ruth_hancox

Picture Perfect

makeupbyruth@hotmail.com (Ruth Hancox) — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 16:08:23 GMT

Picture Perfect

The most beautiful and intense day in every woman's life should be nothing less than perfect, as it will be a lasting memory to those who personally live through it and those who take part in it with you, it will be documented in photographs, videos, shared on social media that will crystallize the moment forever. Our artists are masters of creating beautiful looks on and off camera .The advancements in photography and high definition video mean booking artists experienced in working in this media is vital. Allow yourself to be memorable and make it exquisite.

In pictures, in-person,.....perfection

Every bride should love how she looks in her wedding photos many years from now. Equally every groom should only see his beautiful bride in stood front of him, not layers of heavy makeup. We are experts in getting the balance right! Your makeup and hair should look as spectacular in pictures as you do in-person We will enhance your best features and erase any imperfections so you will to look picture perfect from every angle, through the lens, across the room, and of course up close for your first married kiss.

With many a camera will be pointed your way

The right hair and makeup can will elevate your confidence and wedding photography , helping you to stand taller, smile wider and have a more confident presence as you head out to your ceremony.

Here’s our Top tips for beautiful bridal photos

Aside from picking your dream dress and having your hair and makeup on point the best way to ensure you’ll photograph well is practicing your smile. This elevates your features
Application of makeup and photography are always best best in natural daylight pick a preparation location with plenty of natural light
Don’t book hours and hours of video/photography coverage from the crack of dawn just an hour or so prior to your ceremony to capture to key preparation shots will be perfect
We avoid products with SPF and light reflection ,as this will reflect and make the face appear a ghostly white when using a flash. Don’t go sunscreen crazy
Know your angles, we all have a good side work it !
Schedule an Engagement photography Session so you can get to know your photography team, why not tie in your trial with us the same day so you feel move comfortable in front of the camera
The cleaner the room, the cleaner the images will be . Whether you're getting ready at your venue, your house or your parent's house, a de-cluttered room will make great photographs. Get bridesmaids to tidy up nothing ruins a shot more than a Tesco carrier bag or cast off pair of trainers
Don’t Stress about the dress! Sorry to say, but it will get dirty, even if you’re just inside all day, it will pick up stuff that’s on the floor, generic fluff and what not. You will still look as stunning so just don’t stress about it.

Be Yourself, Relax and Have Fun.

Repeat After Me....

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:48:36 GMT

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The run up to your wedding day can be super stressful as I’m sure we all know and its totally understandable. There’s a lot to think about as a bride to be and its not just what you’re going to wear or who will and won’t be invited. There’s a whole bunch of things that go on behind the scenes that unless they’ve done it themselves, guests could quite easily forget about because their job is to turn up looking smart, and buy a nice gift and enjoy all the hard work and money you’ve put into making it the best and most memorable day of your life (but that’s not to say that being a wedding guest can’t be super stressful in itself but that’s a conversation for another day).

Today, I’m going to pass on some tips help keep you calm in times of stress and anxiety... and this can be carried across every aspect of your life but today we’re talking wedding!

Having witnessed the many emotions that people go through on their wedding morning, its become very clear that their are 2 types of brides- the ones who have been super organised in the run up that by the time their wedding day comes they are able to take the day in their stride without having to worry about a thing because the day will be what it will be and as long as they are surrounded by people they love, there’s not much that they can do at this point to change anything.

And then there are the brides that have been super organised to the point that they get stressed about the small things and the things that could potentially go wrong but haven’t necessarily happened yet.

“Relax, everything is out of control”

I once heard a Buddhist teaching through a podcast (Under The Skin for the people who like to listen to podcasts, particularly about spirituality, I highly recommend!) where the monk explained that here in the west we tend to say “Panic! Panic! Everything is out of control” but in Buddhism they would say “Relax, everything is out of control!” This completely changed my perspective, as a Capricorn I can be a total control freak if I don’t check myself regularly. But when you really think about it, if something is truly out of our control which by the time your wedding day comes it most likely is then what is the use in panicking. The weather cannot be changed, its a shame that your friend can’t make it all of a sudden, but are you going to let that ruin your day? You have put a lot of time and effort into making things perfect already and you’ve already assigned everyone their own jobs. All that matters now is that you sit back, relax and allow everyone around you to do their jobs whilst you are pampered and dressed ready to look, be and feel the absolute best you can be when you walk down the aisle in a few hours.

If like so many people you struggle with anxiety, it is firstly really important that you make sure that you have a close friend or relative that you can offload your worries to so that they can help you through the process. Maybe they could take some of the workload or maybe they’re just there to listen to you vent about how a certain guest, bridesmaid, or family member is not co operating. We see this all the time! But as a bride you feel torn between your expectations and keeping them happy. This is yourself and your partners big day! So as important as it is for you to listen and understand their view point, its just as important that they remember that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fulfil your wishes, dreams and expectations of your perfect wedding day. Just remember that the small things (like one bridesmaid deciding they want shorter nails than everyone else or a little more or less hair around their face) isn’t going to ruin your day, but an argument or worrying about it most certainly will.

On the other hand, if they are being a total Bridesmaid-zilla, and you’re not the only one that thinks so, then its totally within your rights as the Bride to discuss this with them and express your feelings on the situation, and you wouldn’t be the first person to change your mind about having someone be your bridesmaid to avoid conflict on your big day.

“I Am...”

My favourite thing in the world is manifestation through vision boards and affirmations. I use these techniques in my everyday life to help me reach my goals and keep me on track. A vision board for those who don’t know, is kind of the same idea as when you were a teenager and you used to cut out magazine clippings of people you aspire to be or look like... a mood board of sorts. A collection of images, words and ideas that you can look at everyday that will push you towards manifesting your dreams. In this case, your dream wedding. I feel like I could talk about vision boards all day so instead of making this post longer than necessary (as I’m sure you’re super busy planning your wedding day) I will come back to the concept another day. For now I want to focus on affirmations. An affirmation is a phrase that the more we repeat, the more we believe it, until it becomes our reality. I’d recommend repeating it at least once a day but please feel free to repeat it as many times as you wish! When you wake up.... “today is a good day, I’m going to get so much done” when you go to sleep “I’m proud of my accomplishments, and how productive I have and continue to be” you can even leave yourself sticky notes around the house to remind yourself of how amazing you are! “I am calm, I have everything under control”

The trick with affirmations is to say it as though it already is, you already believe it! “Everything is running smoothly and I have created my perfect wedding day”

“Inhale...Exhale”

In all the hustle and bustle remember to take a breather. The whole week of your wedding can be overwhelming. With so much to do and people to meet, rehearsals, and things to organise and final checks, it’s easy to forget to stop and take some time for yourself and enjoy it. Remember to set some time aside for just you or for you and your partner to enjoy each others company and take it all in. It’s going to go so fast and as soon as its here it’ll be just as soon be gone.

If it starts to get too much take a step back, close your eyes, take a deep inhale, count to four and exhale. Repeat this exercise for as long as you need. This will slow your heart rate and your thoughts so that you can take a calmer approach.

Another exercise I like when things get a little too much is to count to 10 but whilst you are counting you have to find the numbers in the room. What can you see?

dress
shoes
bridesmaids
sets of eyelashes
bananas
And so on...

It doesn’t matter what you count. The point is that it is a distraction, for few minutes you are not concentrating on other people or the things that you were worrying about anymore and as an added bonus you are taking in a clearer picture and better memories of your wedding day.

“Lists”

Trying to remember everything that needs to be done, paid for, ordered, sent, mixed in with your usual day to day to do lists can be very confusing and it will be really easy to forget things or get confused. A list is the obvious answer right? But lists can be disheartening in themselves, particularly if it’s a big list and you have a busy lifestyle like so many of us do these days.

Why not try breaking it down a bit? Write one big list to start with. Then you can either delegate jobs to your wedding party. Your partner, your parents, your siblings, your bridesmaids (after all its all part of their duty as your nearest and dearest to make your life easier right?) Things that you must really do yourself, or if like me your view is that “if you want something done properly, do it yourself” then prioritise your list. What needs to be done urgently, what needs to be paid, what can wait? Make several short lists instead of one big list and I guarantee it will be a whole lot less daunting. One list of (for example) 5 small jobs a day is a lot easier to accomplish than one big list of 50 jobs to get through. You will feel more productive and motivated.

But what if you don’t manage to get something done on the day you planned to? The last thing you need to do is beat yourself up about it.

Instead of saying “i really don’t have time to do this today I’m going to have so much to do tomorrow”

Try rephrasing... “I’ve had a really busy day and I still managed to get 4 out of 5 of my jobs done today! Tomorrow I will prioritise (the final thing on your list from today) and I’ll have the other jobs done in no time”

Be realistic though. If you have super hectic day planned at work on Monday, give yourself a break and give yourself a shorter simpler list on Monday, if any at all.

“In the Moment”

I think what you could (will hopefully) take from all of this is to remember to live in the moment. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and if someone else is pressuring you then politely remind them that you are already very busy and this wedding is about you and your partner, as much as you want everyone else to have a good time, if they don’t like the music but you love it that’s what matters. Don’t sweat the small stuff because once you’ve walked down the aisle, it won’t even cross your mind. And remember not to anticipate any bridges until you get to them because the anticipation will cause you more distress than the actual bridge itself, I promise!

Becoming Mrs O

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 07:41:56 GMT

Welcome to my beauty & lifestyle blog, documenting my personal journey through lifey to become a Wifey

Our Engagement Story

It’s rare meet someone who totally blows your socks off but I can honestly say the first time saw Chris across a crowded dance floor ,It was at least lust at first sight, he’s tall, strong, classically handsome and the best bit ,his blue eyes were staring straight back at me, I couldn’t believe my luck but the course of true love never did run smooth ... Just as Chris was about to make his move, my friend Heidi’s new boyfriend and male friends turn up ,not wanting to step on any toes Chris chickened out

Fate as a funny way of working things out. Eight weeks later while on holiday in Majorca, I’d had a few sangrias and decided to brave Tinder. Two swipes of ‘hell no’ & ‘no thanks’ then Chris pops up, now that’s a super like! Straight back a message pops up “you are the girl from the club I wanted to ask you out” Without hesitation we arranged to meet for cocktails the following Saturday. We talked and laughed and danced together all night, sparks flew and instantly knew we had finally met ‘the one’. Chris is literally the male version of me we have the same outlook, values, taste and humour.

Fast forward two years , three holidays and one baby Luka later. We had discussed marriage early on , it was something important to us both but I didn’t know when Chris would pop the question and I do think it’s lovely to have a surprise proposal. We were all set for a holiday of a lifetime to Mexico. I had an inkling that this was the time...but this wasn’t meant to be thanks to Thomas Cook but Chris was very adamant we had to book a replacement holiday straight away

We previously had the most romantic magical trip to Positano on Italys Amalfi Coast but this time there was baby in tow. Anyone who’s been lucky enough to visit Positano, will tell you it’s definitely not pushchair friendly. So we opted for Sardinia the serene and laid back, romantic Italian island with 2,000km of stunning coastline. We had been there a few days exploring beach’s of the gleaming turquoise waters and pearl white glittery sands when on route to the famous Spiaggia Capriccioli beach where James Bond emerged from the sea in his Lotus car. Round a bend in the winding road we came across an open air restaurant jutting out of the hill side with the best views of the Costa Smeralda peninsula. Definitely a good spot for a Prosecco pit stop!

Little did I know this spot in Sardinia was the Chris improvised proposal setting! He had been carrying the ring in his pocket since our arrival waiting for the perfect place and moment. With the emerald coloured waves in the background it was breathtaking! We decided to order a lunch of my favourite caprese salad, why do tomatoes tase so good in the Mediterranean? The scene couldnt have been set more beautifully, especially as sat beside chris was our baby son I turned around; Chris held an open box and was down on one knee. I looked down at his beautiful blue eyes; I could read the excitement and nervousness on his face. Quickly glimpsing at the sparkling ring inside the box, I was for once in my life speechless. I don’t remember much about the next few minutes. It was all a surreal, happy and perfect blur. Even though we were surrounded by people , the rest of the world disappeared for a moment. I said yes of course! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect proposal, ring or fiancé! Thank goodness Chris insisted I have a manicure before our holiday

Chris worked with https://www.diamond-heaven.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItaDakpfo6QIVGO3tCh0VkQPVEAAYASAAEgKOWPD_BwE

a jeweller to design my perfect dream ring: a classic marquise cut diamond on a ultra thin platinum pave band. He did good, huh? I don’t wear a lot of jewellery and my taste is quite simple but statement, honestly can’t stop staring at my hand it’s so beautiful and sparkly! The Jewellery Quarter is great for day out lots trendy bars & restaurants and thousands of beautiful diamonds , a huge range at fraction of their High Street prices, home to hundreds diamond dealers, and workshops. My fashion agency is located here so I couldn’t help but window shop when in the area, I must of used my powers a manifestation because Chris got my ring spot on!

We’re both over the moon and spent the rest of holiday celebrating and decided Sardinia was too pretty not to share with our friends and family and would be the perfect setting for our destination wedding.