Princess Kate Middleton's Bridal Look

If you were part of the two billion people all over the world who witnessed the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, I bet your head is still reeling from watching every detail of their fairy-tale like wedding. From what Prince William whispered to his bride when she joined him at the altar, to how Kate looked stunning in a Sarah Burton gown, the world was keeping an eye on the couple.

Everyone was thrilled with what Kate was going to wear. It was a tightly guarded secret revealed only til she came out of the Goring hotel, where she stayed for bridal preparations. It turns out that she picked the design by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen.

The Princess who insisted on doing her own bridal makeup

Kate Middleton did her makeup after all. I mentioned on a previous post how she did her own makeup during their engagement pictorials, and the royal goddess apparently feels comfortable primping up herself that she opted to do it again on the wedding day itself. She took private lessons for about 3-4 sessions from London makeup guru Arabella Preston in preparation for the wedding. Her hair, which was down and flowing, was courtesy of celebrity hairdresser, Richard Ward. It was capped with a diamond-studded tiara from the Queen.

So how did Her Royal Highness fare as a makeup artist?

The look was very natural, typical of the Kate we see on pictures. It was classy and timeless, but others expressed it was rather too safe. She was wearing her typical nude lipstick shade, and dark eyeshadows up to the crease. Pretty much just like her engagement look.

I was wishing to see Kate with her hair up since we often see her bouncy, pretty locks down. Some makeup fans think a pinkish lip tone would've been a refreshing change to her daily nude lipstick look. If you've noticed, the blush looked a little harsh on TV. The camera was mostly focusing on her side and the blush/bronzer didn't look flattering on tv but is ok on photographs. Overall, I'd give Kate props for her look. She was naturally beautiful which the subtle makeup enhanced. When the cameras focused on her, I couldn't help but agree with the world that Kate was indeed a glowing bride. I guess whatever makeup she put on, there's no arguing that Prince William got himself a gorgeous wife.

Speaking of Prince William, he does look more handsome with his hat on.  Beautiful, beautiful couple, don't you agree? Here's wishing a blessed married life to the Duke and Duchess of  Cambridge!

Photo credits/ Image source: getty images

Beauty Bar in CDO

My horoscope yesterday read that I should be careful with spending in the afternoon. Not that I take horoscopes seriously but sometimes they get freaky accurate. I usually have a good grip of my finances but seeing Beauty Bar in Cagayan de Oro caught me off guard.

I don't know if I'd been hibernating too much that I didn't hear about its opening last March 26, 2011 or if it just wasn't as highly publicized as the opening of Marks & Spencer or Starbucks here in CDO.

It's not like Marionnaud opened a Mindanao branch but Beauty Bar in this part of the country is something to celebrate about for beauty afficionados. We've been deprived of outlets that sell high end cosmetics like Mac, MUFE, Shu Uemura and the like but having Beauty Bar in CDO brings us an inch closer to our wishes (can't wait for Ayala Centrio to open). Beauty Bar happens to carry one of my favorite brands- Smashbox.

When I examined the place, I noticed there were less items and brands compared to BB branches in Manila. There was no Model Co, for instance. The brands the CDO store carry include Smashbox, Palladio, Prestige, Styli-style, Bloom, Philosophy, and Ziaja. They also have my favorite lash adhesive- the Lash Grip, and stocks of Victoria Vogue wedge sponge.

As much as I wanted to hoard stuffs, I had to practice self control and remind myself that I can always come back since it's already here in CDO. I ended up buying just 3 items- the best selling Palladio oil-absorbing Rice Powder, a Styli-style lipstick, and the Smashbox Eye Illusion palette. The good news about the Beauty Bar CDO Branch  is that the prices are similar to BB branches in Manila.  No crazy mark ups for a provincial outlet.

Beauty Bar CDO is clustered along Marks & Spencer, Nine West, Lacoste, and Aerosoles at the second level, East Concourse of Limketkai Mall.

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Elizabeth Taylor’s Emerald Diamond Bracelet

Famed fashion and beauty icon, actress, and jewelry collector (as well as husband-collector) Elizabeth Taylor may have passed away last month, and she may be auctioning off her personal jewelry collection at Christie’s (reportedly worth $150 million!), but that doesn’t mean you can’t own an emerald diamond bracelet much like Dame’s herself!

Among Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s vast and luxurious jewelry collection, is her Bulgari emerald parure. A gift from her fifth (and also sixth) husband, Richard Burton, the decadent parure was given on several separate occasions: the emerald diamond brooch was a gift to celebrate their engagement, while the emerald diamond necklace was a wedding present. Later, Burton gifted her with a matching emerald diamond bracelet and earrings, also from Bulgari. It was even said that some of the emeralds in the jewelry set were from the Grand Duchess of Russia.



While Elizabeth Taylor’s own emerald diamond bracelet would no doubt cost a fortune (probably both my arms, legs, and most likely a kidney) what few know is that the Dame herself designed an emerald diamond bracelet that costs less than $1 million.

Currently being auctioned off at Christie’s, the emerald diamond bracelet designed by Taylor, was manufactured by the House of Taylor Jewelry, a company created in 2005 (whose principal shareholders include Elizabeth Taylor—duh!—and Kathy Ireland).



Obviously, the bracelet is nothing like Elizabeth Taylor’s but it’s the closest thing to owning jewelry that have passed the Dame’s own hands, and no doubt her taste.

Designed with a wide flexible band, containing nine circular-cut diamond lines, and several square-cut emeralds, mounted on 18k gold, the bracelet retails for $49,000 at Christie’s. Fortunately, jewelers such as Povada Fine Jewelry provide an exquisite line of emerald diamond bracelets that you could actually let that Elizabethan dream a reality.




Bibliography

Christie's. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.

"Elizabeth Taylor's Enduring Love Affair with Bulgari. | The Jewellery Editor." High
Jewellery, Jewels & Watches | Expert Advice from Maria Doulton. 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. .



Hughes, Richard W. "Gemstone.org." Welcome to ICA - All About Colored Gemstones.
2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. .


The above article is a guest post by Cara L.

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