Hasta La Ideas

“Make it blue!” “Make it pink!” Princess Aurora of Disney’s “The Sleeping Beauty” was always my favorite fairytale princess. Growing up, it was hard not to dream of having a pink gown to dance away forever with my prince charming. On a more serious childhood pink note, when I was young, my mom made three piles in order to do my laundry: lights, darks, and pink. A girl can never have too much pink! The anytime rosy hue is too important to be left out of your wedding day. From bow accents to lace and tulle, pink can, and should, be anywhere you could dream of at your wedding– even on the groom! If you’ve got your heart set on tying the knot in springtime, a light, rose petal pink is a way to sneak it in on the softer side, while summer’s vibrant coral is pink’s hot colored companion for your pairing pleasure. Check out the following picks in the slideshow for ideas on how to sneak pink into your wedding. After all, the saying should be something new, something borrowed, and something pink!

A bride’s dress is something the guests and groom have been envisioning since the very thought of her big day. Just as she has the right to flaunt, the Mrs.-to-be is also entitled to some mystery. These days, gown selection can seem a bit overly traditional, with an abundance of styles that are recognizable under any fashion era: the strapless, the halter, the short-sleeved. Add a spank of spunk to wedding tradition with a trend recently rocked by First Lady Michelle Obama with the one-shouldered gown. The subtly different style of gown is flashy enough to show the bride’s glamorous glow, yet is still enough of a tease to get the groom counting down to the end of the night. Go ahead — give your man the cold shoulder one last time… and remember, if Michelle Obama can pull it off, this classy style could be the perfect pick for your perfect day.

You’re walking outside along a bushel of great-smelling pink and purple wildflowers with the warm late-summer sky sunning your rosy cheeks, and who better to flutter along than a gorgeous, happy little butterfly! Whether you’re looking for one, or they pop up right next to you on the crosswalk during your daily work commute, butterflies always make the day special — so allow the wonderful winged creatures to honor you as your ceremony’s theme! As a die-hard butterfly fan like myself would know, August is butterfly month, so if your date’s towards the bittersweet end of summer, perhaps you should toy with the idea of sneaking in a butterfly or two to your marital plans. From jewelry to tableware, there’s a butterfly-option to tickle your fancy. Oh yeah, and if you’re looking for an alternative to tossing confetti after I-do’s, look into the release of some attractive alternatives!

Let me guess – you’ve been single for so many years that you sort of just forgot that hell has frozen over and pigs have flown and you actually have a sweetheart to shop for this Valentine’s Day! And since you failed to remember until just now that February 14th (as in tomorrow) isn’t just another day on the calendar this time around (an honest mistake), you’re pretty much just planning to show up empty-handed and present-less on the big night with the assumption that your sympathetic sweetie will “understand.” Lucky for you, unless your honey came up with the genius idea to hand-make your gifts this year (and in turn has set you both up for a Chandler-and-Monica style hand-puppet fiasco), this little problem of yours can easily be solved with a super-quick dash to your nearest Walgreens or Target. It may sound desperate, but let’s get real – you are desperate, and unless you feel like committing sex-life suicide on the supposedly most romantic day of the year, we suggest you get off the chair and get your hiney hoppin’ to the nearest makeshift gift shop – pronto! From Valentine’s-inspired collectibles and retro candy gift sets to discounted perfume and cologne, these last-minute gifts may not be the smoothest of souvenirs, but you’re just going to have to use that forgetful noggin of yours and figure out how to make it work! After all, you’ve always been complimented on your power of persuasion, and if there’s ever been a time for your BS-ing skills to save your behind, it’s now! Check out the slideshow for more last-minute gift ideas that you can hopefully salvage with a little dash of faux sentiment – good luck!

The occurrence of the words “festive” and “beauty” in the same sentence may stir up a few painful memories of that time you went to school on St. Patrick’s Day in head-to-toe green, complete with clover-colored eyeshadow and lipstick (it’s okay – you sooo did not look like a leprechaun). And yeah, that time you showed up at a Halloween bash with a full-on clown face (only to find out the hard way that it wasn’t a costume party) wasn’t too hot either. But seriously, no matter what bad experiences you’ve endured and beauty faux pas you’ve committed in the past with occasion-coordinated makeup shades, a festive face doesn’t have to be obnoxious, nightmarish, or costume-y! With the right products and tints (and the correct doses of them!) you can look great for your Valentine’s Day date without resembling a page off the calendar. For one, it’s vital to remember subtlety – with Philosophy’s candy heart-inspired lip gloss and Sephora Valentine’s chocolate-scented bath scrub and body butter, the whole world may not be able to read all your V-Day enthusiasm like a sign on your forehead, but you and the one you’ll be cuddling up to will get to enjoy the celebratory scents! Also, while bright red lips and harsh fuchsia blush may set off a warning alarm in your brain, don’t shy away from the right shades of pink! With the Laura Mercier First Blush Palette, you’ll be surprised at how far a gentle rosy glow can go in creating a softly feminine and flirty look. For the perfect pucker-upper, take a look at Clinique’s Kissable Six set of lip plumping glosses, complete with six different pink, plummy, and nude shades, so you won’t have to spend hours in the store trying to pick the perfect tint! And, if you’re feeling just a tad bit bold, try for a more season-suitable smokey eye in a plum-pink shade like Make Up For Ever’s Plum 39 (just make sure to go nude on the lips for balance!). As long as you don’t try to use all eight festively fabulous products at once, these candy-colored goods are bound to help you look cuter than Cupid… and way sexier too, I hope. Check out the slideshow for the rest of the Valentine’s Day-influenced beauty sets and shades!