I've been feeling a lot less bridal lately. It's sad. The last few months have been extra busy work-wise and there seem to be so many other non-wedding related obligations to fulfill.

So I thought I'd bring back that spark by making myself feel better (and less tired). When I feel down, the first thing I do is change my hair. A different (like really different) hair style has a way of uplifting how I feel about my overall appearance, improving my mood.

THE CUT

First things first, I went to Henri Calayag's salon for a long overdue haircut. I'd been wearing my hair long and naturally wavy for a while and since it was easy enough to put up into a bun or ponytail, I neglected to have it cut for about three to four months. Bad!

I like how Henri cuts my hair. He really gets it!

I decided to lop off about three to four inches and left it all up to Henri. I was so happy with the result. The shorter, shoulder-grazing hair made me feel younger and lighter. I also like that they blow-dried it straight for a change. It's been a while since I'd seen myself with stick straight, shiny hair and I must admit it looks far edgier.

After and before: while my new cut looks less bridal, I feel much lighter and younger.

I was all smiles after the cut and I even made an effort to blow-dry and iron my hair into submission every morning. However, I still felt the need to do something more; as though my transformation was not complete yet.

THE PAINT

Heavier color on the eyes makes for a stronger gaze!

To go with my newfound fashion-y hair, I decided to change my makeup style, too. I've been stuck in the whole bright lip-bare eyes formula for a while and although it works, it's stopped making me feel special.

Hence, I pored over the Style Bible instructional videos and learned how to do a smoky eye for day (and night!) on myself. I switch the base colors around, playing with greens, golds, or purples beneath the charcoal powder to make the look more fun.

The result is a really strong overall look with my hair. I'm starting to feel a lot better.

THE TREATMENT

Still not completely satisfied, and this time with an occasion and dress in mind, I decided to change even the texture of my hair. Reggie, Style Bible's resident beauty expert, was telling me about the Keratin Treatment she recently tried and how it helps tame hair. My soon to be sisters-in-law also tried the express version of the treatment. So I thought that rather than color my hair, it might be better to just tame it.

I always enjoy going to Studio 546. It's a great place to relax and the staff is so nice!

My friend Yvette Ilagan who owns Studio 546 in Shangri-La Plaza mentioned that they now offer the treatment so I stopped by to give it a try. It took about 2 hours and I left the salon with really shiny and straight hair. It looks much more natural than rebonding and while it lasts 3-5 months, it simply washes away thereby doing without the strange re-growth that comes with rebonding.

THE CONCLUSION

You might be wondering why I decided to make such a drastic change in appearance just months before my wedding. Well, I just felt the need to feel better about myself and feeling prettier (even in just my eyes) works wonders.

Planning a wedding is tough especially when you have so many other things to worry about-work, social obligations,  planning where to live, and more! It's also tough when wedding-related problems start to stress you out, like having to graciously deal with unsolicited opinions/suggestions, accommodating requests from others that are not part of the plan (ex. adding more people to the guest list), not getting the supplier you want, and even staying within the budget.

I have decided that from now on, I will spare some me time to just primp, pamper, and take care of myself. After all, I am the bride and I want to feel like a bride and look forward to my wedding.

--Isha.

P.S.
Sorry for such a shallow post but I figure you all can relate.