spray on that marital glow!

i'm getting married in 9 days.

i didn't picture it going exactly this way in all my girlhood dreams. i'm definitely not the size i'd like to be as a bride (that's what happens when you get pregnant-no dieting!), and i'm a pale, pale girl.

i had almost come to terms with the paleness, except one day over the summer i got into my mother-in-law's pool and returned with some VERY noticeable stripes from my bathing suit. my dress won't be able to cover these, and i know they'll show up in the pictures.

i'm considering a salon spray tan....maybe. not to look like a malibu bride, but to simply even out. however, i've heard that the tan can look orange if you are pale to begin with. i'm a little nervous, but something has to be done, and i don't trust self-tanner in this situation. or maybe it's me i don't trust.

i also plan on doing it a few days before the wedding so that i can remedy the situation if need be.

my other dilemma: my hawaiian honeymoon and this spray tan. i've heard it doesn't hold up well under salt water. nothing says glowing newlywed like a streaky pregnant lady on the beach!!

my wedding day fragrance: Idole D'Armani

up until last weekend, i had my mind made up about what fragrance i would wear on my wedding day. Versace by Versace was my special occasion fragrance.

it's a sparkling, laughing floral that makes me envision that spectacular moment when we are announced man and wife and descend back down the aisle. that joyous, feminine smell had the potential to mark a memory. i'm not a floral girl, but this particular scent would go brilliantly with all the glitz of my wedding day, and dry down very nicely as the night wore on.

however.

last weekend, on a whim, i sauntered through the cosmetics department of macy's. i decided to sample the new Armani.

i love the Armani fragrances, because they are so well made. Mania is still one of my all-time faves, and i had a crush on Sensi for a long time. She is an excellent choice too-it reminds me of a friend from long ago.

Idole D'Armani is a grown-up version of Sensi. Sensi was sheerly sweet without being saccharine, with just enough woods to give it depth.

Dillards.com describes it this way: "An ode to the feminine ideal, this spicy floral fragrance captures a woman's grace, beauty and strength. Opening with dazzling clementine orange, juicy pear, ginger and davana, it boldly blends absolute saffron, jasmine and rose loukoum with base notes of patchouli and vetiver for a lingering, sensual luminosity".

if Versace was the walk back down the aisle, Idole D'Armani is a night filled with hugging loved ones and being kissed by the one you love. it's an abundance of sweet warmth, cozy and intimate. it makes you want to lean closer to the person you are talking to.

Versace laughs, while Idole huskily murmurs. it doesn't ooze sexuality with musk and sugar, it's subtley beautiful because it smells like skin in candlelight.

that's my wedding day scent.

product test drive-clarisonic is worth the money!

i got a clarisonic for my birthday!!

i know it's foolish to say everyone should run out and get one-they are pricey. but everyone should definitely have it on their wishlist!

i had heard such amazing things from people who owned these miracle machines. tales of soft, clear skin that boggled the mind. even people whose skin broke out initially after they used it still weren't sorry. with reviews like that, it's natural to be curious.

first of all, it doesn't operate like i thought. i don't know where i got this idea, but i thought the brush spun around, but it doesn't. it simply vibrates. this vibration (while feeling very soothing on your skin), loosens dead skin and allows your product to penetrate better. it is your arm's job to move the machine in circles.

another cool feature is that it times each area of your face. once you start, it beeps after a certain amount of time to indicate that it's time to go to the next area of your face. no clock-watching!

all in all your daily clarisonic experience lasts about a minute and a half.

my skin does feel renewed after using this. the dull skin vanishes, leaving behind softer, smoother, cleaned skin. i couldn't stop touching it! it doesn't irritate existing blemishes and actually helped mine go away.

clarisonic is available with different cleansers and textures of brushes.

this is worth every penny. and then some.