Then you have Marianne Wiest Photography behind the lens to capture it all, and you have a handful of stunning images which has us swooning over all the pretty details.  Cozy up to this lovely winter wedding, and enjoy the romance!

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From Marianne Wiest Photography…

This sweet, cute and goofy couple had a cold and snowy, but absolutely beautiful wedding in Missoula, Montana.  Luckily they were used to the cold since they are from Nome, Alaska!

Jake and Kaley have known each other for 10 years. They met in Kalispell, MT, and were friends through mutual friends. Kaley was in a relationship at the time, so was not interested in more than a friendship. Jake moved to Alaska and they went our separate ways. They didn’t have contacted for 4 years. One night, Kaley’s friend Sara was trying to set her up with a friend. We talked about relationships and Kaley mentioned how she and Jake always had a connection. They spent the night on google looking for info and pictures of Jake. The next day, Sara called the last known bank he had worked at and pretended he did a loan for her. Reluctantly, the bank gave her his number because he had moved to Fairbanks. She called him and told him he needed to get in touch with Kaley. Jake called later that week and they began a long distance relationship for 2 years until Kaley moved to Alaska.

 One of Kaley’s favorite things to do in Nome is to comb the beach for sea glass along the Bering Sea. It was in May and she was leaving for Montana the next day to spend the summer with family. Jake and Kaley went to collect sea glass on the beach. As they were walking along collecting glass, Jake got down and said “I think I found a piece of glass you will really like” Kaley looked down and he was on one knee with a wedding ring. Of course I couldn’t believe he was proposing right before she was leaving but she was so happy that they were going to get married. I said “yes”

They began planning a winter wedding in Missoula, Montana, which was close to both of their families.  They figured a Christmas/winter wedding would be convenient for family that had time off of work were traveling home for the holidays.

Although the blizzard made for bad driving conditions, the snow added a beautiful element to the photos.  And the 1953 Chevy, restored by the groom’s father, was an added bonus as a prop!  Jake’s dad Gerry rebuilt the truck from the ground up. The exact same model driven by 3 generations in Jake’s family. 

Instead of a cake, the couple had a local bakery make blueberry pies out of blueberries they had handpicked and brought with them all the way from Alaska.  This way they could have a little bit of Alaska with them in Montana.

 The bride chose natural colors that go along with burlap, eggplant, blush, and other natural tones. She wanted the wedding feel to be antique, the shabby chic with the lace and burlap. Instead of bouquets, the flower girls walked down the aisle with vintage fans.

On all of the wine bottles were from a book of love poems that the bride’s great grandma had given her mom. The lace, broaches in the bouquet and the gloves were from the bride’s great grandma. The bride’s mom made the bouquet and the bride made the boutonneires.

 

Vendors:

Photographer: Marianne Wiest Photography

Venue: The Ranch Club

Hair: Bella Sauvage Spa & Salon

Wedding Pie: Bernice’s Bakery

Bridal Gown: BHLDN

Jewelry: Blue Nile

Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Tuxedo Gallery

DJ: ZooTown

Filed Under: General, Real Weddings Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Top Five Under the Weather Bride Activities

January 13, 2015 Leave a Comment

Is it just us, or is this season especially bad? We’re all bundled up in jammies and blankets over here, but are you brides doing alright? If you’ve got some big things coming up but are feeling under the weather, no worries. We’ve got five fun things for you to do while you’re sick that will keep you on track and get you feeling better.

Mask Yourself

If you’re stuck at home for a few days, might as well make the most of it and get pretty. Since you have the time, do at-home hair and face masks. If you feel crafty, go ahead and do a hand and/or foot mask. You may not feel cute when you’re stuffy and sniffly, but you can help smooth out your skin and hair! Skip anything that has too many chemicals in it- keep it organic and au natural so you don’t risk any irritation.

Pre-Plan the After Party

If your head is on straight enough to get through some planning fun, start checking out honeymoon travel. There are a TON of great deals right now, and if you’re feeling like daydreaming this is the perfect bedrest activity. Check out deal sites like Expedia and Kayak, but also compare it to booking directly with the airline. Take the time to get deep into reviews online of resorts and different cities so you know exactly what kind of honeymoon you’ll have.

Make a List (to Check Twice!)

You can also take this time to get organized for anything you’ll need to follow up on after the big day. Take you guest list and create an excel workbook with everyone that’s invited so you have a checklist for when you create thank you notes. When you receive a gift from someone, just log in what they got you next to their name and when the time comes you’ll have a super easy way of referencing what to thank your guests for! It can also be handy to do the same for all the vendors you use- write down who they are, what they did for you, and how much you owe them. It’ll help you keep track of any checks you write or payments you make.

Do Serious Research

If you’re still in planning stages, do the most productive kind of lazy day tv watching- make it wedding research! If you’re all curled up on the couch kind of sick, skip Orange is the New Black and check out wedding shows! We love Say Yes To The Dress and wedding episodes of our favorite sitcoms (Lily and Marshall’s wedding on How I Met Your Mother anyone?). It may not look like you’re working, but doing research like this can totally pay off! Watching other weddings can help you decide what you want and don’t want at yours (plus it’s an excuse to watch lots of Netflix).

Network from Bed

If you have vendors to reach out to, now is a great time to shoot out emails! Most people are available during working business hours, so if you’re skipping your job for the day, you’re in prime time to catch people at theirs! If your throat is sore or you have that raspy thing going on, it may be smart to notate in your email that you can’t talk just yet but prefer email communication. If you have the time, you can get different prices on things like your goodie bags, bridal party gifts, food, etc. Use this time to make sure you’re up to date with all of your vendors if you already have some picked out. Following up with others makes sick time productive!

 

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Top Five Bridal Beauty Tips for Winter Weather

January 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

Brrr, it’s cold out there! It’s still chilly and will stay chilly for a few more weeks, are you prepared? If you’ve got your wedding or any wedding events on the horizon you’re going to need to be prepared to weather the weather (see what we did there?). Our top five tips will keep you looking perfect, no matter how pretty or ugly the weather can get.

Seal your Look

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If you’re afraid that the rain or humidity outside will melt your makeup, do your part and seal it in. Start with a primer that stays put (we love the primers by Too Faced and Smashbox) before you do your makeup, and when you’re done use a sealing spray (like Model in a Bottle or Urban Decay). The sealers will hold all the color in place and keep your look from melting away. They’re perfect for day long events (like your rehearsal day or for the big day) or before you go out for an epic night.

Lip Butter Base

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If the cold makes your skin that much more sensitive, you need to do what you can to keep your skin soft! Before you do your big bold red lips (that we are LOVING this Winter), swipe on a layer of moisturizing lip balms. We love Chapstick, EOS lip balms, and the Jack Black lip balms. Try swiping on some lip balm, doing all of your makeup and saving your lip color for last so the moisturizer absorbs into your lips. It’s also a great idea to swipe on a hearty amount of lip balm before you to go sleep. Trust us, you’ll wake up to the softest lips ever!

Liquid Liner

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Liquid liner tends to have more lasting power than the pencil liners- when they dry they’re seriously stuck there until you clean your face. We love the pencil liquid liners because they’re easy to swipe on quickly and give you a lot of control when you apply. The Marc Jacobs liner is fantastic, but a splurge. If you’re on a budget, the Ulta brand liquid liner pen is a great value and stays put all day.

Liquid Concealer

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If you’re hiding bags under your eyes or even some cold time breakouts, switch out our concealer for something liquid to keep your skin from drying out. If you have a blemish or a breakout, you’ll still need to keep your skin moisturized. We love the Kat von D Tattoo Concealer because it keeps your skin from drying out but also hides imperfections and breakouts like a champ.

Moisturizing Removers

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Moisturizing should extend past your makeup- you should keep it in mind even while you’re taking your makeup off! We love the Neutrogena hydrating makeup wipes this time of year because it gets off every bit of makeup on your skin without drying your skin out. The cold can be so harsh that you need to sneak in those bits of moisture wherever you can!

 

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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